My Beautiful Daughter

Our beautiful, perfect little girl was born on Tuesday, October 13th at 9:35am. She weighed 7 pounds, 8 ounces and was 22.5 inches long. Here are a few pictures:

Last Bump Pictures - Baby Coming TOMORROW!

15 Weeks
20 Weeks
39 Weeks

So I decided to pull out the shirt I used for my first "bump" pictures so that we could have a fun comparison. The first one is at 15 weeks, the second at 20 weeks and the last one is 39 weeks. Think I've grown a little?

I can't believe I've made it this far and that she's coming tomorrow. I'm still really, really, really nervous about the c-section tomorrow. I still feel like I messed up somehow. I know it's not true, but I just keep thinking that there must have been something I could have done to get my baby girl to turn her head down. I'm extremely disappointed but I know that we have to deliver her in the safest way possible.

But I'm also insanely excited to finally meet our daughter. DH and I spent the weekend going to our favorite restaurants and enjoying each other, knowing it would be our last couple time for awhile. It was really nice. I didn't get much done around the house and I have a long list of things I need to do today, but I think the time together was more important than having the house perfect.

My mom will be coming to stay tonight since DH has to work late and I'll need the company. She'll stay at our house tomorrow until we call her after the birth of our baby. She'll stay at the house and take care of our dog and cat for a couple of days. If things go well, I'll be discharged Thursday and DH will have to go to work on Friday. She'll come back and help me during the day, if that's the case. Of course, as we've learned in the last couple of weeks, we can't really depend on things going as planned.

So, please remember our family in your thoughts and prayers in the coming days. We just can't wait to meet our little girl and become a family of three.

Shower Pictures

My husband's office was kind enough to throw us a shower last week. We got lots of presents and one big group chipped in and really stocked us up on cloth diapers. Apparently, some of the shipments were delayed and I've been getting more adorable diapers and supplies for the whole week since. They were very generous and we are quite grateful!

External Version

Well, baby Sprout has an independent mind and doesn't think much of the rule that babies should come into the world head-first. The version was unsuccessful, so we're on to a scheduled Cesarean.

I went in yesterday around 10:00. I got through the admissions paperwork, which was not nearly as bad as I expected. They got me to a room in labor and delivery and I changed into a hospital gown. They did a quick ultrasound to make sure that the baby was still breech and then hooked me up to the monitors to make sure baby was doing well and I wasn't contracting. I had been having some contractions the night before and a couple that morning, so I was a little concerned that they'd tell me I was in labor and I'd have to have the baby then. I was just paranoid, though. I didn't have any contractions the whole time I was at the hospital and I haven't had any since.

They also started IV fluids after putting me on the monitor. After they determined that baby and mom were doing well, they gave me a shot of terbutaline to relax my uterus. A side effect of this medication is that it makes you feel nervous and jittery. I definitely experienced this, but it wasn't horrible. Then the doctor came in and talked a little more about the procedure.

They got the ultrasound out to figure out the position of the baby. The nurse held the wand over the baby's heart the whole time so that they could keep a close eye on her heartbeat. Then the real fun began. Dr. L. began manipulating the baby. He got her bottom up out of my pelvis and started trying to turn her. She actually turned a bit at first and got everyone's hopes up. It was pretty painful for me, but I was able to breathe through it all okay. My husband stood at the foot of the bed (there was no room at the head) and massaged my feet the whole time, which was a big help. Dr. L. said he tried a little longer than he would normally because she seemed to want to turn, but he got to a point that he just wasn't willing to force it any more, which was fine with everyone. He seemed like he might be even more disappointed than we were. The actual procedure only took about 15 minutes, but it felt like a lot longer!

After it was over, Dr. L. talked to us for a little while about scheduling the c-section and then he had to go to the OR for a delivery. I was monitored for another hour before they took out the IV and let me change back into my clothes. They gave me the discharge paperwork (on which I had to sign twice that I was taking prenatal vitamins) and we left the hospital.

I was definitely a little sore afterwards, but I was also hungry and thirsty, so we stopped and had a nice lunch and went home. I rested most of the afternoon (doctor's orders). I felt pretty wiped out between the stress and a bad cold I've developed. This morning, I woke up even more sore from the procedure. I feel like the whole top of my belly should be black and blue as it feels really bruised.

I can tell that the baby has shifted somewhat and is in a different position, but is nowhere close to head down. Assuming that she doesn't go bottoms up before then, we've scheduled the c-section for Tuesday morning at 7:15. I'm not excited about delivering this way, but I feel like we've done everything we could and I just have to accept and prepare to meet my baby in a different way. As one of my Peace Corps friends (who is a huge natural birth advocate) said, we are so fortunate to live in a place where we have the option of a safe c-section when it is medically indicated.

So, we are so happy that we are going to be parents next week and having an actual date on the calendar is kind of crazy. We're working out details and making a few decisions still and I hold out a little hope that Sprout will decide that seeing the world head first is a good idea, but have accepted that she has a mind of her own. I'm sure this is not the last time she'll disrupt our plans!

38 Weeks and a Breech Baby

So, we went in to my normal 38 week appointment yesterday. The doctor wanted to do an ultrasound to check on the baby's size. Her size is in the normal/average range (7 lbs. 8 ounces was the estimate), but I didn't really even care when she said that because the tech had already dropped the bombshell - the Sprout was breech.

My OB was shocked, too. He started feeling on my belly and said that he swore her bottom felt like a head. And he's been delivering babies for like a zillion years. So, then we had to make some quick decisions. If we wanted to attempt to turn her, we needed to do it soon because I'm already so far along. We decided to go ahead and give it a try, so we have the External Version scheduled for tomorrow (Wednesday). I'm really nervous. The doc gives it about a 50/50 chance of working. In the meantime, I'm trying to talk her into turning on her own, but so far, she's being stubborn.

If the version doesn't work, I'll schedule a cesarean section for Monday. That's so soon! He really doesn't want me to go into labor, because of the way the cord is placed. He said that it could cause problems if my water broke and she settled on top of it. I really, really, really do not want a c-section, but I guess it's pretty much out of my control at this point. I'm sure it's not the last time Sprout will have plans of her own.

I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the whole thing. I did all the classes and I know about as much as I can know about c-sections, I think, but I just really thought I'd have a more stereotypical birth experience. I know that could still happen, but I'm trying to prepare myself. We decided to go into the version thinking it wasn't going to work so that we could be pleasantly surprised if it does.

DH is worried about his work schedule. His vacation isn't scheduled to start until Friday of next week, so it should be interesting. He found someone to cover him for the version tomorrow, but next week is going to take some real effort. I know that his coworkers will do it, but he's just one of those people that always helps everyone else but hates to ask for help himself. There might be some even longer waits at the pediatrician's office next week, if they're short a doctor!

We're supposed to call L&D first thing tomorrow morning to make sure they're not up to their ears in laboring mommies. If there's space, I'll go in early, get settled. They'll put me on monitors for awhile and give me an IV and terbutaline to relax the muscles. Then, my OB will attempt to turn her. He said that he wouldn't push too hard, that in his experience, either the baby wants to turn or doesn't. Then, whether it works or not, I'll be monitored for another half hour or so and then I'll pack up and go home. If it works, I'll wait for labor to start. If it doesn't, we'll officially schedule the cesarean for Monday.

So think upside-down thoughts for me tomorrow!