The waiting game

We haven't had much more action since yesterday. Some mild contractions, sometimes pretty regular, but never increasing in intensity. No sign of "the real thing" yet.

I'm glad this is not my first time! This could drive one mad if one hadn't done it before and could distinguish between real and not real.

Very different experience from when we were expecting Daisy. With her, nothing at all happened until the morning of the day she was born. I went straight into real labour, which then progressed steadily until she was born eleven and a half hours later. None if this "will it, will it not" stuff. 

Not that I am in a hurry! I'm still comfortable, and as much as I look forward to meeting this Booba I wouldn't mind a few more days af peace before life as we know it changes again.

Possibly too much information...

... but my mucus plug has dislodged! Guessing that's what all that contraction yesterday was about. 

Getting real now!

Getting closer

I had mild but semi-regular contractions all day yesterday. Not of the "real" and escalating kind, but still quite intense and relentless. I thought maybe it would develop into the real thing overnight, but it seems to have settled now.

Four days to due date!

39 weeks!

One week to go until due date!

First proper day on leave

How come, on my first real day off work and with Daisy at daycare, the forecast says rain and I can't get the television to work?

Maybe the universe is telling me to go for a walk before the forecasted rain comes.

No linea nigra, but pigment none the less

Pregnancy freckles! I rather like them.

38 weeks, full term!

The External Cephalic Version

Let me elaborate a little on the ECV I finally received on Friday.

I was seen by a midwife and a doctor in the birthing suites in the afternoon. I was weighed, given a muscle relaxing shot, was hooked up to the foetal heart monitor and had a quick ultrasound to check that the baby was still indeed breech.

I doctor asked a few questions, and upon hearing that this baby had not moved an inch from its current position in over two months she concluded that it was probably going to be difficult to turn but worth a try.

About 20 minutes after the muscle relaxant was given the doctor and midwife together started to turn Booba around. It was utterly unpleasant and quite painful, since the doctor had to dig her fingers in through layers of muscles and tissue right near my pubic bone in order to get a grasp on the little baby bottom. They forced the baby to turn a forward roll, by pushing its head down and its bottom up. The midwife helped hold the baby in position, stopping it from slipping back, and checked every now and then with the ultrasound that each body part was where they thought it was.

Strangely, Booba made very little fuss and turned quite smoothly. The whole procedure only took a few minutes and was drama free. The heart rate went down at one point when they were squeezing the poor baby quite hard, but went straight back up again and stayed strong for the hour of monitoring that took place after the procedure.

On Saturday I went back to the hospital to monitor the heart for another half hour and do another quick ultrasound to confirm that baby hadn't turned back. It hasn't. I can feel a little foot kicking me in the the exact spot the head used to constantly bulge out.

Now we're back to normal, back to just waiting for labour to kick off on its own and not having to make any decisions around it at all. I am battered and bruised, but all is well and it was totally worth it in the end!

ECV day

We have an optimal position baby!!

A plan for the breechling

Yesterday we went to Gosford hospital to meet with the midwife and an obstetrician to discuss options for this little breechling. I liked the doctor. He was straight forward, listened to my questions, gave straight answers and was not afraid of giving his own personal opinion. He was also totally fine with me having a breech birth if it comes to that.

The outcome of the discussion is that we go for an ECV today, which means manually trying to manipulate Booba to turn around. The procedure has a 50% success rate, and I have an inkling that we'll be on the wrong side of those 50%. Much because the ultrasound technician pointed out that the baby has very little space to move in there. But if it does work, all is well and we are back to a normal pregnancy and I can go back to waiting for a normal birth to commence.

If the ECV fails, we will aim to go ahead with a natural breech birth. The only catch is if the wrong obstetrician is on duty on the day Booba decides to be born, because apparently there are two doctors who will not take on a breech birth and will insist on a caesarean. And in that situation, where the doctor is not feeling confident about it, I wouldn't have the courage to persist. Which would be bad, because I REALLY don't want surgery and I don't think I'd handle it very well emotionally.

I am not worried about this baby, I know the hospital staff will get it out in one piece one way or another, but there are certain scenarios I'd much prefer to others. To be honest, I am more worried about the ECV than I would be facing a breech birth. Because a breech birth would be much the same as my last birth - natural onset, it will be allowed to proceed naturally, and there will be staff there that have experience and know what issues may arise and what to do. And the fact that the obstetrician yesterday seemed completely comfortable with granting me a breech birth makes me feel safe. He clearly isn't too worried about any issues.

The ECV on the other hand, non-invasive as it might be, is an intervention. Things can go wrong, the baby can get distressed, waters may be broken, an emergency caesarean may be needed. The risks are small, small enough for the doctor to consider this the best option, but I am still concerned.

I was meant to get an appointment this morning, but the birthing suite called earlier to let me know they have no time and will call me back after lunch. I very much hope they don't put it off until tomorrow. I just want it over and done with so I can focus on the next step.

Skitunge, as we say in Swedish

Ultrasound earlier this morning, week 37 +3. The technician put the wand to the top of my belly, and instantly the top of a little head was clearly visible. So, we have a breech baby. It's exactly the way I've been feeling, head under my right hand side ribs and feet poking into my right hip.

Never mind that Rosie the midwife was wrong in her theory of the baby being the right way around. I nearly believed her, so at least it gave me a week of some peace of mind and relaxation!

I have an appointment with the doctor at Gosford hospital tomorrow to discuss options. There would be:

1) manually trying to turn the baby

2) caesarean

3) breech birth

Here are my initial feelings on each:

1) Manual turn seems unpleasant, potentially risky and involves injecting some sort of muscle relaxant. And we all know how I feel about medication and medical intervention. But then again, how lovely wouldn't it be to have the baby turned and just go back to relaxing and waiting?

2) Caesarean. Who in their right mind would volunteer for major surgery, especially on the day that they're having a baby? Not me.

3) Breech birth. Apparently there is an old school doctor in Gosford who will attend low risk breech births. If I am indeed considered low risk this might be my favourite option at the moment. 

Project weekend

This weekend I am continuing my laundry project. And I have put away clothes I don't see my breastfeeding self wearing in the near future and replaced them with new and old breastfeeding friendly outfits. 

And the change table is ready with cloth nappies, disposables, cloth wipes and baby onesies. And a basket of muslins that I haven't found a place for yet. 

Having fun!

Laundry day no. 1

Want to make a bet?

I've just been to see the midwife and shared my concerns about this Booba being breech. She had a good feel and squeeze, second guessed herself a couple of times, but in the end decided she thinks Booba is actually head down. She reckons she can feel the head low down and we could hear the heartbeat best at the lower part of my belly. The hard lump constantly sticking into my ribs could be its bottom. This is one of the very few times in life I'd love to be wrong!

She gave me a referral for an ultrasound anyway to make sure, so I am going next week. Who wants to make a bet on up or down?

36 weeks

Off to the gym!

35 weeks+

Bottoms up!

This child has decided it doesn't like the idea of turning head down. Booba is still bobbing around, head firmly tucked in under my right hand side ribs and feet energetically poking into nerves in my hips making my legs buckle when I least expect it. This has been it's (painful) position for months and it does not seem to harbour plans to change it in the near future.

I made the mistake of googling when a second baby should turn head down, and apparently Booba is behind schedule. According to Google I should worry and do handstands. Sounds like hard work to me. 

Pretty in pink

Booba at cousin Anton's wedding, 16 July 2016, flanked by aunties and uncle.