Advice for Breech Baby at 35 Weeks

There is a great class this weekend on breech birth through Renaissance Midwifery in Oakland. The website is renaissancemidwifery.com

My son was breech at 36 1/2 weeks. I could actually feel his head right under my ribs. I had a version and he stayed turned. It actually may have accelerated everything, since the version was done on a Friday and I went into labor the following Wednesday. I thought the version was an unpleasant experience. They give you something (can't remember what)in an IV to prevent premature labor/contractions, which can accelerate your heartrate. I was already nervous, so it increased my anxiety level. The version itself was extremely uncomfortable. The baby's heart rate also dropped, due to my laying on my back for so long and the pressure of the version. Everything worked out fine, my son stayed turned and was born vaginally and healthy, but it was a much more stressful experience that I was ready for that day. Make sure if you decide to go with the version that you talk with your doctor and get all of the information. And yes, there is still time for the baby to turn on his/her own. I would wait it out as long as your doctor thinks is safe. Everything that I read about breech deliveries before deciding on the version says they should be avoided if possible. Good luck!

Hi Celeste,

I did have a similar experience with my daughter at roughly the same time (35 weeks). My midwife suggested that I see an acupuncturist that specializes in women's health and then to set up an appointment to have a version (have the baby turned). I was told that the most important thing is to stay relaxed during the version to help the baby turn, but if the baby doesn't budge or moves back, then the baby knows something we don't. That said, I had two acupuncture appointments prior and a guided imagery with my prenatal yoga teacher. I also had quite a few heart to heart talks with the little one in the belly.I was very lucky in that it took the doctor only a minute or two to move her.

I wish you the best of luck and congratulations on your baby!

P.S. Acupuncture also helped with inducing labor if you need this too :-)
Best,
Lilia

Hey Celeste, this happened to me too. My baby turned breech at 36 weeks and they didnt think she would turn back but she flipped back and forth untilk the day she was born. I would play music down by my pelvic area to try and help they say its a myth but it seemed to help us. Good luck :)

I had the same situation and went to a chiropractor- I googled Webster technique chiropractic and found Elon Bartlett in Oakland...after 1 session I felt the baby turn...I went straight to my ob and she confirmed that the baby had turned and she stayed in position and I had another amazing vaginal birth (my second)...good luck!

Hi Celeste,

There are plenty of things you can do.

My daughter was breech up until 4 days before she was born.
My midwife gave me all kinds of suggestions.

1) Lying on an inclined board - I used an ironing board and laid with my head at the bottom and my feet at the top while it rested on the floor and up the couch. Baby has more room and may turn.

2) Pelvic Rock Exercises. - Get on all fours and tilt the pelvis back and forth.

3) Swimming - swim down to the bottom of the pool and back up a few times.

4) Acupuncture - Moxibustion sticks held to the outside of the pinkie toe which you can do at home and then the acupuncture sessions if you wish.

5) Chiropractic Care - The Webster Technique. Find someone who is knowledgeable in this method which gently releases the ligaments around the uterus to create more room for baby to turn.

6) An external cephalic version. I had this done in the end simply because I was running out of time and absolutely did NOT want another C/S unless ABSOLUTELY necessary! She was turned successfully by a Dr. in Santa Cruz who is very skilled with versions (I was a VBAC - so my situation was a little different). It was painless and easy and quick and I watched the whole thing with my husband via ultrasound. There was no stress to the baby. I was amazed ...and she stayed.

Above all: Don't give up and stay positive. The doctor that did my version was all for positive thinking and told me mindset was key. He wanted me "ready" and had me do acupuncture the afternoon before and made me had family help the night before so that the evening was stress free, relaxing bath with candles etc and think nothing but positive thoughts.

Good luck. There is plenty you can do even at this late stage - and baby can still turn independently, so don't give up!

give it some time for the wee one to flip around on it's own, sometimes you can feel it, sometimes, you can't. i wouldn't do the version (procedure where the dr turns the baby for you) it is very painful & when my good friend had it done, her baby turned right back into a breech position. think positive thoughts & follow the advice your doctor gives to encourage the baby to turn on its own.

Celeste,

The baby should turn by about 38 weeks. If the baby doesn't turn by then you can have a version and they can manually try to turn the baby-- not comfortable but it can be done as long as baby tolerates it and cooperates. Try not to worry-- visualize your baby turning into head down position-- Also, getting on all fours helps to encourage baby to turn while doing pelvic tilts. Good luck to you!

Molly

Hi Celeste,

Click on my profile and go to my post "Breech Baby at 38 weeks." I got almost 50 responses which should be helpful to you. Also, go to www.spinningbabies.com. This is a great website with all kinds of information on how to get your baby to turn. Unfortunately, my little girl would not budge. I tried EVERYTHING. But that does not mean that your baby won't turn. Stay positive, talk to your baby and encourage him/her to turn. Trust your body....it knows what to do. Good luck!

My best friend was in this same situation with her son. The doctors had scheduled her for the procedure to turn the baby because they didn't think he would turn on his own (he was big). When she went in to have it done, they were surprised to find that he had already turned himself.

