Complications from a Breech Baby

You have lots of time--my baby was breech at 33 weeks too. I scheduled a chiropractor in town who has a great record of flipping babies. Then I told my baby that I was a cheap woman and I didn't like the idea of paying $150 to get him headed the right direction and that he better flip before the appointment...and he did :)...

I had a breech baby in August. I did go in for a version. Mine was just done manually from the outside by a couple doctors (while being monitored on ultraosound). I did not have any pain medication or epidural and it was painful so they really did not try that long. The doctor doing said she could sometimes feel if the baby had a chance to move and my baby did not even budge the slightest so she didn't feel there was much chance. But they did give me the choice on how much I wanted to try and even said I could go on epidural and try. I opted not to try anymore. Turned out the placenta was behind the head so she never could have turned. Anyway, since the version did not work, she was delivered by c-section. I had my first 2 natural, so the c-section was not something I wanted but all in all, I had a healthy baby and everything was fine.
As far as hip problems, I believe my doctor said females in the breech position should always be checked (females have weaker hips to begin with as they are meant to flex for birth). I had to get my baby checked a couple weeks after she was born. The doctor said if she did have any problems, if it was caught while she was still an infant, it could be taken care of relatively easy.
Don't be scared. They will monitor everything. Only do what you are comfortable with. If you have to have a c-section, you will be fine. And the end result will be a new healthy baby! Good luck!

I JUST had my baby boy on St. Patty's Day and he was breeched. I had a version (?) scheduled 1 week before my due date. I also was TERRIFIED of a C-section, mostly because of my other daughters (just turned 5 and 2 in March) and the stairs in my house. Anyways I tried EVERYTHING to try and flip him myself. Downward doggy rocking back and forth, hoola hoop motion while I was standing, frozen peas where his head was, flashlight, music etc. etc. I did see a Chiropractor a couple times before to have him do the Webster technique. Needless to say he didn't flip on his own. I went into the hospital, my Dr. wouldn't do it without an epidural. So I was in the O.R. as if I was getting csection in CASE anything went wrong they could do an emergency c-section. It took 5 SECONDS! My nurse who was excited to see a version, missed the whole thing when she looked down at the computer! LOL! The only thing was they gave me a shot to 'relax my uterus' and a few minutes after the procedure, I started feeling dizzy and like I had a 1000 pounds on my shoulders. My blood pressure dropped to 40/27. EEK. (I have low blood pressure as it is) His heartbeat never even dropped, it was like nothing even happened. But they loaded a ton of liquids in me very quickly and I started feeling better. They then induced me and I had my 8 pound 21 inch long lucky boy on St. Patty's Day (what we were hoping for) . My last baby was also 8 lbs. 14 oz.

Having a breech baby was soooooo uncomfortable, his head was in my ribcage the entire time. In fact he had little ridges on his head from my ribcage. As soon as he was flipped I could finally breathe! For me, the version was such a good decision for us, and I was lucky my Dr. would even do it as I heard alot of Dr's will not. It couldn't have been any easier, and I was walking an hour after delivery the soonest they would let me. Best of luck to you and your new bundle of joy. I wouldn't worry too much. I know I did and it was sooooooo much easier than I could have ever imagined..... hopefully that's the case for you as well.

You still have plenty of time. My daughter was breech also at 35 weeks. We gave it another 10 days and she had not turned, so around 37 weeks, we did the external version. Proactively, we were admitted into the hospital, hooked up the monitors, rec'd some meds to stop the (extremely mild) contractions I was having (but were so mild I couldn't even feel them at all).. then did the version. The actual version itself, took less than 2 minutes. She turned, I stayed in the hospital a few more hours for observation (and ate a nice fruit salad from the cafeteria for dinner) and then were discharged and went home. Went into labor, normally, at 39 weeks, delivered her with 2 pushes, in the week hours of the night and yes, she did have a "hip click" -- mild dysplasia. Wasn't that big of a deal. She was referred to a pediatric orthopeodist and we took her in when she was 3 days old. They did xrays, to measure her hip sockets. She ended up wearing a foam brace for a few weeks. Since then, her xrays were completely normal. She will celebrate her 10th birthday this summer, and has had NO complications whatsoever from it.

