So we found out for sure on Monday our little baby is still breech. Hamlet moves a lot still and even throws me for a loop sometimes because I feel a complete change of position, but never head down!
We tried the moxibustion about two weeks ago. Adam met me on his lunch break at the acupuncturist's office. No needles were involved (I know it is weird, but I was actually kinda hoping for the experience of the needles). Instead the guy just stuck moxy seeds to my pinky toe and smoldered them until it was too hot against my skin. Then he pulled them off. He did this about ten times on each side. I did feel Hamlet move a lot, but no flipping. He said it doesn't always happen right away and he gave us a less potent stick of it to burn by my toe every day, which we have been pretty faithful with.
The funny thing about moxy is it smells a lot like weed. It was subtle at first, but soon the smell was overwhelming. We were giggling about it and said something to the guy, who proceeded to tell us about how he has had the cops knock at his office door before because of the odor. And then laughing, he turns to Adam, who is looking handsome and very American Apparel in his dress clothes and tie, and tells him he wouldn't want to do the home treatment when he is wearing his work clothes unless you want to raise some eyebrows. What the heck?! Luckily we did a sniff test and he didn't smell too strongly of weed as he headed back to care for patients that afternoon. The acupuncturist also got onto us a bit for our ice intervention. Apparently, Chinese medicine almost never uses "cold" to treat anything, unless you know the disease is "hot." Cold usually slows or congests things. Hopefully we didn't set ourselves too far back. The ice sure did make Hamlet dance though. I did feel like a bad mom, so we haven't done a repeat of that treatment.
I have also been doing pre-natal yoga, focusing on the poses that encourage the baby to flip. I have been visualizing the turn. I have been praying for the turn. Recently, I even started a strict regimen of laying upside down three times a day at a 45 degree angle. When Adam is home, he sits between my legs and plays guitar for Hamlet to draw him/or her to the pelvic opening. We read that babies our drawn to folk and classical music and rock disturbs them - so we have been leaving out the AC\DC. We tried to pick as many songs as possible with the word turn in them, but that list turned out to be pretty wimpy: Turn around bright eyes (yes all million verses of the song) by Bonnie Tyler, Don't turn around (modified of course) by Ace of Base, and Turn Turn Turn by the Byrds. We are open to any other good suggestions to add to our list. Other than that we have been sticking to some folk songs that we love - no classical since Adam doesn't have his cello here. When Adam is not around I just use the ipod, which is not nearly as fun as having your hubby between your legs....singing.
What is the next step you may be wondering...it is not a fun one. I am scheduled for an external version this Saturday. Aside from the extreme discomfort it causes the mom as they physically force the baby into a head down position (they give some people who can't relax an epidural for the procedure), I am more worried about the slim possibility of tearing the placenta and fetal distress, which would result in an emergency C-section. Hamlet is in the best breech position (franc breech- booty down and both feet up by the head, but my placenta is in the most dangerous position, anterior (front and center). I am really excited to meet Hamlet, but I have a long list of stuff I am supposed to get done before they come. I feel like I have been nesting like crazy, but maybe I am not an efficient nester. The baby room is a mess, my bag is not packed, the car seat is not installed, we have no phone tree set up, and I still do not have pediatrician (I called today, I promise). Plus I have a ton of other things that really aren't important, but that I was hoping to knock out before I bring my baby home, because I hear your world stops for a bit and everything gets put on hold when you become parents. And I have been getting stressed because I just want to spend some super romantic time with my hubby, who is working a lot and tired. And when he does have free time, I feel guilty about not getting baby stuff done. I think I am entering panic mode.
Adam was trying to calm me down and tell me we are not going to have a baby on Saturday - "they didn't even tell us to bring a bag." Are they supposed to? Shouldn't I already have that ready since I am FULL TERM (as of yesterday). I think maybe they assume that is done. They didn't tell me to back a bag, no, but they did tell me not to eat anything and to fill out my surgical consent forms in case I need to go in for a C-section that day. I am thinking I should bring a bag - which I still don't even know what to put inside of it- because I am not gonna be sending Hammer home to get fuzzy socks or baby clothes or whatever you are supposed to bring to the hospital while I am alone with our brand new baby. I am also open to any suggestions of what I should put in the bag ladies, so throw 'em at me. I know the chances are super low this will happen and part of my reason for being so freaked out is anecdotal, but the only person I have talked to that has actually had a version went home with a baby that day..... so you can see I am little wound up, but I am hoping that writing about this will have some therapeutic effect on my jitters.
