Baby Update

We're 37 weeks along in pregnancy #3 as of today... thought I'd share an update on all that's taken place. This little one sure is determined to be different than her brother and sister, and stubborn, but mostly just as different as she can be.

For those interested in just the pictures, here's one from Wednesday morning's sonogram. I'll save you from reading the novel below ;-)

So I know you're thinking "what the heck is that!?!" It's a baby, can't you tell??  Try squinting, blurring your eyes a bit and then standing on your head while blinking really fast. Now do you see her?? Baby's face is on the left and her foot is smack in front of her face. And her cord is laying in front of her face, it's not wrapped around anything - so it's not the reason she won't turn.

The sonogram image is in 3D, the tech switched over to 3D mode for a moment so we could see her face. But her feet were blocking it. And the sonogram wasn't very clear, either. I was surprised - I expected a sonogram at 36 weeks would be clearer than earlier. But the tech explained that the baby's bones are more dense now, and that makes it harder for the machine to pick up an image. Then, add to it the fact that the photo print outs are never as good quality as the image on the screen. And then I went and scanned the image to post here... so think of it as one of those 3D posters that were popular back in the 1990's.... you just have to look hard to see the image ;-)

Baby is doing great, according to the sonogram. She's measuring at 6lb, 11oz right now. And the sonogram thinks she's 38 weeks along (but Nathan & faith each always measured 1-2 weeks ahead, too).

Oh, and the tech said she has a head full of hair!! I had a hard time seeing that... ok, I couldn't see it at all. But I'm not an ultrasound technician :) 

The tech also confirmed that she still is, indeed, a girl. Well... in 2D she's a girl. In 3D, it wasn't possible to tell - her legs were too close together. But I think it's relatively safe to say, our baby is a girl. Still with no name... but a girl none-the-less :)

Ok... on to the novel... I figure some of you may want to know all the details, and other's probably don't really care. And that's OK :)  But if I write it down, that will help ensure I remember it in a decade or two. Heck, that I'll remember it tomorrow...

Since last I wrote about the baby, I've seen the chiropractor three times, in an effort to help baby turn. Chiro doesn't turn baby, he adjusts my hip so the uterus is in a better position to make it easier for baby to turn. My hips been badly out of alignment for this pregnancy... a lot. I the chiropractor for the third time Tuesday, in preparation for my sonogram first thing Wednesday morning. And as of my appointment with the chiropractor, the baby was in her favorite position (well, as much as we could tell) - footling breech. Want a fetal positions anatomy lesson? This is footling breech:

Since she's usually laying like this, you can probably imagine that her kicks aren't very pleasant... And no one else can feel them, they're all internal. The kids still haven't felt their baby sister move yet. And may not, till she's out.

Well, Tuesday night, after my chiropractor appointment, we met with a midwife to discuss our options for this birth. Breech baby is new to me... I want to be as educated as I can on everything before making decisions or going along blindly with my OB - who is a wonderful woman, but sometimes I wonder about her medical skills....

 

No doctors in our area will deliver breech babies vaginally. Midwives will, though. And with great success. But the only way to do that, at least in San Antonio, is to have a homebirth. The idea of a homebirth is very appealing for a lot of reasons. I can't believe I just said that. If you'd asked me two months ago, I would have said NO WAY. But there really are a ton of benefits and the more I learn about it, the more appealing it is. But the pain issue is one that I'm not sure I'm ready for... Especially since I have learned zero techniques for how to manage labor pain naturally.... But we still met the midwife last night (someone a good friend highly recommended - who had her 4th baby at home in May).

The midwife was awesome. I could write another novel on all she taught us and shared. I really felt we could easily trust her and be friends. And she happily answered our bombardment of questions. She made me even more comfortable with the idea of a homebirth. And yet, still let me with worries over a home breech birth. Though, she made it evident that there's a good chance she would be able to turn the baby to avoid a breech birth situation. But that's not certain.

While the midwife was visiting with us she got to feel for baby and she was able to ensure us that baby was head down. Woo hoo!!! That's how baby is suppose to be. I've learn that, not only are babies delivered easier when they are head down (the biggest parts come out first). But I learned that head first also progresses labor faster because the head and cervix are the same size and the head provides the perfect amount of pressure to start labor. Whereas, the bottom of a baby is not big or heavy enough and so breech babies often come late - when their bottom gets bigger) and they don't always get labor going quick enough. God sure was wise when he created birth, wasn't He? to make the head & cervix the same size and the perfect compliment to eachother for starting labor?? And then He went and made stubborn babies who don't turn... lol

Anyways, we were excited when the midwife was able to confirm that the chiropractor had worked - baby turned head down!! But would baby stay that way all night? I hoped, and prayed.

