Carli, minutes after delivery 6/12/08See how her legs are outstretched? They were used to being up near her head.
The past week for me has been a whirlwind of emotions; disappointment, excitement, anticipation all rolled into one. Last Tuesday we went to our high risk appointment and they did an ultrasound (as they do every visit) confirming that Katelyn (daughter #2) is still breech, and comfortably so. She has been breech at every visit, which is very disappointing.
On top of that, we were told that her fluid level was 6mm, which is still considered “normal” but more of a “normal-low” and borderline concerning. 5 and below is a cause for concern, while the average was closer to 10. Having low fluids is exactly the issue I faced with Carli and why she was born at only 37 weeks, 4 days. The difference between then and now is that I was 34 weeks when I found out that I might have the possibility of delivering Katelyn early at barely 35 weeks if my fluids did not go back up. This had me seriously worried.
For a week, I drank water like nobody’s business. It’s all I drank. No juice. No tea. No soda. Not even water that had stuff in it to make it taste better. All I had was plain, filtered water. My dedication to her fluids, luckily, helped as when I went back on Monday (yesterday), her fluids went from a 6 to a whopping 12! I was very happy that she was back up there with plenty of fluid. Unfortunately, she’s still breech.
For the past month I have been doing everything in my power to encourage her to turn. I have been seeing a chiropractor certified in the Webster Method in turning breech babies. I have seen a Chinese herbalist who does moxa. I have tried the breech tilt, visualization, and cold peas on my upper belly. I am still continuing to see the chiropractor because it does help my back, which is often excruciatingly painful — but I am losing a lot of faith in getting Katelyn to turn.
I am thinking maybe I have to come to terms with the fact that maybe she CAN’T turn. Maybe there is a reason unknown in which she can’t or won’t safely turn on her own. Maybe she has a shorter cord, making turning at this point uncomfortable. Maybe I have an odd shaped pelvis. Or maybe because I have smaller sized babies (she’s measuring at 27th percentile at the moment) that she just doesn’t weigh enough for her head to weigh her down into the right position.
Honestly, I just don’t know. I’ve been recommended having an external version, in which the doctor manually turns the baby from outside the stomach but it has more risks than I feel comfortable with. Plus it has only about a 50-70% success rate, with many babies going right back into the breech position. I wanted a natural birth, but there is something unnatural about forcing a baby to turn who refuses to on her own. I think there is a difference between encouraging her to turn, and preparing your body to allow her to comfortably turn, and forcing her to. I just won’t risk doing that. I can’t.
Some have also recommended trying a breech birth since typically frank breech babies have a higher success rate of delivering safely. But for the most part, a baby in ANY sort of breech position is often sent to the hospital as a “high-risk” situation by a midwife. If a midwife won’t do it, my guess is — it’s not a great idea to begin with. So attempting a breech birth is not something I will do either.
So that leaves one option, if Katelyn should not turn on her own.. the dreaded c-section. Anyone who knows me knows how anti repeat c-section for the sake of having had one before. I think doctors invest too much time into unnecessary interventions. Unfortunately, in all my research that I have been accumulating for the past few years in attempt for a VBAC, I can’t justify attempting a VBAC with a breech and/or low fluids baby. The risks for the safety of my daughter is too great (although not huge, but more than I am comfortable with) to attempt any sort of breech delivery.
So if I have to have a c-section, she will most likely be here on July 26th (hopefully in the morning). I plan on discussing it with my doctor after my next ultrasound if Katelyn is still breech at that point. My next ultrasound is on July 12th which will put me at 37w1d. Being born on July 26th would put me at around 39 weeks, granted she doesn’t want to come earlier. (My mom claims she is coming sometime in my 38th week — but you know how people always like to place bets.)
So I am slowly coming to terms with the prospect of having another c-section, baby. I really don’t know why my babies find the frank breech position so comfortable — but at this point, I just want a healthy baby. I love Katelyn so incredibly much already .. and I think the difference between last time and this time, is that I have time to meditate on the subject, to accept that maybe not everyone comes into the world the same way.
At least, at the end of this pregnancy I can honestly say I have done everything possible to attempt a natural delivery. I have done all I can. The rest is up to Katelyn.
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(Finished, that is!)
Newborn fluff is the CUTEST!
Last week I went to a new OBGYN in Winter Park, as recommended to me by a friend. As it turns out, it is a small practice as their hours are by appointment only. So the wait was literally, less than 5 minutes. I went in, filled out a few sheets of paperwork and they took me back. No real wait. It was nice.
I know in part it has to do with just being pregnant – but, my GOD – I am tired ALL the time. I usually nap when Carli does – and sometimes (as Forrest has been home this week) I will sleep until the evening time. Still, though – I manage to go to bed on time just as exhausted as if I hadn’t taken a nap in the first place.
