Breech Babies Club

A planned c-section for footling breech (with video)

A planned c-section for an awkward breech with one foot up and one foot down, and a family history of breech (with a video):

“I don’t feel guilty about doing it, though. There were no doctors or midwives on the island who would deliver a breech baby. Giving her position, I wasn’t going to risk doing it by myself. In the head, we weighed our options and felt fairly in control of the whole process. Still, I feel some disappointment in missing out of the experience that I was envisioning, though I hope with our next baby we can have a home birth after cesarean.”

http://birthwithoutfearblog.com/2013/11/14/a-cesarean-for-breech-birth-with-video/

Bottom first! What to expect if your baby is breech

What is a breech baby?

A breech baby is one that is born bottom first rather than the usual head first. Most breech babies will have straight legs going up past their ears (a “complete breech”), or bent legs in the usual foetal position (a “flexed breech”). Some will have one bent and one straight leg. Others have their legs curled up beneath them, so that their feet are born first, and even more rarely can have their legs in a kneeling position and be born knee first. In most cases there is no obvious reason why a baby is breech.

Typically 3-4% of babies will be breech at full-term. This is an awkward statistic – not frequent enough for midwives and doctors to see them regularly, and frequent enough that most people know someone who has had a breech baby. Even more awkwardly, approximately 1 in 4 of all babies will be breech at 30 weeks, and most of those will turn into a head-down position by themselves with no intervention. However, the details matter. First-time babies are less likely to turn, as are babies in women who have already had a previous breech.

Read more…

A hospital breech birth from the dad’s perspective

“They assured her that the epidural tube was not connected, and told her she had to trigger another pushing wave. They told me to kiss Nicole, to try and help the process, because kissing can promote the release of oxytocin, which stimulates uterine contractions. And so, with about a dozen people around the operating table, I started making out with my wife. ”

http://spencerrankin.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/claires-birth-story/

A hospital breech birth despite lack of supportive doctors…

““Just in case” the doctors brought me to the O.R. to deliver the baby. The O.R was filled with staff (15-20 people) who couldn’t resist seeing this unique occurrence. I was givenan IV and put on the operating table (HORRIBLY uncomfortable). Here too I continually had to hear from the staff that I was putting my baby at risk of dying. Even as our sweet Emmette was coming down the birth canal the doctor was asking to do a c-section.”

“One of the mottos of midwifery is “the care is not in the catch” so I reminded Elizabeth that it was because of her diligent determination to help me have a natural birth that I was able to achieve just that!”

http://beautifulfeetmidwiferycare.com/1/post/2014/01/emmettes-birth-story-vaginal-breech-birth-in-the-hospital.html

A breech baby turned by positional exercises, moxibution and chiropractic care…

“If someone had walked into our apartment the night we got our news they may have questioned our sanity…positioned with my shoulders down on the ground and hips placed on the couch – Luke with a light shining between my legs > gently talking to an unborn human encouraging him to come towards his voice and/or the light…it was a sight to be seen (!?) but we were desperate and willing to try anything at this point!”

“We did it! The little guy and I worked as a team and he did what he needed to do. What a rollercoaster emotionally and physically those two days were.”

http://pitterpatterclunk.com/a-breech-baby/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-breech-baby

A successful undiagnosed breech VBAC

An Australia breech VBAC, this time undiagnosed – a planned home birth with a transfer in labour and a successful breech delivery in hospital.

“While I was ‘considering’ the caesarean things were happening very quickly.”

“She unfolded like a beautiful butterfly, legs unfolding, followed by her arms. Not much happened for quite some time after that. It was the most amazing thing to look down and see her whole body, but no head, just hanging there!”

http://www.breechbirth.net/matildas-birth—vbbac.html

One mother, three breech babies

A fabulous series of birth stories by one mother of three children, and all of them were breech.

“Women should feel empowered in their birth choices/experience & should trust in their inner strength and natural ability. Natural breech birth can be done & can be a wonderfully amazing & beautiful birth experience!!”

First – undiagnosed, resulting in an emergency c-section in labour

“I will never forget the feeling of being strapped down to the operating table & having my baby ripped out of me as the OB on duty chatted with the nurses drinking her coffee.”

http://www.mothersofchange.com/2012/07/my-breech-babies-part-i.html

Second – a planned natural breech VBAC in hospital

“I had nurses ask me the next day why I would try to deliver naturally when I knew the baby was breech.  All I can say is having gone through both a C-section and natural breech delivery – I would take the breech delivery any day!”

http://www.mothersofchange.com/2012/07/my-breech-babies-part-ii.html

And third – a planned natural breech VBAC in the same hospital

“He was delivered by the OB on duty and a resident as our OB watched – it was an amazing experience! The tone in the room was also so different this time as the staff were so positive about the breech birth and it was an atmosphere of “way to go, that was amazing – you did it” as opposed to “why would you try and do that” as with my 2nd.  The OB & resident were great & genuinely interested in my wellbeing & in being involved with a natural breech delivery.”

http://www.mothersofchange.com/2012/07/my-breech-babies-part-iii.html

Lessons in Bomb-Diffusion – how it feels

How does it feel to be left with no option but a c-section for breech when you planned a home birth?

“I spent every day I had a breech baby trying to turn her–and my mind–around. I would wake in the morning, remember I was headed toward cesarean, and cry in my bed. One day my two year old lay next to me, put her hands on either side of my face and said, solemnly, “Sad Mama.” Sad, indeed. And confused, lonely, and very stressed.”

“I don’t have the answers. Especially not for you. I do believe it should be easier to find information, and that there should be more choices in childbirth. It’s not OK that breech is an automatic cesarean when even ACOG recommends vaginal breech birth in select cases. In cases of surprise breech, it’s not OK that no one knows what to do. Someone as highly trained as an obstetrician should be able to handle such things. They can’t do so by training exclusively on pelvic models, although that would be a start. Someone has to have a vaginal breech birth for them to witness. Someone has to be at that birth as the expert attending. And someone has to have a breech baby and want that birth.”

http://homebirthcesarean.org/lessons-in-bomb-diffusion/