External Cephalic Version

[Anonymous]

I'm 36 weeks with a comfortably breech baby and my doc has recommended this procedure. He gives it a 60% success rate but I haven't heard of it working for anyone. My acupuncturist is also suggesting moxibustion, but again, he hasn't had any success with it.

I've tried some of the spinning babies ideas and, besides feeling like a Stupid Pet Tricks contestant, haven't seen anything change. The ECV is my last ditch effort--has it worked for anyone out there?

[Anonymous]

I'd also look for chiropractor who knows the Webster technique - lots of people seem to have good luck with that.

[Anonymous]

1. starting today, put your ironing board one end on the couch and one end on the floor. Lie on it on your back with you feet at the high end. This is a breech tilt. Stay on it for 15-20 minutes 3 times a day until you baby flips. Your baby should get very active after a minutes and hopefully will flip after a couple of days.

2. moxibustion - works best when you do it every day for a week. Do you want some names of people to go to? Dr Lee in Vienna is well respected. 703-242-7349 And Susan Jensen in DC 202.244.1017

3. chiropractor for the webster technique. Dr. Noya in Tenleytown has a good rep. for this. http://noyachiropractic.com/

If you let me know where you live I can try to give you names of people close to you. And yes, ECV can work too, as a last resort. Only 3% of babies remain breech so most do flip.

[Anonymous]

It's extremely dangerous in case your baby might have a short cord or the cord wrapped around it's neck.
I would not touch baby. If he/she wants to be in this position means it's the more comfortable for him/her.

[Anonymous]

Moxibustion seems fairly harmless - so why not try it? Although the only person I know who tried it said it didn't work (and the smell apparently is very strong). I would also look into a chiropractor.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I'm in NW DC so the chiropractor recommendation works--thanks! I will look into that. I do like my acupuncturist but he's never seen it work and I don't have time to waste here.

I'll have to see if my husband is up for helping me with the ironing board trick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I'm in NW DC so the chiropractor recommendation works--thanks! I will look into that. I do like my acupuncturist but he's never seen it work and I don't have time to waste here.

I'll have to see if my husband is up for helping me with the ironing board trick.

I did it with only my 2 and 4 year old there to laugh at me, and scream when we all saw the baby flip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's extremely dangerous in case your baby might have a short cord or the cord wrapped around it's neck.
I would not touch baby. If he/she wants to be in this position means it's the more comfortable for him/her.

Medical research strongly disagrees. Google it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's extremely dangerous in case your baby might have a short cord or the cord wrapped around it's neck.
I would not touch baby. If he/she wants to be in this position means it's the more comfortable for him/her.

Medical research strongly disagrees. Google it.

LOL are you kidding me?

Let's see what experts have to say about it:

"The complications of version include placental abruption,
cord prolapse, fetal heart rate abnormalities, fetal distress,
fetomaternal hemorrhage, stillbirth, and vaginal bleeding."

They also suggest:

"the procedure should be attempted only in settings having
readily available facilities/services for cesarean delivery."

I don't think you can find them on google since this is the source is from a paid subscription to their journal:
External Cephalic Version-related
Risks: A Meta-analysis
K. Grootscholten, M. Kok, S.G. Oei, B.W. Mol, and
J.A. van der Post

By the way, I'm an OB nurse and the procedure HURTS!
If the baby is in that position is not "luck". There's a reason and we already mess enough with mother nature. I would leave the baby alone.
Personally, I would rather try to deliver vaginally a breech baby. No way I want to end up with complications of an ECV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
By the way, I'm an OB nurse and the procedure HURTS!

...

Personally, I would rather try to deliver vaginally a breech baby. No way I want to end up with complications of an ECV.

Aren't versions usually done with an epidural? (That's what I heard).
As far as delivering a vag breech - would you mind sharing which OB(s) in the area would allow that? I am not the OP, and not even pg at the moment, but my understanding is that most OBs these days would not do a vag breech. They don't even teach that in OB residency anymore. I know my SIL recently had a breech baby and none of the doctors at Reiter Hill were willing to even consider a vag birth.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, and there's a reason OB's don't want to attempt vaginal deliveries with breech babies because the danger to the baby is considerably higher than ECV. I'm not risking getting the baby's head stuck in the birth canal. If the version doesn't work, I'm going straight to c-section.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, and there's a reason OB's don't want to attempt vaginal deliveries with breech babies because the danger to the baby is considerably higher than ECV. I'm not risking getting the baby's head stuck in the birth canal. If the version doesn't work, I'm going straight to c-section.

Not really true.

Ahhhh.......never mind. No one here gives a rats ass about why OB's *really* do what they do.

For those interested in vaginal breech delivery, Dr. Tchabo is willing to do it, as are a few homebirth midwives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I'm in NW DC so the chiropractor recommendation works--thanks! I will look into that. I do like my acupuncturist but he's never seen it work and I don't have time to waste here.

I'll have to see if my husband is up for helping me with the ironing board trick.

I did it with only my 2 and 4 year old there to laugh at me, and scream when we all saw the baby flip.

Awesome! Did the flipping hurt? How far along were you?

[Anonymous]

if you want a vaginal breech birth, ask Dr Tchabo in Arlington or midwife Karen Carr in Maryland. They both have attended many. Of course not every breech is appropriate for a vaginal birth but some are and they can help you figure it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Awesome! Did the flipping hurt? How far along were you?

No, it didn't hurt at all. I was 36 weeks. Went it spontaneous labor at 40 weeks and 3 days.