Saturday, January 19, 2013

Baby Lexi Update

As some of you know, we had a doctor's appointment Thursday for my 39 week check.  I was kind of excited to see if I had dilated at all and what she would say and secretly hoping they would tell me I was already in labor and to walk down the hall to the hospital- haha.  She said everything looked great and I was dilated 1 cm and 70% effaced and that a lot of first time moms went past their due date.  When she checked me she was trying to see her position (I figured she was trying to see if she was face up or face back) and she said she wanted to send me to have an ultrasound to verify that she was head down.  Both doctors I had seen had told me separately they thought that she was head down weeks ago since I was persistant in asking around 35 weeks.  So, on we went to the ultrasound to see our little girl- which I was pretty excited about again because I didn't think we'd get another ultrasound.  The first thing she said when she pulled up the image on the screen is that she was "hiney down".  I was devastated.  All along I had thought she was head down and then at 39 weeks and 2 days I find out that's not the case.  Of course if the doctors think she's head down I'm going to trust them and not push the issue.  I knew I was already a hormonal emotional wreck as soon as we stepped out of the office to go back to the doctor to talk about what we'd learned.  As soon as we stepped out of the office I burst into tears.  This is not what I had imagined!  I had read somewhere that only 3% of babies are breech by full term.  What is it with the small percentages happening to me and Marshall!?  Only 1% of the population has an AVM in the brain and now only 3% of babies are breech and yet here we are.  Brooke told me we needed to play the lottery with our crazy odds.  So, I felt like a crazy pregnant lady with tears all down my face sitting in the office waiting for the doctor to come back in to talk to us.  The first thing I asked is if I could still deliver vaginally and she said they do not recommend that because there can be serious risks to the baby.  When you deliver since the head is the biggest part when the head is down and that comes out the rest slides out but when baby body parts start coming out the cervix can close and then leave the head (the biggest part) to get stuck and not able to come out.  She said we needed to schedule a C-Section.  Since the beginning of this pregnancy I have been one of those people who wants to do everything but have a C-Section. Last resort. When she said that I was just so shocked.  I think that could have been a reason I was so emotional also because it was just like a bomb was dropped.  Such a surprise.  She did remind me that she could be sitting there giving me bad news about the baby or myself.  But she wasn't.  Lexi is perfectly healthy- estimated at 7 lbs 1 oz.  I am perfectly healthy and young.  There is nothing wrong with us... she just wasn't facing the right way.  She told me she could walk us down the hall to schedule the day to come in for a C-Section.  She asked us what day next week would be good for us and I thought what?! How can we pick the day our baby will be born??? This is insane!  Then she said well, we can do it tomorrow, Friday.  TOMORROW?? I said I needed a little more time to process things and mentally prepare so we scheduled the C-Section for Monday at 7:30.  I'm still a little worried about the recovery after a C-Section and it's definitely not my first choice to have done, but if it's safer for Lexi and has less risk of something happening to her- that's what matters.  I have to focus on the positive and good that we do have a healthy baby girl and everything is fine and we will have her on Monday!  That's so crazy! And I think the good thing about this kind of C-Section is that there was no complication that led to this at the last minute so I could probably deliver normally next time assuming I wouldn't have another breech baby.  I know someone who had a C-Section breech baby with her first and then delivered vaginally with her second with no problem.  Marshall and I were talking in the car on the way home about how his lesson at church on Wednesday was on the command "do not be anxious".  How fitting is that?  The Lord has a way of preparing us and filling our hearts with what we need to hear.  We are so excited to meet our baby girl so soon and hoping that the recovery goes well.  So just be praying that everything goes smoothly and that Lexi would be healthy and that I would recover quickly and that we could soak up every minute with this sweet baby girl.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I know that's gotta be disappointing to have to change to a c-section when you were so wanting to deliver vaginally. Will be praying and thinking of yall tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing pictures!
Erin

Crystal said...

Rachel, you were on my heart today, and then I decided to check your blog! I know this is disappointing for you, but know that it's a minor detail compared to the life you will share with Lexi. You are doing what's best for her, which is what great mothers do! You are already shaping her life in a positive way. You will be in my prayers!

Crystal