After bragging over the past few weeks about the baby being fully engaged and ready for launch, we were shocked to learn last week that Mason’s head is NOT fully engaged after all. It’s his butt that is fully engaged. Yes, that means he’s breech, a complete breech. His bottom is down with his legs wrapped around his hips and his head is straight up.
After spending months fighting with the local hospital because they won’t allow VBACs (vaginal birth after cesarean), and ultimately firing our doctor, getting interviewed about the controversy by a local TV reporter, searching weeks for a VBAC-friendly doctor in Ellsworth (where they allow VBACs), hiring a midwife, and buying a variety of home birth supplies, it looks like I may very well need a c-section after all. To say I’m disappointed would be an understatement. However, I keep reminding myself that Mason is completely healthy and we are so very thankful for that.
During our journey over the months, I started collecting (and paying for) VBAC stories from other women so I could publish a book on our experiences after my VBAC. The irony of it is that now I’ll be the only one featured in the book with a failed VBAC story. I’m already able to smile about that – Murphy’s Law, don’tcha know.
Anyway, I’m doing all kinds of very uncomfortable exercises in an attempt to turn Mason around, but he’s not being very cooperative. He must be very cozy exactly where he is.
For those of you who are wondering, we have opted not to try to find someone to manually maneuver Mason (try saying that five times really fast). It may be too stressful for Mason (they think he was already almost 8 lbs a week ago, a full four weeks before his due date) and it can be dangerous for me because of my previous c-section. While letting Mason move if he wants to is fine, forcing him to move makes us very uncomfortable.
I have the choice of scheduling a c-section between 38 and 39 weeks (10 days from now) or waiting until 40 weeks. I will probably wait and give Mason more of a chance to turn on his own. For me, the best part about pregnancy is waiting for labor to begin. It’s always a surprise and you never know when your baby’s birthday will be if you let nature take its course. Hopefully, I’ll go into labor on my own. And, if I have to have a c-section that day, that’s the way it will have to be. All things work together for good. 🙂
If you want to be notified by email when I go into labor (or when the c-section occurs), click HERE.
Richard and Ali will be updating our birth blog frequently during the big event.
UPDATE!
We just got back from our weekly doctor appointment where we had another sonogram and the baby has flipped! The great news is that he’s no longer breech. The not so great news is that I have an abnormally large amount of amniotic fluid and he has plenty of room to keep flipping if he so chooses. So, I’m going to take easy (no more lying on that ironing board and walking like an elephant!) in the hopes he stays put. YEA!!!!!!!!! 🙂
Hugs to everybody!
Ang
P.S. Want to read real query letters that landed these contracts? Woman’s Day – $2,800; Redbook – $3,500; Ladies Home Journal – $3,000; DiscoveryHealth.com – $2,000; Lifetime Magazine – $3,000; Life Extension Magazine – $6,480; Natural Remedies – $11,300; and many more! See: https://www.writersweekly.com/books/1409.html