when to schedule c-section for stubborn breach baby?

mrsj2006 · October 2011

Hi ladies,

My little guy has been breach since 20 weeks, and I've tried pretty much everything to get him to flip--yoga poses, etc, and the chiropractor for the Webster method. But he's very stubborn (my view) or comfortable (DH's view) and isn't moving. At 38+ weeks, my OB is not that optimistic he'll flip now as he's running out of room.

She wants to schedule a c-section for 39w2d, but I was kind of hoping to push until 39w6d just to see if he'll flip and to give us a few more days. (Can't do it in the middle due to hospital scheduling issues.) She says the odds that I'll go into labor on my own increase a lot by waiting four days, and then I'd be having an emergency cs rather than a scheduled one, which is riskier... But it seems if first babies come later on average, then the risk that I'll go into labor before my due date is less.

What do you think? Should we wait or should we just meet the LO early? I'm not that uncomfortable pregnancy-wise, and would like to give the baby more time to cook and decide when he's ready to come out, as well as give this every opportunity to avoid a cs, but don't want to risk complications. Thanks for your thoughts!

sharksfan · October 2011

This is an entirely personal decision...I had a stubborn breech baby as well and had a scheduled C-section @ exactly 39 weeks as a result; my doctor said that this is when she always schedules them to avoid her patients going into labor and having to have an emergency C-section. I was worried that it would be too early, but he was born completely healthy-no jaundice, weighing almost 8 pounds. I totally get your concern, though. At the end of the day, only you know what is right for you and your little guy. Good luck!

soon2bjmn · October 2011

Did she say what the risks associated with an emergency cs are and how they are different than the risks for a scheduled cs?

SS9436 · October 2011

My baby was breech too since 32 weeks. We scheduled a c-section for 39wks 1 day and my baby flipped the night before. I was nervous/anxious the night before the c-section trying to fall asleep and I felt her moving strongly, it hurt, much larger movements than any other time. Went to the hospital, got all hooked up to IV's and whatnot. 10 minutes before heading to the O.R. the doctor came in to do an ultrasound to double-check baby's position and we were all stunned when we saw her head was down! She flipped the night before, maybe she could sense it somehow from me and the strong movements definitely had to be the flip. So yes, there is hope for late flipping! Just make sure they check right before doing the c-section!!

norvelln · October 2011

1-laboring a breech is risky to you and to baby. the longer you wait, the longer you risk going into labor and possibly harming your child.

2-they ALWAYS check presentation before surgery. my girl was transverse breech when we walked in the door and she had flipped...to frank breech while I was in pre-op.

3-BTW: she was born showing off her healthy lungs with a 1 min apgar of 8 and a 5 min of 9. pretty decent for a c-section babe and better than a lot of vag birth babes. she is ((to quote her pediatrician yesterday)) "perfect".

4-planned means epi/spinal, awake to hear and see baby born, SO in the room with. emergency normally means NO SO and quite possibly knocking you out. i rather enjoyed my husband with me, hearing her lusty cry and seeing her/holding her after she was born.

5-doc is NOT going to recommend anything that is going to hurt baby or you. those are the priorities. if you think that you know better, then don't bother going to the hospital when you go into labor, deliver at home.

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when to schedule c-section for stubborn breach baby?

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