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C-sections
martinimomma
member
2nd Time Moms -- Frank Breech? (a bit off topic, admittedly)
martinimomma
member
in C-sections
I am having a c-section later this week for frank breech presentation, and am curious if any 2nd time moms on this board had LOs with this presentation with their first c-section.
I am actually fairly comfortable with the c-section and understanding what I am in for afterwards, but my main concern is what LO might be in for given his or her presentation. I know frank breech increases the likelihood of hip dysplasia and needing interventions like a harness or splint in early infancy, and potentially even surgery to correct. Curious if anyone who had a frank breech LO has expereinced any of these things and can share their experiences if so.
LO has been breech for a looooong time, so I am particularly concerned about what they are in for after delivery.
Thanks for any thoughts or experiences you can share.
BFP #1 5/2010 - Missed m/c at 8 weeks
BFP #2 2/2011
Baby G welcomed with love and relief 10/2011
Surprise BFP 1/8/2013...say what? Baby A arrived 9/2013
Motherhood is not for wimps
This discussion has been closed.
Re: 2nd Time Moms -- Frank Breech? (a bit off topic, admittedly)
I am not a second time mom but my LO was frank breech. They found her in this position at 30 weeks and they were not hopeful she would flip because of how big she was and I had low amniotic fluid levels. All that being said she has not had an MRI of her hips nor has the Dr. been concerned with doing one. She is perfectly healthy and is actually very active for her age. She can put most of her weight on her legs while we hold her. I am an Athletic Trainer and would like to think that I would be able to spot any orthopedic abnormalities or any odd behavior indicating having an issue. She is perfectly healthy! I hope this helps!
My DD2 was in the complete breech position from at least 30 weeks on. She never turned, and I had a c/s.
My pedi checked her hips very carefully at every appointment for most of her first year, but she had no hip issues at all.
About the only thing I noticed was that immediately after she was born -- like, from the second I could see her on the warming table -- her legs stuck straight out. Like they were finally getting a chance to straighten after a couple of months! She preferred having them straight out for quite awhile in those first few weeks, too.
A couple of docs also commented on her "breech head", but it corrected itself over time.
DD1, 1/5/2008 ~~~ DD2, 3/17/2010
Thanks, Ladies. This is helpful. While hip dysplasia is hardly a horrible diagnosis in the grand scheme of things, it is helpful to hear that not all frank breech LOs end up that way.
And that's funny about the "breech head" comment -- did the Dr mean that the head was a little "big" as it had not been compressed in the pelvis? My Dr commented that I should be ready for a "very round" noggin on this LO, and I assume that is why!
BFP #1 5/2010 - Missed m/c at 8 weeks
BFP #2 2/2011
Baby G welcomed with love and relief 10/2011
Surprise BFP 1/8/2013...say what? Baby A arrived 9/2013
Motherhood is not for wimps
My older son was frank breech, but just for a few days. He turned frank breech 5 days before my due date and my c/s was scheduled for 2 days later. I was warned that when unswaddled he might kind of revert to the frank position. He did not, but likely because he wasn't frank breech very long.
All babies are checked for hip dysplasia, not only at the hospital but at every well baby visit for the first year. The AAP recommends that all breech babies have ultrasounds of their hips around 6 weeks of age (or an x-ray at 4 months).
From the AAP: (https://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;105/4/896#SEC6)
Breech presentation(newborn risk for boys of 26/1000 and forgirls, 120/1000).For negative or equivocally positive newbornexaminations, theinfant should be reevaluated at regular intervals(accordingto the periodicity schedule) if the examination resultsremainnegative. Because an absolute risk of 120/1000 (12%)probablyexceeds most pediatricians' threshold to act, imagingwith anultrasonographic examination at 6 weeks of age or witha radiographof the pelvis and hips at 4 months of age is recommended. Inaddition, because some reports show a high incidence of hipabnormalities detected at an older age in children born breech,this imaging strategy remains an option for all children bornbreech, not just girls.
If you pedi doesn't suggest an u/s, you should bring it up (and frankly I'm shocked that the pedi's for the other posters didn't follow the AAP guidelines). Our doctor gave us the script for the u/s at our 2 week appointment so that we could schedule far in advance and get an appointment time that worked for us.
