The Birth x 2
In an effort the get Piper to spin from breech to vertex, really the last ditch effort, I started going for Mayan Abdominal Massage. This is not the type of massage that just makes you feel good, rather, it is intended to help prepare babies to be born. Part of the purpose of the massage is encouraging babies to shift to head down; part of it is to help ensure a speedy labor.
I had my first massage on Thursday. Jennifer, the M.A.M., was very calm, almost mystical and helped foster a feeling of peace and relaxation in me. She would pause during the massage to 'speak' to Piper and ask her to turn head down. Piper rolled around slowly inside me, but didn't turn. I scheduled two more sessions for Friday and Saturday. Jennifer asked me to have Griffin come with me - 'just in case'. She said that there are points she could work to help the baby move, but they could also trigger labor. I was rather doubtful of that, but asked Griffin to go with me for the next two appointments anyhow.
On Friday she taught Griffin a few moves to help labor progress if we needed it. They both worked on stretching my body: Griffin took a foot and Jennifer took a hand and they gently pulled. It felt great. The next day we went to our four o'clock appointment and she did the same basic things, plus a few more.
It was Saturday and our 6th anniversary. We met my in-laws, Jan and Claire, for a celebratory dinner at the Black Forest Inn, a German restaurant. Dinner was delicious and I managed to save room for some ice cream - soft serve chocolate and vanilla twist. Yum! We talked about the fact that Piper might actually be coming late. We were so sure she was going to be early, but it wasn't looking that way anymore. I was 39 weeks pregnant.
Griffin and I were pretty pooped and we went to bed early at just past nine. Shortly after midnight, I woke up feeling 'off''. I had a coughing fit and went into the bathroom and threw up in the sink a little. This wasn't an unusual occurrence, my stomach had be squashed by Piper for a couple of months and food backed up rather easily. I felt a little crampy and went back to bed. Ten minutes later I felt really crampy and went to use to toilet. It felt like my dinner was disagreeing with me.
I returned to bed to try to sleep it off. At this point Griffin was awake and asked me what was wrong. I told him that I either had food poisoning or I was going into labor. We tried to sleep, but ten minutes later I was back in the bathroom on the toilet feeling miserable and my stomach lurched. I launched my dinner and dessert into the bathtub next to the toilet with a splash. It was disgusting.
Griffin got up and cleaned the tub. I sat on the bed and moaned at my belly pain. We decided there was no use trying to sleep anymore, so we went downstairs. This was just before 1am. We sat in the library and Griffin read something and I tried to relax when a real contraction hit me. It was like really bad gas pains stabbing me in the belly. I checked my phone for the time at it was shortly after 1am. The next contraction hit me a little harder ten minutes later.
If we were going to go the the hospital, as I figured would be happening since I could feel Piper kicking the same low spot in my belly, we needed to get some stuff done. I managed to get my things together that had been sitting in a drawer, just in case. I gathered some stuff together for Piper. Griffin ran around the house gathering odds and ends and doing some last minute things for the house.
Back in the library, we started discussing calling our midwife Judy. The birthing class we took said to wait until the mother starts ripping off her clothes because she is so hot she can't stand it. I told Griffin to call NOW! He talked to her and told her what had happened so far. I was on the couch on all fours moaning loudly into a pillow through another, stronger contraction, still 10 minutes apart.
Judy wanted to talk to me so Griffin handed me the phone. I spoke to her for a few minutes, I have no idea what I said, and another contraction came. I was on all fours on the overstuffed leather chair. I waved the phone at Griffin because I couldn't speak, only moan.
She asked him a few questions, something like: How far apart are the contractions? 10 minutes, maybe a little closer. Is the baby still breech? Yes. Do you want to go to the hospital? Yes. Which hospital?
Which hospital. We just had this discussion the day before. We decided that we liked the doctor who worked out of Hackensack much better than the one that tried to do the version on me who was in Morristown. Yes, Hackensack was farther away, but it would be nice to work with someone who seemed to care a bit more about us and our options. So.
Which hospital? MORRISTOWN! I don't know why I knew I needed to get to help as fast as possible, but I did. I moaned horrible guttural sounds with each contraction. Griffin called the office of the doctor that worked out of Morristown Memorial Hospital, he got the machine and the number to call if a mother is in labor and dialed that number. The person answering the phone asked him a few questions and said the doctor would call us back.
When the doctor called it was after 2am. The contractions were coming closer together - every eight minutes or so. Griffin talked to him for a few minutes and it was decided to come into the hospital right away. Griffin called Judy again and she said she would meet us there. Griffin phoned his parents to let them know what was happening - there was no answer, so he left a message. We packed everything into Griffin's Ford Ranger and we were off at just after 3am.
The contractions were stronger still and closer still. He drove carefully and I moaned a kind of "uuuuuuuggggghhhh-oooooooo" sound with each one. I was trying to get onto all fours while wearing a seat belt. It was very awkward, I practically climbed into Griffin's lap. I think the contractions were about 7 or 6 minutes apart when we left our house and when we got to the hospital they were more like 5 minutes apart.
