I went in for a BPP scan yesterday at 39 weeks and realized during the ultrasound that he’s turned from head-down to transverse. I’ve been prepping and planning my whole pregnancy for a natural, unmedicated birth, but now it seems like all of my plans may be going out the window. My OB seemed so stressed about the situation and said I’d need to schedule an ECV on Monday and if successful, they’ll induce me, but if not, then I’d have a c-section. Turns out the hospital is booked Monday and the doctor on call Tuesday thinks the ECV will be too risky and wants to skip and go straight to c-section. I turn 40 weeks on Wednesday, and I haven’t had any complications except slightly highly amniotic fluid levels. I’d rather be induced than c-section so spending the weekend doing spinning babies and going to chiropractor- but wondering if I should insist on trying the ECV. I feel like we are being pressured in c-section without giving baby a chance to get back into position.
Update: Thanks to everyone who gave such encouraging words and stories about their positive experiences with C-sections. We did everything possible to get the baby head down over the weekend, including walking 3 miles, chiropractor and spinning babies exercises but his head was stuck pretty high up. We went to the hospital on Tuesday morning for c-section, and he was still transverse. It ended up being a little more traumatic than we anticipated. It took 3 doctors to get him out because of some large fibroids in my uterus. But he’s a healthy baby boy and we are both recovering well
@cathyhlikesflowers I had an ECV - they told me it needed to be done before around 36 weeks I believe? Otherwise baby is too squished, and there’s not enough fluid. Honestly - it SUCKED even doing it at 45 weeks. It was super painful, you couldn’t eat the night before (they do it beside the OR just in case it induces labor or distress and they need to do an emergency C section). And it didn’t even work. 10/10 would not recommend it anyways (for me).
I had a planned C section (because she was still breech) and honestly it was still beautiful. Very calm. I still got skin to skin immediately, and breastfed when baby was calmer. It got baby here safely.
@hair I also had a planned c section and I would also call it beautiful!
Calm. Skin to skin pretty much immediately. It was a “gentle c section” (is that the name?) where they also did delayed cord clamping. Once she was out and they saw she was safe, the mood in the room was a calm celebration.
Honestly, I know people frown on c sections and put an all natural vaginal birth on a pedestal, but sometimes life throws you a curveball. I would say planning things is much better than rolling the rice, trying an ECV or going into labour first then having an emergency c section.
I know two close family members who had to be put fully under for emergency c sections, and they weren’t even awake when their kid was born. I would take my experience over than any day!
@diana4jesus I had a similar experience with my unplanned c section. My plan was an unmedicated birth and when I wouldn’t dilate past 5cm and his heart rate decelerated with each contraction, it was time to think about a cesarean.
Luckily I was able to make the choice before it was a true emergency, but we were able to have delayed cord clamping and they brought him up to me right after. My husband was able to do skin to skin while I was being mended and then when I got him in my arms he latched right away.
I was one of those people who put unmedicated birth on a pedestal, and while I was initially disappointed it didn’t go as planned, as soon as I had my baby in my arms all I cared about was that we were both happy, healthy and alive.
So grateful to live during modern medicine. I hate to think what might have happened at another time.
@diana4jesus My unplanned c section was also surprisingly relaxing as soon as she was out and on my chest! We had a wonderful hour of skin to skin while they sewed me up. My recovery was also quick, and I'm weirdly looking forward to my next baby being a planned c.
@hopefulandfree On reread that’s what I was guessing…but heaven forbid I ask what doctor let her go to 45 weeks and get reamed for condoning medical intervention or not letting ~nature take its course! Haha
@hopefulandfree There's actually a really awful article from a woman who got too sucked into the super far granola crazy side of the internet of free birthing/natural birth and she waited until 45 weeks and ended up having a stillbirth. The whole time she was getting encouragement online from crazy people to wait and that her body knew what it was doing and to avoid the doctors.
It's insane how internet has allowed is to create these relatively large pockets of insanity that reinforce themselves.
@rylt That is incredibly tragic and horrible. The placenta is an organ with an expiration date!! Fidiots have no sense and no cares about the consequences of the rubbish they push on people
@cathyhlikesflowers I went through a similar, not exactly the same, situation with my baby in February. Baby was full breech and we attempted two ECVs at 36 and 37 weeks. Both were unsuccessful. My amniotic fluids were high as well, which actually leads to increase chance of an out-of-place babe. I was seeing a midwife for my entire pregnancy and was planning a home birth. I scheduled a third and final ECV for 38 weeks. I also had been doing spinning babies, visiting the chiropractor, moxibustion, all the things for the entire month. I did not want to schedule a c-section because I was determined to have the birth I planned. Well, at 38+3, my baby was not moving very much and I went into labor and delivery to get monitored. They ended up doing an emergency c-section and baby spent a week in the NICU. Looking back, I wish I wouldn’t have fought the situation as hard as I did. I wish I would have had the chance to have a scheduled c-section because the trauma of an emergency is something I am still coping with. Yes, I grieved for not having the birthing experience I had always envisioned, but I have honestly been more upset that my baby and I have had to go through such a difficult experience.
Obviously your situation isn’t exactly the same and you know what is best for you and your little one. Please just consider the potential risks that your doctor indicates and mentally prepare yourself for things not going as planned. Sending you positive thoughts!
@applekrate Are you in the February bumper birth group? We have the same track!
Let me know if you need to join, I can point you at the mods.
I’m sorry your birth experience was so hard. Mine was terrible — induction that turned into an unplanned c Section. I struggle to think about it positively. I’m so grateful that baby turned out just fine, but the experience around it was awful. I hope things are getting better for you!
@gust I am in the February group. Thanks! I appreciate you sharing your experience and kind words. Things have definitely gotten better because, like you, I am just so grateful to have a healthy, happy little one at this point. I hope everything is getting better for you too
@cathyhlikesflowers My ECV experience at 37 weeks was absolutely terrible. I suffered though 3 attempts and I legitimately was hoping I'd die during the last try because it hurt so much. They gave me IV fentanyl but I didn't feel anything. The terbutaline made me feel really sick to my stomach and panicky too. I wish someone would have told me how bad it could be beforehand. I really underestimated the pain. I ended up having a c section bc baby was frank breech. I'm sure you can push for an ECV if you really want to try one but the chances are typically about 50-50 or less
@cathyhlikesflowers Success rates of ecv is quite low, I think it’s about a coin flip. Even if you do end up getting the okay to one I would recommend getting comfortable with the possibility of a cesarean and challenging some ideas you MAY have about birth method. A cesarean absolutely can be a lovely way to give birth.
@jsch Oh interesting! I wonder does that have anything to do with choosing more favourable cases and not attempting with less favourable ones? My understanding is that it’s typically around 50% as mentioned below. Or maybe there’s some new technique or something?