My LO was in frank breech up until 2 weeks ago, but she turned, so I don't have personal experience BUT - My niece was frank breech & born by c-section. She had no problems at all. Good luck!
Great Question!
I was curious about this as well as our Baby B has been FB since 29 weeks and we are getting close to 35 weeks and she has not moved from this position as of yet. Last week she had her little ankles crossed right in front of her face. My OB said she will be evaluated after delivery and may stay in a "jack knife" position for a few day's until she get's accustomed to being able to bend those legs. I am going to ask about the follow up u/s at 6 weeks to make sure we get her evaluated for any possible future problems.
Not big. There can be a distinct shape to the head of a breech baby b/c the pressure on their skull is different. Their heads can be a bit longer front-to-back and the back of their head can be more prominent.
I wouldn't necessarily have noticed on my own -- DD1's head looked way more misshapen for the first couple of days after her vaginal birth -- but the pedis who checked DD2 in the hospital kept commenting on it.
DD1, 1/5/2008 ~~~ DD2, 3/17/2010
All of this. My DD was discovered frank breech at 30 weeks when they couldn't find a heartbeat for a NST and brought the ultrasound in. She never turned. We called her froggy girl for months after she was born but she never had any problems with her hips.
My LO was frank breech the entire pregnancy. He had a slight click in his right hip at birth. The 6 week ultrasound didn't indicate any kind of problem. At his 9 month check up, the pedi noticed that the fat rolls on his legs were asymmetrical, which can be a sign of hip dysplasia. We had an xray done a few weeks ago, so we're waiting on the results now.
My LO also had "breech head", and he had it pretty bad! He had one funny-looking melon for a few weeks. His head was shaped like a jelly bean. It was long and skinny, with a big occipital shelf. The right side was also smooshed flat from being pressed up against my ribcage. His ears were also folded down (they looked like little kitten ears), because his feet had been putting pressure on them in the womb.
M's feet were behind his ears most of the pregnancy. After he was born, his feet went back up to his ears when he was unswaddled. That only lasted about a week, and then he was able to keep his legs down.
Christian Alexander - 11/13/06
Amelia Rose & Owen Thomas - 3/29/11
I'm only a FTM, but my son was born by c-section due to his frank breech presentation. I don't know how long he was in the frank breech position. We were told from 30 weeks on that he was head down and ready to go, and after laboring med-free to 10cm, then having the midwife break my water so that I could start pushing, she discovered that he was breech.
When he was born, he did keep his legs sticking straight out a little bit. The first time I saw him, just after he was born, his feet were up behind his ears. At the advice of his pedi, we did have the u/s done (when he was just under 8 weeks old) and the results were good. He doesn't seem to have any problems with his hips, but they check them again at every well visit.
My DS(#1) was frank breech the whole pregnancy. Every U/S I had from 28w on, he had a hold of both feet by his head. I was scheduled for a c-section 1w prior to my due date. I had tried everything short of going for accupuncture to get him to turn, as I was put on Bedrest for preeclampsia the week prior, but he never did. Dr. told my she never seen much success with trying to turn the baby, so didn't try that.
Anyway, delivery went fine. Found he was 9lbs 3oz & 22in, so really was NOT going to flip. He had NO problems with his hips at all, Pedi kept eye on him but was fine. Only think that was a bit off with DS at delivery was his poor scrotum was swollen unbelivably large. Dr said it was because that was where all the pressure and bouncing was from me walking and him hitting my pelvis...poor guy. But even that was fine after a couple of hours.
my DD who is now 6 was frank breech. I can tell you when she came out and was in the bassinet unswaddled she looked a little strange. One leg would go straight out to the side and the other straight in the air. If I was someone looking into the nursery at her not knowing she was fine I'd be thinking she was deformed. They told me ahead of time this was going to happen so I wasn't worried. She did have an u/s at 4 weeks on her hips and all was fine. She's always been very flexible and I wonder if it's due to the way she was inside me from 26 weeks on.
p.s I will tell you that she was the easiest baby to change her diaper. lol If you took her blanket and clothes off her legs went straight as a board and right up in the air for a few weeks after birth.