My doctor appointment yesterday has left me with a bit of a bad taste in my mouth.
Weight was great, only one pound gained. Blood pressure was great as well; much better than last week in fact.
She went to check my cervix, and from her reaction, I would venture to guess that baby's head is even LOWER this week than it was last, if that is even possible. But it must be, because baby's head was so low that she could not even get proper position to check my cervix dilation.
After this, I made a statement about baby is going to be a conehead like her(his) brother, and she said could be, and followed that by saying "We will just have to see how it goes; it could be just a couple of easy pushes and baby will be out, but if not, we will need to send you over for a section - we aren't going to be using any suction or other measures with this baby"
I informed her I have no intention of having a c-section, and that I WILL push this baby out.
I know she is just trying to prepare me for the possibility, and I know that her thinking runs like this:
-L got his shoulder stuck behind my pelvic bone at the last minute, and she had to literally GO IN and turn him and pull him out, which did a fair amount of damage to me in the process. Damage from which I completely healed, so I am okay with that, by the way...
-This baby is and has been measuring ahead of the curve for awhile, and could very possibly be a large baby. L measured right on the mark my entire pregnancy and was 7lb 12oz when he came two weeks early, so I guess I can agree that there is the possibility this will be a good sized baby.
-L was extremely coneheaded. I know that it even had her worried for a little bit. I am thinking that since this baby has been riding head down and low since my 20 week Ultrasound just like L did, and is now SO LOW and has been for at least a week or so, that she is concerned that this baby will indeed be coneheaded, and that is the reason for not using any type of suction or other means of helping the baby out.
I am confident that she will give me a chance to have this baby, and am really hoping that my friend LO will be able to attend my birth, to help be my advocate during labor to avoid a c-section unless absolutely necessary.
OBVIOUSLY, if either of us are in distress, I want to and will do whatever is necessary to ensure we both come out of this healthy, but I just really really REALLY do not want a c-section, and SO want to have the experience of pushing this child out again, because honestly NOTHING compares to it, and even her trying to just prepare me for the *possibility* of not being able to do this as I want to makes me sad. Not to mention I am just so ready to be done. I just want this baby out of my womb and in my arms...
So Very Many Mixed Emotions
20 hours ago
4 comments:
Dang. I just wrote this whole comment and then lost it. I think. So I'm repeating.
You may know I had a ten pound, two-ounce baby at home with a midwife. The baby had her hand up by her head. There was shoulder dystocia (shoulders stuck after delivery of the head).
Here's what saved me and my baby:
First off, no one freaked.
Secondly, I flipped over onto hands and knees (all fours) which makes so much more room. Unbelieveable.
Google Gaskin Maneuver. It's named after Ina May but she gives credit to midwives in S. America or somewhere.
In fact, discuss this with your doctor (whom I think is needlessly scaring you) NOW. Print out some information. Here's a place to start:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CYD/is_21_34/ai_61621174/
And you might want to think about pushing from the very beginning on all fours. It's easier to do that and prevent a problem than it is to try and get on hands and knees after a problem arises. Believe me.
YOU CAN DO THIS!
I am not a huge woman at all. I am five foot, four inches tall. And there was no eipisiotomy with this baby and I did not tear and all was well inside and out. And that baby is about to make me a grandmother.
Don't be afraid. Trust your body and your instincts and the process.
I can't wait to hear about this birth. I am cheering for you!
Oh thank you, Ms. Moon - I knew you would have some words for me :0)
Shoulder dystocia is exactly what happened with L.
And I am looking up Gaskin maneuver right now, thanks.
And did I say thanks?
And that you so rock?
I saw Ina May speak once about this hands and knees position and the funny thing is- with my second baby, I just went there instinctually. With my third, I was so tired from pushing that huge baby that I was laying down, something I shouldn't have done. My fourth was a tiny 7.5 pounder and I started out on hands and knees and I swear, she was born in like three seconds.
BUT- what Ina May said is that American doctors would rather push a shoulder dystocia baby BACK INSIDE AND THEN DO A C-SECTION than let her get into the "weird" position of hands and knees on a delivery table.
She's right. That's why you need to talk to your doctor now, tell her you might want to do push like that.
Even if your baby is an easy one to push, you'll have an easier time of it on all fours.
I sure am thinking of you.
Isn't that horrible? That they would rather push them BACK IN after the body has done the work of getting the baby that far out and do MAJOR SURGERY than even TRY getting the woman into a different position? Wow. I will be speaking to my doctor about this. Thank you so much for the advice.
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