A video of a baby being turned by External Cephalic Version has been doing the rounds of the Internet of late and has racked up an incredible 2 million views.
The footage shows a doctor at the Royal Sussex Hospital in Brighton turning a baby by manipulating the mother’s stomach externally and successfully flipping that stubborn little baba in less than two minutes. Impressive stuff.
To be honest though, I find the video a little bit stomach turning – though perhaps that is more due to the fact that I currently have a baby turning somersaults inside there rather than the video’s content.
It could also be that I also had an ECV, albeit an unsuccessful one, a couple of years ago and found it to be most unpleasant.
To me the ECV seemed to be oddly primitive. It’s one of those curious medical practices that apparently remains untouched by advances in science, a bit like the “cough-test”, checking reflexes by hitting a patient with a tiny hammer. and that crank thing used in smear tests. (I’m aware that the correct term is NOT a crank but c’mon that’s exactly what it sounds like it should be called).
My ECV took place in a creepily intimate setting; a room about the size of a wardrobe with mood lighting. A handsome Kiwi doctor approached and began to maul the bump. Suffice it to say, this was not comfortable. Eventually he conceded defeat with the words, “Little bugger’s not going anywhere.”
According to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists:
“Women should be counselled that, with a trained operator, about 50% of ECV attempts will be successful but this rate can be individualised for them.”
It is also probably worth mentioning that it is not recommended to attempt an ECV unless you are a trained practitioner. Obviously.
Watch the full video.
