This video shows an ECV to turn a breech baby to head-first. It is offered to women at 36-37 weeks and reduces the chance of needing caesarean section. It is a safe procedure and is successful abou...
This video shows an ECV to turn a breech baby to head-first. It is offered to women at 36-37 weeks and reduces the chance of needing caesarean section. It is a safe procedure and is successful about 50% of the time. On this occasion I used a drug to help relax the womb first. While most women find it uncomfortable, it isn't usually painful. If you have a tender uterus anyway, it is more likely to hurt.
For the ECV shown, the baby does a forward somersault anticlockwise. The first step is to lift the baby's bottom out from your pelvis and move her to lying transversely. Often that is the most difficult part. Overall, it normally takes between 1 and 2 minutes to do the turn - any longer than that and the chance of success goes down. It is more likely to succeed in the following situations:
- if you have had a baby before - if there is a normal amount of water around the baby - if your baby has his knees bent - if his or her bottom isn't engaged in your pelvis - if the baby's head is not right up against the placenta
During an ECV uterine contractions can occur and we generally just wait until they pass. Sometimes babies have transient changes in their heartbeat, but usually they are not severe and settle down shortly afterwards. Very occasionally they don't settle and a caesarean section needs to be done.
Thanks to the mother here who kindly gave her consent to the video being published for educational purposes.
Oh, and sorry for the music - it was the only 'baby' result in my iTunes library!
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My 3rd baby was breech at 33 weeks she did not turn herself until my 1st daughters 5th birthday on June 25th 2008. I felt her drop down that day and could barely walk when I went into the school to pick up my daughter. On July 22nd 2008 my 3rd born was born rapidly head 1st with no AROM and 9/9 apgars. 7 pound 13 oz. My 1st born daughter was 7 pound 1 oz born rapidly head 1st with AROM. And was sick. 2nd born was a boy & had his cord wrapped around his neck twice during pushing stages, healthy
Nice work Doc!! :) This video is great. I have been worrying myself sick for the last couple of days because my baby keeps moving back and forth from headdown to breech/tranverse postion at 31 weeks. My doctor says not to worry, there is still time for her/him to move to head down, but i still worry. My worst fear is c-section.
Thanks for your comment MrChubs1. The baby had a reassuring ultrasound and heart rate monitoring immediately before starting. It isn't possible or necessary to monitor the baby during the 90 seconds of the actual ECV. If a prolonged try or second attempt was done then I'd have stopped and checked the heart beat. Many changes in the heartbeat during the procedure are transient anyway and return to normal without need for urgent delivery.
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As I'm a first time mum, there's only a 50% chance that it will work.