When to start worrying about breech baby?
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Anonymous
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I am 30 weeks pregnant. My baby has been breech since an ultrasound at 24 weeks. I know most babies turn on their own, but when do I need to start worrying that my baby won't? Should I start doing the "spinning babies" exercises, or give it time?
And on another, completely ignorant note, why WOULD baby turn? I mean, if he's comfy in there, with his head up, does he just know he's supposed to go head down at some point? 
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Anonymous
| I'm 31 weeks and baby is also breech at this point. My first turned late, probably around 32 weeks. I am in the same spot as you - not really sure whether to start the intense exercises yet or not. My midwife said she doesn't sweat it with a second time mom until 34 weeks or so. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be proactive. I've been doing cat cows and trying hard not to slouch - no breech tilts just yet, but I might start this next week (at 32 weeks) if I don't feel baby turn. Can you tell where baby's head is? I usually can. Once you find the head, you can check to make sure that baby is in the same spot before flipping upside down (just in case!). |
Anonymous
| I'm almost 30 and baby is breech. My ultrasound tech told me not to worry, that baby changes positions all day long at this point and still has plenty of time to fully engage head down. My feelings are once they get big, most of them tend to "flip" into head down position on their own. In any case, I'm not worrying about it at this point. |
Anonymous
| OP, I'm the first PP and the reason they usually turn is that baby's head is the heaviest part of it. |
Anonymous
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At 30 weeks my baby was breech and everyone said not to worry. At 32 weeks and 34 weeks same thing. My doc said babies flip late all the time. I waited.
Well at 36 weeks I go to my OB and the baby was still breech and my OB was clearly nervous, wanted me to schedule a csection just in case, and urged me to see a specialist for an external version, as well as an acupuncturist for moxibustion. The specialist OB would not do a version because I had an anterior placenta and the acupuncturist basically said she would do what she could but it was really late in the game. I did inverts and cat cows like crazy. At 40 weeks I had a c section due to baby still in complete breech position. Bottom line is don't wait to be proactive. Start what you can now - inverts, cat cows, sitting on your core ball, moxibustion, etc. Who knows if my son would have flipped, but I had started earlier I would have spared myself and DH a lot of last minute scrambling and my own second guessing. |
Anonymous
I am in this exact same position currently at 36 weeks except the thing is, I HAVE been doing all of those things since 30 weeks and STILL nothing so sometimes...they just won't turn no matter how hard/much you try. This is the most frustrating thing to go through week after week of them saying "don't worry, we still have time" and the weeks go by and nothing. Every night I've laid in a breech tilt position with a bag of frozen peas on top, a heating pad on the bottom, ear buds with music near my pelvis, a flash light down there while DH did moxibustion, ALL simultaneously...I've been going to a chiro and acupuncture weekly. 4 weeks later and nothing.Midwife is NOW starting to throw out "csection, induction, ECV"...I think I've cried every day now that this reality has hit me. She is right, do not wait! Try everything you can as soon as you can, best of luck! |
Anonymous
| If the baby is still breech when ready for delivery - would they just do a c section? FTM here with a breech baby at 30 weeks...no one seemed to be concerned. |
Anonymous
Yes, they'll just do a c/s. At 30 weeks there is still time, but if YOU are concerned and don't want a c/s, then I don't think it's too early to start doing exercises. As far as I know, they can't make things worse. To answer OP's question, we discovered breech position at 34 weeks and she never turned so I had a c/s. |
Anonymous
| When my mom went into labor with me many years ago, I was breech and my mom's midwife flipped me around in time for a natural birth. So I asked my midwives their policy - they do not flip and deliver the baby, they send you off for a c section. They did mention a doctor in Falls Church who might consider delivering breech. I am 29 weeks now, and I have been walking the entire pregnancy, 1-3 miles a day, which is supposed to help. I also started doing the exercises several weeks ago simply because I am nervous about repeating history! When I went in for the 28 week check up, the baby was head down already. I can feel when she moves sideways sometimes and then goes back to head down position. My nurse said that once the baby is 34-36 weeks it gets harder for her to move around as much, so I would recommend starting the spinning babies exercises now. Can't hurt, right? |
Anonymous
Very few docs in this area - in the United States, actually - will deliver a breech baby for a first time mom. It's considered super risky. Dr. Tchabo in VA is supposedly one of the few docs in the area who will deliver a breech baby but I think under specific circumstances. GW Midwives will occasionally deliver breech babies, too, but the mom must meet specific criteria and be with their practice. OP - it's never too early to start your inverts. Check out Spinning Babies online for exercises. Also, swimming is supposed to help. Nothing too strenuous - just floating in the pool. Apparently the wieghtlessness can help the baby flip. |
Anonymous
I'm with the GW midwives. I'm 31 weeks and baby is still head up / kind of like a diagonal transverse. She's moving around a lot but the head is alwyas on my right or left side. It's also a complete breech at this point, though her legs come up so that may likely change. My first turned at 32 weeks. It does happen. But it's stressful waiting. My MW told me at this point, do cat cows and don't start with the inverts just yet. At 32/33 weeks, we talk about something else. I felt like they said chiro, etc, at 36 weeks, which seems too late to me. My plan is to see what's up at 33 weeks and if no change, schedule sessions with chiro who does webster. My midwives will do an ECV if no change by 36 weeks (or 37, I forget which?) depending on my cord, placenta, etc, but I'm not sure I'd do a version, there are risks. There are also risks with a vaginal breech birth, but so far, I am a candidate. I'm not entirely sure I'd do it. Part of the reason that I went with the GW midwives, though, is that I knew that it would be an option. I tend to have small babies (6.3 and 6.5 lbs, each) and I tend to find birth easy, but a breech birth does have certain risks. Then again, c-sections are not without risk. It's not an easy decision, even when you do have options. I'm a huge natural birth proponent, but if this baby is still breech at term, I'm definitely considering a c-section. If this happens, I'd like to wait to go into labor on my own, labor a little bit, then proceed to the c. This will be my last child, so I'm not too concerned about subsequent labors or risks thereof. But, a c-section is the last thing I want, so I'm worried. I am also having a TON of back pain, so watching my posture and doing the exercises is somewhat excrutiating. I think it's possible my back pain and the breech are related (cause and or effect of the breech). |
Anonymous
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My SIL's first baby was breech at her 36 week appointment and he turned before labor (I think within a week of that appointment). So it does happen, even late, even for FTMs. I don't know if this is your first but I know that subsequent babies tend to turn much later because the uterus is more stretched out. My third was transverse at 35-36 weeks and subsequently turned vertex. I'm also kind of in the school of thought that they're going to turn if they're going to and it doesn't really matter what you try, but most moms feel better if they are actively doing something to facilitate movement.
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Anonymous
| 1225, I tend to agree with you (GW midwives patient here) but I also think there's some merit to the thinking that our modern lifestyles (sitting in cars, desks, slumping in couches and against pillows) don't help. So I think that it's smart to be actively trying not to do these things. Unfortunately, my back is always hurting and some days it just totally SUCKS to not slump back in a couch, so I just say F it and sit how I want. But I'm hoping that some cat cows and so on might undo some of the damage. Doubtful, but I guess it does not hurt to try. |
Anonymous
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OP here - this is actually my third child - both of my other children were head down from the beginning.
Does anyone have a recommendation for an accupuncturist and/or chiropractor? |
Anonymous
PP / wisdom patient here - if you get one outside of this group, please share. I plan on asking my midwives for a rec as well. I've never been to a chiropractor OR an acupuncturist. This should be interesting! |