External Version

Welshgirl12

Has anyone had any experience of an external version?

I had my 35 week today and the little pickle is still breech and my midwife recommended I try an external version. I want to try since I have been striving for a medication free delivery. That said, the success rate is reportedly pretty low, around 58%.

Has anyone here had a version? Did it work?

Welshgirl12

ps I have already tried the pelvic tilts and visiting a chiropractor.

StayingSecret

Usually, they don't do one until 37-38 weeks....is she recommending one now?  We thought we had to head down that path with LO#1, but he flipped at 38 weeks.  I probably wasn't going to be for it since doc wasn't too enthused about it (but did offer it as an option) because of the low success rate and my LO was very small - he'd likely flip right back.  Or at least there wasn't anything stopping him from doing so.

I still think you have plenty of time for him to flip on his own, so I'd vote against it for now.

yesthisiskim0401

I had an ECV with DD1 and am looking at having one with this pregnancy as well. At my 35w appt baby was breech. Have you looked at spinningbabies.com? There is a lot of great "exercises" on there to help baby turn on their own. I have been doing the "forward lean inversion" and I *think* baby has flipped - we will see at my follow up u/s on Friday.

At 35 weeks you still have enough time and baby has enough room to flip on their own. If you do decide to go with an ECV and want to hear my personal story, I'd be more than happy to share it.

Welshgirl12

The doctor would do it at 37 weeks but I would need to book it now. And I would.love to hear your story if you dont mind sharing it!

Welshgirl12

I have been working through the spinning babies exercises!

yesthisiskim0401

Welshgirl12 said:

The doctor would do it at 37 weeks but I would need to book it now. And I would.love to hear your story if you dont mind sharing it!

My OB will want to schedule an ECV this week for either 37 or 39w if baby is still breech.

Sorry if this is all a bunch of mumble jumble as I am half awake lol.

I had my ECV done at exactly 37w with DD1. Checked in to L&D, taken to a specialty "high risk" room, had to sign a bunch of forms pretty much giving them permission to perform an emergency c if need be. They took some blood, got my IV started and gave me a shot of adrenaline (starts with a t - just can't remember the name) to relax my muscles, mainly the uterus. It was not a pleasant shot as it burned going in and makes your heart race. DD1 was more transverse than she was breech so her head was behind my right rib cage. I had my OB and two nurses perform the ECV - my OB was turning her head, one nurse turned her by her butt, and the third had an u/s wand on my belly to watch the baby, the cord, the placenta, etc.

On the count of three the OB and nurse dug their hands as far down into my abdomen as possible to "scoop" DD1. Together they pushed her for 5-10 seconds the direction they wanted her to go. It was a TON of pressure. I wouldn't say painful, as odd as that sounds and I know some other women who have had ECV's might disagree. They took a quick 3 second break so I could catch my breath and again turned her. It took them three "pushes" to get her head down and took a total of 30 seconds - I'm not even lying. 

I had to stay at the hospital for a few more hours for monitoring and to let the adrenaline wear off. I was not contracting, baby showed no signs of distress, and I was released. That night I felt many contractions but that is to be expected since 1) your uterus just went through hell and back and 2) it is contracting back after the shot of adrenaline. I was told if I felt more than 3 contractions to come back to L&D immediately. I had a follow up appt with my OB the next day to check my cervix and monitor baby. 

I am with a new OB this pregnancy and they perform ECV's differently. I have two options - scheduling one at 37w or one at 39w. They also perform ECV's with epidurals, which I did not have with my first. My OB also induces if I chose the 39w option (which I am talking to him about this Friday since there is absolutely no medical need to be induced). Less than 1% of ECV's end up in an emergency c-section and if I remember the stats correctly (from 2 years ago, mind you) 77% of ECV's are successful. 

Welshgirl12

I sincerely appreciate you sharing your story! Thank you!

yesthisiskim0401

kicius56 said:

I had an ECV with DD1 and am looking at having one with this pregnancy as well. At my 35w appt baby was breech. Have you looked at spinningbabies.com? There is a lot of great "exercises" on there to help baby turn on their own. I have been doing the "forward lean inversion" and I *think* baby has flipped - we will see at my follow up u/s on Friday.

At 35 weeks you still have enough time and baby has enough room to flip on their own. If you do decide to go with an ECV and want to hear my personal story, I'd be more than happy to share it.

@yesthisiskim0401 How many times/days did you do the forward lean inversion? I remember you just posted about your baby being breech a few days ago, I think. I'm only 33 weeks with a frank breech baby so I know I have time, but what has me concerned she won't flip is that she's been in the same position since 20 weeks. At least from what I can tell. I want to start spinningbabies after my next ultrasound if she hasn't flipped yet.

I have done the forward lean at least once a day since Saturday. When DH is home I do it about 3x's since he's home to spot me (I'm so scared I'm going to fall down the stairs lol!). I think she flipped breech on Thursday, confirmed by u/s on Friday, and I want to say she flipped back down on Monday (since I felt hiccups down low). I'm 99% positive she's head down now since I can clearly feel and see a foot dragging across the top of my belly. I will continue doing the forward lean just to keep her head down.