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Quick update...

So, guess what? My baby is breech now. ?? What's up with that? Apparently, being so long and tall and with still pretty tight abs (from being a dancer, no doubt), I seem have a lot more vertical room in there than the "average" woman, therefore making it a little more difficult for the baby to somersault or lay transverse, and a little easier for the baby to just settle in at whatever vertical position he/she was already in...which in this case was breech. Since I got confirmation of the position on Thursday, I'm now pretty sure the baby has been breech for at least a couple of weeks, as the baby has definitely been laying in the same position for a long while now. I just think it was difficult to discern a bottom from a head and so we were thinking the baby was head-down.

So, I've been trying every possible at-home maneuver to get that little noodle to turn, but I can only get to a vague sort of transverse position at most. It's really kind of an "oblique" position, but instead of having a hard little head against my pelvis bone, I have a hard little head banging against my right ribcage.

Did I mention that it's a hard little head?

Luckily, though, the baby is NOT yet engaged in my pelvis due to the aforementioned space in my womb, so, in an effort to attempt to get the baby head-down, we've decided to try an External Cephalic Version (ECV) on Friday morning, provided we can't get the kid to turn naturally before then. I'm pretty staunchly against most medical intervention, but considering I'll be 38 weeks, and nobody around here will deliver a breech baby vaginally without me driving 3 hours to Dallas to get to the possible 2 OBs who might be willing to do the delivery, I'd rather try this external massage to get the kidlet to turn and just pray it all works out ok.

So wish me luck and send up your prayers for me this week. I want to avoid the ECV if I can, but if I can't, please pray everything turns out fine. Of course, ECV poses its own risks -- which I understand are small, but necessary to prepare mentally for -- like going into labor earlier than usual, or it not working and having a c-section anyway, or being just traumatic enough to distress the baby and cause me to have an emergency c-section. We went ahead and got our car seat this weekend, just in case we end up with a babe in arms next week.

Wouldn't that be wild!



Hee hee! But seriously, even though I can't believe I'm saying it, I hope I stay pregnant a few more weeks, so both my body and baby ripen up on their own.

I can't complain too much -- it's been an easy pregnancy and our baby seems to be healthy and strong...so I'm thankful for that. I hope everyone out there in blog-land is doing good! All you expectant moms: be sure and take care of yourselves! :)

Love and blessings to all,
Amy

8 comments:

Mrs. G said...

Amy, that's too bad about the baby being breech. I had a breech at 38 weeks and the OB tried an external version. It was *incredibly* painful, I've read though that it isn't supposed to be. The Doc wasn't exactlt "Doctor easy does it" though, so maybe that's it. Our midwife would tell you to get a chiropractic adjustment, that frequently works. Let us know!

Paris

Amy said...

You did? I'm sorry it was so painful!! Sounds awful. Did your baby end up turning round so you could have a normal delivery?

I heard it can be really painful or just uncomfortable, depending on the woman, the baby, or the doctor. I'm just hoping I can relax and that the baby will flip quickly and easily. I'd heard it shouldn't take very long at all -- whether or not it works -- and so the discomfort will be short-lived. I'm wondering about the aftermath....will it make your belly sore for days after?

I've been trying to find a chiropractor that has experience in the breech adjustment, but no luck. I live in such a small town, I don't seem to have as many options available. I have to drive 1 hr just to get to the midwife for my delivery. **sigh**

Oh, if only there were someone who would do a home birth in my area. But then, if my baby's breech, I'm hesitant to do a home birth anyway since it's my first.

Well, God is in control and He knows best.

Mrs. G said...

Amy, I'm inclined to think it was the doctor. ;-) If an external version means both of the Docs hands are only on your belly, um, that's not what I had. I don't want to get overly graphic but she was pushing the baby's bottom up from inside. Not a performance I'd care to repeat, lol. I made her stop and the baby did flip on its own, I think my pelvis is pretty roomy. I wonder if breech babies don't have a reason for being breech? I don't know, just a thought....... Anyway, I hope all goes well for you. I might try a breech at home (our MW has done lots) but I really don't blame you for not wanting to, it would just be too risky. Oh, and the version didn't make my belly sore, BTW.

Deanna said...

God bless you all.
You have a little time, perhaps the baby will turn on own.
Said a prayer for the baby to turn on own!

I'm not familiar with the technique you mentioned. Have you wikipedia it?

Blessings,
~D~

Annette Bethke said...

I was a natural breech and both my mom and I fared fine...although she won't talk about it much :).

Linda Denton said...

Amy,
Try spending some time in a swimming pool. The water equalizes the pressure inside and out and the baby moves more. Maybe he/she will flip. I will pray for you both that he/she turns.

Lauren said...

I will definately be praying for you. Let us know :-)

Sarah said...

Oh Amy! I just read this. . . I wish I had read it sooner, so I could have prayed for this specifically before Friday. Did you end up trying to have the baby turned on Friday? How are you? I can't believe you only have a few weeks left!! I am praying the little one will turn on its own and that your birth will be easy for you both. Take very good care! I'm praying for you!