I second http://spinningbabies.com/
My third was a little acrobat until 36 weeks or so. Mostly she liked to be sideways. She was breech at one point though. After having the site recommended by the ladies here I tried the things to get her to turn. I had to keep doing them as she kept flipping back every time I'd get her corrected but she locked in just in the nick of time and I was able to go on to have an all natural head down birth at the birth center I was planning on going to. She turned out to be smaller then my first 2 and she had plenty of room it turns out. It can't hurt to try.
I know it's hard but relaxing helps to. I know it's hard, I was there and even though everyone kept telling me to relax it was super hard. Sidways is 100% c-section in a hospital which after the trauma of my first child's hospital birth (long story) I wanted to avoid! But you have to try.
Best of luck!

Check out spinningbabies.com.

I really miss the skills lost by OBs about birthing breech babies. Breech was never an automatic cesarean until about 15 years ago... before then, most breech were born without complications vaginally. Some Midwives still birth breech babies with same to better results.

I'll be sending tons of good wishes and TURN TURN TURN your way!!

My sister was frank breech. She had no hip issues. She was born via c-section though because my mom also had a total placenta previa. Good luck-- hope your little one turns for you!

Hopefully the baby will turn on it's own! I've heard that they dislike the buzzing sound that electronic things make, like clippers. So if you hold them by where their head is it's supposed to make them go away from it and hopefully go head down.
I tried this and it didn't work.
We did the external version and it was very quick and painless. It seriously took less than a minute to actually turn her. The dr DID say that if theyre going to turn it'll be pretty easy to turn them doing the version but if there's something not letting them turn you can work and work and it's painful and they won't turn anyway. Id at least try it though!

Good Luck!

My last baby, now almost a year, was breech. No attempt was made to turn her, because I was scheduled for a c-section due to prior c-section. She did not turn on her own, but when she was born she was only 6 lbs 15 oz. It is standard procedure here to automatically do an ultrasound for hip dysplacia, and I can't remember exactly how old she was when they did it but she had absolutely no problems.

I believe the incidence of babies turning on their own is fairly high. You still have 5-7 weeks to go, so just hope for the best...but know that a breech baby is not as scary as some make it sound, even if you have a vaginal birth.

you will have to confirm with your doctor - i guess if they know ahead of time and the baby won't move (and you're not in labor) it's a whole different story....my son was fine on friday, and when my water broke on sunday, he was breech - they did an emergency c-section and it was a piece of cake. now i don't know all the medical-ese behind the decision or the circumstance (i have a feeling they did the surgery because i was in labor), but honestly it was one of the easiest ways i can imagine to have a baby - i had very little discomfort and only a tiny bit of pain from the surgery - i didn't even fill my pain killer scrip when i went home. but something tells me i am very much in the minority...just wanted to let you know it doesn't have to be a nightmare.

Kate,

I was a breech baby and so was my daughter- I was born with dislocated hips- spent the better part of the first year of my life in cast and braces- today it is not an issue.

My daughter was breech my entire pregnancy- was born scheduled c-section and has not had a single problem. First born breech females are at the highest risk of having hip problems. For your child the ped should be checking at birth for "clicks" (they do this for all babys is my understanding) after that at I think it was 6 weeks... we went in for an ultra sound to be sure they hips are in place.

The good news is that over the last 38 years- modern medicine has continued to advance and the treatment for hip issues now is soooo much better then when I was an infant.

as for the breech- I did not opt for the version as I did not want to take any chances and my philosophy was/is- she was breech for a reason that may not be clear until delivery- For me the c-section was fine to ensure that she arrived safe and healthy. Plus recovery from a scheduled c-section tends for many to be easier then recovery from an emergency.

Try to relax- and enjoy thee last few weeks!

M.

Some babies in Frank Breech position have hip problems but it usually fixes itself and is usually not serious. My son was complete breech so hips were not a concern. I did not try accupuncture but I tried the other stuff and it didn't work. I was offered external version but since I only had a 50% chance of sucesss I opted for the c-section. If I already had a baby to take care of, I would have done the version. My friend was in that position recently and she did it with no issues. The external versian was a much better option than have a 6-8 week recovery. And yes, it does really take that long.