Wednesday morning was my sonogram. And guess what... the little stinker turned again. As of 8:30am, she was Frank Breech. What's that?? Head up AND feet up. Remember the 3D sono above? with baby's feet in her face? Yup... like this:

That was discouraging to see she was back in a breech position. But by the time I saw my OB (20-30 minutes after my sonogram), the baby had moved yet again. And my OB was pretty sure she was transverse. Need another visual (I know I did at first to learn all these terms). This is transverse:

 

I didn't feel any of this movement, and it kind of surprises me that she can so easily move around this late in the pregnancy. Then my doctor discovered why...

According to my sonogram, I have an abnormally high level of amniotic fluid. Under 19cm is normal. Don't ask me what that number means... But I have 21cm. According to the doctor, that's borderline for too much but not yet high enough to cause concern (24cm is when it causes problems). But it has allowed for baby's "swimming pool" to be big enough to let her move as freely as she wants. And so she does... apparently a lot more than I realize. Because there's so much fluid, I don't feel her move as often. So maybe she's not the laid back child I've been expecting?!?

This is good news in that it means baby could still go head down - and I'm a good candidate for an external version (where 2 doctors physically turn baby with the help of a sonogram, from the outside... yeah... ouch!).

But the bad news is... she could always just as easily turn back to a breech position.

So my doctor talked about our options... ideally she likes to do external versions at 37 weeks, with the idea that as baby grows there's less room to move. But since there's PLENTY of room in my belly at the moment, we talked about doing an external version at 39 weeks, followed by immediate induction.

Well, that was the plan until she discovered that I'm already 2cm dialated and 40% effaced. And a look of concern grew acrossed her face... she shared that she didn't think I'd make it to 39 weeks. And so the plan, at the moment, is to possibly do an external version on Friday, the 16th. And for her to get permission from the higher-ups to induce me immediately after (they aren't technically allowed to induce before 39 weeks.... which I think is odd because they prefer to plan c-sections for 10 days before your due date... anyone else find that odd?). I'm still waiting to hear back from the doctor... she wasn't going to be able to make the phone calls necessary until Wednesday afternoon. And I'm pretty sure Thursday is her day off. So I'm expecting to hear something today.

We have a big decision to make... Doing an external version and then immediately inducing early is risky (but isn't everything about childbirth?). Nathan came that early... but still, I know the longer they're in there, the better. And have seen research that babies who come later sleep better than those who come early. Sleep is always important, too ;-)

The pros would mean a good chance at a vaginal birth. And a planned time for the birth (so we could have family and/or childcare lined up).  

The cons... if the external version goes wrong, I'll have an immediate emergency c-section. In fact, they treat you like a c-section patient when you arrive - have you prepped, and ready, just in case. An emergency c-section is even less desirable for me, as I'll probably have to be put to sleep since there may not be time for a spinal, depending on the severity of the emergency. That means not getting to see baby right away, but having to be in recovery with no memory of the birth. That would seriously stink.

If I opt for a homebirth, the midwife may be able to turn baby before labor progresses too far, and then I'd have a natural homebirth, with less worries about emergencies arising... But if the baby doesn't turn for the midwife, there's complications that come with all breech births (I've learned its not as easy as just catching feet first - God created babies to know that they're comign out the wrong way, and so their body reacts very differently than if they were to come head first... meaning most need some form of resuscitation at birth). The midwife isn't worried about a breech birth - she's done many and never had a complication. But for someone who has never had a homebirth before, it's a lot to take in... Add to it the new complication of too much fluid, which can cause a prolapsed cord (excess pressure from fluid forces the cord to come out first, baby's bottom pinches it, and baby's life-line is therefore cut off)... that's a scary emergency situation. Even the midwife agreed that there's little she can do but call 911 and do what she's trained to do to keep baby alive. I think the combination of the prolaspe cord risk, the breech baby possibility and the whole pain issue will keep us from going this route. But I've learned enough that, if we were to have a 4th child, I think I may be seeing a midwife instead of an OB!

And then, our final option is to do nothing. Just wait for nature to take it's course. Continue to see the chiropractor, which will get expensive since starting at 38 weeks, I'd have to see him daily. And just hope and pray that baby is not breech when labor starts. It's a risk in itself. Any of our choices are risks.

I know God is in control and He will allow His best to happen to me and baby. But it's a bit worrisome to wonder what the next 1-3 weeks holds. When will we meet this little girl?? How will we meet her? Will I get to remember it? How will recovery go? Will she be in perfect health? Lots of wonderings... So please continue to pray with us for baby, for my health, and for our complete peace from God on whatever decision is made. And that He'll lead us to the right decision quickly. Oh, yeah, and that He'll give us a name for this little trouble maker, too ;)

We look forward to introducing baby to all of you sometime in the next month. I know, whoever she is, she will bless our family in ways we cannot even fathom yet. Our God is a great miracle worker and the idea that He is using me to bring another miracle into the world... it's amazing.