Baby hasnt turned down yet?

Question

My baby hasnt turned down yet and 31 weeks preg, im being told that there are ways to get him to turn down, does anybody know any? I dont really wanna do a c-sectionand this is my first child.

Answer 1

***External Cephalic Version is performed late in pregnancy, and means an experienced professional manually attempts to move a breech baby into the typical head-down position for birth. The procedure can be painful for the mother, and doesn't always work.

The following is a very informative site that gives a lot of information on breech births. It lists some alternatives to External Version - such as pelvic tilts and Webster's Technique. Home Birth Midwives employ these types of processes with dealing with their patients. Many home birth midwives deliver breech babies without incident.
http://www.mother-care.ca/breech.htm

There are some other things you need to know in order to avoid a Cesarean.
*** Labor Induction- When a woman's labor is induced through unnatural means, the pain is usually so bad that she begs for pain medication. The meds knock her out, as well as the baby. Did you know that your baby has an active part in the birthing process? It is something inside the baby that triggers labor in the first place. Then, as the baby is being delivered, he is navigating himself down the birth canal-maneuvering his head and shoulders so that he can get out. When he is sedated by drugs, he can not do this. So everything locks up and progression stops. Then here comes the doctor, wanting to perform the Cesarean for "Failure to Progress" because of something that HE did in the first place. Do you think it odd that if progression somehow stops during a HOME BIRTH, as long as the baby's fetal heart tones are fine, the midwife just goes back to bed and checks on you later? That's all that needs to be done. But that usually doesn't happen at home, because most midwives will not use drugs. The truth is, labor sometimes takes hours, but the best way to progress is naturally without any intervention. God will not let that baby stay in there forever. If you do want to speed up the process, there is an herb called BLUE COHOSH. The Indians used it during labor to help dilate the cervix. It has been used to start real labor, but it will not start labor unless it is time. I would start by taking 2 capsules. Maybe do this every 12 hours? It's not an exact science and it is based on your own body chemistry. And, of course, sexual intercourse releases substances into your body (from your partner) and triggers your own hormones to begin labor. (You can find Blue Cohosh in most Walmart and other drug stores. You do NOT need a prescription.)
***Lying in a bed on your back is the WORST position in which to labor - except standing on your head, of course. It goes against the flow of gravity. Try to have as much mobility as possible during the first stage of labor. The baby pushing DOWN on your cervix helps you to dilate. Lying on your back may pinch some blood vessels that otherwise would help with the labor process. (Women are put on their backs in bed mainly so the baby's fetal heart tones can be monitored. The baby CAN BE monitored intermittently without you being connected to a monitor throughout the whole labor. You will need to ask for this, or else they will hook you up to monitors and put you in bed because it is easier for the nursing staff.)
*** Some people believe that EPIDURALS increase the risk of Cesarean because it slows down the progress. If you must have an Epidural for any reason, try to wait until you have dilated as much as possible. Certainly do not let the doctor administer the epidural before you are at least 5 cm dilated.
*** Another reason that many doctors perform Cesareans is because they say the woman's pelvis is too small and the baby is too big (Cephalopelvic Disproportion or CPD). They show her x-rays that "prove" the baby will not fit through. (You know, God made a mistake making this woman's body...) A chiropractor pointed out that the pelvis is made (by God) to become "elastic-like" during delivery. The pelvis WILL be sufficient to deliver the baby when the time comes. There are few instances where the woman's body is REALLY incapable of giving birth. The CPD rate for home births is, well, it doesn't happen. Figure that one out. One doctor used this excuse on a woman. She later found out that the baby was breech, but that the doctor was not comfortable delivering a breech. He made her think that HER BODY was the problem when, really, it was his insecurity. Isn't that a great reason to put a woman through such an ordeal? We really must educate ourselves more.
**** SILENT KNIFE: CESAREAN PREVENTION AND VAGINAL BIRTH AFTER CESAREAN by Nancy Wainer-Cohen & Lois Estner
Although this book is written for women who want to have vaginal births after experiencing Cesareans, it gives valuable information that will benefit any woman who is preparing to give birth. It outlines many procedures that are done on women and unborn babies that are not necessary. Many of these interventions lead to unnecessary Cesareans.

Educating yourself is your best tool for getting the child-birth experience that you want. I am not saying that your doctor (or all doctors) will lie to a woman in order to get her to consent to a Cesarean. But you certainly don't want to be uneducated about your options when you are at your most vulnerable point during labor/delivery. When you have to make that decision, you want to be as educated about your options as you can be. You should not have to depend on the doctor or hospital policy to tell you what is best for you and your baby.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
I have experience two Cesareans.
*The first was for "Failure to Progress." I had not educated myself and had let the doctor induced me at 41 weeks. And just like the information I provided, I asked for pain meds and subsequently ended up with a Cesarean.
*I them educated myself because I found out that my Cesarean was unnecessary. I prepared to give birth at home with a midwife. It is a long story, but I ended up with another Cesarean basically because of my own oversight. A slight complication sent us to the hospital and I had not researched hospitals. We went to one that refused to do VBACs.
* We are expecting again and, needless to say, I have been on my research wagon again. I want to give birth at home because it is private and peaceful-not like strangers coming in and out unannounced when you are trying to concentrate on your baby and make it through that next contraction.

I hope this information proves to be helpful to you. Please email me if you need more information. I have plenty.

Answer 2

You've still got time for the baby to turn. Just relax. If you're really worried you could put a bag of frozen veggies on the top of your belly to try and get the baby to move around. You don't really get a choice if c section is the only way to get the baby out. But before they do a c section they would probably attempt a manual turn in the hospital, where the doctors push and turn the baby on the outside of your tummy. Good Luck

Answer 3

A baby can still turn vertex right up until birth, though it's less and less likely the farther along you get.

Both of my babies were breech. W/ my daughter, I didn't know about natural turning methods. W/ my son, I discovered chiropractors! A chiro can do what's called The Webster Maneuver. This helps realign the hips so that baby is more comfortable head down. The success rate is PHENOMINALLY high. My boy turned head down after ONE adjustment!!!! I continue to get weekly adjustments b/c my back pain disappeared too.

Accupuncture can help too, I've heard as well as other natural methods. Still, I highly recommend seeing a chiro FIRST!

Good luck!

Answer 4

Some babies don't turn until the last minute, and some don't ever turn. In cases that they don't turn, doctor's can try to turn your baby, by pushing on your belly, to maneuver the baby around. From what I have heard though it is not very comfortable, but makes for an easier birth.

Answer 5

How about giving the little guy some time? He's still got 9 weeks. One off my girls didn't turn until about 3 hours before she was born. These doctors today are such alarmists!

Answer 6

honey, just because he /she hasnt turned yet, doesnt mean anything, if the doctor, isnt worried about it then i wouldnt worry either, babies will usually turn on their own, when it gets a little closer, you still have 9 weeks to go. that doesnt mean you will have a c-section. if the baby hasnt turned by the time you go into labor the doctor will try to help turn the baby around, but they always usually turn on their own, it will be okay, try not to put any undue stress on yourself,

Answer 7

You still have plenty of time for baby to move into position so don't worry about ways of turning it....I have known babies that have waited until the last couple of days to turn.