We parked in the garage and I walked as fast as I could until the next contraction hit. Griffin carried all of the bags and helped me walk. We went through the halls following the Labor Ward signs and when the next contraction struck, I veered off into a bathroom to sit on the toilet. It lasted a minute or so and I weakly washed up and we were off again. We made it to the nurse's desk and signed in. I growled through a contraction as they tried to find a room for us. It was a little before 4am and the contractions were 5 or even 4 minutes apart by then.
The nurse got us into a room, had me strip and put on a johnny, and give a urine sample. I have no idea how I did any of this. Griffin helped me through it. I got onto the bed and a nurse strapped on a fetal monitor belt. When the contraction came, I tried to flip over onto all fours and moan through it, the nurse tried flipping me back. We compromised on letting me lie on my side and press my face into Griffin's belly and make demonic noises.
Judy arrived and she and Griffin helped me labor. One nurse tried to get an IV in my arm while another one tried to take blood. Still another nurse came in to check the baby on ultrasound. Yes, she was still breech, footling breech now. Her two feet were aimed right for the exit ramp. I writhed on the bed in pain as the contractions came faster and harder. My head pounded. Everyone moved in slow motion. I cried that I felt like I needed to push. "Don't push!" they said. One nurse finally checked my dilation. Judy asked her what I was at. The rather confused looking nurse said 8 centimeters. I screamed I could feel the baby coming out. Everyone stood around like they were made of lead.
Finally Judy jumped into action: she reached inside me and felt around. She told them that my bag was bulging and she could feel a foot. She barked orders at people and everyone started to jump into action. The doctor finally showed up. The contractions were nearly on top of each other as they got me onto a gurney and wheeled me towards the operating room.
The anesthesiologist tried talking to me about what was going to happen. Nurses shaved me and strapped down my arms. They said there was no time for an epidural and that I needed to go under general anesthesia. I screamed that the baby was coming. A panicked nurse saw feet coming out of me still inside the sac. Someone yelled to push them back in. She grabbed Piper's feet and shoved them all the way back inside me. She must have had her whole hand in there stuffing Piper back in. Piper was almost born!
Finally the IV started giving me the general anesthesia and I was out like a light. The doctor made a huge, and possibly panicked, incision across my pelvis. The second one went from navel to pubic bone through my angry uterus. Piper was born for a second time at 4:21am.
When I woke up in recovery an hour later Judy was with me. She told me Griffin was with Piper and she was fine. (I am crying now just writing this. I was so relieved.) Judy started pestering the person in the recovery room to get the baby in here. Within a half an hour I got to hold my baby girl for the first time. Judy adjusted Piper and helped me feed her for the first time. It was like magic. I was instantly in love.
By 6am I was in my hospital room with my loving husband and my precious baby girl, Piper. We bonded and fell in love all over again. That morning I held and kissed her and stroked her every chance I got. As my grogginess wore off. I made sure that no one took her out of the room for anything. We didn't want her to have a bottle, formula, a pacifier and didn't want her sleeping in the nursery. She fed from my breast like we had been doing it forever. I told Griffin over and over how much I loved him and how much I loved Piper. I was on top of the world!
The next three days in the hospital were an adventure in and of themselves, but that will have to wait. I am off to hold my sweet baby girl, Piper Blue.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
How Non-Conventional Can You Get?
38 weeks, 5 days.
There are many ways to spin a breech baby. Some seem obvious and straightforward - like having a doctor manipulate your baby and physically turn her around and some are a little less concrete. Well, as I found out, straightforward is not that simple, but there are other things that can be done, from logical to mystical, I am trying them all. Let's see, what have I done so far?
Inversions. This is pretty easy for most people to do, most non-pregnant people anyhow. An inversion is meant to get the baby's feet or butt out of your pelvis so she will be free to turn around. There are a variety of ways to do it, but simply put, you need to raise your hips 12 inches or more above your shoulders. I have done this while lying on an ironing board leaning against the couch, by piling up couch cushions and lying on them on the couch or floor and by kneeling on a chair and putting my hands and face on the floor. To some degree or another, they kick my heartburn in, so it is a bit uncomfortable to say the least. Nothing seems to happen, but Piper is not in pelvis, so that's something, I suppose.
Exercises. Pelvic tilts, cat stretches, crawling and rocking. I have been on my knees a lot, waving my butt around like a feline in heat. So much so, that my knees are getting sore. All of these exercises are supposed to be done when the baby is active, so at random moments during the day I leap off the couch, and crawl around on the floor like a bulldog with my hips higher than my shoulders. If anyone was watching me they would think I have serious problems, none of which having to do with a breech baby. I don't know if they are doing anything to help encourage Piper to turn, but my arms are getting rather shapely.
Hammock Belly. Either on my hands and knees or by trying to rest face-down in a pile of carefully placed pillows, I try to relax my belly and make it loose and free like a hammock for Piper. The idea is to get her to float around and allow her to turn, and again, I am supposed to do this when she is active. Every time she starts rolling around, I drop to my hands and knees and try to make the 'belly hammock', but it's like it scares her and she stops moving. As soon as I get up and resume what I was doing, she goes back to moving and kicking like it's some kind of game.
