Waiting for number three
It's very strange to go from having a full-time job, two small children to care for, a house to run and a husband to (for want of a better word) entertain, to having not much to do but sit around and watch my tummy grow. And so, in a moment of ante-natal selflessness, number three has thought up a way to keep me busy. Not just sorting through and washing the baby clothes that have been passed down from grandchild to grandchild (cue cute photo above), but also regular sessions of crawling around the living room and sitting with my head down and bum in the air. Yes, number three is breech, and despite my best efforts looks like it's thinking of staying that way.
And so I have entered a whole new world: turning breech babies. The above-mentioned exercises so far have given me raw knees and a sore back. According to the midwives and the internet I can also take my pick from the following: ECV, which is basically external manipulation by the obstretrician (30% success rate and we're doing it next week), acupuncture (willing to give it a go), bag of frozen peas on top of baby's head (er, well, ok, why not?), playing music through headphones stuck to my pelvis (getting very sceptical) and burning incense sticks pressed to the outside of my little toes (get real).
My no-nonsense obstetrician has given me the bottom line on what happens if none of that works: "You'll have to have a ceasarian." No discussion of a breech delivery. Truth be told, I don't think I would risk it anyway as the main problem with breech deliveries is that the head has a tendency to get stuck as it hasn't been compressed by engaging in the pelvis and the process of labour. Number three, according to the latest scan, has a slightly larger than average head circumference (in which it takes after number one and Dad) and so I wouldn't want to take a chance. But the thought of a C-section is a bit scary. I know that it's pretty straight-forward and of course there's the advantage of not going though labour, which has never been my favourite bit of motherhood, but still, it does mean someone is going to cut me open and then stitch me back up and I've never had any major surgery. Fortunately for me, I have a friend who has just had one, so I can get the low-down and I'm sure it wouldn't be so bad if it came to it. But, it's OK to be nervous, right?
Meanwhile, where are those peas...?
posted by Rebecca @ 12:23 pm
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