Breech or other malpositioned babes

Charla1224 · April 2016

I know that several of us have talked about our breech babies in various other threads but as our due dates get closer I thought it might be easier for us all to communicate within one thread.

My LO was straight up breech. I could see and feel what was clearly her head high on my belly plus I had a lot of kicks down low. I started seeing a chiropractor at 32 weeks and I quickly got excited because I could tell LO had moved around. Unfortunately I think she's in an oblique or diagonal position now. It often feels like I've been head butted in the hip and hiccups are over there too. I also still haven't felt any kicks above my belly button. Just along my right side.
Tomorrow I have a doctors appointment and hopefully she can give me some clues on next steps. I'm also going to ramp up the spinning babies exercises.

So, is your little one breech, transverse, or oblique? How do you know? Have you tried to flip him/ her? Are you hoping for a vaginal birth?

Merciel · April 2016

Mine was breech at 28w and then flipped head-down at 32w and then flipped again at 34w and now I have no idea where it is. I can feel kicks and pressure and what is either a head or a butt (but I seriously cannot differentiate between head and butt, all I know is it's hard and rounded and too big to be anything but one of those two things) moving around in there, but hell if I know how to interpret any of that.

I think it's oblique/diagonal but I'm just guessing. At my last appointment, the doctor was just like "yeah they move a lot at this stage, we'll check back again in two weeks and see where you are then."

I'm not intentionally trying to flip the baby at this point. I did read Spinning Babies but I'm not doing anything special to help it along. This thing flips constantly on its own already, seems like the last thing I need to do is encourage even more of that.

I was hoping for a vaginal birth but then I read a whole bunch of stuff about perineal tears and pelvic floor damage (protip: do not go reading up on that stuff if you're at all prone to anxiety, because it turns out that there's very little you can do to avoid damage; it is almost all purely luck of the draw and then factors you can't control at this point, like maternal age and lifelong health habits) and now I'm like "yeah okay so a C-section might actually be the better option here" and kind of secretly hoping for a breech baby.

My mom had difficult labors for three out of her four kids, so yeah, if I can get a C-section based on baby positioning, there's a pretty good chance I'll just go for it. Family history is not on my side there.

araecasey · April 2016

@Charla1224 My little one likes oblique too... stinker. If baby is oblique versus breech, I wouldn't worry too much. Sounds like your chiropractic care is getting you on the right track! Have you checked out the Daily Essentials video by Spinning Babies? It has a really simple yoga flow that's great for positioning and has a short segment on how best to move your body through everyday activities like sitting, getting in/out of the car, etc. that we don't always realize are affecting baby's positioning.

evalynn24 · April 2016

Baby is breech and seems pretty dang happy about it! I really hope he changes his mind in the next couple weeks because I am terrified of having to get a C-section.

Pascal86 · April 2016

32w5d and my baby does not seem to have picked any position to hang out in yet - and I haven't felt worried about it. My understanding is that I have a few more weeks before she really needs to be settled in. I did feel hiccups in my butt today (super weird sensation), but didn't get excited because I assumed she wouldn't stay there. About an hour later I felt her head just to the right of my belly button. So I'm going to wait a while before I really pay attention to where she is, unless my docs/midwives say differently.

kbrands7 · April 2016

I had to have a cs because DS flipped breech at what was the last big movable moment for him last pregnancy (towards the end of 38w). I have a less than favorable uterus shape working against me here. This LO has been changing positions like crazy despite chiropractic care and spinning babies. I think the past few days he may actually be head down and if so, I really hope he stays that way because at 36w, I'm running out of time for interventions and was really hoping to try for a vbac. I'll find out more at my appointment next week. Fx for you guys that your babies turn to a more ideal position!

SaraJan2014 · April 2016

Same here. I'm 33 weeks and my OB said at my next appointment if the baby hadn't flipped yet that we would have to talk about different strategies. She had been down for a while and I guess popped back up and is now traverse. And I think last night I felt cartwheels happening so I don't even have a clue about the position today. The doctor's suggestion for now was to do downward dog, but the blood would rush to my head immediately so that is not really an option. And I don't want to do anything to accidently tangle the cord (not sure if that is a real risk or one I made up).

Charla1224 · April 2016

I'm not gonna lie @Merciel there is something slightly appealing about a scheduled C-Section. I still hope to have a natural, unmedicated, vaginal birth but it would be nice to know the date LO would arrive. It would helpful for planning time off work, getting things done, and just mentally preparing myself. We'll see though. I feel a little que sera sera about it at this point.

LondonToSavannah · April 2016

33w here and fully breech baby...and also measuring 2 weeks ahead!

My docs said if baby doesn't move head-down at week 39 I will have a c-section. If goober does move, then I will be induced at week 39 due to size.

I've tried some of the exercises on the internet, but no luck so far.