Acupuncture. The Chinese have been doing it for 3000 years, they must know something, right? Well, maybe. I have gone to 5 sessions with an acupuncture group located in Morristown, about 40 minutes from us. Now, I hate needles, fear and dread them, however, acupuncture is not like having a needle. They are fairly painless and if you don't ever look at them it's not bad at all. There is a point on the outside of the pinkie toe that, when stimulated, is supposed to encourage the baby to move into the vertex position. It gives you mild contractions and really wakes the spawn up. There are also a bunch of other spots that help increase blood flow, so they stuck me all over. I was surprised at how quickly she started reacting to the first session. Within five minutes of being turned into a human pincushion, Piper was kicking and flopping about. No spinning though.
Moxabustion. Along with the acupuncture, you can stimulate that point on the pinkie toe with what is essentially a giant incense stick. It gets very, very hot and you hold it near your toe to activate the point. This, even more so than the acupuncture got things moving. They acupuncturist gave me some to take home and and I instructed Griffin on how to do it to my toes. It really gets Piper moving and gives me long lasting contractions, but she hasn't gotten the idea yet.
Webster Technique. If I was skeptical about acupuncture, you could say I am downright dubious of chiropractors. Even when I had that terrible sciatica, I refused to see a chiropractor, I would rather suffer. It's funny what desperation will drive you to. For me, it drove me to Livingston! That's about 50 minutes from our home. At least I am smart enough to make back-to-back appointments. I would go to the chiro and then the acupuncturist. It made for a very long day. The chiropractor did 'tests' on my spine and told me that my pelvis and neck were out of whack. He wanted to 'adjust' both. I told him to forget about touching my neck. I was here simply for the baby stuff. The Webster Technique is supposed to help align and open to pelvis so the baby has room to turn. Nothing seemed to be happening, except that my wallet was becoming thinner with the $10 copays. The more I went there, the more I felt it was a waste of time. 5 sessions and I was done with him. Of course, they he thinks it is 'crucial' that I keep coming in, but honestly, my back is starting to hurt me!
Self-Hypnosis. I believe in the power of my brain. I can analyze and figure out complex problems, I can create works of art and I can write for hours on end, but can I use my brain to turn my baby? Well, I have been listening and participating along with a baby turning-self-hypnosis program. It is very relaxing and makes me lie still for 40 minutes. Part of the process is envisioning your baby turning and staying in the vertex position. I have a hard time with this because I can't picture Piper. She is still the giant squirrel that rolls around in my belly and kicks me. I am not good at picturing babies, but I have been trying. I will continue to do this until there is no time left. At least it is relaxing.
Swimming. Well, we live on a lake, but it is only May. After my last acupuncture session yesterday, I decided to force myself into the lake. I hate lakes, almost as much as I hate needles. I love to look at lakes, but swimming in them is revolting to me, but I am stubborn. So when I got home I put on a tankini that looked totally bizarre with my great, big pregnant belly and I walked down to our dock. There was green mucky algae floating in clumps and within minutes I was surrounded by dozens of hungry fish. The water was fairly clear and I could see the slimy rocks below the dock. I decided I needed my water shoes. So I went back in the house and got my Keens. Good thing my feet aren't swelling too much anymore; I got them on fairly easily. I marched back down to the dock, braced myself and climbed in. I half doggie-paddled, half breast stroked my way out into the lake. The breast stroke is supposed to encourage the baby to turn around. Swimming with Keens on isn't really easy, but it kept the fish from eating my feet. I did a bunch of laps until I was panting and climbed out, collapsing into the deck chair on the dock. It felt good despite the lake-ieness of it all. I will try to swim everyday now.
Mayan Abdominal Massage. Today, I start something new. This is supposed to help relax and open the uterus for the baby to turn. It's an ancient technique that has resurfaced in massage therapy. Didn't all of the Mayans mysteriously disappear? Anyhow. It's something else to try. Of course, I hate massages. At least ones from strangers. Having some random person touching and rubbing my bare skin is a little too personal for me, however, if it will prevent have some random person cut me open like a fillet-o-fish to get Piper out, I will give it a shot. My appointment is at 6:45 today, so I have lots of time to do all of my at home exercises.
Even if I don't get this baby to turn and end up the dreaded c-section, I really feel like I deserve a gold star for working so hard at trying to turn her so we can have the birth we envisioned. Yup, stick a great, bit gold star right on my forehead. Good try there, lady.
There are many ways to spin a breech baby. Some seem obvious and straightforward - like having a doctor manipulate your baby and physically turn her around and some are a little less concrete. Well, as I found out, straightforward is not that simple, but there are other things that can be done, from logical to mystical, I am trying them all. Let's see, what have I done so far?
Inversions. This is pretty easy for most people to do, most non-pregnant people anyhow. An inversion is meant to get the baby's feet or butt out of your pelvis so she will be free to turn around. There are a variety of ways to do it, but simply put, you need to raise your hips 12 inches or more above your shoulders. I have done this while lying on an ironing board leaning against the couch, by piling up couch cushions and lying on them on the couch or floor and by kneeling on a chair and putting my hands and face on the floor. To some degree or another, they kick my heartburn in, so it is a bit uncomfortable to say the least. Nothing seems to happen, but Piper is not in pelvis, so that's something, I suppose.