Good luck!

Dear Celeste,
Congratulations on your new arrival!
You still have time for your baby to turn.
My son was in a different position everytime they checked. He was head down the day before I went into labor, but flipped again. They yanked and yarded and heaved and hoed on my belly. I'd been so terribly ill that they didn't want to put me through a c-section if they could get around it. They got him head down, and he came out (barely), but face up.
Anyway, try not to be nervous about it. I'm sure you'll get some great advice from other moms. The baby will turn, or not, but it will be handled and you'll be well taken care of, I have no doubt. You'll get a precious little baby however it enters the world.
Very best of wishes to you.
Let us know when your baby arrives!

you've gotten a lot of great advice on how to get your baby to turn. I want to add one thing for you. Start prepairing yourself now for the idea of a c-section. I spent 6 weeks trying to get my daughter to turn and was so focused on that, that I never realy thought about how I would handle a c-section. The entire day leading up to my daughter's birth I spent crying. Now I look back and wish I would have done a lot of thing different (like had music playing and set up a miror so I could see her being born.) I'm not telling you not to try and turn your baby, for many women it works and they have a completly normal delivery. I just want you to be prepaired if it doesn't work because I wasn't.

Good luck, and take care,

Alli

keep in mind to ultimate goal of this whole thing is a healthy baby. It seems a bit early to freak out - the kid could just be acting stubborn and flip at the last minute. If not, a C-section isn't the end of the world. I had natural childbirth with the help of an episiotomy and that took 2 years to heal! My friends that had C-Sections were back to normal in about a month. The best thing you can do is to stop worrying ( as much as you can) and relax - stress can cause all kinds of trouble and mischief. Talk to your doctor about aversion (sp?) they can massage/shove the baby around in your belly by pushing on you. It doesn't look fun but it works about 50% of the time. I was so worried about EVERYTHING that could go wrong with my son I stayed up late watching alot of TLC channel labor & delivery documentaries thinking knowlege of all the possible problems would help me cope. Ya right!

Greetings Celeste: You are a brave woman!!
I am the mother of 4 birth children and one by adoption(always tell her she was the very best pregnancy). My second child was literally jumping feet first into the world. I had no idea that I was having a breech baby because he had turned again at the last few days before birth. The doctors did try and turn him but that was not good for either of us and did not work. I am amazed that you will consider a vaginal birth. Some like mine can tear you up others can go much easier. I did deliver vaginal but had I to do it again there is no way only because of the harm it could have done to my son. The recovery time was much longer than with the other three children. He is now still jumping feet first into the world and all the adventures in it including his own child's birth. I will be excited to hear how things go because a baby is the most precious gift we can get. Nana G

Hello Celeste,

The doctor was wrong, when I was 40 weeks and said my son's head was up. When we went in to check the amiontic fluid, his head was down. I was shocked.
We tried actupuncture and I could feel my son trying to move. We found a specialist and he tried a "manual avertion". That hurt like heck and would have worked, accept my son's head was stuck under my rib cage. It took the doctor's a half an hour to get my son out, @ time of delivery.
Regardless whether you have a normal vaginal delivery or a c-section, all that matters is that your baby is healthly. You have probably already done a great job being good, so hang in there. Try those other methods. maybe you will get lucky.Good luck.
Regards,
J.
Note: My son is now 14 and my miracle child. I was unable to ever carry a child again.

Hi Celeste,

I wouldn't worry about it. At 32 weeks between 15% - 18% of babies are breech (depending on where you look). You have over a month before you give birth and as I'm sure you can feel your little one is still moving around a lot. He/She will most likely turn on his/her own.

My friend was sure she was going to have a c-section because the midwife told her the baby was breech. She, like you, was so bummed because she really wanted to have a vaginal birth and at our local hospital they won't even attempt it (I'm in England). So, she spent the last few weeks of her pregnancy stressing and then at 39 weeks the baby turned around and popped out like that was the plan all along. It was too bad because it ruined the end of her pregnancy and up to that point, she had been pretty stress free and really enjoying it.

I suppose what I'm saying is relax. Enjoy your pregnancy. What will be will be and chances are your baby will turn before or even during your labour. Obviously know your options just in case, but don't worry.

I just found a note I sent my friend about turning techniques. The results are inconclusive at best, but may be worth a try. Good luck. Take care and no matter how it comes out, congrtaulations on your new addition.

-D.

You could try:
• Adopting a knee-to-chest position by kneeling on your bed with your bottom in the air and your hips flexed at slightly more than 90 degrees (don't let your thighs press against your bump). Try to keep your head, shoulders, and upper chest flat on your mattress. Maintain this position for 15 minutes every two waking hours for five consecutive days. In one study of 71 breech babies, 65 turned when their mother adopted the knee-chest position.

• Lying on your back with your hips slightly elevated and your hips and knees flexed. Gently roll from side to side for 10 minutes and repeat this manoeuvre three times a day. If you have had any backache, pelvic pain or hip pain during your pregnancy, do talk to your midwife or physiotherapist before you try this.

