39 Weeks!!!

It's beginning to feel a lot like... Christina may come out some day :0) Miss active continues to run out of room, the size of my belly continues to shock me, and the days Fly by! John and I went on a shopping excursion today to pick up the rest of the items needed for the birth. Now all we need is a liner for the "birth tub" and we will have it all. Christina's clothes are washed, her blankets are folded, diapers are within reach, and packing is coming (though still lots to do). Off and on I feel quite crampy and today I got all excited over diarrhea since that is a sign of early labor But though all of this may be helpful preparation... the real thing has not yet begun. This means more time to pack, wha-hoo!

Things are happening

Days are flying by! We saw the midwife today and praise Jesus, Christina has kept her head down!! Even more blessings, she is in the ideal position for birth! Thankfully, everything else looks good with me and Christina.

Since Saturday morning I have been feeling rather crampy (rather reminiscent of menstrual cramps). They can be uncomfortable but they are not terrible and as long as I am busy, I don't really notice them. They do not come in waves so I can't say I am in early labor yet but it's good to know something is going on. The arrival of our sweet baby can't be tooooooo far away!

We picked up the birthing tub (actually it is a water trough) so now all we need to do is clean it out, pick up a liner, and find a place to put it! Packing continues at a feverish pace and it is great to see the boxes stack up.

Christina has not slowed down a bit! The strength of her kicks seems to increase daily and now that her head is down, she uses it to put a lot of pressure on my bladder! She can also pinch a nerve in my leg--ouch! I'm thinking she is ready to stretch herself out vs. being wadded up in my belly.

Sunday, my brother David and his wife Celina, kindly followed John and I around with cameras and got some great pictures! Here is one of many:

38 Weeks, Wow

Is it really possible that Christina could arrive in just 11 days? Or even any day now, Wow! How very wonderful to hold her sweet self!!!

Here is a photo collage from yesterday:

I am doing well. My stomach is a becoming more sensitive as time goes by. My hands, wrists, and inside of my elbows by far hurt the most from all the poking they received yesterday - at least 11 jabs from attempted IVs, blood tests, numbing agents and anesthesia. My goal is to walk A LOT to help Christina engage her sweet head and keep her from flipping head up again. I am also wearing a band at the top of my belly to help keep her down.

Amy is quite the trooper and is becoming a wonderful mother. She endured all these hardships (and more) with grace in order to benefit precious little Christina and give her a healthy and natural induction into the outside world. ~~John

a day in the hospital

I am too tired to sleep, to exhausted to rest. What a day. I had a lot of firsts: first hospital visit, first IV, first spinal, first drugs in my system, first visit in an operating room, first catheter, first external cephalic version. The good news? The doctor was able to turn Christina--wha-hoo, thank You Jesus!! I can't say that Christina is happy in her new position as she has been kicking and rocking up a storm! Though I am delighted to know she is doing fine in there, her movements make me nervous--do not flip back sweet baby!

I would not mind to never repeat today. My veins are very difficult to use so before too long, I felt like a pincushion as three nurses and the anesthesiologist poked and prodded my hands, wrists, and the underside of my elbow to attach the IV and to draw blood. The fact that I had to fast and could not drink after 7:30 this morning made vein use more difficult. The version itself was no big deal. Christina was easy to turn (an answer to prayer) and it only took one try. My stomach may be sore tomorrow but so far, it is only a little sensitive. The numbness from my waist down was only supposed to last an hour but it took almost 5 hours for the spinal to wear off. What a creepy feeling to not be able to move your legs or feel sensations! I gained a whole new level of understanding for people with disabilities and for the elderly who are unable to help themselves. I'm not sure if it is the drugs or the copious amount of fluid from the IV to keep my blood pressure up, but I am a walking balloon--puffy feet, puffy hands, puffy face. Here's hoping the swelling will be gone tomorrow.

John was wonderful throughout the whole ordeal. Despite everything, he made me feel safe, secure, cherished, and treasured (all things he excels at in daily living). I so appreciated his sweet kisses, his gentle touch, his calming presence. He was by my side the whole day (except for when they wouldn't allow him for the spinal) which has resulted in sore muscles and utter exhaustion for him. We have both wished that for all we've gone through, the end result would be Christina in our arms. But, Lord willing, the version is what will keep us from having to endure a C-section or breech birth ...and that is worth a lot.

The ECV Plan

We are to arrive at the hospital at 10:30 tomorrow morning.
The procedure is to begin at 12:05 (Ha, like that will happen)
We will have an ultrasound to confirm her position and check the amount of fluid
I will have a spinal since that has the best results.
If anything looks troublesome, I will have an emergency C-section.

For more information about external cephalic version go to:
http://www.webmd.com/baby/external-cephalic-version-version-for-breech-position

a quick up-date

So, we saw the doctor today. My midwife and her assistant were there as well so we had a full room (I have really appreciated their support and advice). The doctor felt my stomach and believes Christina should be easy to turn. We have an appointment scheduled for Wednesday for an external cephalic version (ECV). We are still hopeful Christina will decide to turn on her own without intervention. If she does not turn before Wednesday, we are hopeful the version (ECV) will be a success. This would mean we could continue with our plans for a home birth. If Christina continues to stay head up, we may still have the option of a vaginal breech birth at the hospital.

John and I are both quite overwhelmed with all that is ahead of us. The path of least intervention is certainly our preference (i.e. an ECV vs. a C-section) but regardless of what we choose (ECV, vaginal breech birth, C-section), there are risks for me and Christina.

