PREGNANCY WEEK 38 – September 26, 2020
So happy to be so close to my due date, folks! And there is a lot to update about since last week’s update.
Monday, I met with Dr. Clark, one of the OB’s at my office who specializes in ECV for breech babies. He determined that baby was definitely still breech, and then confirmed it with a quick handheld mini ultrasound. Baby’s head was right next to my belly button, over to the right side, where I have consistently ALWAYS felt a huge uncomfortable lump during these past few months. He likes that spot, and has stayed put. The doctor suggested an ECV would be ideal to perform during week 37, and not waiting any longer because baby runs out of room the longer we wait. Thankfully, he called the hospital and they were able to get us an appointment for the ECV that very next day at noon.
Tuesday, we woke up and I was allowed to drink some water at the latest of 6am, but was not allowed to eat whatsoever. It was important that I be fasted for the procedure, just in case I would need to be rushed to an emergency c-section if things were to go badly and the baby needed to get out ASAP.
Eric and I showed up at the hospital to L&D around 11:30am to check in for the procedure. The nurse had me get into my gown and hooked me up to an IV port. They put the fetal heartrate monitor on my belly to monitor the baby for a little while before we started attempting the ECV. They adminitored a bag of fluids in my IV as standard procedure. Then they gave me a shot in my arm of a medicine to help my uterus relax. The unfortunate side effect of that medicine is that it makes your heart rate increase rapidly. It is such a weird feeling to be lying in a bed with a heart beating so quickly as if you are in a sprint!
The doctor came in and did a mini ultrasound to check baby’s current position again. His head was still in the same spot as the day prior, but his back and butt had shifted over, as if he had rolled. This was actually a more optimal position for the ECV, so that was good to hear.
The doctor lifted the bed really high and layed me back all the way flat, so he could get to work on trying to flip this baby. Eric and the nurse were on my left side, and the doctor was on my right. He told me to be completely relaxed and still, and definitely avoid tensing up. I couldn’t watch what was happening, but Eric got to be my eyes. He said it was SO CRAZY to watch. The doctor started attempting a counter-clockwise turn, by pushing the baby’s head down and swinging the body up and around. It was PAINFUL! Everything inside of me wanted to scream out for him to STOP, because he was hurting me, but I knew this was normal and part of the process. After two tries, baby was STILL breech.
He tried a third time, this time going in the opposite direction. Instantly, he said nevermind, that direction was a no go, it had to be counter-clockwise as the baby was more likely to move that way.
He tried a 4th attempt, and this time, the baby moved and was head down! It felt SO WEIRD to have the sensation of my entire huge baby MOVE 180 degrees. It felt like my organs and guts were being shifted around. But thankfully, he was head down. The doctor put the ultrasound on my belly to confirm that he was indeed head down!
He went ahead and wanted to check baby’s heart rate to see if he was in distress or not. What was scary, is that baby’s heart rate was only registering around 95 bpm, which was very low! Eric and I started feeling very scared. Simultaneously, I suddenly started to feel very badly in my body too. I informed the doctor and nurse that I was starting to feel myself fading out and I was going to lose consciousness!! I said I was also starting to see spots in my vision as I was fading out. They immediately acted by rolling me on to my side and putting an oxygen mask on my face. As I began breathing deep breaths of the oxygen and also was off my back, I slowly started feeling better. They took my blood pressure and it registered very, very low: 72/48. They said this low blood pressure likely was causing baby to have low heart rate. As soon as I started feeling better, my blood pressure came back up to 105/60 and baby’s heartbeat shot back up to normal, around 140-160 bpm. It was a scary minute or two, but thankfully both the baby and I were alright and we were both going to be just fine!
They went ahead and monitored both me and the baby for the next hour. They confirmed on the ultrasound that he was still head down. Praise the Lord! I am so thankful! It worked! I was fully preparing myself to not have my hopes up that it would be successful, as they odds were not very good in our favor.
I am just so thrilled that it worked. But I was also starving to death. They told me to order a meal and eat up! I did not say no to that. I ordered a cheeseburger, caesar side salad, mashed potatoes, and cheesecake. I ate every single bite. It was amazing….like a celebration meal!
After being monitored for an hour, they told me baby was looking wonderful and we were able to go home. As soon as I stood up from the bed, I insteadly was overwhelmed with the pressure of the baby being head-down and in my pelvis. It completely caught me off guard. But what a great sign! I joked with Eric that I was suddenly going to have to learn to walk again, and I might start waddling. It truly felt like the baby was going to fall right out of me. Eric said I wasn’t allowed to lay down at all, I needed to stay upright to keep that baby from flipping back. He said that jokingly, of course….but with a hint of truth! That afternoon, I bounced on my ball at home for an hour and a half and also didn’t lie down at all, just to encourage him to stay down low in my pelvis. We also took a long walk that evening to try to encourage him to stay down and in my pelvis as well.
