Will my wife need a caesarean delivery?
Consultant Gynaecologist & Obstetrician,
KEM Hospital, Mumbai
Q: My wife is in her 9th month of pregnancy. In the 8th month, the doctor had said that the baby's head had come down and asked us to raise the height of the foot end of the bed. Now in the early 9th month, she is saying that the legs are down. Is this a problem during delivery? Are there any chances of getting normal delivery? The doctor asked her to walk and if the baby turned there was no problem otherwise she has to go for caesarean. I am a little bit upset, can you please clarify?
A:Whenever the baby comes down with the leg down, it is called breach delivery. In early pregnancy baby keeps moving in the uterus and may change the position but during the later stage of pregnancy it is difficult for baby to change the position, probably it will remain breach. Normal delivery in breach position is slightly risky for the baby because baby's head may get stuck at the time of delivery. Therefore, it is advisable to undergo caesarean section in case the baby does not rotate to vertex (head) position.