I wasn't upset about the wait at that time, as I was still glowing over my normal blood pressure and finally there was a knock at the door. In came a midwife I hadn't met yet and a student. A quick introduction and I could tell they were rushed, but when I said, "I have lots of questions" she said "we'll have to multi-task", the student had me lie down and starts attempting to find the heart beat with the doppler. Let me step back a second and say they've NEVER had any trouble finding my little guys heartbeat, even at week 11. I wasn't freaking out because I could feel him moving about, but it was hard to concentrate on asking my questions while having someone struggling to find my babies hear beat. However before I could ask questions, this midwife, I just met, starting in on me about my weight. If any of you actually know me... you'll know that I've always been on the heavier side and I've struggled a bit with my weight. I've already had the weight gain conversation with one of the other midwives and I'm not just lying around eating bon-bons all week, which is what it feels like as the lady goes on and on and on about why I need to not gain anymore weight, and to watch what I'm eating and even critiquing my exercise regime. I've actually been eating pretty decently, I'm still pretty much only drinking water (except when I get braxton hicks and feel it's from dehydration), and am walking at least a mile a day. Sure it's a decrease in my typical exercise but I've also had a VERY stressful couple months and it feels like my babies arm or foot may fall out of my vagina at andy time.
Yep, so after a tongue lashing about gaining 30lbs, the conversation turned to my "birth plan". Everything was fine with the exception of my request to labor without an IV/saline lock and a refusal for Cytotec. It got really weird as she grilled me about my decision to refuse cytotec. You may or may not know about Cytotec, but basically it'a a drug used for stomach ulcers that has in recent years been used off label for cervical effacement and thinning. I do not want this drug used because it's an off label use, meaning not FDA approved, it's used for early term abortions and has a history of uterine rupture and even death. If you want to read more about it, click here. So on an on she goes about " Well if you were 41 weeks and a few days, and we induced you and your cervix remained thick, without Cyotec, you are just setting yourself up for a c-section". I asked her about folie bulb insertion to open up my cervix if that was the problem, and she said it wouldn't work because it wouldn't fit... but from what I know, if a catheter bulb can fit in my urethra a catheter bulb should be able to fit in my cervical oz. I respectfully replied, okay, I'm not saying no 100% to Cytotec, I'm just saying at this point, and with my ideal plan, I do not want Cytotec and we can discuss it further if the time comes. She continued until I finally just didn't say anymore.
The student started looking REALLY frazzeled because she still hadn't found the heart beat. I told her and pointed to my upper left side, and said, this is either his head or his butt... so you should be able to hear something over here... but instead there she stood on the right side of me below my belly button getting a very fuzzy and slightly faint heartbeat. She palpated and wasn't sure what she was feeling, so the midwife came over, starts palpating and she says... "You are ALL baby, everywhere I touch, he's head downs, but he shouldn't be that big." Next the student took my fundal height measurement and looked worried again, then the midwife did and said she decided that he was measuring way to big. As I was 32 weeks and 5 days at the exam and my fundal height was measuring 37 weeks. Fundal heights are not that accurate and we're one of the only countries that does this, anyway, she freaked and insists I get an u/s, digging through my chart for diabetes and whatever else. It was pretty frantic and scary for a few minutes... but I reminded myself that this was STUPID and that this midwife was obviously not a "hippy" as I prefer but a very medically minded/rip off of an OB with her tucked in scrubs.
I take my u/s form and told her I was probably just measuring big because I was fat... and then I headed to the ultrasound. I was mad and nervous, but mostly mad. The u/s went well and to my somewhat surprise that big BUMP on the left side was indeed a head and all my "questions and complaints" about feeling like a body part was going to fall out of my vagina were his feet. This feeling is not "normal" as the midwife insisted, but instead is a sign of a footling breech baby. I have to admit the coolest part of the u/s was getting to see his feet kicking my cervix, however the Perineal u/s technique was less than pleasant to get to see the action. I wish the u/s tech had printed more and better pictures or even given me the CD. I feel like I'm always getting ripped off, because originally I was told I'd get a 3d/4d us, pictures and a dvd, that was at our first u/s at 20 weeks. I've now gone twice. The first one I only got a dvd, this one I only got 3 printed pictures... and they suck. Anyway, I got a chance to peek at all her measurements and he was measuring 33 weeks and 5 days on ALL the measurements, which is still exactly a week earlier than my "due date" and verified by both u/s. Now that the u/s is over I realized if she had palpated correctly and knew about fundal heights she would have known this baby is Breech and that fundal heights are often much bigger when babies are breech.