Exercises. Pelvic tilts, cat stretches, crawling and rocking. I have been on my knees a lot, waving my butt around like a feline in heat. So much so, that my knees are getting sore. All of these exercises are supposed to be done when the baby is active, so at random moments during the day I leap off the couch, and crawl around on the floor like a bulldog with my hips higher than my shoulders. If anyone was watching me they would think I have serious problems, none of which having to do with a breech baby. I don't know if they are doing anything to help encourage Piper to turn, but my arms are getting rather shapely.
Hammock Belly. Either on my hands and knees or by trying to rest face-down in a pile of carefully placed pillows, I try to relax my belly and make it loose and free like a hammock for Piper. The idea is to get her to float around and allow her to turn, and again, I am supposed to do this when she is active. Every time she starts rolling around, I drop to my hands and knees and try to make the 'belly hammock', but it's like it scares her and she stops moving. As soon as I get up and resume what I was doing, she goes back to moving and kicking like it's some kind of game.
Acupuncture. The Chinese have been doing it for 3000 years, they must know something, right? Well, maybe. I have gone to 5 sessions with an acupuncture group located in Morristown, about 40 minutes from us. Now, I hate needles, fear and dread them, however, acupuncture is not like having a needle. They are fairly painless and if you don't ever look at them it's not bad at all. There is a point on the outside of the pinkie toe that, when stimulated, is supposed to encourage the baby to move into the vertex position. It gives you mild contractions and really wakes the spawn up. There are also a bunch of other spots that help increase blood flow, so they stuck me all over. I was surprised at how quickly she started reacting to the first session. Within five minutes of being turned into a human pincushion, Piper was kicking and flopping about. No spinning though.
Moxabustion. Along with the acupuncture, you can stimulate that point on the pinkie toe with what is essentially a giant incense stick. It gets very, very hot and you hold it near your toe to activate the point. This, even more so than the acupuncture got things moving. They acupuncturist gave me some to take home and and I instructed Griffin on how to do it to my toes. It really gets Piper moving and gives me long lasting contractions, but she hasn't gotten the idea yet.
Webster Technique. If I was skeptical about acupuncture, you could say I am downright dubious of chiropractors. Even when I had that terrible sciatica, I refused to see a chiropractor, I would rather suffer. It's funny what desperation will drive you to. For me, it drove me to Livingston! That's about 50 minutes from our home. At least I am smart enough to make back-to-back appointments. I would go to the chiro and then the acupuncturist. It made for a very long day. The chiropractor did 'tests' on my spine and told me that my pelvis and neck were out of whack. He wanted to 'adjust' both. I told him to forget about touching my neck. I was here simply for the baby stuff. The Webster Technique is supposed to help align and open to pelvis so the baby has room to turn. Nothing seemed to be happening, except that my wallet was becoming thinner with the $10 copays. The more I went there, the more I felt it was a waste of time. 5 sessions and I was done with him. Of course, they he thinks it is 'crucial' that I keep coming in, but honestly, my back is starting to hurt me!
Self-Hypnosis. I believe in the power of my brain. I can analyze and figure out complex problems, I can create works of art and I can write for hours on end, but can I use my brain to turn my baby? Well, I have been listening and participating along with a baby turning-self-hypnosis program. It is very relaxing and makes me lie still for 40 minutes. Part of the process is envisioning your baby turning and staying in the vertex position. I have a hard time with this because I can't picture Piper. She is still the giant squirrel that rolls around in my belly and kicks me. I am not good at picturing babies, but I have been trying. I will continue to do this until there is no time left. At least it is relaxing.
Swimming. Well, we live on a lake, but it is only May. After my last acupuncture session yesterday, I decided to force myself into the lake. I hate lakes, almost as much as I hate needles. I love to look at lakes, but swimming in them is revolting to me, but I am stubborn. So when I got home I put on a tankini that looked totally bizarre with my great, big pregnant belly and I walked down to our dock. There was green mucky algae floating in clumps and within minutes I was surrounded by dozens of hungry fish. The water was fairly clear and I could see the slimy rocks below the dock. I decided I needed my water shoes. So I went back in the house and got my Keens. Good thing my feet aren't swelling too much anymore; I got them on fairly easily. I marched back down to the dock, braced myself and climbed in. I half doggie-paddled, half breast stroked my way out into the lake. The breast stroke is supposed to encourage the baby to turn around. Swimming with Keens on isn't really easy, but it kept the fish from eating my feet. I did a bunch of laps until I was panting and climbed out, collapsing into the deck chair on the dock. It felt good despite the lake-ieness of it all. I will try to swim everyday now.
Mayan Abdominal Massage. Today, I start something new. This is supposed to help relax and open the uterus for the baby to turn. It's an ancient technique that has resurfaced in massage therapy. Didn't all of the Mayans mysteriously disappear? Anyhow. It's something else to try. Of course, I hate massages. At least ones from strangers. Having some random person touching and rubbing my bare skin is a little too personal for me, however, if it will prevent have some random person cut me open like a fillet-o-fish to get Piper out, I will give it a shot. My appointment is at 6:45 today, so I have lots of time to do all of my at home exercises.
