Did anyone go into labor naturally with breech baby? How did it turn out?

aries21 · October 2014

Did doctor flip ? Did you deliver breech? Had a c section and i guess it was emergency then? Just want to see the outcomes from previous pregnancies. Im scheduled for c section for 39 weeks in case my baby doesnt turn as doctors office said its very dangerous to go into labor with a breech baby. I want to see how true that is or are they just saying this for their own convenience. I would love to wait until 40 weeks in case baby does turn or go into labor when baby is ready but if it is dangerous then of course c section it is. However i think baby can still come
Naturally before 39 weeks so just confused

mussalynn · October 2014

We found out DS was breech very late in the game (4 days before due date). We were given 3 options: (1) schedule a c-section, (2) go into labour on my own and then have a c-section upon arrival at hospital, or (3) go into labour and attempt a vaginal breech delivery. Long story short, we chose option 2, to go into labour on my own and have a c-section when we got to the hospital. It was never an emergent situation, I laboured on my own for about 5 hours before we got into the operating room, and everything went perfectly normally.

Honestly, from what you've said in this and previous threads, it sounds like your doctor is a bit of a fear monger. There is nothing dangerous about going into labour on your own, even if you are planning to have a c-section. Not that I know of anyway, perhaps @lissydee could weigh in on that?

so72409 · October 2014

I had twins, so it may be an entirely different situation, but when I had my girls I was dilating without knowing it and baby A had flipped breech. Although I wasn't feeling contractions, I was most definitely in labor-nearly 6cm dilated-and things proceeded very quickly. My doctor wanted to immediately perform the c-section (it was 11:30am and she called over to the hospital to try and get the 12:00 c-section pushed back so I could go first, but the other woman was already in OR). I ended up having to "wait my turn" and my girls were born at 1:55, 1:56. I didn't feel like it as an emergancy, probably because I wasn't feeling my contractions, but it was considered an "emergancy c-section". Afterwards my doctor kept telling me how lucky it was that I came in that morning because something just felt off. It could have been very bad had I not. I wouldn't risk it, but I understand where you're coming from. I am having a RCS this time and part of me hopes my body goes into labor first! I'm fine with the c-section, I just would like things to begin on their own!

Edited to add: my MIL had my husband breech 31 years ago! Without pain meds!!!!

soulcupcake · October 2014

My youngest was complete breech until 32 weeks where I spent a few days doing the inversion and open-knee chest exercises to get him in the vertex position. Then he moved into the oblique breech position until some time before 36 weeks where he was back to vertex.

I would have continued with my plans to birth vaginally had he remained breech. My last midwife attends breech births in cases of a "proven pelvis" and mom doesn't have a history of prolonged second stage. With the way he was born he'd have been born breech no problem.

A friend of mine delivered one of her triplets in the breech position. The other two were c-section due to footling presentation.

This baby was breech until last week, which is when I did the above exercises. My current midwife also attends breech births, but follows a protocol in whether mom should be transferred. If baby doesn't come on his/her own, as in, no pulling or maneuvering, and mom has birthed vaginally before, breech may be more successful.

It *really* depends on the skill of the provider. Most providers are not trained or skilled to attend a vaginal breech birth. My current midwife was trained by an "old school" OB and midwife who attended many breech births before c-section became customary practice.

mb314 · October 2014

I don't have any experience, but i do agree that the main issue with birthing breech babies vaginally these days is that most providers aren't trained or skilled in it. I am a proponent of natural birth but if LO is breech I am not sure I would do a vaginal delivery because I am not sure i would have a provider who could handle it safely. That said, I don't think scheduling a c section is necessary. You can go into labor naturally and then have the c section. This will give your LO more time to turn on his or her own. Also it ensures that your baby is not being forced out before he/she is ready and will have a better chance of having fully developed lungs. Unless you have a history of super duper fast labors, I can't imagine that starting labor on your own would be an issue Have you tried spinning babies or talked to your doctor about trying an external version? I am sorry that I don't remember previous posts of yours

soulcupcake · October 2014

Econosaurus said:

Labor with a breech baby isn't the problem it's trying to deliver vaginally that is risky. There is a higher risk for cord prolapse and other complications. I think it's the ACOG that has four criteria for a vaginal breech delivery including a proven pelvis, baby's weight under a certain cutoff, a frank breech presentation, and something about verifying the size of your pelvis and the baby's head. So no, it's not fear mongering, there are guidelines for when it more likely can be done safely and if you don't meet them it's not surprising your provider wants to be sure you don't try to deliver vaginally.

