Another breech q: Anyone have External Version?

LA_Badger

Following the question below re: acupuncture with a breech baby (which I did - as well as the Webster Method chiro. along with moxibustion)... curious if anyone had ECV?  I would like to hear your experience. 

I hear it is quite painful (I was told "a different kind of pain" than labor - since I want a natural birth - and if I can't handle ECV...I may want to rethink that).  The thought of such manipulation of the baby - scares me, frankly.

brlindy

DS was breech around 36 weeks and so my doctor and I had the discussion about attempting an external version.  From what I understand the statistics say that it's a 50/50 shot that it would actually work.  But my mindset last time around was that anything would be worth a shot in order for me to be able to avoid major surgery.  So I had decided to do it, if it came down to it.  Luckily DS flipped sometime before my 38 week appointment and I was able to have the epi-free birth that I had wanted all along.

So I realize I dont have any first hand advice about the pain of it all, but if you're really wanting to have a pain-med free birth then I'd say give it a shot.

honkytonk_kid

I don't really belong here but I keep clicking on 3rd tri on accident...

I had a version at 36 weeks. It really varies from person to person how painful it is- for me it was pretty uncomfortable but not unbearable at all. I needed some deep breathing and H's hand to hold, and I was fine. It didn't last very long, and it stopped hurting as soon as they stopped pushing. 

I wanted a natural birth too, so I was more than willing to give the version a try. I'm not sure where pp heard 50% success rate- everything I've read puts it at closer to 65-70% successful, and very safe.

You might want to ask on and/or search the Natural Birth board, several ladies over there have had successful versions.