External Cephalic Version

[Anonymous]

17:03/18:41 again... yes, you can see at least where the cord where it goes into the baby's navel, but past that, it's really hard to tell, apparently. I had many ultrasounds toward the end and not one doctor or tech could see how wrapped up my son was. I feel kind of teary thinking about it... and I'm so thankful he is here and will be able to tell the tale someday.

[Anonymous]

I had a version last year and it was successful. I was 36 weeks, I think, give or take a week. Dr Engel did it (was at Foxhall at the time) and he was great. It Worked on the first try. He said he only tries one about once a month or so- and about half the time it worked. Mine worked on the first try and it hurt for about 60 seconds while he was turning him but after that it was fine. I was just starving b/c I wasn't able to eat or drink anything 8 hours ahead of time in case I had to have an emergency c-section on the spot. As luck would have it though, I ended up w a c-section anyway at 40+ weeks.

[Anonymous]

I second the ironing board trick, I have read advice to lie down with your legs up on the wall and even lift your pelvis. The explanation was that the baby reaches the upper part of the uterus with his/her head and flips (maybe the baby doesn't like it, I don't know).

[Anonymous]

I did cat stretches (get on hands and knees and arch back, then make it concave).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did cat stretches (get on hands and knees and arch back, then make it concave).

Great exercise in its own right, too

[Anonymous]

OP, I also had breech and the OB gave me an option: schedule for a version for the following week or schedule a c-section. My OB estimtated the success rate at about 70% or so, however, he also said that if the baby gets too stressed I may need to go for an emergency c-section. I asked him if medically it was recommended, he told me it is a procedure, and that it carries its risks and benefits and basically it is my choice whether to do it or not. The ob also asked me to consider how many children overall I was planning to have - as an input into the decision making process (e.g. 1-2 c-sections vs. 3-4 c-sections). So if yiou're thinking of having 3-4 kids and this is your first, you may want to try the version to eliminate as much as possible need for c-section.

I did not try the external version and preferred to schedule a c-section, because I did not want to have any chance of baby getting born earlier (we were still moving house...) but also because a family friend who is OB who advised me not to stress myself or the baby.

[Anonymous]

Personally I would not go for version, however I would try all the techniques there are: from spinning babies to acupuncture to "ironing board technique" described above.

[Anonymous]

When I was 38 weeks pregnant with DD, it was discovered during a routine sonogram (looking at measurement, size etc) that she was breech. I did not do the ECV, but the baby flipped back to its normal position within one week and I thank the different excercises I did twice a day and the accupuncture for that. During the sono it was also discovered that there was still a lot of amniotic fluid so there was room for the baby to flip back.

This is what I did and the following actions are not harmful for your baby I was told by doctors / midwife:
1) Twice or three times a day the excercises mentioned on these websites, especially crawling on all fours (good excercise anyhow for strength in the legs) and pushing my hips / pelvis upwards with my feet against the wall and the inverted position lying on a ironing board:

http://www.birthinternational.com/articles/andrea13.html

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ilana.m/turnbaby.htm


2) moxibustion with a accupuncturist. I had one session with him and one session my husband could do at home. I felt the baby moving a lot afterwards. It's a fairly easy excercise and no, it's not smelly or particularly painful. My accupuncturist was Kelly Welsh in DC (I street and 18th st) and I thought he was very good.

3) I had two sessions with a chiropractor (the so-called Webster technicque), but I personally think the excercises and accupuncture were more effective.

When I went back for my appointment in week 39, the baby was back in its normal position. She was born after 41 weeks through a normal vaginal delivery.

Frankly speaking, scientists do not know why babies flip to a breech piosition. It is certainly not always due to a cord wrapped around the neck.

OP, I would certainly try the above before considering the c-section or the ECV. Good luck to you

[Anonymous]

To the OP: would you mind letting us know how you are doing and if anything has changed for the better (i.e. baby flipping back)? Hope all goes well!

[Anonymous]

OP here, just coming back to say that my beautiful baby boy was born by c-section at the beginning of this month. I don't regret the decision to skip the ECV and having a c-section was only a fraction of the deal I thought it would be. I'm not saying women should look to schedule the birth of their babies, but when it's the safest option and last resort it's better to focus on outcome than process.

[Anonymous]

Congratulations OP! Enjoy your little one.