I was going to post a "This week our sweet baby girl..." post, but since those are just approximations from babycenter.com, I thought it would be more interesting if I posted her real numbers. As of last Thursday, the doctors estimate her weight to be 5 pounds, 7 ounces. This was at 36 weeks and several days. So, she's a tall, skinny girl - WITH HAIR! This should make me super-stoked about child birth, but right now we are looking at a c-section. I am totally okay with having a c-section, though. Let me tell you why.
Our baby girl is breech and in the frank position. She is head up, butt "wedged way down there", feet and hands by her face, facing my left side. The doctor says the chances of her turning on her own are slim to none, but she did say that babies surprise her all the time. She referred us to a specialist who spoke to us about performing an External Cephalic Version, which basically comes down to pushing on my stomach until the baby moves. There is about a 50% success rate and there is always a chance that the procedure could put the mother or baby in distress, forcing an emergency c-section.
On top of all that we also had to consider that our little girl has a small abdomen. It was measuring 33 weeks while everything else was measuring 36 weeks. The specialist said there is no reason at all whatsoever to indicate that this means anything more than our baby is tall and skinny, but she would monitor our baby closer than other babies during this procedure should we choose to go through with it. Count me out. I would rather undergo a major surgery than risk the health of my baby.
We go to the doctor this Thursday and if she hasn't flipped (which she hasn't yet), we will schedule the c-section for the week of the 9th. We go back to the specialist next Monday to measure her abdomen again -just to be on the safe side.
Okay. Now...I love mommy advice. I really do BUT...
Freddy and I thought about this, talked about this and prayed about this and we made our decision to have a c-section if she does not flip on her own. It was hard because I kept thinking, "What kind of mother opts out of the greatest miracle ever - childbirth?" The kind of mother that decides it is in the best interest of her family, that's who.
I know that there are ways to move the baby naturally. I've heard to put a frozen bag of peas on her head, to lay at incline, to shine a light "down there", etc. While some mothers swear these methods work, I'm going to have to pass. We have decided to let nature run it's course. What if something happened to the baby? I would always wonder if it was because of something I did.
That being said, if you think that we are making a mistake by opting for the c-section (like the mean lady teaching the class at the hospital), I appreciate your passion and I respect your opinion, but please don't give it to me. And I mean that in the nicest way possible, I really do.
10 comments:
Cheryl,
I am proud of ya'll for making this decision. Not because I believe one way is better than the other, I just know how incredibly hard it is to weigh the options and make a decision. Brett and I ended up having to make a VERY last minute decision to have a c-section because we felt that would be the best for Kenadie in our situation. For us it was great and recovery was easier than I thought it would be.
We will pray for ya'll as you near the end of your pregnancy that you will have total peace with either type of delivery!
Best Wishes, Cathy Cockerell Fuller
I would do the same thing! You have already learned lesson #1 of motherhood- do what is best for YOU and YOUR child and no one else's. You'll be holding that baby girl before you know it! I can't wait to see pictures. Good luck!
Love you so much! You were there and no that my c-section was very easy and my recovery was great! I have faith it will be the same for you! Our girls are just hard-headed and liked to be all folded up! =) Landri would LOVE to share her hip brace and GREAT pediatric orthpedic doc if needed! Can't wait to know when the big day will be!
Rock On! We love you and are with you guys. Can't wait for a safe delivery and to come home and "baby-sit" (and by that, I simply mean: sit... with the baby...while you are there) :)
Good for you, Cheryl. Remember...pushing a baby out doesn't make you a mother. And, whoa! The week of the 9th! That's like, right around the corner.
(And, I happen to know that breech babies are the best babies...take it from me--I was one;)
Cheryl
We're behind you all the way...
You have a wonderful family and friends behind you......we have been following your blog for awhile now and had to send a note telling you that you are in our prayers and also how special you are.
God's blessings to the three of you...can't wait to see pictures of your beautiful baby.
Love,
Aunt Karen and Uncle Jim
Well, I think you should be excited that your baby girl will be here really soon! That's so exciting!! Is her room ready??
I was just going to tell you that they kept telling us that Helee was really little (around 5 lbs full term), we had to go to Lubbock (70 mile drive) twice a week for a month to monitor him. They induced me two weeks early (kind of an emergency) & he weighed a Healthy 7 lbs. So, point is, the sonograms are not always right!
You have a future tall model on your hands!
Nate was frank breech as well. But my situation was a little different because I knew even before I got pregnant that I was going to have a C-section because I had a spinal fusion a few years ago, and my back doctor thought that would be best. So I knew all along I was going to have one.
I agree with the previous commenters...you need to do what is best for you and your baby, and being a mother has nothing to do with how your child enters the world. The miracle is not the birth, the miracle is that baby girl you are growing.
Try, try, try not to stress too much about this. If she flips on her own, great. If she doesn't, that's OK too. And really, my C-section and recovery was much easier than I had anticipated.
And hooray for tall, skinny girls!! (At least I've got one of those going for me!)
I think you've made the right decision Cheryl. Why do the other if there is even the slightest chance to put your baby in distress! I know if it had come to it I would have done the same exact thing. You are going to be a great mother. You already have that "do anything for your sweet baby girl" attitude, now just wait until you meet her... it will increase 10 fold!
Remeber EVERY second, from pregnancy on, because before you know it she will be 5 years old and about to start kindergarten.
VERY SMART decision Cheryl! :) Also--sonograms can only show so much--they thought my 8 lb 6 oz baby was weighing 6 lb 15 oz five days before she was born! Praying for a healthy baby no matter how she gets here!
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