So I had my 36 week appointment today and all was well with growth, fetal heartbeat, etc. The OB thought the baby's head was down just by the feel of my belly, but since I'm still feeling lots of movement at the lower end of my uterus, she's sending me for an ultrasound to double check. I managed to get an ultrasound for tomorrow morning and will go straight to the OB's office to report back once I know which way she's facing. Conveniently, the lab and her office are on the same floor.
If it looks like she's breech my options are
1. Book an ECV (external cephalic version) where they try to turn the baby when I'm 38 weeks (meaning the week of Feb 15). The OB says she'd want me to book it on a day when she's on call so that she can do it. She'd administer an epidural since she says it can be painful and she'd want to make sure I was relaxing my stomach muscles, but also so that if it didn't work or if something went wrong, she could do a c-section right away. If it DID work and they turned the baby, she would suggest inducing me then and there as sometimes the baby can just turn herself back the other way.
2. Wait and see if she turns herself on her own - this can happen with breech babies. Some even turn during labour itself apparently.
3. Deliver her breech, if the doctor on call is willing. She said it depends who's on call at the hospital, some would just want to do a c-section right away, but others would let me try to deliver, especially since I've got a "tried and tested" pelvis! Ha! I asked her what she would do if she was the doctor on call and she said that if the baby was descending well and not in any distress, she'd let me try, but she said with a smile, "I have to admit, I'd be having palpitations the whole time."
But all of this might be moot if my ultrasound tomorrow shows that she's vertex. My friend Meg, the naturopath, was counselling to just let nature take its course and that if the baby is breech, there's a reason for it and she might very well just not be ready to come out yet and will turn herself when she's good and ready, so I shouldn't rush her by inducing her. I can see her point as well.
My mind is reeling a little from all the possibilities and from just not knowing (that would be the control freak in me trying to assert herself), but I keep reminding myself that at the end of the day, as long as she's healthy and happy and so am I, it doesn't matter which way she comes out. I just want to do what's best for both of us and I'm not sure which option that is. I'm not stressed, just...impatient at this point. I hate not knowing, you know?
3 comments:
Ooh, let us know how it goes tomorrow! If she is breach, though, my vote is for option 1 (but that may just be the control freak in *me* asserting *her*self ...) In any case, so exciting that she won't be hiding out in that beautiful belly of yours for long :)
oops, meant "breech", not "breach", obviously :o
I really wouldn't know what to advise seeing as I have no experience in this area...but I like the idea of nature taking its course. As you say, as long as you are both healthy and happy then there isn't anything to worry about...it's so exciting! xx
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