38.4

It's been such a crazy start to the 38th week, I nearly didn't have time/forgot to blog! I also realized I forgot to take my 38 week pic.

The simplest thing to talk about is that yesterday I woke up with bad arthritis in my left hand and couldn't make a proper fist all day. Today I have arthritis in both hands (all in my knuckles) and it's hard to even use my left hand fully.

Ok, now the crazy stuff. The day before my 38th week, I went to the chiropractor and she said she's nearly 99% sure the baby flipped to breech. She wanted me to tell my midwife, but I didn't want to tell anyone. I just wanted to see what happens. So, the next day I had my regular checkup with my midwife and I walk into the room and an ultrasound machine is waiting for me..... I asked why and she goes "don't you remember, we talked about doing this". No, we said if you found the baby was breech a few weeks ago, we would start to monitor - but they weren't. So I'm assuming my chiro messaged my midwife and gave her a head's up.
Well, the ultrasound very clearly showed that fire-baby was/is breech. I just started crying. My midwive had a list of names ready of OBs in the area that do vaginal breech births and she hinted at that there is a midwife that will also do vaginal breech births.

The options that were presented to me were:

• Stay with current midwife:
• Have a scheduled c-section
• Come into the hospital crowning and have a vaginal birth
• Try to flip the with an EVC
• Go to one of 3 male OBs that do vaginal breech births
• Go to the new midwife

I cried a lot more and further discussed my options. At the end of the appointment, she basically tried an EVC and the baby wasn't budging. So we are assuming that scheduling a full one wouldn't turn out much better.

I had originally planned on going back to work, but after the news I decided to take the day off - plus after the EVC I assumed I would be pretty sore (which I was!). I ended up going home and making a few phone calls to get the ball rolling on moving to a new practitioner.

The OB's office I called was a typically OB office - so F them.

I had a nice conversation with the midwife and luckily my midwife called her earlier and gave her a heads-up. She seamed very confidant and easy to talk to. So, I was able to scheduled an appointment with her the next morning - in which we basically did a consult.

Dan and I decided we want to go with the midwife, but nothing is final right now - we are influx. And while I originally wanted to go into labor this weekend, I now hope I wait longer until we get this all sorted out!

I had an ultrasound on Friday morning to determine the exact position of the baby, the cord, and the placenta. That information needs to make its way to the new midwife (which is hasn't) so she can confirm that she can take my case. But based on my consult everything looks good.

In all of this, I've been trying to keep in touch with both midwives and keep my doula, photographer, and Kate in the loop on the changes! That's been a lot to juggle - and a hard switch from when just a few days ago I thought I was at the point of just costing into the finish line. 

Another change is that even though this midwife will do a vaginal breech birth, since she doesn't have hospital privileges, and no birth center around me will take my case, I will have to do a home birth! Which is crazy since that's what we originally wanted! But now I'm nesting at full blast since the birth and birth photos will be here!

37 Weeks

I started on Heparin last week. It's not as bad as I thought it would be. The needles are far less painful and as long as I go slow, the medication doesn't sting. I'm also not noticing any major bruising yet from heparin. I still am healing from my large lovenox bruises.

We finished out pediatrician meet n greets - I'm glad we did this because we ended up going with the person I didn't think I would originally want!

I started drinking "3rd trimester tea" and eating dates. I'm supposed to have about 3 cups a day, but I'm only doing 1 and I'm supposed to eat 6 dates per day, but at best I'm eating 4. I made the dates into date balls - but they still aren't that great to eat. Once I'm out of both, I think I will stop.

My acupuncturist insisted AGAIN that I take magnesium. He gave me a specific type to try from Costco, so I've started those. Surprisingly, I haven't had any issues. But I've decided to only take 1 every other day.

There's been a lot of changes in my body this past week. Things are a lot more tender, sore, achy, popping, Lots of cramps.

My midwife told me just yesterday that the other midwife I've been working with is on vacation all of next week! The main midwife will also be out of pocked for about 4 hours next saturday so if I went into labor then, I would need to be handled by the backup! How bogus. All of a sudden she thinks it's not likely that I will go into labor then, but that's Exactly the time-frame I was planning/envisioning on going into labor. I told my doula too so that she know and she thinks it's bogus too.

I thought for sure I was going to get away with out getting the dark line on my belly...well, it just appeared in the last few days! I thought for sure if I didn't have it now I wouldn't get it. But it is pretty faint and thin.

36 Weeks

It's getting harder to breath, which is weird because the baby dropped probably a few weeks ago. It's also crazy hot outside right now (heat indexes over 100); I tried to walk around the block the other day and I might have gotten a bit of heat stroke??? I couldn't make it all the way around the block and and a few times I felt like I was going to puke. It took me the rest of the day to recover but when we got back in the house Dan help me put ice packs under my armpits and behind my neck. It help mostly.

I had my final meeting with my doula. It went well, but also I can't think of anything of note to talk about.

My arthritis has started and my carpal tunnel has returned. Looking back at my old blog from being pregnant with Sean, this started closer to 37 weeks.

I had my 36 week apt yesterday and it was mostly all the NST. They caught one "good" contraction on the chart and the baby was moving around like crazy. Both midwives seems to be very surprised at the amount of activity - and from my point of view, it was a lot but also not a lot compared to how they move in the evening!
They want to keep doing the test every week but I think I will be declining them unless I start to feel some concern. Fire baby doesn't like the test and each one is an additional $150 per visit.
At the end of my appointment my midwife looks at my stomach an says "you can come anytime you want now"

Later that day I had a chiropractic appointment and she started pushing on the back of my pelvis (right above my tail bone) and it was tender - which is normally isn't. She said my body is getting ready to have this baby anytime now as my hips are loosening up. She could tell b/c my pelvis was springy. She said it was the relaxin, but I thought that was a little bit weird since everything you read says I start releasing relaxin pretty much since day one and I've even seen one place say it peaks around 15 weeks!
I told her (before she told me this information) that I was hoping to have the baby before 39 weeks and she told me I won't be waiting that long. She kinds joked at the end of the appointment that she might not even see me for my appointment next week!

35 Weeks

The swelling has really started. Mostly in my feet, toes, and ankles, but I've also noticed a bit in my fingers. I remember from reading an old blog post that near the end of my pregnancy with Sean I started to get arthritic in my hands. I don't feel I'm there yet, but I do occasionally notice some stiffness.

The leg cramps are getting sooo bad!

I finished my visual birth plan. It looks pretty good. I paid someone $19 to do it - totally worth it. I just hope it holds up - that I stand up for what I want.

I think baby has been head-down for about a week now, but I feel like in the last 2 days they are transverse again. No confirmation though - just hoping they get head-down and stay there by next week (for my next apt).