Breech vaginal birth

I've had a breech birth with my first. Wanted to do it again with my 2nd who is now 3 weeks. But ended up with a section ( didn't labour ) I'd much rather have a breech birth. The risk are only slightly elevated than a normal vaginal birth its still under 2%. My local hospital is trained in breech births. Most women opt for sections so isn't alot of statistics and I found the opinions of professionals who had no experience were trying to sway me then the midwifes who actually do the breech births were more encouraging and I trusted that more than a doctor treating me as a statistic.

Sorry the birth was positive for me , they have a no hands approach now for breech birth and just guide the baby out . But I had an assisted one his limbs were pulled out and I had a 2nd degree cut which happens in any other birth. Baby was just a little shocked and needed oxygen for 10 min but wasn't any more than my 2nd born via section

I had a really positive planned VBB :) I’d suggest looking up OptiBreech and seeing if a hospital near you is taking part in that as it tends to mean they’re confident in vaginal breech deliveries. Also look at Breech Birth UK Facebook group for loads of stories, and you can ask questions etc they’re really helpful. I think the main thing for me is that the team are confident with it because if they know what they’re doing, and baby is in a good breech position (like bum down rather than feet down, and with the cord above them) then it’s a really safe option. Here’s my story if you’d like to read! https://breechbabiesclub.org/chloes-story-a-positive-planned-vaginal-breech-birth/

Thanks so much to you all for your replies! I wish it was something that was discussed more as any dirt Googling can lead down a rabbit hole! I really appreciate you sharing your stories and I will certainly look up the Facebook group. Feeling more confident about advocating for a VBB now! Xxxx

*first not dirt!!

The risks should be explained to you impartially but I agree they are usually trying to scare you into a c section. I had a vaginal breech birth, with the OptiBreech pathway. I suggest you contact OptiBreech who can give you all the info and help you to a hospital with skilled practitioners. The risk is then roughly the same, as far as I was told. There will be other factors to ensure you’re a suitable candidate. Good luck!

Everyone’s mentioned some good points above so just to answer your question statistically speaking - the mortality rate with a normal vaginal delivery is 1 in 1000 and for breech vaginal is 2 in 1000. Very small increase but of course depends on which kind of breech your baby is, some positions are riskier. There’s a lot of controversy around which is the best option, I’ve personally chose a c-section because my local centre isn’t vaginal breech specialist and the ones that do specialise are too far away. The thought of their head getting stuck also really scared me xx

@Priya hi, I’ve been told the same. There are a few other factors such as the mortality rate for caesarean for the breech baby in question and then subsequent pregnancies breech or not. That’s what interested me the most - it’s riskier for subsequent pregnancies if you’ve had a caesarean. So I guess it’s very hard to decide. The main factor for me was a specialised obs and I got that. But I knew there was a 50% chance of an unplanned caesarean on the day, so I had to be there mentally.

@Victoria yes c-section is a major surgery and it’s a personal choice. Definitely more risks for mum with that but then more risks for baby with vaginal. There’s no advice on it really it just says to make a personal decision! I don’t want to to travel 1hr+ to my specialist vaginal breech hospital so I’ve decided I’ll be having c-section xx

@Kerry hey what hospital is this. I’m having a hard time finding anyone

@jasmyne I'm in the UK x

@Kerry Aw mannn

@jasmyne good luck

I've delivered 6 wonderful vaginal breeches! The issue is, there was a HUGE trial about 20 years ago that seemed to show that vaginal breech births were more dangerous than caesarean section so they fell out of favour and we got used to not delivering vaginal breeches. The evidence has since been found to be really flawed and inaccurate and doesn't take into account a lot of variables. In my experience, if you labour spontaneously, have a complete or extended breech (not where the feet or knees are closest to the cervix), are motivated and have good support then there's no reason why you shouldn't have a beautiful breech birth. Babies are at higher risk of needing a bit of help than if they are born vaginally and head down but we don't have the evidence for vaginal breech vs emergency section in labour. However, at 2 years of age, there is absolutely no difference in development. And vaginal breech avoids major surgery for you. If you want it then go for it!! Xx

I had a beautiful breech vaginal homebirth 2 weeks ago. I would say finding the right care providers (OB, midwives) is key, as sadly breech is not viewed as a version of normal anymore and majority don’t have the skills as most women are pushed towards c-section. Ultimately it’s up to you, and if you want it, go for it!!! Xx

@Jo thank you for your skill and hard work! I had a VBB with an obstetrician who backed me when no one else would, I’ll never forget her!