I would much prefer an induction over c-section! Move baby, move!

proudparent2b · April 2016

LO is so far in my back that it's practically impossible to guess which way he's facing. I feel both high and low kicks, but can't seem to differentiate which are the hands vs. feet.

This week (35), my OB has scheduled an additional sonogram to check baby's position and to determine potential success rate of performing an external version. She performs all versions at 36 weeks.

I doubt that I'm a good candidate for the procedure, based on how I carry, and am worried about the potential side effects of the procedure (stimulating labor to start) and the success rate (typically 50/50).

I'm starting to look into the chiropractor option though, which has less risks and a much higher success rate.

originally, I had mentally prepared myself for natural birth at 40-41 1/2 weeks, but now I'm trying to adjust to the idea of 1-4 weeks, if baby stays breech.

Looking forward to hearing others' stories! Hoping all these babies flip for us!!!

Charla1224 · April 2016

So I went to my weekly appointment and LO had the hiccups while my OB was in the room. She was able to feel them on my side before baby moved and they were near my hip. My practice doesn't usually perform 3rd tri U/S unless they're medically necessary and this counts as a medical necessity. So, Monday I'll get an U/S to see if things have changed and to make sure they can change. That there is no barrier keeping LO from turning head down and we will go from there. So fx that we're able to figure everything out.

jenl1681 · April 2016

@Charla1224 I was just going to ask if you have had an U/S to confirm-this LO is head down, but I kept feeling kicks very low. Turns out he is still head down, but instead of having his legs and feet curled up like the fetal position, he has his legs fully extended so that they are by his head/mouth so he can "eat" them.

ashleyla526 · April 2016

I also can't tell the exact position of this baby, but am pretty certain there is still a lot of shifting going on. Earlier on I had felt almost all movement/kicks higher up in one specific spot, and this was confirmed at our 4D ultrasound a couple weeks ago that baby was frank breech with feet right up by the face very high up. I'm now almost 34 weeks and am feeling the baby shift around more, but fear s/he will be breech when we get to the 36 week mark. I am all for trying an ECV, but I also have an anterior placenta so that adds some risk. My OB said we'll get a date on the calendar for a c-section in the 39th week if baby is breech at 36 weeks, but I would really like to push this to 40 weeks (since I know the day I ovulated is several days after their calculated date based on LMP). DH says I'm worrying about this way too much since we don't even know if it'll be an issue. I have tried some of the poses/stretches that are recommend and plan to get more diligent about that over these next couple of weeks! I also may look into the chiropractor option - what exactly do they do?

jumpy57 · April 2016

I had at least a month of baby head down on my left side. This past week has been constant flips and wiggles and I have no clue what's going on anymore. I usually wait for hiccups to see where baby's head is. Head down this morning and I think head up now. This is frustrating. (35 weeks)

Dantzscher32 · April 2016

I have not been able to tell with this baby if he is head down. I feel kicks all over. The movement I feel down low could be arms, but I am not so sure. The bum and the head feel the same to me. With my other pregnancies, I knew their position. I can't tell with this one.

balamama · April 2016

Charla1224 said:

So I went to my weekly appointment and LO had the hiccups while my OB was in the room. She was able to feel them on my side before baby moved and they were near my hip. My practice doesn't usually perform 3rd tri U/S unless they're medically necessary and this counts as a medical necessity. So, Monday I'll get an U/S to see if things have changed and to make sure they can change. That there is no barrier keeping LO from turning head down and we will go from there. So fx that we're able to figure everything out.

Don't worry yet - I had been feeling hiccups at my left hip recently and mentioned it at my last OB appt so she did a very quick sono and it turns out he is head down. I don't know why I'm feeling his hiccups on the left side but weirdly enough I do still feel them more toward the left despite the fact that he's in the right position. Maybe he turns his face left? Anyway, your baby might be locked and loaded, fingers crossed!

TXmamatobe · April 2016

jenl1681 said:

@Charla1224 I was just going to ask if you have had an U/S to confirm-this LO is head down, but I kept feeling kicks very low. Turns out he is still head down, but instead of having his legs and feet curled up like the fetal position, he has his legs fully extended so that they are by his head/mouth so he can "eat" them.

This is my LO also. Yesterday his head was down and during a three minute sonogram he had his feet both extended down by his head and straight up and out meaning I could feel kicks super low and up by my ribs within minutes of each other. Head was still down.

