Week 37: Full Term

Wednesday afternoon

I feel like a plastic bag with a small animal trying to escape from it..I know that sounds really bad but theres no other way to describe the feeling of baby movements in the last few days. They are strong, deliberate and constant, it really does feel like she's struggling to get out or something most of the time and she moves alot. This is really funny since she was completely still last friday during the exam, so much so that you could hear both myself and the Doc hold our collective breaths while searching for her with the doppler! Also this week, I started out really really tired and now towards the middle of the week I am feeling like organizing and cleaning as much as I can, putting things away and even cooking dinner for my family. 

My swelling has disappeared altogether and hasn't returned after being extremely swollen last Saturday.

Friday afternoon

I am feeling truly exhausted again but not physically, I am a bit physically tired probably due to my lack of appetite and inability to sleep. I have lost a few pounds, probably due to the lack of swelling but no help from the bag of peanut M&M's I ate this week. I am feeling mentally drained though because of the surprising facts I have gotten in the last two days. OK- so I was rather positive about my progress because last week I was told the baby was head down and low and that was good, I imagined going in today and being told I was making some progress and that the baby could be here anytime. I was wrong! 

Unfortunately, I was completely shocked with the news that baby E is now breech (almost transverse) at my 37 week ultrasound with the specialist! She is BREECH..I hadn't even imagined that could be the case, but as soon as the tech said that I realized that all the vigorous movements from earlier in the week were the baby pushing herself up and turning all the way around.  I also found out were that she is 6 lb.10 oz., 18" long and very cute in a "4d image orange glow" sort of way but how could I appreciate this when I was now faced again with the C-section!

Dr. Lescale suggested I lay upside down and coax her to turn herself back over. I left feeling pretty deflated but could not spend the rest of the day sulking since I was with my little one. We spent the rest of the afternoon with my sister and her daughters which was great to take my mind off the news, sort of.

This afternoon, I had my regular appointment with my delivering OB who checked and found the baby's heartbeat in no time, then felt around to confirm the baby was still in the breech position (and she was). She then sat me up and told me we would basically give the Baby E a week to return to her previous position, if by next Friday afternoon she still remain in the breech position, she suggested setting a date for me to have an External Cephalic Version, a procedure done to turn the baby! I have heard this can hurt but I am comforted that she suggested it and seems confident about it, it needs to be done before labor begins so by 38 weeks we're within the 2-week window. 

I must remain positive and find ways to keep myself from getting down over this, I am nervous about the possibility of a C-section, not because theres anything wrong with it per se but I had imagined trying to really fully immerse myself in the birthing process this time and no rush for pain relief like I did last time (out of fear...really) but now even so I am nervous about the regular delivery as well. The surprises are everyday and I am not handling this well. I had no surprises last time, all I did was show up and give birth to a baby but this time it seems theres an issue at everyturn. Maybe my previous doctor was very conservative and felt she didn't need to tell me every little detail along the way leaving me anxious but naive. Anyway, we'll keep positive and I will attempt the frozen peas on my belly, music down south, laying upside down and doing a downward dog everyday until next week.

Week 36 has felt longer than 7 days and I can only imagine Week 37 will feel even longer while I anxiously wait. I have another ultrasound on Friday to see if Baby E has moved into a proper vertex position or remains breech.