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External Version Experience?

danatdanadanatdana
in C-sections

My baby is currently breech.

MY obgyn offered to do an external version at 37 weeks if I wanted to try. His success rate is 50%. (Or I can wait, and if he doesn't turn by the time I go into labor I get a C section.)

Anyway what happens at an external version and how long does it take? Did it put you into labor?

TIA

 

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Re: External Version Experience?

  • almostjenniferalmostjennifer member
    Two of my good friends had it done and it didn't work.  Basically, the doctor physically tries to push the baby around into the head-down position.  Apparently it is excrutiatingly painful.  One of my friends' baby just flipped back again, and the other one the doctor could never get the baby to flip. 
    SAHM to DD1 (7), DS (5) and DD2 (1)
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  • acavelleroacavellero

    I usually just lurk but this post is near and dear to me?

    I found out that my baby was breech at 38 weeks and was pretty upset by that fact. I tried everything from spinning babies to the Webster technique (would definitely recommend trying the Webster technique) but nothing worked so I scheduled an external version at 40 weeks. Honestly, I wish I would have done the version as soon as I found out but I wasn?t ready to have my baby early (if there was a problem it would have resulted in an emergency c-section)?I wanted him to stay in as long as possible.

    My OB said that increasing my fluid levels would give me the best shot at the external version being successful. In order to get the levels up, she recommended that I drink as much water as possible (about 2 gallons a day!). To my surprise, I had nearly doubled my amniotic fluid levels by doing this. The purpose of this was to 1) give him enough room to try and turn himself or 2) give her a better chance to turn him.

    When I went in for the procedure they put in an IV and hooked me up to an external fetal monitor.  Once they started, they had me completely flat on the hospital bed and tilted the bed so that my feet were slightly higher than my head. They also had me hold onto a bar that was behind my head. Then my OB and two other doctors started. One doctor used the ultrasound wand so that they always knew my LO?s position and my OB and the other doctor literally tried to turn my baby into position. I?m not going to sugar coat it?it was the worst pain I have ever felt. Honestly, I never thought it would hurt that bad -but seriously it is two grow adults manually trying to grab the baby through your stomach and pushing as hard as they can.

    My OB tried to turn him three different ways (they called it turning right, turning left and rolling). I was this.close to telling them to stop when my OB said the baby wasn?t tolerating the version well (heart rate kept dropping when they tried to turn him).  How long the version takes depends on how your baby tolerates the procedure. The version didn?t put me into labor but since it wasn?t successful I went right in for my c-section since I was already 40w.

    Ultimately the external version wasn?t successful (after the section I found out his head was stuck under my ribs) but I?m still glad I tried everything I could.  My section and recovery went extremely well ? so well that I might consider a repeat section over a vbac.

    Sorry this was so long. Good luck with getting your LO to turn!

     

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  • emberlee3emberlee3 member

    My DD was breech.  My OB does versions at 39 weeks, then induces if successful.  She says there is too high of a chance of LO flipping back if you do it sooner.

    I was all for it, since I had a vaginal delivery with DS.  Plan was for epidural (it increases the success rate of the version), then version attempt, then induction.  Unfortunately, my blood pressure and baby's heart rate dropped precipitously with the epidural, so we went straight to the OR for a section.  I was disappointed, but quickly got over it once I got to meet my baby.  Good luck with whatever you decide.

    DS born 8/8/09 and DD born 6/12/12.
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  • danatdanadanatdana
    Thank you everyone! Big Smile
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  • kerrigrooveskerrigrooves member

    https://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/69849476.aspx

    this is my story...same thing, my Dr said 35-45% chance of turning...didnt work, painful and I still feel bruised almost a week later

     good luck momma, either way, end result is going to be awesome!!   

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