To say this baby has been indecisive about her position in an understatement. She's been head up, then head down, then head up... then sideways... nothing ever consistently, and sometimes multiple positions in one day. It's been a pleasure (and I hope you can sense my sarcasm there).
For the last three weeks or so, she was head down (or in the vertex or cephalic) position like a good baby should be. This was even confirmed via ultrasound during my little jaunt to Maternal Fetal Testing a few weeks ago. Well, that is until this past Sunday when I woke up to little feet kicking me in the bladder.
Oh no you didn't, Scarlett!
Monday I had my appointment with my Doctor, whom is very experienced and has seen it all when it comes to babies. He confirmed that Little Miss Thing is now breech again... and she's in a complete breech to boot. We had yet another long discussion as to what we would do come next week when I'll be 37 weeks, which will be the time that this stubborn little one will be considered "full-term." Of course, this is all pending that she doesn't turn on her own (and there is an 80% chance that she won't budge). But "The Big Doc" said that she's gotten to the point size-wise that the likelihood that she'll turn on her own is pretty low, especially since I'm not a very big person. Now I'm part of that 3-5% statistic of mother's with breech babies. Yay.
So what happens if she is still breech next week? I get to go to the Hospital and have an External Cephalic Version (ECV) performed, which is the act of manually turning the baby from the outside. If the turn is successful, he may choose to induce me at that time so that I can avoid a c-section. He may decide to make me wait a few more days, but we shall see. There is basically a 50/50 chance that he'll be able to get the baby to turn, only because she's is getting bigger and her bum is becoming more and more wedged in to my pelvis. Joy.
To be honest, I'm not all that thrilled to have to have an ECV. From what I hear on message boards out there, it's a bit painful. But to me, it's worth the pain if it means that I could avoid a C-Section. Sure, if I really needed to have a C-Section that would be OK... but if I can avoid surgery I would rather. I'm sure if I asked my Doctor to allow me to try and do a breech delivery he would let me, but in all honesty I am so worried that my little body won't be able to squeeze out a baby butt first that I'll end up having an emergency C-Section instead.
Have any of you out there had issues with a baby being breech? Have any of you actually delivered a breech baby? Had an External Cephalic Version performed? I'm curious to know, because any insight any of you have on this special situation would be great!
What I'm doing in the meantime are things that have been suggested to me by my Doctor: Laying inverted for 10-20 minutes two or three times a day, pelvic tilts galore... and I have an appointment for Acupuncture on Friday! I'm willing to do what I can to see if she'll turn on her own, or come Wednesday... I will be having my Doctor try and turn her +/- having a baby.
In the meantime please think lots of happy thoughts for me, and lets hope this baby comes to her senses and goes back to where she is supposed to!