So…..that’s the big update! I will see the midwife on Monday for my next appointment. It very well could be my final appointment! That’s so crazy to think about. We will see if I’m starting to dilate at all. I’d also like to readdress the possibility of a scheduled induction before my due date, if possible. I would love to plan childcare for my two kids. Plus, my labor and delivery with Chloe was SO FAST (a little over 4 hours), and I just want to avoid being rushed and afraid of not having enough time to get an epidural this time. SO…..fingers crossed that we can get that scheduled.
So super thankful that we are back on track for a vaginal delivery! I am so grateful. It’s interesting, I have felt so much pressure and so many Braxton Hicks contractions all week now that he is head down. Makes me feel like my water could break or labor could start at any moment. We shall see!
Can you tell the difference of how my belly looks here? It might be hard to spot, but I can totally tell a huge difference in how my belly is shaped and positioned.
My age: 34
How far along: 38 weeks pregnant
How big is baby: baby is the size of a small pumpkin, around 19.6 inches and 6.75-7 lbs.
Gender: Boy
Events of the past week:
Had a sleepover last weekend with a couple of Winter and Chloe’s little friends Saturday and Sunday. Had my prenatal visit on Monday, saw the chiropractor for an adjustment, was in the hospital on Tuesday for the ECV, had my hair appointment to get my highlights updated, took the dog to get a hair cut, went to my first MOPS meeting of the year. On Friday, my sister and her husband officially adopted two little girls, so I was able to “attend” the adoption hearing over ZOOM. Friday night went to a girls’ craft night with several girlfriends.
Symptoms:
Feels like a bowling ball is hanging out between my legs. Lots of pressure down low, and tons of twinges and the sensation that my water could break at any moment. Lots of braxton hicks contractions. Lots! Feeling like my belly is a completely different shape as well as much lower and appears “smaller” ever since the ECV. Baby must be engaged in my pelvis. Still getting heartburn. Feeling harder to walk around.
Workout & Training Summary:
Now that I’ve been cleared to workout again, I have been taking advantage of that! My first “real workout” included barbell back squats…..and let’s just say I was SUPER sore for days after that. Then, I have been doing pretty much full body workouts consistently. Barbell squats, sumo deadlifts, barbell military presses, bicep curls, lateral raises, lat pulldowns, cable rows, etc. It feels so good to be training my muscles again.
How workouts are feeling:
Feeling great! I have definitely lost a lot of strength and muscle. I can barely lift a fraction of the weight I was lifting a few months ago. In fact, for squats and deadlifts, I am only doing 65 lbs! That’s literally NOTHING. But even that weight left me extremely sore for days. So….even though it’s light, I am happy to be doing the movements again. Also….suddenly I am getting a lot of comments at the gym. Other members are approaching me and telling me how impressed they are about my workouts. It’s kinda fun to get this attention.
Nutrition, Protein & Calories:
Oh my goodness, I feel like I have been failing in this department this week. I was stressed and simply stress-eating. But not even eating meals….just allowing myself candy and treats. Now, I am back on track this weekend and eating healthy again and drinking protein shakes to get my protein up high again.
How is my body changing:
My belly is a whole new shape since the flip. It’s a whole lot less angular and much lower and “smaller” shape now. Otherwise, my body is the same and I’m feeling good and confident. Here is a look at my bump growth from weeks 30-38….. (that’s the same shirt week 30 and 38):
Sleep:
My sleep is so hit or miss. I mostly sleep well….but sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with bad insomnia and just watch TV at 3AM. Also, I wake up with bad heartburn too. Yay.
Food cravings:
Reeses Pumpkins. Sugar.
Food aversions:
Real food and real meals.
Movement: The baby’s movements are so different since the flip! Now, his legs are up high, so the kicks are completely different. I feel overall LESS movement than before the flip, but still pretty active baby.
Best Moment of the Week:
The successful ECV!
What I’m looking forward to:
Looking forward to having this baby and meeting my son.
What I’m not enjoying/or not looking forward to:
The unknown of when the baby could come. Winter stayed home from school the entire week due to sickness, so I am realllllllly wanting her to be all the way better before I go into labor.
What I miss:
Nothing right now.
Next appointment: Monday, Sept. 28, 2020 at 10:15 with Barbara.
Comparison of my 3 pregnancies all at 38 Weeks Preggo:
And of course, here are just a few more pictures from this week of my 38 week bump. Kinda crazy that we are getting so close to him being on the OUTSIDE very soon. I don’t know that I will miss having him on the inside, as much as I’m being honest. I want him in my arms, not in my belly.
The day of the ECV:
38 Weeks:
Baby Lute x3 