Does breech "run in the family"?

[Zoethink]

I am trying for a vbac at the end of March or beginning of April, so I am 33 weeks along. And this LO just won't settle down! S/he moves all over the place, breech, transverse, oblique, and I think head down for some of the time. I was talking to my MW yesterday and mentioned that I do have a slight structural imbalance in my hips. I have never had it diagnosed, but I have always been slightly uncomfortable on the right side. I know that my mom and my maternal grandmother also have something like that with their hips. But I was reassured by the fact that my grandmother had three vaginal deliveries, and my mom had four. But then I realized that my Grandmother's first daughter (my aunt) was breech, delivered breech in the 50's. My mom's second baby, my brother, was also breech and they turned him in a version which started labor.

Now I am worried that this LO is going to follow in their footsteps!!!

All of this is unrelated to why I had a C-sec with my son and I would just hate to have another C-sec for an unrelated, non repeating reason!!

Give me hope ladies!!

[3 ladybugs]

I don't think they did in my case. My son was breach but he was born at 38 weeks (planned c-section). DH and myself were both born vaginally. However we were both right at or over 40 weeks. I honestly think in my son's case, he was trying to say, he wasn't ready to be born yet. He spent 6 days in the NICU after he was born.

[teacherpippi]

I have a friend and her family has had several breech births (vaginal). Most other cases I've heard of have been single cases or I don't know enough about the family.

Would a chiropractor be able to help at all?

[ChocoChoco]

Originally Posted by teacherpippi I have a friend and her family has had several breech births (vaginal). Most other cases I've heard of have been single cases or I don't know enough about the family. Would a chiropractor be able to help at all?

I second the chiropractor, especially since you know you have hip issues. None of the ladies on my side of the family had breech babies that I know about. With my breech, I partly blame myself for not going to a chiro sooner and figure that my short torso just wasn't making space for her to flip. She remained butt down the entire time. I'm crossing my fingers for this second baby that he or she is not breech again!!!!

Sent from my iPhone using DS Forum

[Kiliki]

I am currently 35 wks pregnant.

At 32 wks, my baby was head up.

At 34 wks, he had turned to head down.

so there is still time for baby to turn.

As far as whether it is (or can be) some kind of genetic pre-disposition, I just don't know enough to be able to give anything educated on that. I could *guess* that it's possible that if someone has a genetic abnormality in the skeletal structure that causes some sort of very specific misalignment, it could be possible for generations of women to have lots of breech babies. But that's just a guess.

Do you know if your previous baby was head down when they performed the c/s? That might bring you some peace of mind.

It's also good to know two things: Babies can flip to head down position at any time before birth, some even flip JUST before labor begins. And also that it is not impossible to vaginally deliver a breech baby. Our culture and society push for c/s for breech babies, but they are not necessary all the time.

Vaginally birthing frank breech baby is certainly not without its own risks. But it's also not impossible, either.

[EmilytheStrange]

I have hip issues and DD was not breech.

this baby is.. well, sometimes.. breech still (31 weeks), was headdown last week, so I know the baby can be.....

so I totally see how the way your spine and hips are positioned could affect baby's position. If my baby isn't headdown in a few weeks, I'll see about a chiropractor and spinning babies and the Miles Circuit.

but neither of my other family members have my congenital spinal defect. Although my cousin has a similar spinal defect and had a breech baby and a csection.. of course, I don't know how long she waited for baby to flip or if she tried anything to assist the flipping. I get the feeling that they told her what they were going to do and she said 'okay', cause she's pretty trusting.

[FernHollow]

Well first of all, breech IS a variation of normal. I understand the stress of that in this day and age though! I have hip issues and my first 2 were born posterior, my 3rd was a c/s for breech. My 4th kept flipping all around between transverse and breech and I was so scared to lose my chance at a VBAC, so I went and found a chiropractor that specifically dealt with those sorts of issues. She had him consistently staying head down within 3 adjustments, it was truly dramatic how much more comfortable *I* felt in my hips/sacrum after being adjusted. My mom saw the same chiro and had the same issues...my brother and I were both born posterior. My grandmother had at least once breech and the rest were all posterior. She has hip issues as well.

So yes I think it can run in families, but I think it is almost always treatable with a great chiro. Find one that not only knows the Webster technique, but truly understands the relationship of the sacrum to the round ligaments and the birthing process. Not all do! My chiro has an extremely high success rate of turning babies. Also something to keep in mind is that if you have a baby that has consistently been in an unusual presentation they may need chiro care as well at first.

[Zoethink]

Originally Posted by FernHollow Well first of all, breech IS a variation of normal. I understand the stress of that in this day and age though!

Thank you ladies! It is helpful to hear others' perspectives. I had been thinking about a chiro. I'll have to find out if that sort of thing is covered by our insurance. I would totally rather pay OOP for a chiro though, than have a cesarean.

As to the above, I really doubt that I would have any support for a vaginal breech delivery. And I wouldn't be comfortable attempting it without lots of support. There is one dr I know of in a neighboring state that does/did them, so I would look into him. But I am not at all sure my DH would go for it.

[Edited to ask] Fernhollow, how many weeks were you when you sought out the chiro? I have been hesitant to do too much since it is probably normal for baby to be moving around a lot still at 33 weeks. At least, it feels normal for this baby. I don't want to move them into a position that they are just going to get out of, possibly getting tangled in their cord when they move. IYKWIM.

This baby is transverse a lot. Yesterday s/he was head down, I am pretty sure, so that was hopeful! I had placenta previa with my DS, so he lay transverse the whole time, lying right on top of the placenta.

I know it is early yet, and I am trying to stay calm because I think that probably affects how baby feels about his or her position as well. Maybe. I have been doing to the alignment exercises from spinning babies, but I will look into the others that were mentioned as well!

Thanks again!

[TwinKristi]

I'm not sure about it medically speaking but theoretically speaking I would think its possible. My uncle was delivered breech (and 10.5lbs!) in 1970. My 2nd, 4th and 5th pregnancies were breech but all turned on their own at some point late in the 3rd trimester, 36-38wks. All were bigger babies, 8-10 to 9-2 range. My good friend was breech and born c/s and 2 of her 3 babies (both her boys) were breech and born c/s as well.

[Zoethink]

Haha!! I just looked up the Miles Circuit and I have already been doing this intuitively!! Not always all at once, but when I know that baby is not head down, I have been doing the knee chest position. Then spending a lot of time side lying because baby seems to go head down when I am in that position. I alternate left and right sides depending on whether it seems that baby's head is higher or lower on that particular side. Then, when baby seems right or at least obliquely head down, I try to walk a lot!

That is so awesome! Go mama instincts!!