So with just a few weeks until the birth, someone has stuffed up, Worrybomb didn’t ready the manual and is now the wrong way up. Described as a Frank Breech where the foetus’ buttocks are aimed toward the birth canal and the legs stick straight up in front of the body with The feet are near the head.
It does explain some of the odd movements, but does complicate things a little.
At the Midwife check we discovered the breech, she was wonderful and booked / wangled us in to see the Specialist. After a mile run to get the car and a quick trip to return to pick up Mrs WB, we made it just in time to the hospital, Mrs WB jumped out and went in whilst I tried to find a car space.
Rant section, please skip
Basingstoke and North Hampshire NHS Foundation Trust are very poor when it comes to parking. Not only do they lack spaces but it also costs an arm and leg ( sorry poor choice of phrase when hospitals are involved ). Why is the parking soooo crap at Basingstoke Hospital and why is so expensive. Why do I pay taxes and still have to pay to use the hospital, its not like there is anything around there I might want to park for other than the Hospital and we were hardly there for fun. Tossers.
and breath….
After 10 minutes trying to find somewhere to park, I abandoned it along with about 10 other cars on the roadside. I missed the scan and came into find the Specialist had confirmed what Worrybomb was indeed breeched. So on the plus side I wasn’t ripped of by the car park machines.
The Consultant explained he could try a External Cephalic Version (ECV) to try and move Worrybomb into the correct orientation. Its about 50% successful and not without pain or discomfort. We agreed to give it a try and were asked to comeback in an hour or so. It was nil by mouth time, to cover all the bases, so Mrs WB wasn’t allowed to eat or drink anything, and wasn’t in the best of ways, feeling a little faint and hungry.
We drove home, chilled out for a short while and then drove back to fight again with the bad parking at the hospital, this time I abandoned the car near to the maternity ward to avoid running too far again ( I learn quickly ). How can a Hospital be that bad at arranging something simple like a bit of space to put a car or two, and breath…
We went up to the Maternity Ward and were showed into a labour room. The Specialist and a Ward Sister, wired up Mrs WB so the baby’s heartbeat could be monitored to check how it was during the procedure. Lubed up and a little feint, worried and hot, she was given an injection to help prevent Braxton-Hicks.
The specialist then tried to turn the Worrybomb around. After about 15 minutes of being shoved and prodded it hadn’t made a difference. Mrs WB was extremely good through out the ordeal. Even accepting a second attempt. All the way through the Ward Sister and the Nurse were great, very helpful and gave lots of advice and aid. But even after the renewed prods the Worrybomb didn’t want to move. Throughout the attempts every few minutes the prods would be stopped so they could check that it wasn’t too stressful for WB. Mrs WB, also I think was relieved when it stopped for a few minutes.
Unfortunately after a couple of attempts, things hadn’t changed. Unfortunately the pain and stress was wasted. Mrs WB oddly was feeling a little better and didn’t bite my hand off when offered sweets or her sandwich.
With that over we discussed the next step. We have a caesarean booked for the 20th of November, but we will be trying every old wives tale to get the baby turned around in the mean time.
Until then we are going to try:
- On the list so far is kneeling with head down, I think this is called the tilt postion.
- Moxibustion, a Chinese herbal medicine, that involves the little toe and what looks like a smoking cigar!
- Music and light, applied to the abdomen to entice a change of position.
All sugestions are greatfully accepted.