Even if I don't get this baby to turn and end up the dreaded c-section, I really feel like I deserve a gold star for working so hard at trying to turn her so we can have the birth we envisioned. Yup, stick a great, bit gold star right on my forehead. Good try there, lady.
Monday, May 17, 2010
The Exciting (non) Conclusion
37 weeks, 3 days.
I wanted to write a triumphant entry on Thursday night about the wonders of medical science and how the doctors fixed my little right-side-up/up-side-down issue, but I couldn't. The external version failed. Well, in my mind, the doctor performing it failed.
Griffin and I arrived at Morristown Memorial Hospital a few minutes early; we seem to arrive everywhere a few minutes early. After driving around trying to find the proper entrance we just parked in the visitors lot. There is a lot of construction going on at the hospital and it looked like a battle zone. Griffin spotted the "Women's Services" entrance and we went in. The main desk was empty, so, we walked down one hall and then turned around and walked down another. It wasn't clear where to go. I felt like a rat in a maze.
We started to follow some printed signs for Labor and Delivery Admission. After what felt like an eternity we got to a security guard who let us into the 'ward'. I tried to check in at the desk and they all stared at me blankly when I told them I was here for a version. The nurses at the desk asked each other if there was a version scheduled. They looked a little like Keystone Cops running around digging through paperwork trying to figure out if I was scheduled. Finally, one of them found something and a nurse led us into the nicest hospital room I had ever seen.
Since we were in the Labor and Delivery Ward, I guess they have tried to make the rooms nicer. It was kind of like a new budget hotel room with lots of medical machines in the back with tons of wires running out of them. Of course the bed was a hospital bed, but it had a little rounded end that looked a little more comfy like a chase lounge. There was one chair, a stool and that was it for seating. Griffin plopped into the chair.
The nurse gave me a johnny to put on and told me to leave my underthings on. I got dressed and Griffin tied up my back. I rolled onto the bed. The nurse came back in, untied me and gave me a sheet. She wrapped a fetal monitor around my belly and set the machine to beep quietly.
Kasey, Judy's student midwife found us. Since there was no where else to sit, she climbed up on the stool. We chatted as the nurse went about setting things up and then left to check on where the doctor was.
We talked about how I hate to give blood or have IVs put in. My veins are skinny and deep in my elbow pits, and yet that's where they always start looking. I have become rather proactive about the whole thing and I tell the person trying to poke me that my hands are a much better place to look. I have strong hands with veins that pop out with very little effort. I can stand the pain of being poked there and it is usually done in one shot.
The nurse came in to start the IV and I gave her my usual speech about my skinny veins and how I would be happy to have her put the IV in the back of my hand. She told me she hates doing hands and tried to find a vein in my forearm. I don't know what she was looking at (I never watch when they are trying to do this), but she stuck me in the middle of my arm. She dig around a bit and then pulled the needle out.
She moved to the crook of my arm. Poked, dug, pulled out. Poked, dug, grunted, dug, wiggled and finally it was set. I turned to look at the IV and saw the furiously red blood running down my arm from the two first pokes. She tried to wipe it off, but it has started to coagulate already. She got some wet paper towels and wiped my arm clean and put two Band-aids on. She set the IV to drip saline.
A few minutes later a little man came into the room and announced he was going to need a couple of vials of blood. I cringed. I told him about my skinny veins and he just ignored me. He put on the tourniquet and started looking at the veins in the crook of my other arm. I sighed. I hate hospitals. He poked me once and started to dig. I felt the needle go in and out several times inside my arm. Looking, looking, looking. I was bound to spring a leak somewhere. Finally, he found something and got his two vials of blood. "That is going to bruise a bit," he told me. Do ya think? He gave me a Band-aid too.
Apparently, the doctor was running late because he had an 'emergency procedure'. C-section, I figured. The nurse left and the three of us chatted about all sorts of things. A couple of hours passed and I could hardly stand it anymore. I hadn't eaten since 9:30 the night before and I was getting the shakes. The nurse came back in and said the doctor is on his way. Yippee.
The OB came in with two other doctors in tow. Great. He questioned who Kasey was with a weird look on his face. They started up the ultrasound and jellied up my belly. He stood in front of me and pointed out all of Piper's anatomy. ". . . and here is her spine, can you see that?" he asked.
"The only thing I can see is your back." he turned and looked back at me and made a weak attempt to get out of my line of vision to the ultrasound screen. I was ready to just get this on. The nurse prepared to give me the 'medicine' that would stop my uterus from contracting while he worked on me. She gave me a shot in my arm! What the heck was the IV for?
Within a few minutes the doc and one of his lackies started the version. They pushed, twisted, grunted and dug into my belly. Oi. It hurt on the surface and felt weird and creepy inside. They were trying to get a hold of her head and butt and turn them around. Piper's head was stuffed so high into my ribs that he couldn't get a good grip. The doc talked about how he didn't want to bump the placenta, and yet he was spinning her head right for it. Why not go the other way then? I had to be reminded to breathe a couple of times.
The lackie was grunting and following directions. These two rough men were doing battle with my little girl. She was winning. My belly was suffering. After about 15 minutes he announced that this 'wasn't happening'. My skin was on fire. It felt like an Indian burn and I was sure it would bruise.