There can be some issues with labor. Labors with breech presentation can have a different, more irregular pattern. The contractions and thus dilation and effacement may not be as efficient. The head is the heaviest part of the body, and when it presents the pressure of the head+contractions helps with dilating and effacing the cervix. But with the bottom presenting it isn't as heavy, and the body is smaller and more squishy (fat squishes) than the head.

There is risk that the cervix may dilate enough to allow the body to pass, but not enough for the head. This is why some providers keep an extra eye on dilation, making sure mom is 10 cm, to allow the head to pass through. In cases where baby is vertex the cervix doesn't *need* to be 10 cm in order to birth the baby. Some babies can be born with a cervix dilated to 8 cm, or the cervix basically "melts away" as the head passes through. But in breech birth, reaching 10 cm or truly feeling "pushy" in the involuntary sense with efficient contractions is very important.

OP, this why having a "proven pelvis," frank or complete presentation, and a baby that isn't suspected to be macrosomic (mostly the head's circumference), are determinants in whether mom is a good candidate for vaginal breech birth.

abbyful · October 2014

I was born breech (feet first). This was in the early 80s, they didn't know I was breech until my mom showed up at L&D. At that point they started prepping my mom for a c-section, but they couldn't even get her prepped before I came out vaginally.

I have no personal experience, but one of my friends had a breech baby and their doctor waited until she naturally started labor before doing the c-section.

There's a website called "spinning babies", it has ways to try to get baby to flip. That may be something you want to look into.

soulcupcake · October 2014

This is a good article that came out in '09.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/c-sections-shouldn-t-be-automatic-for-breech-births-canadian-doctors-say-1.855047

mrsodonnell12 · October 2014

I have been looking into this a lot as my baby was breech (flipped yesterday yeah!!!).

I highly recommended doing spinningbabies.com exercises, tons and tons of hands and knees and get to a chiro who has Websters training asap. I've also heard acupuncture can help baby flip.

There are doctors who will deliver a breech baby. It may be worth looking into in case you end up in the situation. I wouldn't have a c/s due to a breech position and I especially would not schedule a c/s before my edd.

aries21 · October 2014

Thanks all. Yes I am
Doing spinning babies and webster (chirpractor) yoga poses etc. i appreciate everyones responses. I just really wanted to see if it is dangerous to labor naturally with a breech baby.... I may end up switching doctors or cancelling my c section date- i do not know yet. Time will tell. As long as all turns out ok. Thanks again and please feel free to respond more

marianj79 · October 2014

DD1 was breech (she sat on my cervix from 20 weeks onward!). My Dr set a c/s date in case she didn't turn and wanted to set it for about 39 weeks, but was completely fine with setting it for my due date. We had planned on trying an external version if she was still breech at 38 weeks, but my water broke at 36 weeks. End game as far as spinning her, but since I had just eaten a large meal, I labored for 9 hours with her in breech position. They monitored me, and never made me feel as if it were hugely dangerous to labor, but definitely wanted to get the baby out after the wait for me to digest my dinner! Good luck!

aries21 · October 2014

@marianj79‌ how did you end up delivering her?

marianj79 · October 2014

@aries21‌ I had a c/s. My dr does not deliver breech babies vaginally. I knew that if we couldn't turn her, I would be having a c/s!

aries21 · October 2014

Thank you!

marianj79 · October 2014

No problem, @aries21‌ Also, DD2 was perfectly head down the whole time and my doc was good with me trying for a VBAC. I was unsuccessful, but only because my water broke and I didn't start contracting in the 20 hours that followed. My doc wouldn't use anything to jump start me, due to the previous section, which I knew and was ok with. My point is that one breech baby does not, necessarily, mean that any future babies will be breech!

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