We are clinging to this promise in James, verse 5: "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

tonight + tomorrow

John is coming home tonight!!! My Wonderful Husband, my Best Friend, my Lover, my Companion, my Delight, my Dearest Love will finally be here. I do not know how couples survive who have to be apart because of work or some other reason. We have not enjoyed getting back to our "phone-y" relationship. I can't wait to be right next to him!!! Sweet bliss ~

Tomorrow morning at 11:00 we will meet with the Doctor to discuss our options for Christina's arrival. I'm a bit anxious not really knowing what to expect but hopeful that we will have a clear plan of action. I feel like emotionally, I have walked through what having a C-section would mean, though if that is our only option, I'm sure there will be more things to accept. I am praying that what we need to do will be very obvious, that we will have the grace to accept it, and the peace to walk through it.

Until tomorrow ~

37 Weeks

Somewhere along the way, I got ahead of my progress and jumped a week. So even though I missed posting last week, I am now starting my 37th week. 37 has been a big milestone since it meant that if I went into labor at anytime from now on, I could still have a home birth. Now, (until Christina turns) her arrival will be in a hospital but it is still nice to be all that closer to holding her sweet self in my arms.

Christina continues to be an active baby and gets the hiccups at least 3 times a day! I think she is going through another growth spurt since I've been really hungry during the night. She also seems to have helped my belly expand several more inches!

I got the results back from my blood work and thankfully my iron is great! I am still having issues with swelling feet and ankles (after our trip east they looked like clubs) but thankfully the weather has finally turned cooler so I'm sure that helps. I have been very busy packing our stuff with plans to finish it before Christina's arrival. All the bending and lifting gives me a lot of braxton hicks.

I will be away from John tonight for the first time since we got married. He and his sister Sharon left to pack up stuff at their parent's house and at our camper. We decided that I should not travel any more long distances until after Christina arrives. John plans to be back before Monday for our consultation with the doctor. I miss him terribly. I haven't been able to sleep without him since we've been married so... these could be a lot of long nights.

Ultrasound Results - It's a Breech

Christina is breech. The good news is, she is frank breech which means her bum is down, her head is up, and her legs are above her head. The reason this is good news is that this is the best position for a natural delivery. Her bum is so far down that it is unlikely she would turn but I am still going to give her every opportunity I can to help her turn.

We have a consultation with a doctor on Monday. She will discuss the risks associated with an external version and what our options are for a breech birth. She has delivered breech births naturally so we are hopeful. Most doctors will not consent to a natural breech birth for first time moms. This is because first time moms do not have a "proven pelvis". There is no guarantee that a baby will fit.

So, we wait + we pray.

overdue update

This post is long overdue. Life has been like a whirlwind. It took us 3 days to travel back east. When we arrived my sister Sara was in the early stages of labor. This lasted off and on for a few days. Sara planned to have a natural home birth. Sunday, things intensified and her baby turned away from her head down position. An ultrasound showed that the baby's back was now over the birth canal. With their baby in this position, their only option was a C-section. Their beautiful baby girl is healthy and happy and Sara is recovering.

The experience was emotional and draining. As far as we know, Christina has continued to be breech which means that if nothing changes, she will have to be delivered by C-section as well. I am going for an ultrasound to check her position today. If her head is down, we will rejoice and I will do everything I can to help her stay that way, hoping and praying she does not turn before or during labor. If her head is up, we will probably schedule an external version. This is where a doctor attempts to turn the baby by applying pressure to my stomach. An ultrasound is used to look at the baby to confirm everything is okay. From what I have read, a doctor will try this once or twice. If the procedure is unsuccessful, a C-section is scheduled.

The good news is, even if Christina is breech, she may change her position before birth. She has continued to be really active. Yesterday, the visiting midwife thought she felt her head at the top of my belly. Later, she though she felt her head, halfway down my left side. Maybe Christina is just doing somersaults in there!

So, as my sister Sara has experienced, how a baby arrives in the world doesn't really matter in the great scheme of things. She still has her precious daughter in her arms.

8 Months Pregnant

How did time go by so fast?

Peace

As far as I know, Christina is still happy in her head-up position despite all the strange postions I keep getting into. It is very nice to get to pat her little head and dream if she has hair or not! She has been so active! Last night, I felt an arm or a leg moving around on my right side. So sweet and little and pokey!

I'm feeling much better about her position now--thank you for your prayers! I guess I needed some time to grieve over the possibility of not having the birth I've planned. Today, the sky is overcast with rain predicted, but my heart is filled with sun. No matter how our daughter arrives in the world, it will just be so wonderful to have her!!! I'm so excited about seeing all her little parts that have been moving about so much inside me! (She has the hiccups now)

John and I have decided to stay a few days longer than we planned so we/he can get some painting done to make it easier when we move back. This will also hopefully save us from dealing with holiday traffic. We are anxious to get back but it has been so nice to have this time together!!!

So, like most of life, our next few days and weeks are filled with unknowns and changes to our plans. And as Kristen says, "It's all good". ;)

36 Weeks

Discouraged. Overwhelmed. Frustrated.

Discouraged over Christina being breech. Knowing she could turn head down, but could also just as easily turn head up again. If she is breech when I am in labor, I will not be able to have a home birth. This is devastating to me. Even the midwife here who delivers breech babies, will not deliver a breech to a first time mom.

Overwhelmed with all that needs done. Today is John's last day of work before we leave. When we return he will hopefully have a work truck, a work cell phone with enough signal to communicate with (far different than what he has had), and a more consistent schedule with maybe even some days off!! We hope to leave before the weekend if we can tie up loose ends here.

Frustrated to have not finished painting. I am very thankful we got Christina's room done except for a few touch ups. That will make moving her things so much easier! I wish I could have done the same for our bedroom, both bathrooms, and dining room. Though I am the one with the most time, I also have the most limitations: should not inhale fumes, should not lift heavy things, should not over-do, should not go into labor before 37 weeks.

So, I am in a prime spot to learn patience, contentment, and gratefulness ;)