Can a doctor really turn a breeched baby?? Does it hurt and is it safe?

[whitlack]

Ok, I am 34 weeks pregnant and my baby is breeched and has been since I was 20 weeks pregnant.  If she doesn't turn I am probably looking at a c-section which I am dreading!!  I have been told that sometimes the doctor will take you to L&D and hook you up to monitors and try to manually turn the baby head down.  I have heard there are risks involved and that it is extremely painful.  Would it be worth a try b/c it doesn't always work and sometimes if something goes wrong you have to have an emergency c-section. Would you go ahead with a scheduled c-section and not worry about trying to get her turned?  Any advice, personal experiences, or thoughts would be helpful.

[Becky30]

I never had any experience with this, but my friend did.  They tried to turn hers manually (unsuccessfully) and she said it was VERY painful.  My SIL used to be a labor and delivery nurse and she said sometimes they even give an epidural for the version because it can hurt so badly.  Also, the baby may flip back even they do get it turned.

After my first labor ended with a c-section, I opted for a scheduled section for my 2nd (and now my 3rd).  I have to say it's very nice to have it all planned out and not to have to endure labor!  (Of course, the recovery is much worse--from what I hear.)

[pain66]

funny enofe i was watching a show is morrning and they were talking about turning a baby and i can't remember the risks that were involed but they said there were some natural things you could try tho they havent been proven 100% efective..but they say that using a flash light near the lower part of your stomic may get the attention of the baby and draw him to come down, and another thing is you can put head phones with music on the lower stomic and that my also help him/her to turn( to come down to hear it better..)..but like others have said if he/she is ment to be breech so be it..i think that even the smallest risk that something could go wrong isnt worth it..best of luck to you and i hope your baby turns for you!

[jesslee83]

a few weeks ago i found a looooong list of things you can do to move the baby into an "anterior" position....now i can't find the stupid thing....but here's some of the things i remember

about 4-5 times a day, get on your hands and knees for about 10 minutes, and rock yourself front to back

an old (mid) wives tale, says around 35 weeks, to start cleaning base boards, and floors, on your hands and knees

rather than lean back, sit straight up, as much as you possibly can...

walking

again, there was ALOT more, but i cannot remember them all, or find the danged ole article that had the list lol.....

[babydreams9]

Your baby still has time to turn!!!! My little guy was breech until 36.5 weeks. I had an ultrasound at that time and it confirmed he was head-down, and I was so thrilled. It can happen for you too. I remember how hard it was to just relax and wait to see what happened, but sometimes that's the best thing to do! As mentioned previously, less than 5% of babies are still breech by 38 weeks. Sometimes, babies don't turn until LABOR starts!! Keep the faith!! For me, prior to the ultrasound I decided against the external version after researching it and talking to my doc. My gut instinct told me he was breech for a reason - I didn't know what it was - and to let nature take it's course the way it was supposed to. Plus, external version only works about 60% of the time; many times babies will just turn right back into a breech position after. There are risks involved, which is why they always do it in a hospital where an emergency c-section can take place if need be. An emergency c-section is the exact opposite of how I hope things would go, so I figured why put myself into a position that puts me at a risk (albeit a small risk) for one?? Do a lot of research, talk about it in depth w/your doctor, and make a decision that's right for you and your situation.

I would highly recommend you look into some alternative methods in the meantime that do not require medications or hospital visits. Do pelvic tilts and spend a lot of time on a birthing/yoga ball; I did both of these things. Always try to sit with your knees lower than your pelvis and keep a good posture; this will allow your pelvic area to be more open for baby. The Webster Technique has a great success rate -it's performed by a chiropractor (make sure they're certified/specialists in Webster before making an appointment) and works by loosening/massaging ligaments that may be deterring baby from turning. I've heard it feels amazing and helps with back pain. You can also look into moxabustion.

Whatever decision you make, it'll be the right one. Just follow your heart and do what your intuition says. And I wish you the very best! :)

[alaysha]

Only about 3% of babies don't turn before 38 weeks so there is still a chance that she will turn. For me my daughter didn't and I was forced with the decision to either get a external version (which is where they turn the baby) or get a c-section. I honestly had my heart set a natural birth so I went ahead with the version. It took about 5-10 minutes and honestly didn't hurt at all. They strap you up to an ultrasound machine and the tech looks at the position of the baby while the doctor massages behind her to make her uncomfortable enough that she tries to get away by tucking and rolling. Other than feeling pressure on your stomach it really is just like someone rubbing little circles on your stomach.

The risks for it is that it could cause you to need an emergency c-section if the placenta detaches from the uterine lining. There is also the chance that if the baby is turned that it will go back into the breech position after it is turned because it likes being breech.

Also, I tried every single way I could think of to turn the baby natural methods and it never worked.

[DaniWants1More]

i was just like you baby breech at 37 weeks.  he turned at 38 weeks but he was too big to push out and stil had c section.  my dr kpt saying he would turn ....i didn't believe him but he did turn.  hopefully you lil turns   tc ~d

[EAnthes]

well there definitely are risks to them turning the baby from the outside.  I've seen it done on tv (sorry thats my only experience with this) and the women look like its the worst pain ever.  I think one of the main risks is the placenta starting to detach from the uterine wall or bleeding because of something like that.

Try talking your baby into turning and spending more of your day rocking forward and backward while on your hands and knees.  Look into natural ways to coax the baby into a different position before trying something with risks like manually turning her.

[msgorgeous]

when me and my twin sister was born i came out first head first after i was out my sister had room to move around so she was coming out feet first. they decided to try and pull her out her elbows were blocking her from coming out soo they tried to turn her around but instead they just pushed her back in and she was born breech. like joy said its worth a try. and if an emergency c section is needed there right there to take care of you and the baby

[JoyRenee]

Yes it is worth trying! Depending on the skill of the doctor it may be uncomfortable, but it should not be painful. The risks are that your water breaks and... I don't know what else!

You should privately message alaysha because I believe she had to have her baby turned before birth and it worked for her!