So good news is Mossling is doing well. He has a strong heartbeat, good amount of fluid around him, and normal size etc. Bad news is, he's butt down instead of heads down. GRRRR!
Sigh. So... we have a choice to make. He's pretty tight in there so chances that he'll turn around on his own are pretty slim. The Dr gave me some exercises and positions I can try to help encourage him but our choices are:
1) Try to turn him next week at 37 weeks by doing a version procedure at the hospital. There are minor risks of the bag of waters breaking or the cord getting stuck around his neck, etc. In which case they'd do an emergency c-section on the spot. Dr says the procedure can be pretty painful for me too. There's no guarantee he wont flip back over either.
OR
2) We can just schedule the c-section for 39 weeks.
Honestly, I'm somewhat relieved because I'm more scared of the idea of pushing him out my vagina vs. having surgery! haha Maybe I have my priorities or fears mixed up.
Another thing to consider is if we want to have another child, we'll have to go through IVF again and scar tissue from c-sections can complicate implantation. I emailed both Dr Holland and our IVF Dr. Harris to ask their opinions on that.
We have some decisions to make. Why can't anything be easy?
5 comments:
I ended up w/a C after laboring overnight and for over 20 hours and pitocin etc. etc.-- and it meant I had 3 days in the hospital instead of 1, lots of great help and advice from the maternity ward nurses, and good incentive to start walking as soon as I could... Downside, couldn't bend down for a week, needed both my mother and my husband to help a lot the first week I was home, and couldn't lift anything or drive for six weeks. And I have a scar, and my stomach muscles never got back to where they were before-- but not sure I can blame that on the C, haha.
In short-- it's a manageable tradeoff for a healthy baby and risk reduction. But I wasn't looking to do IVF later, so IDK about that part of it. Consult your doctors, and then make your decision and don't second guess yourself. You will do the right thing for YOU... (although I have to say the turning procedure sounds.... well, yucky...) :-)
If you decide you want to try to encourage him to turn, there are lots of alternative methods to help. Acupuncture is supposed to be helpful, as is a chiropractic technique called the Webster technique. I've even heard of people using swimming pools, meditation, and hypnosis. And, yes, never having gone through birth, I have read way too much about all this!!! That said, if a C-section is safer for you and your baby, then I'd go for that all the way.
Thinking good thoughts for you guys in these last four weeks!
Beth
Beth - Yah, I've read everything I could get my hands on today. There's a web site called spinningbabies.com. I have tried a few of the techniques but honestly I think he's in that position for a reason. My intuition tells me so. Plus I tried acupuncture for fertility issues during one of my previous cycles and I did nothing. I have very little faith chiropractic or acupuncture could really help this. Thanks for your thoughts though :)
Thanks for sharing your story Jeanie. I'm waiting to hear back from my OB about the scarring question. We'll see.
I went through 30 hours of labor when the decision was the baby wasn't dropping and an "emergency" c-section was scheduled. (what I THOUGHT was hard labor, until I had my second :) - and the emergency took another 3 hours to perform! Like above, lost my stomach muscles, but found out they do it differently now, and don't cut the muscles as much as they use to. 5 days in the hospital with lots of good advice and help (ok . . he's 36 now) . . . and the next week I felt GREAT. We did all kinds of things. And then the next week when Ken went back to work . . .yah . . .I was wiped out! So if you go that route . . .take it easy on yourself . . .you may feel better than you really are!
I have no advice. . . I'm thankful I did get to go natural after that - amazing process. But that's when my ability to run DIED . . . w/o a Poise pad!!!! LOL! (No biggy - I've never been much of a runner! LOL)>
And because I too didn't have to be concerned about scar tissue . . .
As always, Kerie, continuing to pray for you. These are not easy choices to make . . .Go with what's best for the baby. that's why I had the C-section. Much love to you!
I'm glad to see you have support from all kinds of badass women. Having never gone through childbirth myself, I have no advice to offer except: be flexible, and don't get married to a birth plan. Babies have a mind of their own, and knowing his parents, baby Moss is likely to have his own ideas for how he makes his grand entrance. ;-) You let me know whenever you need babysitting. <3
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