They turned on some lights to talk to us. Well, the florescents weren't done flickering before the words "scheduled c-section" came out of his mouth. I looked at him dumbly. He said he could get me on the schedule now and that it was better than just waiting until I was in labor and doing an emergency one. C-section? I was planning a home birth! He basically told us that if he couldn't turn her, she wouldn't turn and you can't have a vaginal breech birth. And then he looked at me rather queerly and asked, "Do you have insurance?"
"Yeah," I was dumbfounded. I wasn't prepared to schedule anything. I wanted to go home. And so we did. I called Judy, our midwife, on the way and told her what happened. She gave me the name of another OB and the phone number of the midwife from Uganda that does home breech deliveries. Judy told me if we go that route, she could not be there because the State doesn't allow certified nurse midwives to do them. I was shocked.
I was very sore by the time we got home and I collapsed in a chair. Griffin talked about everything. I was not happy about the prospect of a c-section. It is everything I don't want to have happen. Eventually, I cried it out. In the days since, I have been doing a lot of reading about turning a breech baby. There are other options and I intend to try them all. I will not give up.
Today I am going to see an acupuncturist. They have a treatment that encourages the baby to move into the vertex position. There is also a procedure I can do at home that they will teach me to do. I am waiting for a homeopathic treatment to arrive today as well. It is supposed to help relax the uterus and make it easier for the baby to turn.
Tomorrow we are going to meet with another OB, this one is a woman, who may agree to do a version for us. I have read the the external version should be done gently and in a massaging manner. Roughness and forcing is futile. (I'll say.) She is also one of the few OBs left that is willing to assist in a vaginal breech birth. Of course, I would have to do it in the hospital, but it seems like a compromise to me.
I will also schedule a (GASP) chiropractor appointment. There are a few chiros that do a procedure called the "Webster's Technique" which is supposed to help widen and loosen the pelvis as well as straighten a twisted uterus. That will be an act of desperation for me.
In addition, I have been doing exercises at home and lots of belly massage. In fact I have been able to move Piper around quite a bit. I am a little nervous about flipping her completely because that damn doctor put the thought in my head that maybe she won't go because she has her cord wrapped around her neck. It is highly unlikely. I really don't like doctors. So, this isn't a conclusion, but a continuation.
And I will leave it as "to be continued . . . "
I wanted to write a triumphant entry on Thursday night about the wonders of medical science and how the doctors fixed my little right-side-up/up-side-down issue, but I couldn't. The external version failed. Well, in my mind, the doctor performing it failed.
Griffin and I arrived at Morristown Memorial Hospital a few minutes early; we seem to arrive everywhere a few minutes early. After driving around trying to find the proper entrance we just parked in the visitors lot. There is a lot of construction going on at the hospital and it looked like a battle zone. Griffin spotted the "Women's Services" entrance and we went in. The main desk was empty, so, we walked down one hall and then turned around and walked down another. It wasn't clear where to go. I felt like a rat in a maze.
We started to follow some printed signs for Labor and Delivery Admission. After what felt like an eternity we got to a security guard who let us into the 'ward'. I tried to check in at the desk and they all stared at me blankly when I told them I was here for a version. The nurses at the desk asked each other if there was a version scheduled. They looked a little like Keystone Cops running around digging through paperwork trying to figure out if I was scheduled. Finally, one of them found something and a nurse led us into the nicest hospital room I had ever seen.
Since we were in the Labor and Delivery Ward, I guess they have tried to make the rooms nicer. It was kind of like a new budget hotel room with lots of medical machines in the back with tons of wires running out of them. Of course the bed was a hospital bed, but it had a little rounded end that looked a little more comfy like a chase lounge. There was one chair, a stool and that was it for seating. Griffin plopped into the chair.
The nurse gave me a johnny to put on and told me to leave my underthings on. I got dressed and Griffin tied up my back. I rolled onto the bed. The nurse came back in, untied me and gave me a sheet. She wrapped a fetal monitor around my belly and set the machine to beep quietly.
Kasey, Judy's student midwife found us. Since there was no where else to sit, she climbed up on the stool. We chatted as the nurse went about setting things up and then left to check on where the doctor was.
We talked about how I hate to give blood or have IVs put in. My veins are skinny and deep in my elbow pits, and yet that's where they always start looking. I have become rather proactive about the whole thing and I tell the person trying to poke me that my hands are a much better place to look. I have strong hands with veins that pop out with very little effort. I can stand the pain of being poked there and it is usually done in one shot.
The nurse came in to start the IV and I gave her my usual speech about my skinny veins and how I would be happy to have her put the IV in the back of my hand. She told me she hates doing hands and tried to find a vein in my forearm. I don't know what she was looking at (I never watch when they are trying to do this), but she stuck me in the middle of my arm. She dig around a bit and then pulled the needle out.
She moved to the crook of my arm. Poked, dug, pulled out. Poked, dug, grunted, dug, wiggled and finally it was set. I turned to look at the IV and saw the furiously red blood running down my arm from the two first pokes. She tried to wipe it off, but it has started to coagulate already. She got some wet paper towels and wiped my arm clean and put two Band-aids on. She set the IV to drip saline.