I drove to the mall to shop and I was in the store and when I got the call, "Your u/s was normal, and he is in the 35 percentile." I'm like what?! 35 percentile?! That's not good, what does it mean?! She didn't have a answer. All the measurements I saw said 33 weeks and he's only 32 weeks. The woman had nothing more to say as she was the secretary and I was in the middle of the store so I let it go. The next day I called and talked to the nurse. I asked what exactly is the percentile referring to, is it weight, height, position... and guess what, she didn't know. And I again said 35% cannot be good. I'm no statistician but everyone knows that you want to at least be at 50% to be normal/average. How can a nurse be giving out this information "Everyday" and not know what it means off the top of her head? She comes back and said "It was explained to me that this is normal measurement". I hung up the phone even more annoyed and immediately changed midwife locations. I've been going to the clinic location that primarily accepts medicaid, uninsured and offers a sliding scale. I really didn't mind how ethinic it was, the lack of access to star panel or even how small it was but I've had issues with nursing not getting my blood pressure right, or at all, them not doing urinalysis to check for protien or sugar, I've had 2 bitchy midwives that rushed me and made me uncomfortable and now they can't even answer my questions that I'm asking off of their own tests. I'm REALLY hoping that the new clinic fullfills my needs and can answer my questions... and if not I'm transfering back to my old OB/GYN. I like her and trust her, the only reason I haven't been going to her is because I want a natural birth and I didn't believe that hospital she practices out of would provide the supportive environment I need and want to allow that.... and even though she's cool with it, I can't say the same about the rest of the practice. The midwives are typically more naturally bound.... so here's hoping shit gets better. I guess the other thing about it is if this baby really does stay breech, I will 100% be transfering back to my ob/gyn to allow her to do my c-section. I like her and trust her... and midwives can't do c-sections.
Needless to say I'm still not sure about the percentile but I do know that u/s aren't that accurate in predicting weight or size. The margin of error gets bigger as the baby gets bigger and I believe it's 2lbs either direction. And that we've offically started the intervention makes another intervention necessary... because now I will most likely have to have another u/s to verify his position.
Now that I know my dear son is indeed Breech, I've started breech treatments. I've got 5 weeks to get this baby back into a heads down position. I'm doing "inversions", I started a nightly breech hypnosis audio, and I've made appointments with an accupuncturis and a chropractor to do the webster technique. If you want to learn more about these I suggest this website. I have my first visits next week.
In other news, tomorrow is our baby shower. I can't believe it. I can't believe I'm having a baby shower and that it's tomorrow. How insane!!!!! Jason and I are so excited. I can't wait to see my friends and family. This baby and I are/am sooo lucky to be this loved. A blog and pictures are sure to follow.
I loved this!! The crappy times often make the best stories. I do remember having that feeling like the kids were kicking my cervix. It was rough. But can't imagine them actually having a foot there!!! Good luck getting him turned round! :)
ReplyDeleteI understood so often babies turn naturally within one week of due date...in fact, neice was anxious to get a c-section when her breech was discovered, but hospital won't schedule until one week of due date. She was pissed...yes, a bit controlling, lol! Baby Jackson did turn by himself, btw, right on his schedule, not Jenn's, lol!
ReplyDeleteAll the best, Reagan. So sorry you had to go through this crapola and that your next clinic gives you only their best :)
Thanks Jen!
ReplyDeleteJoan you are right, he can turn on his own at any time. After he gets to 37 weeks it's a bit harder for them to do (just because of the space issue), but there are people that go into their birthing day and suddenly the baby goes heads down.
I'm doing all these things in hopes that if he doesn't turn and a c-section becomes inevitable I'll be able to know I did all I could. I finally found an article that also states an anterior placenta (which is what I have) can cause babies to go breech as well. No matter what happens, it will be the right birth for him.
They don't do breech births very often these days and after discussing with Jason I think we're going to forgo the external cephalic inversion technique. It just seems scary, painful and risky to have someone forcefully moving my baby inside me. Plus it only has only a 50% success rate. He's still heads up this morning but he seems to be enjoying the techniques, he's was wiggling all about after our inversion and hypnosis session. :)