Knottie64278661 · April 2016

ashleyla526 said:

I also can't tell the exact position of this baby, but am pretty certain there is still a lot of shifting going on. Earlier on I had felt almost all movement/kicks higher up in one specific spot, and this was confirmed at our 4D ultrasound a couple weeks ago that baby was frank breech with feet right up by the face very high up. I'm now almost 34 weeks and am feeling the baby shift around more, but fear s/he will be breech when we get to the 36 week mark. I am all for trying an ECV, but I also have an anterior placenta so that adds some risk. My OB said we'll get a date on the calendar for a c-section in the 39th week if baby is breech at 36 weeks, but I would really like to push this to 40 weeks (since I know the day I ovulated is several days after their calculated date based on LMP). DH says I'm worrying about this way too much since we don't even know if it'll be an issue. I have tried some of the poses/stretches that are recommend and plan to get more diligent about that over these next couple of weeks! I also may look into the chiropractor option - what exactly do they do?

My midwife said the chiropractor does the webster technique. There's a video on Youtube of this. Make sure if you do this go to a chiropractor who has Webster Technique certification. It is an added certificate.

I'm 34 wks today and it seems like my baby has been breech for 3 weeks. I'm starting to do all the techniques to try to make her turn: Breech tilt and Open-Knee Chest. My midwife also said she was breech at 35 weeks and there is a doctor in Texas who was doing studies regarding women diving straight down into a pool. It confuses the baby and they flip. She did this twice and her baby did turn before birth. Good luck to you! I'm really hoping my LO turns because I'd like to have a natural birth in a birth center and that won't happen unless she turns!

ashleyla526 · April 2016

@Knottie64278661 thanks for the info! I will look for a chiropractor in my area and keep doing what I can to get baby to flip.

Delitachan · April 2016

Can babies switch positions once they've engaged headfirst? My last sono (31 weeks) showed baby was head down (right position), but I worry he'll go back to transverse (28 weeks) or breech.

kbrands7 · April 2016

@delitachan they can, but it's not common.

proudparent2b · April 2016

Update: I had a sonogram and it turns out that LO is head down! Given that I'm 35 weeks and FTM, OB says it is unlikely he'll go breech again!

vinerie · April 2016

FWIW, at my birthing class we were told about 5% of babies are breech at actual labor time. I think the majority who are breech now will get head down.

jenbrinson07 · April 2016

Mine is breech and they are inducing at 36 weeks for low weight and suspected issues with the placenta. She has a week to flip. She also has too much room being small as she was head down last week. We shall see!

Charla1224 · April 2016

Yesterday I was soooo uncomfortable. I had cramping in my back and generally didn't feel well plus LO seemed to be moving more than she has been. Well that was a great thing because she's officially head down!! Dr. seems pretty confident she'll stay that way too. I'm hopeful and feel more confident about the possibility of an unmedicated birth.

araecasey · April 2016

Must have been something in the Bump atmosphere because I had a really uncomfortable night too. Fairly certain baby tried flipping breech unsuccessfully--whew, it was a doozy!

Came back to this thread to share the Miles Circuit with you gals. I forgot all about this until my doula friend mentioned it to me. I did the Miles Circuit a few times during my labor and birth with DD because she was malpositioned. Doing it now while we're still pregnant is really good for encouraging good positioning. Check it out, gals.

Knottie64278661 · April 2016

araecasey Thanks for the recommendation. The other night, I laid upside down on an ironing board propped against the couch for 30 mins. It was the weirdest feeling ever but I could feel LO moving around. My midwife thinks she is head down now but I'm going to get an ultrasound hopefully this week so I can know whether I should keep trying the ironing board or start sitting on my birth ball if she has in fact turned head down. Cooperate, baby!

mcb2016 · April 2016

At my ultrasound yesterday, the tech mentioned my baby is heads down but oblique. The MFM didn't say anything about it but I am hoping he will move into a better position soon. I'm being induced at 37 weeks so I'm hoping there is time!

togmama · April 2016

My child's current position... Really it's so uncomfortable for us both. I have a scheduled C for May 2nd but my doctor doesn't anticipate me making it to then.

kbrands7 · April 2016

As of my u/s this past Thursday at 37w, DS2 is complete breech (hips engaged low in pelvis and feet by his butt). Poor little guy looks pretty uncomfortable in there because the rest of him is in a half cartwheel with his head and one arm down to the right, and his back and other arm over to the left. He seems to have run out of room to turn back to head down after having switched back and forth for a while. My uterus shape definitely complicated things. At least DS looked comfortable in there whem he was frank breech. I should be scheduling my RCS date at my appointment on Monday. I'll keep seeing my chiropractor though, because at the very least, I've managed to have very little hip pain (tons of pressure, but not pain) and balanced hips this pregnancy which makes a huge difference in my comfort and ability to chase after my toddler.

zekesmommy611 · April 2016

DS2 has been transverse for the past two weeks. At my appointment yesterday, the doctor talked with us about attempting an ECV. DS2 was literally laying across my belly, looking down. The doctor reassured us that he is already half way there and that DS2 will be monitored the whole time during the ECV. The doctor said there's only a 10% chance that he will move himself to the head down position. I really want a VBAC this time around as it'll be so hard to care for both a toddler and a new LO if I have a rcs. So we agreed to attempt an ECV this morning. I got to the hospital at 9am. They got me in a hospital gown, started an IV and hooked me up to the fetal monitors. The nurse told me that the doctor will want to see several accelerations from the baby so she gave me water and crackers to get DS2 moving. After about an hour and a half the doctor came in to check the baby's position with the u/s and ,story of my life, DS2 had flipped head down by himself! DS2 is not engaged and has lots of fluid around him. Our new plan is to schedule a csection for 39 weeks but if DS2 decides to stay head down and engage we will try a VBAC.

