Turn Baby Turn

We are in the final count down of this pregnancy!!  Each week I’m going in for my routine check/appt…ps will I ever get used to getting checked?  (I still get anxiety every time I know I will be “spreading it”).  Last week I walked from work to the Dr’s office during my lunch break and had the biggest tacos (armpit rings) by the time I got there.  Basically I looked real good.  I ended up texting Richard to come and pick me up in an hour cause I couldn’t brave the heat again.  As the Dr was checking me he asked if I had felt any major movements from the baby recently.  I hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary.  He was unsure of the baby’s position and wanted me to get an ultrasound that day. I’m glad I had called Rich to come get me, allowing him to be there for the ultrasound and the decisions to be made afterward.  Long story short the baby is lying transversely.  Which means her back is facing up towards my ribs and her legs and arms are dangling below…toward the exit.  Two options were given; 1.  Schedule a C-section  2.  Try an external inversion, aka attempt to turn the baby.  After much discussion of pros, cons, risks/pain we decided to go with the external inversion and see what happened. 

Friday the inversion was scheduled first thing in the morning.  I didn’t read anything online beforehand because I had already heard painful horror stories about inversion and didn’t feel it would be effective to freak myself out even more.  I showed up prepared to be in some excruciating pain.  They tell you to pack a bag like you are going to deliver (WHAT?!) that day because it could happen.  An IV is started, blood is drawn, and a uterine muscle relaxer is given.  The Dr. lubes your tummy up like a greasy pig and goes at it.  My Dr. was wrestling with the baby for about 7-8 minutes until she stated, “I can keep trying but I don’t think the stubborn little thing is going to turn.”  At this point I felt okay with her continuing to poke and prod but we didn’t really see any point in it.   So, it looks like we are going to have a Cesarean delivery (unless she turns in the next 2 wks).  Something I was never expecting but I am totally fine with it.  Pros and cons to everything, right?  We will get the exact date scheduled tomorrow.  Very crazy!!

About the actual pain, yes I was uncomfortable, found it difficult to breathe and was in some pain.  I have a few bruises on my tummy and was sore for a couple of days but I would do it again.  It wasn’t nearly as painful as I was expecting and it goes really fast.  Plus I would have always wondered “what if” if I hadn’t tried.  So if you ever have to go through an external inversion please ignore the horror/painful stories.  It wasn’t that bad. 

PS…I took some pictures of us at the hospital after but I look like Santa Claus.  My face doubled in size and was extremely rosy/shiny.  Not my finest moment.  C-Section, here we come!!