has anyone given birth to a breech baby naturally??

Debbie - posted on 06/02/2009

Hi im from Australia & i had my first child natural & she was breech they had to cut me to help her out but both me & bubs was fine.

Sarah - posted on 06/02/2009

Oh I forgot to add. My poor mother went through the painful process of turning me twice and I still turned breech. ha ha I guess I am stubborn?! The doctor later appologised to my parents and told them he made a very bad decision and it was poor judgement on his behalf!

Judy - posted on 05/27/2009

My youngest, who is now 27, was born breech. She came to fast for anyone to think of a c section. The Doctor said she came as easily as any other baby he had delivered. I told him maybe from his end she did!!

Sarah - posted on 05/26/2009

Quoting Libby:

Quoting Sarah:

Quoting Libby:

Quoting Cherie:

I had all my children completely natural with mid-wives... my daughter was breech and they flipped her , I understand they don't really do that anymore.. she is now 16 yo.. I am glad they did... I agree that these docs seem cut-happy :(

From what I understand it is hard to turn the baby after the water breaks.  Sarah, I think you did the safest thing possible for the baby at the time. 

thankyou! i've made my peace with it now, i did feel bad for 'taking the easy option' as some people told me i had. but as you say, my baby was delivered safely and that's all that matters! i was just curious as to whether anyone had managed it or not. seems like these days, it's not considered very safe. thanks again for the comment :)

The safer option is not always easier.  You had a longer recovery time with the section (8 weeks as compared to 6 weeks usually).  BUT I do commend you for chosing what is safer for your baby.  I know we have these great ideas as to what giving birth is going to be like and then we feel like failures if we can't birth the way we wanted, nurse the way we wanted, recover the way we wanted, etc, etc.  I think this one is a no brainer and shame on anybody for making you feel like you didn't do the right thing!  Had you tried to do vaginal and something tragic happened, then they would've been making you feel bad for not taking the section.  So, in the long run...this is your body, your baby...YOUR CHOICE!  Congrats on the little one!!

i actually had a complete stranger tell me i had taken the easy option and that all young mum's want to take the easy root these days and it's a disgrace!! madness!! guess some people will always see it that way, but i'd rather face their ignorance than put my baby in any risk! :)

Libby - posted on 05/26/2009

Quoting Sarah:

Quoting Libby:

Quoting Cherie:

I had all my children completely natural with mid-wives... my daughter was breech and they flipped her , I understand they don't really do that anymore.. she is now 16 yo.. I am glad they did... I agree that these docs seem cut-happy :(

From what I understand it is hard to turn the baby after the water breaks.  Sarah, I think you did the safest thing possible for the baby at the time. 

thankyou! i've made my peace with it now, i did feel bad for 'taking the easy option' as some people told me i had. but as you say, my baby was delivered safely and that's all that matters! i was just curious as to whether anyone had managed it or not. seems like these days, it's not considered very safe. thanks again for the comment :)

The safer option is not always easier.  You had a longer recovery time with the section (8 weeks as compared to 6 weeks usually).  BUT I do commend you for chosing what is safer for your baby.  I know we have these great ideas as to what giving birth is going to be like and then we feel like failures if we can't birth the way we wanted, nurse the way we wanted, recover the way we wanted, etc, etc.  I think this one is a no brainer and shame on anybody for making you feel like you didn't do the right thing!  Had you tried to do vaginal and something tragic happened, then they would've been making you feel bad for not taking the section.  So, in the long run...this is your body, your baby...YOUR CHOICE!  Congrats on the little one!!

Sarah - posted on 05/26/2009

i don't dwell on it anymore, it was just the first few weeks or so it would play on mind a little. i know i did what was best at the time. just curiosity as to whether other people have had similar experiences. thanks for all the comments! :)

Sheena - posted on 05/26/2009

My daughter was breech at first, but the midwife was able to turn her around. My daughter also had the cord wrapped around her neck twice. From everything I have learned from midwives and books, it is natural, and even expected to have the cord around the baby's neck. It's simply a matter of the dr's ability to handle to situation.
I also agree that American drs are cut-happy. I went to the "best" doctor in the state. I was literally scolded by a nurse during a visit because I had dared to gain 6 pounds since the last visit. The same visit I was told by the dr that 1 potato chip in a day is too much salt for the baby. I left the drs and went to a birthing center instead, and had a wonderful delivery...but Jeanne is right. dwelling on the past isn't going to change things. It'll just distract you from today, and your baby.

