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Finding out that your baby is breech late in pregnancy can be stressful! It requires you to make some choices around whether you want to do things to help your baby turn (including an ECV), whether you want to go ahead with a breech birth, or to plan an elective Caesarian birth.
No one can make these decisions for you, and you may find that you want to explore your options and access resources as you make your decision. Whatever decision you make, some women may feel disappointed that they're even having to think about this, especially if this breech position was not expected. You may find that you choose to walk one path, and then change your mind along the way.
Let me reassure you that you're entitled to make whatever choices feel right for you, and even if you don't feel 100% happy, or settled with these choices, sometimes, we go with the best option available at the time in the current circumstances. Ie, maybe you never would have chosen this option, but in the circumstances, it's the best choice available to you.
My perspective on breech babies is that some babies are breech because there isn't quite space for them to be head down with the way our body is in terms of tilt and torsion. This is not a criticism of our bodies, but just a reality that all bodies are a little wonky, and a bit of working with our bodies can be very helpful. In this way it's useful to provide space and relaxation to give opportunity for the baby to turn. Body work and exercises, and perhaps ECV if you want to. Some babies will turn themselves before or in labour.
But also, my experience is that some babies are breech for a reason, and no amount of anything will shift them head down.
I am not a health care professional and none of this should be considered medical advice, but more a list of conversations to have or research as you weight up your choices. It's also a sharing of experiences through my time as a doula and perinatal therapist in what was useful to other women and families in this position.
Things to consider:
✨If considering a ECV, get some body work done beforehand. Go to a skilled osteopath or physio who knows about pregnant bodies and can balance your ligaments and pelvic structures beforehand. Some doulas are also trained in Biomechanics to do body movements and massage to do this. If possible, do it a few days before your ECV and then right beforehand too. In Cambridge I would recommend Teddy Brookes or Celia Crook
✨Check out the resources below. What feels right for you will be very individual to you and your circumstances. Know your options, and advocate for what you want.
✨Choose who you talk to about it wisely. Some people will respond with fear for you or your baby. Or will tell you what they would do. This may be helpful, and also may not. Sometimes we need our own space to make up our decisions and just hearing everyone else's emotional response to our situation can feel overwhelming.
✨ If you want a non biased space to discuss your options and figure out what you want to do, book a support session with me, or one of the doulas to take things over in a space whether the other person is just holding space for you.
✨Consider hiring a doula. Even last minute, you can often hire a doula who will support you through this time. If you want to do this, email Cambridge Doula Collective explaining a bit about your circumstances and the doulas who are available will email you back so you have a shortlist of who is available. Doulas are not cheap, but they are worth their weight in gold. Honestly.
Resources:
a community interest company dedicated to increasing skills and knowledge about vaginal breech birth https://breechbirth.org.uk/resources/
AIMS (Association for the Improvement of Maternity services) Use the Search function on this page to search for breech related research https://www.aims.org.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/371624862918154/# (A support and information group for parents of breech and late-turning babies, focused on the UK, run by women who have had breech babies themselves. We aim to provide a "safe space" for you to discuss your experiences, hopes and fears. We are not medical professionals, so we do not give medical advice, simply support and encouragement for women looking to make their own informed choice about turning methods and birth options.)
https://breechbabiesclub.org/ (Resources and birth stories)
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Alongside running The Baby Village, Bryony teaches pregnancy and baby yoga classes, runs a private practice as a counsellor, offers Mother's Mentoring and Birth Trauma Recovery counselling.
She also runs therapeutic groups including Tender Postnatal- a group for mothers in the first year and Mothers Rising - a consciousness raising group for women with children.
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