My recent chiropractor and midwife appointments revealed that my baby is in the LOA position, which is ideal for childbirth. I do hope she stays that way and I don’t do anything to mess that up!
Learning About My Baby’s Position
Around this time, five years ago, I learned that my baby was in a breech position, which means she was right side up and occurs in only 3-4% of pregnancies. My doula referred me to a prenatal chiropractor, who I’ve been with since then. He knew so much about the pregnant woman’s body and gave me adjustments and exercises to do to help her turn. For most of November, every day I would lay upside down on an ironing board, propped up against the sofa, for at least twenty minutes. This was in attempt to help her turn. My plan had been to deliver at the hospital with the midwives but, if she stayed in breech position, I would have to have a cesarean. The problem is that many obstetricians are not trained in delivering a breech baby and the liability is greater since mom can’t be in a lithomy position to deliver. That position isn’t great for delivering a baby anyway but that topic is for another day.
The Tools I Utilized
So, along with chiropractic care, I reached out to my acupuncturist, who I saw a few times and who recommend moxibustion at home, which I did. I hadn’t been seeing him throughout my whole pregnancy, not knowing all the ways acupuncture can help (i.e. nausea, headaches, etc.), and that was a misstep on my part.
I also did some exercises through Spinning Babies, a very popular and helpful website for pregnant mamas.
My doula also did reiki and hypnosis on me, in case there were emotional reasons, I was holding my baby in this position. I hate hospitals and didn’t want a hospital birth but the compromise I made with my husband was to be with the Midwives program at the hospital. It’s possible that the fear of having a hospital birth played a part.
Around 34 weeks, we met with an obstetrician, who recommended performing an ECV, or version technique, in the hospital, where they would manually turn the baby. We were not thrilled about this option but, as we got closer and more desperate, we decided to go for it. The risks were minimal for both me and baby and the doctor was known to have a high success rate.
The ECV (“version”) Experience
It was shortly after Thanksgiving when we went in for the procedure. Given that we were at a “teaching hospital”, the room was full of eager, curious medical students. I’m all for learning and education but, when it’s your body and your baby, it’s a different story. I felt so vulnerable and violated. Fortunately, I had my husband and my doula there to keep me focused, breathing and positive.
The obstetrician put his hands on my belly and manually turned my baby. Baby went from upright to transverse and back upright again. He attempted again two times. I didn’t feel pain per se but extremely intense pressure. I mean my baby and all the organs were being moving around! He asked if he should try again and I said yes. So, two more unsuccessful attempts and we decided to stop so as not to stress the baby more. The ECV had failed. The obstetrician said he was amazed at what I was able to handle and that I was tougher than I looked. That didn’t change that I was still disappointed.
So, in the following weeks, we continued doing what we were doing. The hospital was willing to attempt a vaginal breech birth. However, my original due date of December 19th came and went and now that was not an option. I was actually at a holiday work party on the dance floor on my due date but still no baby.
Hoping For Change
Shortly after 40 weeks, they called me in to see them a couple times a week. I felt fine and didn’t feel the urgency of delivering. They said the most I could go to was 42 weeks, at which point I would have to have a schedule cesarean.
I got to 42 weeks and my baby was still in breech position and still not ready to come out. So, we picked a date and, though I cried the night before, I had time to accept it. I also planned with my doula on how to have a gentle cesarean. I would recommend this for anyone who has to have a cesarean section.
Settling Into the Reality
So, while I wouldn’t have the full experience of childbirth, my doula helped me come up with ways to make it less traumatic. A whopping 68% women describe their birth experience to be traumatic and, while the most important thing is that mom and baby are healthy and safe, how babies come into this world does matter. It matters physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physiologically. Healthy baby, healthy mom should be where we start, not where we end.
The obstetrician did a great job even though I hated being in the hospital and complying with hospital procedures. I didn’t like not being able to eat when and what I wanted and not being able to hold my baby in the room. I also didn’t appreciate having to wake up at midnight for baby’s bath, wearing a hospital gown, being in a cold, sterile environment. The hospital staff al so gave my baby a pacifier without asking me.
Thanks to my doula, though, I was able to advocate for things that were important to me. I was able to not have my hands tied down during the procedure along with immediate skin to skin. My husband was able declaring the sex of the baby, etc. This made a difference for me.
In Conclusion
I still don’t know why my daughter was in that position and why she refused to turn. She might have had a short umbilical cord> She might have had the wisdom to know that that was not the way she wanted to come into this world, or that a vaginal breech would have been risky. All I know is that she is as strong willed now as she was in utero.
So, I write this not to discourage anyone from trying everything in their power to help baby turn. You should. Just know that sometimes you try everything you know of and it still doesn’t work. I’ve since learned that homeopathy can also help with breech babies but who knows if that would’ve worked. Something tells me it was more of an emotional reason than physical and yet I’ll never really know why.
