Possible EVC for a breech baby - anyone any experiences?

[hellywelly]

On Sun midwife suspected baby was breech, so has sent me for a scan tomorrow (36+0) to check and an EVC has been mentioned (manual turn) of baby, although as a second time mum they may wait a week to do this apparently as it can take longer for baby to spin. I've researched this and checked out quite a lot of scientific journal articles (I'm a sucker for science!) and am happy the procedure is very low risk, but would just like to hear if anyone else has first hand experience. Was it painful or just uncomfortable? Was it successful? Did baby stay head down? What kind of labour/birth did you end up having? A planned c sec for me wouldn't be the end of the world, but after having an awesome, drug free very quick natural labour with my first, I was hoping for the same this time around! Plus the driving/lifting limits would be difficult with a heavy toddler and living in an isolated village.

 

[SAHF]

Our baby was breech and thankfully on Christmas Eve at our scan to find out if baby was still breech, s/he had turned down. I looked into EVC prior to the scan and personally decided against the procedure if baby was breech. For me the risks were too great; like you I did my research, medical journals, scientific papers, statistics etc. Too many times I came across cases where it had caused serious problems for both mother and baby, and in some awful cases, where babies had died due to too much pressure being used. I would have opted for a planned c-section had baby still been breech, rather than risk an EVC.

 

[hellywelly]

Could you please post links to these articles as most of the ones from the scientific journals I have found have shown a fetal mortality rate of less than 0.24% (the biggest I could find on 800 EVC cases at the John Radcliffe showed no fetal mortality at all). I like to be informed so would appreciate some more links if you are able to lay your hands on them so I can make a decision on more balanced evidence if this is the case. Many thanks.

 

[Iwant3]

I have no personal experience but out of my friend I only know 2 that have had to have an evc - one had hers and then went into labout and the cord had moved between the babies head and the cervix during the procedure so each contraction was cutting off blood supply to baby via cord - so she was rushed to hospital with a paramedics hand up her foof holding the pressure off the cord until they could do an emergency c-sec!! the other had hers done and then had very reduced movements from baby for next 2 days, had lots of traces and then they did an emergency c-sec as baby wasn't happy.

My last baby was breech until I was 37 weeks and then turned twice down and then back up - and was delivered fine head down when the time come at 40 weeks

 

[hellywelly]

I went ahead and had it and although it failed the baby has been absolutely fine. I think your friends must have been very unlucky looking st some of the data I researched - scary side effects like that are very rare! I'm so pleased you've said your baby was still turning at 37 weeks plus - gives me hope this one will do the same! They are happy for me to try a natural breech birth though so fingers crossed I get it out of my foof one way or another! Hoping to avoid a section as have a toddler and live in an isolated village so not driving would be tough.

 

[russellmuscle]

Ive heard its really sore, no other experience though sorry.

Good luck.

xxxx

 

[Atlantis]

Have you tried techniques described on spinning babies.com for turning a breech baby?