• Moxibustion, which is a form of acupuncture. It's currently being researched to see if it could help turn breech babies. Success rates as high as around 80 per cent have been reported, but before trying it, seek advice from a qualified acupuncturist.

There is a chiropractor method for turning breech babies!

Celeste,

You've gotton lots of advise- and I wish you luck on your little one turning- but I mostly have to agree with Allison- on the chance that your baby does not turn prepare yourself for the c-section and know what to expect- my daughter was breech and never turned- my recovery from the c-section was a breeze and I firmly believe that that was due mostly to my being mentally prepared for the surgery and what recovery woud look like- in the end I faired better then my friends who had had vaginal births- sespecially if they tore...

Good luck and remember the true ultimate goal is a healthy happy baby and momma!

Hi Celeste,
Congratulations on your upcoming delivery! I don't know if this helps, but my oldest was sideways until a week before she was born. She finally turned head down at 37 weeks. BUT the point of my story is really - my doctor told me that if she didn't turn either head or feet down, I'd have to have a c-section. So that makes me think that even if your baby is breech, you can still have a natural delivery. It is a little riskier, but the baby will fit, and if you're going to be at a good hospital, I don't see why you couldn't at least try to deliver breech rather than having a c-section if that's what you prefer? Of course if the baby seems stressed out and you end up having to have a c-section, as long as you end up with a healthy baby, who cares how he or she is delivered, right? At the end of the day, the whole point is a happy and healthy mommy and baby!

Good luck with everything, please let us know what happens!! =)

Congratulations on your pregnancy. I had the same experience..However I was told that if the baby hadn't flipped by week 35, it probably wouldn't (and she ultimately didn't...). There is a procedure to have the baby manually flipped, which we opted not to do. We tried some of the wives' tales, which didn't work either. I had really wanted a vaginal birth but gave in and remember I just wanted a safe delivery for my baby. We had a scheduled C section and I've got a beautiful little girl.
good luck!
n

Acupuncture helped me a lot! I went to a woman in SF who specialized in fertility & pregnancy. Her name is Jennifer Ashby at the Lotus Center on Valencia Street (you can yelp her). She is amazing!!!

I had my second VBAC last year and had a version done since my son was breech. It was painless, we watched the whole thing on the ultrasound, and it took all of 30 seconds (maybe an hour total at the hospital). Hope this helps.

My daughter was classic breech (butt first). She often wiggled & kicked but never really moved around. I tried visualizing and reclining for several periods a day on the ironing board, but no budging. We were scheduled to have her turned 3 weeks before her due date. Unfortunately,my water broke and I went into labor the night before; there was not enough fluid to turn her. I REALLY did not want a c section. Because she was a bit early,small(5 1/2 lbs), and classic breech position, the drs set up for a c section, but let me go ahead with a breech birth (teaching hospital, cast of thousands).

I would not recommend this approach. I had an epidural and a HUGE episiotomy. When my daughter's head emerged (last) she was more blue than pink and the drs rushed to revive her. Her initial apgar scores were very low; her 2nd set was good. She stayed in the intermediate nursery 3 days, and after a week went back to the hospital for a day under the billirubin lights for jaundice (result of bruising in delivery). The stress level for all this - very high. After all, she was quite fine, nursed well, and her head was lovely and round. But because of the back and forth to hospitals, stairs, etc, my episiotomy tore, requiring repair surgery 3 months later and a 2nd recovery period. I have had some lingering complications. To add insult to injury, our insurance would have covered a c section in full, but would not cover the additional expenses for a vaginal breech birth, even though they encouraged vaginal births over c section.

This was 18 yrs ago; my daughter heads off to college in August!

Best of luck to you. I know a lot of babies do decide to turn around! A.

Hi Celeste,

Will you consider acupuncture and moxa? It does wonders!

There is an acupuncture school and clinic in san jose called five branches. You can try it there...ask for rounds and the acupuncturist will do your treament. :) and the best thing is, your first visit is free!!

I'm an NICU RN in acupuncture school and am amazed at all the wonderful things acupuncture can do! hope you are open to giving it a try!

Best of luck to you and your baby!

G.

Hi Celeste,
My Baby was breech until 38 weeks. On the ultrasound it looked like he was standing at attention. I guess I was so busy with the arrival that I didn't worry, and he turned around a few days before delivery. The thing that you have to realize is, what will be will be - so don't worry. Relax, that is the best advice I can give. When your body is calm your baby can feel it and will feel relaxed too. I know people will give you advice on how to move him into the correct position but the best thing is to keep you stress level low. He will be fine. Get as much sleep as you can!!!!
Good Luck,
D.

I was told with my third child that the baby was breech. Several weeks before my due date the doctor decided that he wanted to try and turn the baby, so I was to go to the hospital to have this done. I was not looking forward to it as some of my friends had told me it would be sort of painful. The doctor pulled out the ultrasound machine to take a look at the baby's position before they started the procedure and wouldn't you know it, he had turned on his own!

My friend put headphones to the baby's head and played music loudly--which caused the baby to turn away from it! I'm sure midwives have lots of ideas about this, you could consult 1. I bet mothering.com has ideas too if you search their forums.

cheers,
J.