So I know it has been a while since my last post. I figured it was about time for me do another update blog on the pregnancy. It will be pretty short cause there is not much new to report.
I had an ultrasound at 36 weeks last week to get an update on how Isabella is progressing and what position she was in after a few weeks without knowing. If you have been keeping up with me on facebook then you know how that turned out! We didn't get any news from the ultrasound other than the fact that Isabella was still sitting comfortably in her breech position.
The following Monday we had an appointment with my OB to get the rest of the information that we were wanting to hear. She told us that Isabella was growing appropriately and was looking healthy! So good news is awesome to hear! Of course she then proceeded with the news that we already heard, Isabella is still breech. We reviewed our options for turning and delivery and decided to try a procedure called an external cephalic version. Basically what this means is you have two experienced doctors on either side of you pressing and pushing into your abdomen/uterus to try and turn the baby from the outside. We were told the risks and benefits and decided to go ahead with the procedure that Wednesday when I would be at exactly 37 weeks.
It was an early start of hurry up and wait, just like most things in the Navy and hospitals in general. We had to go to the Mother/Baby Unit at the hospital for the procedure so it was kind of like a trial run for when we actually have to make that trip and know we will be leaving with our baby girl. We even got our own room! At the new hospital the rooms are LDRP rooms which means that you do everything in that one room: labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum (with the exception being when you need a Cesarean Section). C-sections are done in an operating room down the hall. Here is a picture of the room we were in and me all set up with the monitors.
I had an ultrasound at 36 weeks last week to get an update on how Isabella is progressing and what position she was in after a few weeks without knowing. If you have been keeping up with me on facebook then you know how that turned out! We didn't get any news from the ultrasound other than the fact that Isabella was still sitting comfortably in her breech position.
The following Monday we had an appointment with my OB to get the rest of the information that we were wanting to hear. She told us that Isabella was growing appropriately and was looking healthy! So good news is awesome to hear! Of course she then proceeded with the news that we already heard, Isabella is still breech. We reviewed our options for turning and delivery and decided to try a procedure called an external cephalic version. Basically what this means is you have two experienced doctors on either side of you pressing and pushing into your abdomen/uterus to try and turn the baby from the outside. We were told the risks and benefits and decided to go ahead with the procedure that Wednesday when I would be at exactly 37 weeks.
It was an early start of hurry up and wait, just like most things in the Navy and hospitals in general. We had to go to the Mother/Baby Unit at the hospital for the procedure so it was kind of like a trial run for when we actually have to make that trip and know we will be leaving with our baby girl. We even got our own room! At the new hospital the rooms are LDRP rooms which means that you do everything in that one room: labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum (with the exception being when you need a Cesarean Section). C-sections are done in an operating room down the hall. Here is a picture of the room we were in and me all set up with the monitors.
We got there at 6:00am and they had to monitor both me and Isabella for 20 minutes to get our vitals and make sure that we could go on with the procedure. Apparently during that 20 minutes I did have one contraction! Didn't even feel or notice, it was a small one! But after 20 minutes and the insertion of an IV we were told that the procedure would most likely be done around 9 or 10 in the morning. So we got to wait and wait for more than 2 hours. My doctor came in around 8:30 to get measurements of the amount of water I had around Isabella. If there is about 10cm of fluids then it is easier for the baby to move around. Turns out I had just over 11cm. So that was good news.
At about 9:10 the doctor came back in with her colleague that would be doing the procedure with her. They gave me a shot of some medicine to help relax my uterus for all the movement and even offered to give me an epidural for the pain. I refused the epidural because I mean really if I can't stand this then how am I going to be able to go through natural labor!? Then they went on with the version. It was actually a lot more difficult than I thought it would be! They were really digging in there to get around her head and butt to push her into a better position. First they tried turning her counter-clockwise and she got about a quarter of the way around before she refused to budge again. Then they tried clockwise and she was just not having that at all. Finally, one last attempt at counter-clockwise took her almost to the right position. I could feel it the entire time where her head was and that last time I was really getting hopeful! But as soon as she stopped allowing them to move her and they let up on the pressure she went straight back to being head right under the rib cage! She literally just turned right back to her little spot.
The doctors admitted defeat and I was beat! It felt like I had just been punched in the abs a thousand times and ran a marathon with all the heavy breathing I was doing! I had to actually concentrate and focus on breathing the entire time to keep oxygen flowing to Isabella so she wouldn't go into distress and then end up being delivered by c-section right then. It was a pretty intense experience. But with no luck, I was feeling pretty down.
After the procedure I had to be monitored for an hour to make sure that as the medicine wore off my body didn't decide it was time to start labor. So I was hooked up to all those machines again for an hour while I was feeling the side effects of having my insides beat up and not having been able to eat or drink anything all morning. We were finally able to leave around 11:30.
Now I am trying my best to keep a positive attitude and know that God has a plan for our little family and whatever happens will be within his plan. If I have to have a c-section then I will be OK with that (at least that is what I am telling myself and praying for). Until then, I am not giving up hope that God will decide to allow Isabella to turn at the last minute and allow me to go through with a natural vaginal birth. We are doing lots of different exercises (some that make sense and others that seem a little silly) to try and coax Isabella into a better position. For now we will be having appointments once a week to check progress and wait until labor begins.
Once again, prayers are appreciated! We know we have a lot of people out there praying for us and we want to thank everyone that has been praying! Here's to believing that God is all powerful and has a plan!
Thanks for reading.
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