So, our son is already stubborn (it turns out). He has been breech for the past 6-8 weeks, in spite of all of the home remedies that we have tried. For the record, there are a plethora of options to choose from...including putting heat and/or cold on the top of your stomach (basically trying to make the child as uncomfortable as possible so they will move), laying on your back with your feet in the air/propped against something, pinching a pressure point on your pinkie toe...
Anyway, on Monday, the 27th of August, we also tried the doctor version called an "inversion". This involved us getting to the hospital at 7 a.m. and me getting all gowned up (just in case). Then, they checked to make sure the baby was still breech...yep...and, then at about 8 the doctor came in. They had an ultrasound tech in there who kept the ultrasound available to be on the baby so that everyone had a (literal) clear picture on where the baby was. Then, the doctor spent 20-25 minutes trying to maneuver (from the outside) and push the baby out of place. This works about 50% of the time (which the doctor warned me about). In the week before I knew it was happening, I had several people tell me about their experiences with it, or their friend/family member's experience with it...or the time they watched it done on TLC's "The Baby Store" ;). I hadn't even heard of it prior to when the doctor asked if I wanted to try. Travis and I figured that we would try and if it worked, great and if it didn't, then he wasn't meant to be turned.
Well, it turns out that it is painful. Which, to be fair, the doctor also warned me about. And, Travis may have suffered more than I did, because he was there as a witness...I just had to go through it. He had to watch me go through it. It was extremely uncomfortable and I just kept thinking that I was glad that the doctor knew what he was doing, because the whole thing seemed freaky to me.
He was able to slip the baby out of place by a few inches...and, then the baby would slip back. Essentially, he is chilling with his bottom in my pelvic area and his head up under my ribs, as though he is in a "barco lounger" (as my friend Nicole put it :). And, he is NOT moving. He has found his happy place and doesn't particularly want it messed with.
So, after the 25 minutes were up, the doctor just sighed and said that he couldn't hurt me any more and that it looked like the baby was going to stay. I stayed in the hospital for a couple of hours to make sure there wasn't going to be any complications and then we went on our way.
For the record, I really like my doctor. He is polite and knowledgeable and matter-of-fact and he listens really well. When I first met him, he asked me 'So, tell me what works for you. What can we do to help you through this?' Music to my ears :)...
Any way, here I sit a couple of weeks after the inversion and we still have a baby in his lounge seat. I sometimes think that maybe I'm supposed to have a C-section because Travis would have a REALLY hard time watching me go through traditional labor. (Particularly since I broke it to him a few months ago that I wasn't going to have an epidural...) After watching him have to watch me go through just the inversion, I can't help but wonder if the Lord just figures this is the way it needs to be :). Also, I wonder if, due to all the struggles with planning for the kids and with Brennan's needs, if the Lord also figures that we need to have a scheduled delivery. I don't really know. But, I've had time to come to terms with the thought of having a C-section and I've been able to re-work my mental birth plan to allow for either way. Should the baby not turn (and, he still hadn't as of a couple of days ago), then we will go in a week, on Friday, September 14 to have the baby. If he does turn...great, it was meant to be. However, that isn't likely, given that he is already over 7 pounds. My doctor has been very frank about a breech delivery. He said he would be fine with it if the baby was going to be about 6 pounds. However, breech deliveries have a much higher incidence of neurological problems...right there, I was willing to have a C-section.
You know, I feel blessed to know ahead of time that he is breech and that we are likely to have a C-section. I've also been hearing all the stories of people who delivered breech and didn't even know the baby was breech. Granted, the ones I'm hearing about are 6-6 1/2 pound babies. But, I would much rather have it this way then to have an emergency situation, or to have to push a bigger baby through the wrong way and risk neurologic problems.
So, here we are, about a week away...
And, Travis just got word yesterday that he has to go to some training for work in Salt Lake next week. He was able to get them to let him out on Thursday at noon, rather than on Friday evening. But, he's super stressed that I am going to do something to put myself into natural labor while he is gone. (I'm 38 weeks and a couple days now) So, he sat the kids down and told them that they cannot let me lift things or move things or walk too much or do anything that could put me into natural labor because it would be dangerous for me and the baby. Which, to their credit, the kids have taken very seriously the past couple of days.
Today, while I was sliding a mattress across the floor (not lifting, sliding), Brennan came bounding out of the kitchen saying "MOM! Stop! Let me do this!" This is huge progress for him, by the way :). So, he helped me slide the mattress and then he lifted it onto the bed.
I'm excited to meet our son...but, I'm not so miserable that I just can't wait to not be pregnant. I figure that pregnancy is just uncomfortable, particularly at the end, and it's really not helpful to complain about it (other than the occasional complaining to Travis ;). I also figure that he will come when he is supposed to and that is that.
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