We did get one more ultrasound picture of Hamlet at the appointment on Monday where we determined that the booger was in deed breech, but I refrained from putting it on here because it is creepy. It looks like we our having a ghost baby. When the guy handed me the picture he said "I promise it will be cuter when it comes out." I hope so. Adam tried to explain to me how the baby is so big now it is hard to get them in one plane for the picture, so they end up looking a little supernatural. I guess - but I am still not posting it. The tech did tell us that he saw hair (we are assuming on the head, hopefully). So Hamlet will be a cute little hairy ghost baby. We also read that one of the risk factors for being breech is being a girl. Does that change anyone's prediction? It did kinda change mine, but mine changes with the wind.
As for some more boring updates, sleep is getting tougher. I toss and turn a lot more and my lower back is starting to ache. I have also been having this weird pelvic pain. It almost feels like my pubic bone is fractured. That's normal, right? And I am always hungry. Other than that I will have to keep you posted after Saturday...or you will get a frantic, call, text, e-mail or facebook message as we try to spread the word haphazardly sans organized communication tree. Wish me luck and pray that Hamlet turns before Saturday!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
Breech and Ticked
True...I am very sad that my baby is breech. I found out at my last appointment with my midwife. Of course the one appointment my hubby couldn't make was the most eventful one of all. My midwife was pushing on my belly like she usually does before she tells me Hamlet is head down and then asses the heart beat. But she was pushing on it a lot longer this time and her brow started to furrow. Then I started to run through a list of ridiculous medical revelations she could be making....all of them scary and extreme. My baby being breech did not cross my mind. Nope. All my speculations were far more dramatic. Then she started to get closer and closer to my belly, inspecting the under part and looking concerned. Finally, I said "What?! What is it?" She wasn't giving me anything to go on. Then she told me, "Well, your baby is breech, but I think you also have a tick." She gave me a mirror and, sure enough, it was a tick. I was so embarrassed of my personal hygiene at that moment, but it is hard to care for what you can't see.
I was the entertainment for the office that afternoon. Three midwives came into see my tick and confer on the most current standard of care for tick removal. First, we identified the tick. We all agreed it was a dog tick (me using the mirror) and that it was not engorged. These were both good findings since Lyme disease is prevalent in north east, usually carried by deer ticks and transferred to the host when they start to feed about 24 hours after the bite. I was pretty sure I had had it less than 24 hours because the only time I went hiking since I got back from Florida was the evening before, so we were still in the safety window even if it wasn't a dog tick. Every person who came in the room proceeded to asked me "where have you been?" Really?! Is it that crazy to play in the wooded mountains when you live in an outdoor mecca like Vermont or New Hampshire? Anyways, the removal was successful, but I am on the look out for any target lesion that might pop up at the site of the bite for the next month (We don't want to see that. Target lesion = Lyme).
While all the ladies were in one spot, they all confirmed my little breech baby and told me to have Adam check me for anymore ticks when I got home. One of them imparted this wisdom to me with eyebrows raised before walking out the door, "You know you have a good partner if they check your butt crack." I will let all of you guess as to what kind of partner my hubby is. Now that the excitement of the tick was over, I had time to be bummed about my other news. I don't want Hamlet to be breech. I thought that sucker was head down for good after the whole VK experience, but now my Movie Moverton flipped head up and then got lazy.
What the heck?!
I am starting to stress about it because I would really like to avoid a C-section if at all possible. Even though I am delivering at an academic hospital, they said they do not deliver breech babies. Boring! I was getting really excited about natural childbirth now that Adam and I have been reading more and practicing relaxation (which involves Adam giving me massages and pampering me and telling me lovely things about myself- we should have started practicing sooner:) Plus, we are starting our child birth classes next Monday.
