Pregnancy Update...37 weeks!

My hope for this pregnancy was that it would go perfectly and baby would come on her own on time without the doctors interventions. :) Yeah, in a perfect world! The c-section recovery was very hard and I was hoping to avoid that this time around since I would now have two kids to take care of instead of only one newborn. Luckily, we found out today, that may still be an option, but we'll just see what happens.

The story:

Due to some not so great test results from a couple of weeks ago, we had an ultrasound done on 2/23/10. Luckily, everything looked great! Baby was growing appropriately and was head down, fluid was good, and the placenta was found to be far away from my previous c-section scar (which was the concern). All good news, so we were relieved!

Three weeks later on 3/15/10, at my 36 week appointment, the nurse was having trouble finding the heart rate. We knew she was OK because she was moving all around making it even more difficult. After finally getting the heart rate, the doctor was trying to figure out how she was laying because I had asked what it was I felt on my upper right side. She had a hard time feeling her, so pulled in the ultrasound machine which confirmed that that was her head I was feeling. She had turned and was now transverse. We talked about options at that time which were trying to manually turn her (external cephalic version) or just schedule the c-section.

There were so many factors to consider for the ECV:
- risk of baby's heart rate varying
- risk of placenta abruption
- very uncomfortable/painful for me
- anterior placenta (on my left side on top) - this just means they would have a hard time getting ahold of her head or bottom under the placenta
- must be done in the hospital in the event an emergency c-section is needed
- an epidural/spinal would be placed before the procedure in the event an emergency c-section is needed
- baby's size (didn't know at the time)
- amount of amniotic fluid; too little, baby may not turn; too much, baby may turn easy, but then turn again after procedure (didn't know at the time)

To get us some more information, our doctor ordered an ultrasound for Friday 3/19/10. At that ultrasound, we saw once again that she is healthy and growing appropriately. She's in the 80th percentile at about 7lbs 5 oz. She had turned once again though and her head was now on my lower left side. She's gonna be a gymnast when she grows up with all those moves! After the ultrasound, and weighing all the pros and cons, we had pretty much decided against the ECV but had a few more questions for the doctor.

At my doctors appointment today 3/22/10, the nurse once again had a hard time finding the heart rate. Finally she found it on my mid left side which was where the head was on Friday. The doctor came in to check everything out and after feeling around once again, pulled in the ultrasound machine to confirm that baby has turned once again and is finally head down! That at least solved the problem of having to decide for or against the ECV. She's moved so much I wouldn't put it past her to turn the wrong way again, but for now, we're looking good.

All that being said, due to the previous c-section and her size, we have to put an end to this somewhere.
I am on the schedule at the hospital for April 7th, 2010.

I have a doctors appointment next week and then Monday, 4/5/10. At that appointment on the 5th we will make our decision whether it will be an induction or a c-section. This would not be the typical induction due to the prior c-section. In order to even consider the induction, I will have had to make a lot of progress, be somewhat dialated, my cervix thinnned, or my water break.

I feel better having an end in sight and I feel like we've made the right choice. I'd like to give her as much time as possible to come on her own, but the longer we wait after my due date, the bigger she gets and there's less of a chance of avoiding the c-section. More to come in the weeks ahead!