A few minutes later a little man came into the room and announced he was going to need a couple of vials of blood. I cringed. I told him about my skinny veins and he just ignored me. He put on the tourniquet and started looking at the veins in the crook of my other arm. I sighed. I hate hospitals. He poked me once and started to dig. I felt the needle go in and out several times inside my arm. Looking, looking, looking. I was bound to spring a leak somewhere. Finally, he found something and got his two vials of blood. "That is going to bruise a bit," he told me. Do ya think? He gave me a Band-aid too.
Apparently, the doctor was running late because he had an 'emergency procedure'. C-section, I figured. The nurse left and the three of us chatted about all sorts of things. A couple of hours passed and I could hardly stand it anymore. I hadn't eaten since 9:30 the night before and I was getting the shakes. The nurse came back in and said the doctor is on his way. Yippee.
The OB came in with two other doctors in tow. Great. He questioned who Kasey was with a weird look on his face. They started up the ultrasound and jellied up my belly. He stood in front of me and pointed out all of Piper's anatomy. ". . . and here is her spine, can you see that?" he asked.
"The only thing I can see is your back." he turned and looked back at me and made a weak attempt to get out of my line of vision to the ultrasound screen. I was ready to just get this on. The nurse prepared to give me the 'medicine' that would stop my uterus from contracting while he worked on me. She gave me a shot in my arm! What the heck was the IV for?
Within a few minutes the doc and one of his lackies started the version. They pushed, twisted, grunted and dug into my belly. Oi. It hurt on the surface and felt weird and creepy inside. They were trying to get a hold of her head and butt and turn them around. Piper's head was stuffed so high into my ribs that he couldn't get a good grip. The doc talked about how he didn't want to bump the placenta, and yet he was spinning her head right for it. Why not go the other way then? I had to be reminded to breathe a couple of times.
The lackie was grunting and following directions. These two rough men were doing battle with my little girl. She was winning. My belly was suffering. After about 15 minutes he announced that this 'wasn't happening'. My skin was on fire. It felt like an Indian burn and I was sure it would bruise.
They turned on some lights to talk to us. Well, the florescents weren't done flickering before the words "scheduled c-section" came out of his mouth. I looked at him dumbly. He said he could get me on the schedule now and that it was better than just waiting until I was in labor and doing an emergency one. C-section? I was planning a home birth! He basically told us that if he couldn't turn her, she wouldn't turn and you can't have a vaginal breech birth. And then he looked at me rather queerly and asked, "Do you have insurance?"
"Yeah," I was dumbfounded. I wasn't prepared to schedule anything. I wanted to go home. And so we did. I called Judy, our midwife, on the way and told her what happened. She gave me the name of another OB and the phone number of the midwife from Uganda that does home breech deliveries. Judy told me if we go that route, she could not be there because the State doesn't allow certified nurse midwives to do them. I was shocked.
I was very sore by the time we got home and I collapsed in a chair. Griffin talked about everything. I was not happy about the prospect of a c-section. It is everything I don't want to have happen. Eventually, I cried it out. In the days since, I have been doing a lot of reading about turning a breech baby. There are other options and I intend to try them all. I will not give up.
Today I am going to see an acupuncturist. They have a treatment that encourages the baby to move into the vertex position. There is also a procedure I can do at home that they will teach me to do. I am waiting for a homeopathic treatment to arrive today as well. It is supposed to help relax the uterus and make it easier for the baby to turn.
Tomorrow we are going to meet with another OB, this one is a woman, who may agree to do a version for us. I have read the the external version should be done gently and in a massaging manner. Roughness and forcing is futile. (I'll say.) She is also one of the few OBs left that is willing to assist in a vaginal breech birth. Of course, I would have to do it in the hospital, but it seems like a compromise to me.
I will also schedule a (GASP) chiropractor appointment. There are a few chiros that do a procedure called the "Webster's Technique" which is supposed to help widen and loosen the pelvis as well as straighten a twisted uterus. That will be an act of desperation for me.
In addition, I have been doing exercises at home and lots of belly massage. In fact I have been able to move Piper around quite a bit. I am a little nervous about flipping her completely because that damn doctor put the thought in my head that maybe she won't go because she has her cord wrapped around her neck. It is highly unlikely. I really don't like doctors. So, this isn't a conclusion, but a continuation.
And I will leave it as "to be continued . . . "
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Right-Side-Up is the New Up-Side-Down
36 Weeks, 6 days
Judy, our midwife, and Kasey, the midwife in training, came to our house on Tuesday to check out the space where we are planning on having the birth. We discussed the location options and decided to have it set up in the nursery. Outside on the deck was a thought, but the deck is old and I was concerned about the weather too. We talked about the last few things we need to get together and that we should have them all ready to go.
There was some discussion about the tub for the waterbirth and the fact that she only has 3 tubs which are all out right now. Two of them are at mother's houses that are due on the 16th. As long as one of them delivers before I do, I will be the next in line to get the tub. I figured they can't both go overdue, so I am bound to get one of the tubs. Also, we thought there was very little chance that I would go into labor this week or early next week anyhow. In a pinch, our own bathtub would have to do. With that settled, we moved on to the regular appointment stuff.
