Week 38

With Darling Daughter #2:

With Natalie:
I had my 38 week and c-section pre-op appt today with Dr. Gaines. I had him do an internal even though I have a c-section scheduled for next week since I had still hoped to try for a VBAC if I went into labor on my own before then. I wanted to know if I've made any progress which like last week, I haven't. Only fingertip dilated still.

Because of still wanting to possibly try for a VBAC we started discussing whether she was actually head down. Last week he said he wasn't sure she was head down. In order to attempt the VBAC, she would need to be. He decided to do an ultrasound to double check. Sure enough, she's breech! That explains why her hiccups feel more like they're at the top of my belly and her kicks feeling more like they're hitting me in the pelvic bone. Plus, there is a hard lump at the top of my belly which turns out to be her head and not her butt (way to hard for her butt).

I now feel validated in making the decision to go forward with the scheduled c-section. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders from wondering if I was making the right decision in not committing to doing a VBAC.

Here's a photo of my 38 week ultrasound. Late term ultrasounds look so different than early on. It's hard to make out her image because she takes up so much of the view. Your actually looking at her head on the left.

Dr. Gaines said everything else looked good also. I'm measuring on track for 38 weeks and her heart rate was great.

Our baby is about 21 inches from head to toe and weighs about 6.8 pounds. Most of the her downy hair, lanugo, and whitish coating, vernix, is disappearing. She is getting her antibodies from me to protect against illness. Our baby's growth is slowing, but fat cells under skin get plumper for life outside the womb. Almost ready for birth, she would do well if born now.

I'm exhausted all the time now and have pretty intense lower back pain. I have to go to the bathroom constantly. I'm definitely looking forward to meeting our little girl and being done being pregnant. I've forgotten what it's like to not be carry around all this extra weight.