Jeanne - posted on 05/26/2009

My mother delivered my oldest sister vaginally and she was a breech but my sister was also very tiny, she weighed only 4lbs at birth even though she was term...she was just tiny. Depending on the size of the baby and the position of the cord a baby can be delivered when it is breech. If the cord was in danger of being wrapped around your childs neck or being delivered before the baby, which could have caused irreperable harm, it would have been a high risk delivery, therefore the doctor opted for a c-section. It isn't always easy to answer the "would have's and could have's".....but dwelling on it is not going to change things. Your baby looks marvelous and I think that is the best outcome for the whole thing.

Sarah - posted on 05/26/2009

Quoting Libby:

Quoting Cherie:

I had all my children completely natural with mid-wives... my daughter was breech and they flipped her , I understand they don't really do that anymore.. she is now 16 yo.. I am glad they did... I agree that these docs seem cut-happy :(

From what I understand it is hard to turn the baby after the water breaks.  Sarah, I think you did the safest thing possible for the baby at the time. 

thankyou! i've made my peace with it now, i did feel bad for 'taking the easy option' as some people told me i had. but as you say, my baby was delivered safely and that's all that matters! i was just curious as to whether anyone had managed it or not. seems like these days, it's not considered very safe. thanks again for the comment :)

Libby - posted on 05/26/2009

Quoting Cherie:

I had all my children completely natural with mid-wives... my daughter was breech and they flipped her , I understand they don't really do that anymore.. she is now 16 yo.. I am glad they did... I agree that these docs seem cut-happy :(

From what I understand it is hard to turn the baby after the water breaks.  Sarah, I think you did the safest thing possible for the baby at the time. 

Libby - posted on 05/26/2009

Quoting Cherie:

I had all my children completely natural with mid-wives... my daughter was breech and they flipped her , I understand they don't really do that anymore.. she is now 16 yo.. I am glad they did... I agree that these docs seem cut-happy :(

From what I understand it is hard to turn the baby after the water breaks.  Sarah, I think you did the safest thing possible for the baby at the time. 

Cherie - posted on 05/26/2009

I had all my children completely natural with mid-wives... my daughter was breech and they flipped her , I understand they don't really do that anymore.. she is now 16 yo.. I am glad they did... I agree that these docs seem cut-happy :(

Sarah - posted on 05/26/2009

Quoting Sarah:

My mother had me naturally - I was full breech and it put her off having any more. I thankfully had an older sister. She had to be cut down there to let me out. I also had the cord wrapped tightly round my neck and almost died.

So yes you could have managed it naturally but its not pleasant. Its also very dangerous for bubs. Doctors main concerns are getting baby delivered safely.

i'm glad i followed the doctors advice then!! :)

Sarah - posted on 05/26/2009

My mother had me naturally - I was full breech and it put her off having any more. I thankfully had an older sister. She had to be cut down there to let me out. I also had the cord wrapped tightly round my neck and almost died.

So yes you could have managed it naturally but its not pleasant. Its also very dangerous for bubs. Doctors main concerns are getting baby delivered safely.

Debi - posted on 05/26/2009

Both my girls were breeched. With my oldest I was able to have her naturally, but with my youngest I had to have a c-section. My oldest was in perfect position for a natural delivery, so the dr said i could go naturally. I had no problems.

Andrea - posted on 05/26/2009

I would advise not to for the baby's sake. You never know if that cord is around the neck. My daughter all the way to the last month was scheduled as a regular delivery, but then my doctor said she was breached but may turn or they could turn her, but the risk is she could suffocate from the cord. I chose not to turn her and when I went in to have her they said I did the right thing because the cord was around her neck 3 times!

Rayna - posted on 05/26/2009

I agree - there's nothing to state factually that it isn't possible to give birth (naturally) to a breech baby. My sister decided to do a home version by herself because she's rather small but her baby was breech. Her doc wanted to do a C-section the whole way. The doc refused to do a version in the office! I don't care for American doctors...they're very close-minded! And I'm an American ;-/
You're absolutely right - as long as you and the baby are alright, that's what matters!

Sarah - posted on 05/26/2009

thanks, i'm from the UK and they did give me the option to deliver naturally, but i'd had a traumatic birth with my first and didn't want to go through that again!! as i said, i do wonder tho sometimes if i should have tried naturally. my baby was delivered safely tho and that's the main thing! :)

Venetia - posted on 05/26/2009

For some reason, American doctors like to cut, but babies can be delivered via breech extraction. I found a video of women in I think west Africa who had British doctors that delivered all the babies via breech extraction. American doctors where criticized for being too hasty to deliver babies via C-section. C-section was recommended only in emergency situations. My Aunt delivered twins and one came out feet first and he was delivered naturally. Babies can also be delivered bum first,lol. The doctor just has to know what he or she is doing. If I find the link again I will try to post it, but you can google "breech extraction".