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40 Weeks!

Week 40: Oct 26, 2012
161 lbs, Bust 39, Waist 43 ½ , Hips 42 ½ 

I wanted to get, likely, one last post in before the baby comes. This is my due date! And today I have been having signs of early labor – cramping, contractions and bloody show. It is quite exciting, but a little unnerving because I have no clue, since I need a cesarean – baby is still breech – when to go to the hospital. I suppose it could be a couple of days yet, but could very easily be before morning as well.  

I am very glad to be in early labor, because on Tuesday I was encouraged to schedule a cesarean. So I called and I have a cesarean scheduled for Nov. 1. But now it looks like I will get to go into labor on my own, confirm baby is still breech, then have the surgery, unless a miracle happens and baby decides to flip before I get that far (I hope, but I am not holding my breath). I am super excited but extremely nervous as well as scared out of my mind about the surgery. It is odd because I wasn’t at all scared with Annika, maybe because I was in shock. It is odd, because I am not at all scared about labor, but very scared about surgery. Anytime now!

39 Weeks!

Chaney's Barn with my twin sister Heather Oct 20

After Church 0ct 21

Week 39: Oct 19, 2012
161 lbs, Bust 37 ½, Waist 43 ½ , Hips 42 ½

I had another ultrasound on Tuesday and my AFI was back down to 9. I also had the ECV (external Cephalic Version) scheduled on Oct 19, and it was unsuccessful and a huge ordeal – was supposed to be 4 hrs from admit to discharge and it was 10! We were taken late then when everyone was ready around 11:30 am (scheduled for 10:30) anesthesia came and I decided on a lidocane block, but then anesthesia was tied up until 2:45 pm. The procedure finally took place at 3pm, but it put the baby in distress after just a few minutes and I had to be monitored for almost 3 hours. The baby’s heart rate wouldn’t go down. It was an exhausting day! So now baby is still breech and I am still doing everything I can to get the baby turned. Another new thing added this week is EFT. Two good articles are: http://eft.mercola.com/ and http://www.thrivingnow.com/make-way-for-baby/ specifically for a breech baby. I have been doing this 8-12 times a day since Wednesday, with no success. I am starting to believe this baby is not meant to turn, for some reason, which is disappointing to say the least. I am trying to just focus on the fact that I get to meet my baby soon. But this is so difficult when, still, so much of my time is taken on getting the baby to turn. I really have no time to just relax and enjoy the last days of pregnancy. I am still praying for a miracle. The plan is still to go into labor on my own and see if the baby flips by them. I still want to give the baby until the “last minute” to decide to flip. I think I would be surprised, at this point, if he/she does flip, but I would appreciate the birth all the much more. Still waiting….

38 Weeks!

Week 38: Oct 12, 2012
159 lbs, Bust 37 ½, Waist 43 ½ , Hips 42 ½

Manual turning of the baby was not successful. I am supposed to try again at Vanderbilt with an OB at 39 weeks (Friday Oct. 19). I’m not confident that it will work because: 1) The baby will be bigger and therefore, it seems, less likely to turn. If it didn’t work at 37 weeks, why would it work at 39? 2) They are rougher and the procedure could end in damage to the placenta or distress to the baby and end in emergency cesarean. If I have a cesarean, I’d like it to not be an emergency. Also, my placenta is anterior and very large, so manipulation of the baby would be difficult anyway, and risks damage to the placenta, given they would not be able to manipulate on my belly – just around the edges. However, the midwives encouraged me to try so I didn’t wonder if there would be anything else that could be done, if baby doesn’t turn. The risk is only 6%. I am still praying for a miracle that the baby turns before then and it would be necessary. Four outcomes could happen – all but one would be ok with me. The following would be ok:

1) The baby turns and no damage is done

2) The baby doesn’t turn and no damage is done

3) The baby turns and it makes labor start (at least I’d get to labor)

The only outcome not ok is if the baby does or doesn’t turn and damage is done resulting in an emergency cesarean…but then again, I’m looking at a cesarean anyway if the baby doesn’t turn, so not too different anyway. Of course then I might wonder if the baby had turned on its own had I waited for labor to begin spontaneously. One thing they generally recommend is a scheduled cesarean directly after the procedure if the baby doesn’t turn. I am opting not to do that. I would like to go into labor on my own, if possible, so at the very least the baby is born on the day it is supposed to be born. Still praying baby turns on its own before the ECV!