So my plan is to pray for that little butter bean to turn over. Feel free to join me. And tomorrow I am trying moxibustion - my first experience with acupuncture. I am getting needles stuck in my little toe and an herb burned by them to increase fetal movement. It actually has some good scientific evidence to back it...about the same success rate as external version, where they physically try to push the babe into the head down position. Not so fun for the mom. In fact, I heard it is pretty painful. I was chatting with a new mom at my flu clinic today, who had an external version. They abrupted her placenta (ripped away from the uterine wall) and she had to go in for an immediate C-section, but I am choosing not to think about that - starting now, because mine is not scheduled until November 15th - if Hamlet is still head up by then. I am also increasing my downward dogs, my butt-up child's pose, and my supported bridge (all yoga moves supposed to encourage breech babes to flip). And we are bring back our old friend ice tonight. We heard ice at the fundus (where little ham's head currently resides) makes them turn down. Ice got us results we wanted before, so I guess we will try it again. Adam and I will also be trying a little music and light at the pelvic opening to lure the babe in the right direction. Wish us luck!
Other than that I have been very busy with work since my return to Vermont from the beautiful Sunshine State. And fatigue has entered the picture again, so I have been feeling more bushed than usual. That is why haven't written about my trip yet, but I intend to in the very near future. I am so thankful I got to go home one more time before the baby comes. It has also flurried twice here - and I have missed both times. Once was yesterday. I am pretty excited about the first snow, especially since it is already cold- might as well snow if you are going to be freezing anyway. I miss you all and I wish I could hit each and everyone of you with a snow ball!
I was the entertainment for the office that afternoon. Three midwives came into see my tick and confer on the most current standard of care for tick removal. First, we identified the tick. We all agreed it was a dog tick (me using the mirror) and that it was not engorged. These were both good findings since Lyme disease is prevalent in north east, usually carried by deer ticks and transferred to the host when they start to feed about 24 hours after the bite. I was pretty sure I had had it less than 24 hours because the only time I went hiking since I got back from Florida was the evening before, so we were still in the safety window even if it wasn't a dog tick. Every person who came in the room proceeded to asked me "where have you been?" Really?! Is it that crazy to play in the wooded mountains when you live in an outdoor mecca like Vermont or New Hampshire? Anyways, the removal was successful, but I am on the look out for any target lesion that might pop up at the site of the bite for the next month (We don't want to see that. Target lesion = Lyme).
While all the ladies were in one spot, they all confirmed my little breech baby and told me to have Adam check me for anymore ticks when I got home. One of them imparted this wisdom to me with eyebrows raised before walking out the door, "You know you have a good partner if they check your butt crack." I will let all of you guess as to what kind of partner my hubby is. Now that the excitement of the tick was over, I had time to be bummed about my other news. I don't want Hamlet to be breech. I thought that sucker was head down for good after the whole VK experience, but now my Movie Moverton flipped head up and then got lazy.
What the heck?!
I am starting to stress about it because I would really like to avoid a C-section if at all possible. Even though I am delivering at an academic hospital, they said they do not deliver breech babies. Boring! I was getting really excited about natural childbirth now that Adam and I have been reading more and practicing relaxation (which involves Adam giving me massages and pampering me and telling me lovely things about myself- we should have started practicing sooner:) Plus, we are starting our child birth classes next Monday.
So my plan is to pray for that little butter bean to turn over. Feel free to join me. And tomorrow I am trying moxibustion - my first experience with acupuncture. I am getting needles stuck in my little toe and an herb burned by them to increase fetal movement. It actually has some good scientific evidence to back it...about the same success rate as external version, where they physically try to push the babe into the head down position. Not so fun for the mom. In fact, I heard it is pretty painful. I was chatting with a new mom at my flu clinic today, who had an external version. They abrupted her placenta (ripped away from the uterine wall) and she had to go in for an immediate C-section, but I am choosing not to think about that - starting now, because mine is not scheduled until November 15th - if Hamlet is still head up by then. I am also increasing my downward dogs, my butt-up child's pose, and my supported bridge (all yoga moves supposed to encourage breech babes to flip). And we are bring back our old friend ice tonight. We heard ice at the fundus (where little ham's head currently resides) makes them turn down. Ice got us results we wanted before, so I guess we will try it again. Adam and I will also be trying a little music and light at the pelvic opening to lure the babe in the right direction. Wish us luck!
Other than that I have been very busy with work since my return to Vermont from the beautiful Sunshine State. And fatigue has entered the picture again, so I have been feeling more bushed than usual. That is why haven't written about my trip yet, but I intend to in the very near future. I am so thankful I got to go home one more time before the baby comes. It has also flurried twice here - and I have missed both times. Once was yesterday. I am pretty excited about the first snow, especially since it is already cold- might as well snow if you are going to be freezing anyway. I miss you all and I wish I could hit each and everyone of you with a snow ball!
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