Ethan’s stubbornness dates back to the womb. My little bundle of joy got himself into a comfy position and stayed there…the ENTIRE pregnancy. As my due date inched closer and closer and each ultrasound revealed that he was in fact still breech, my OBGYN started talking about our options: a) wait and see if he flips naturally or b) attempt an ECV (External Cephalic Version). An ECV is a procedure in which your OBGYN attempts to manually flip the baby into birth position and it is typically performed at 37 weeks.
As with any procedure, there are both benefits and risks to consider. The main benefit being that if you can get the baby into birth position, head down, then you can avoid having a Cesarean delivery (assuming you have an otherwise healthy pregnancy and delivery). The main risk being: miscarriage. Keep in mind that miscarriage is a risk during any procedure when pregnant and the odds are low for this one in particular but…it’s still something you need to take into serious consideration. Another thing to note is the success rate: only about 50% of all ECVs are successful. The other 50% either: a) were unsuccessful or b) were successful but the baby flipped back into breech position following the procedure.
Personally, the thought of attempting an ECV absolutely terrified me. I didn’t like the fact that I would be risking my baby’s health and safety for a procedure that only had a 50% success rate, but at the same time, I wanted to give myself a chance to deliver naturally. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t care that I might have to have a c-section. I wasn’t worried about the surgery or the recovery or any of that – I just didn’t want to miss out on the experience of a natural birth. We ended up deciding that the risks were low enough and it was worth a shot. If it worked, great! If it didn’t, oh well – no big deal.
So, here’s how the procedure went:
- I was admitted to the hospital and placed in a delivery room (they admit you just in case something goes wrong and they have to do an emergency c-section).
- I changed into a gown & was hooked up to the fetal monitor. I was monitored for about 30 minutes prior to the procedure.
- I didn’t realize it, but the monitor showed I was having contractions. I was given an injection in my upper arm to stop my contractions. They cannot proceed if you are contracting – it’s a safety risk.
- The injection burns. Thankfully, it only burned for about 15 minutes.
- My OBGYN came in and we did an ultrasound to make sure Ethan hadn’t magically flipped himself since my last appointment. Nope! Still breech.
- The procedure started. It was done in 3 rounds: my OBGYN pushed for 1 minute, then let me rest for 30 seconds. Repeat twice.
- What do I mean by “pushed”? He put one hand at the top of my stomach and one at the base of my stomach (baby’s head and bottom) and PUSHED to try to literally flip the baby upside down.
- Did it hurt? Yes. In my case, it was the most extreme pain I’ve ever experienced. On the 3rd round, I blacked out for a few seconds. I suffer from chronic neck & back pain so I’ve developed quite the high pain tolerance – but this was rough. It’s much like labor, it varies from person to person, so don’t let this scare you off.
- During my rest periods the nurse would do a quick ultrasound to see if the baby was moving at all. After the 3rd round, he hadn’t budged – so they determined it was a fail.
- I was sent home and a few days later, my c-section was scheduled.
To be honest, I wouldn’t do it again unless they felt the baby was at risk in some way. If it’s just a matter of avoiding a c-section, I’ll pass on the ECV. It was painful, stressful and it just didn’t feel safe for the baby. I understand the doctor knew what he was doing and I was in a hospital, so I don’t mean to say the procedure was not done safely – what I mean is the pressure that I was feeling was so intense I couldn’t get my brain to understand that I was not harming my child. Basically, it was an emotional marathon and I don’t have the desire to ever experience it again.
Please keep in mind that everyone is going to have a different experience. Some women say it’s just a feeling of pressure and not at all painful, so take each person’s account with a grain of salt. Do your research, talk to your doctor and go with your gut.
Have you been through an ECV? Are you trying to make a decision about whether or not to schedule one? Let me know!