One awesome praise is that my AFI was up to 10 or 11 at my ultrasound on Tuesday. This is good news, and I believe due to the coconut water and homeopathic I took. Let’s hope it’s still good on Tuesday at my next ultrasound (getting them every week now to check AFI).

37 Weeks!

Week 37: Oct 5, 2012
158 lbs, Bust 37 ½, Waist 43 ½ , Hips 42

Baby is still breech despite spending a lot of time and money on it! This baby just does not want to turn. I am still doing chiropractic appointments and all the at home exercises (3 hrs a day). Mom and baby are still healthy. At last ultrasound baby was between 6-7 lbs, and my BP and protein are great! We made it to 37 weeks! No preemies for me, but it is looking more and more like a cesarean is in our future – here’s hoping it is better than the last one.

36 Weeks!

Side view at Shower

My friend Leslie and I with Annika

Week 36: Sept 28, 2012
157 lbs, Bust 37 ½, Waist 43, Hips 41 ½

I finally scheduled my prenatal massage (my anniversary present from Tim) but the earliest they had was Oct. 13. Praying I don’t have the baby by then (just 38 weeks). I also washed all the baby stuff and got all the baby stuff put together! YAY! I still have to upload my music, write out my prayer and scripture cards I want for my delivery (whether it is a vaginal or cesarean delivery) and pack my bag.

I spoke to my midwife and there were several factors that turned out to be the best possible scenario, given the circumstances. One being, they will not make me schedule a cesarean, or transfer me to an OB, unless when I get into active labor, baby is still breech. I will at least get to go into labor on my own, which is awesome, because its something I really missed with Annika. It will then be determined whether I am still breech (in which case the hospital will want to do a cesarean) or baby is head down (in which case I will continue with a vaginal delivery). I have also considered the options of refusing cesarean and the OB on call will have to deliver me, or scheduling a home birth, of which I did find a practitioner who would do it, but Tim does not support that option. Hopefully, the baby will turn and it won’t matter.

My baby shower was on Sat Sept 22. It was small (6 people) but a nice break.

Now I am just doing final preparations for D day, and of course spending a lot of time and money to get this baby turned.

Adventures in Baby Turning

Accupncture

Breech Tilt

Moxibustion

Annika copying me - Knee Chest exercise

Alright, so I’ve tried almost everything under the sun to turn this baby. It has been pretty “exciting” and different to try all these things, but very time consuming, and frustrating, given, baby just won’t turn…this is puzzling given that some of the people I read comments online from did one or two things that worked the first time. I have had 3 accupuncture / moxibustion treatments, plus 3 at home moxibustion treatments, 5 chiropractic appointments, several days of at home exercises (inversions, pelvic rock, breech tilt and knee chest position) plus the homeopathic treatment pulsatilla. I have been doing this for over a week to no avail. How frustrating, when some of the treatments are highly successful (70-90%)…Next try ECV (manual turning). I have an ultrasound tomorrow to confirm, but baby’s head is still up! I have a couple things against me: later gestation (will be 37 weeks Friday), lower amniotic fluid (8 – “normal” is 5-25 but the midwives would like it to be 10), a smaller uterus (measuring 34 weeks, even though I am 37 – but baby is bigger than a 37 week, which means the baby just has very little room to turn)…So ECV is unlikely to work. But I need to do everything in my power, so I don’t wonder if I could have done anything else. I still don’t have a back up plan if baby doesn’t turn and am still hoping the baby will decide on its own. In the meantime, I’ve adopted this thought process from a post on Baby Center:

"Ok, this is my baby's birth, and it will work out exactly the way he or she needs it to be. I will do everything I can to help baby move into the right position, but if there is a reason for this poor positioning and I need to alter my plans for the birth, I am fine with that, too. I will still use my knowledge and skills to have the best birth I am able to have, given whatever circumstances arise."