PYLWhammy · April 2016

I had my 36 week appointment yesterday and the doctor mentioned that baby is still head up. This is the first time it's been mentioned, and the doctor really didn't make a deal out of it. Just said "oh, baby's head is still up here" sort of thing.
I know I should just trust that the docs know what they are doing, but why didn't he mention ECV? Or anything for that matter?
The reason I didn't ask this at the appointment is that, until today, I was clueless that it might be an issue. I started paging Dr. Google for info on breech babies, and of course I end overthinking and worrying.

kbrands7 · April 2016

@PYLWhammy often babies have enough room to turn until 37 or 38 weeks. Occasionally, they'll turn during labor. Since you're so close to that cutoff, it does seem odd that he didn't mention possible methods to turn your baby. Perhaps your doctor is one of the few out there who is practiced/successful at a vaginal breech birth; most will automatically schedule a csection if baby is still breech by 38 weeks though.

I'd suggest calling the office to ask about next steps, and in the meantime, check out spinningbabies.com and look into a Webster certified chiropractor.

sillyfox · April 2016

Sonogram Monday (growth scan, but will also tell me how baby is positioned). I'm nervous and doing my Spinning Babies this week! FX he gets that head down so I can get my VBAC...

kbrands7 · April 2016

Good luck @sillyfox! Fx for you!

PYLWhammy · April 2016

@kbrands7 thanks for the advice! I came across spinningbabies in my google searches today and will definitely take a closer look.

Charla1224 · April 2016

A combo of spinning babies and my AMAZING chiropractor got my LO to flip somewhere around 36 weeks. It's doable.

slfezz · May 2016

Just found out at 38 weeks that LO is transverse and already measuring 8lbs 6 oz

Last week, the dr thought she was head down but high so this was a surprise for me after an last minute ultrasound at my appointment today. Dr still couldn't feel the head this week and wanted to check positioning and size.

DD2 was transverse so I've been through
this before. She flipped on her own at 39 weeks but I was really hoping this one would be head down and I could start labor naturally without worrying about positoning. Going to start some of the spinning babies tonight and need to decide if I want to try an ECV next week (I'm a good candidate for one) or just hope she flips on her own and wait. The good thing about this is I did get some good pics of LO

RaquelFry · May 2016

I'm 38w today. My baby has been transverse pretty much this whole time. My Dr said she wouldn't consider anything until week 38 since moving the baby manually can trigger labor, and babies move a lot up until then. She felt it last week, and confirmed that it was transverse. So, we'll see what she decides on Wednesday. I told her I wanted to at least give it a try moving it. I hear it's painful, but I don't want to throw in the towel for a c section without trying first. And I hear it's easier to manipulate the baby while not in labor, fighting contractions. So I want to try this before I go into labor.
(I have 4 sisters, and none of them or my mom have had a c section or an epidural, I'd feel pretty judged by them if I can't do it naturally. They wear those like badges of honor. I highly doubt they would really criticize me, but I don't want to find out either. )

TinaTho · May 2016

anyone have a successful hospital monitored version at this point?

36 weeks tomorrow, my doctor said if (and it's a huge if) I'm a candidate we have to do it within the week. I may not be given the choice ultimately but I'm still so torn on it.

proudparent2b · May 2016

@TinaTho Best of luck to you! I was in a similar situation at 35 weeks. However, in my case, LO turned out to not be breech when I had a sonogram to determine whether there was any chance of it being successful.

According to my OB, the biggest factor for success is how far out you carry. For example, I carry pretty far back, which is also why it's hard to determine baby's position on me, so my chance of success would have been very low. For ladies that carry far forward though, it can be relatively easy and successful.

Other factors that go into it are volume of fluid around baby (too much and baby's more likely to flip back, too little can lead baby to get stuck and not turn), overall size of LO, which child this is for you, etc.

The overall success rate is only 50/50.

Alternatively, many ladies have turned to a chiropractor who is trained in the Webster method, whose correction methods have a much higher rate of success (over 80%) and with very limited risk. The only thing is that you'd likely need to start immediately and go 2-3 times per week, as it can take up to 10 visits for the process to ne successful.

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