Kasey, the midwife in training, took my blood pressure, checked Piper's heartbeat and measured my belly. I weighed myself and all looked good. She then felt around my belly to see where Piper is lying. She thought that Piper was still in the proper head-down position. Judy asked if she was sure, she was pretty sure, somewhat. With that, Judy checked my belly.
She felt around for a long time and kept wiggling Piper from side to side. She told Kasey to feel my belly too, I was a bit concerned. Apparently, I have a lot of abdominal muscle and it is very hard to feel the baby's pieces and parts. There are just two obvious lumps - one in heads the other tails, but which is which? Judy said she thought the baby had flipped again and was once more breech. There was a lot more feeling around and discussion. Finally, Judy wanted to do an internal exam to see if she could feel anything that way. At this point Griffin had to leave for a meeting. I was on my own.
We went upstairs and using olive oil as a lubricant, Judy dug around inside me. Oh, how I hate internal exams. There is no dignity in pregnancy. She couldn't feel anything. Piper was so high up in my uterus that she was out of reach. Other steps would need to be taken to determine what was going on.
Judy called the back-up OB office and told them that we needed an ultrasound STAT (okay, she didn't really say stat, but she got an appointment for the very next day anyhow).
Griffin and I went to the office yesterday and they confirmed that Piper is breech. The next step is to have an 'external cephalic version' performed. This is a procedure where the doctor attempts to gently turn the baby from the outside. It is successful in 60 to 80% of the cases and there are very few complications involved. They will give me an IV of a muscle relaxer to help loosen things up. This is done in the hospital, just in case, so the OB called the hospital and told them we needed an external cephalic version, STAT! (Now I just like saying it.) We got scheduled for the next day, which is today.
So here I am, Thursday morning, waiting to have the ECV performed at 11am. I am not allowed to eat or drink anything in case they need to perform an emergency c-section. I am fairly calm and quite hopeful that this will work out just fine. The c-section option would happen only if there was an extreme emergency, which is very rare. I am not happy about having to go through this, but hopefully it is the final hoop I have to jump through until I give birth.
I have also been thinking about how it will be a lot more comfortable for me not to have Piper's head wedged in under my ribs. Perhaps that's why I can only eat a few mouthfuls of food at a time now.
Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion of "As the Baby Turns"....
Judy, our midwife, and Kasey, the midwife in training, came to our house on Tuesday to check out the space where we are planning on having the birth. We discussed the location options and decided to have it set up in the nursery. Outside on the deck was a thought, but the deck is old and I was concerned about the weather too. We talked about the last few things we need to get together and that we should have them all ready to go.
There was some discussion about the tub for the waterbirth and the fact that she only has 3 tubs which are all out right now. Two of them are at mother's houses that are due on the 16th. As long as one of them delivers before I do, I will be the next in line to get the tub. I figured they can't both go overdue, so I am bound to get one of the tubs. Also, we thought there was very little chance that I would go into labor this week or early next week anyhow. In a pinch, our own bathtub would have to do. With that settled, we moved on to the regular appointment stuff.
Kasey, the midwife in training, took my blood pressure, checked Piper's heartbeat and measured my belly. I weighed myself and all looked good. She then felt around my belly to see where Piper is lying. She thought that Piper was still in the proper head-down position. Judy asked if she was sure, she was pretty sure, somewhat. With that, Judy checked my belly.
She felt around for a long time and kept wiggling Piper from side to side. She told Kasey to feel my belly too, I was a bit concerned. Apparently, I have a lot of abdominal muscle and it is very hard to feel the baby's pieces and parts. There are just two obvious lumps - one in heads the other tails, but which is which? Judy said she thought the baby had flipped again and was once more breech. There was a lot more feeling around and discussion. Finally, Judy wanted to do an internal exam to see if she could feel anything that way. At this point Griffin had to leave for a meeting. I was on my own.
We went upstairs and using olive oil as a lubricant, Judy dug around inside me. Oh, how I hate internal exams. There is no dignity in pregnancy. She couldn't feel anything. Piper was so high up in my uterus that she was out of reach. Other steps would need to be taken to determine what was going on.
Judy called the back-up OB office and told them that we needed an ultrasound STAT (okay, she didn't really say stat, but she got an appointment for the very next day anyhow).
Griffin and I went to the office yesterday and they confirmed that Piper is breech. The next step is to have an 'external cephalic version' performed. This is a procedure where the doctor attempts to gently turn the baby from the outside. It is successful in 60 to 80% of the cases and there are very few complications involved. They will give me an IV of a muscle relaxer to help loosen things up. This is done in the hospital, just in case, so the OB called the hospital and told them we needed an external cephalic version, STAT! (Now I just like saying it.) We got scheduled for the next day, which is today.
So here I am, Thursday morning, waiting to have the ECV performed at 11am. I am not allowed to eat or drink anything in case they need to perform an emergency c-section. I am fairly calm and quite hopeful that this will work out just fine. The c-section option would happen only if there was an extreme emergency, which is very rare. I am not happy about having to go through this, but hopefully it is the final hoop I have to jump through until I give birth.
I have also been thinking about how it will be a lot more comfortable for me not to have Piper's head wedged in under my ribs. Perhaps that's why I can only eat a few mouthfuls of food at a time now.
Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion of "As the Baby Turns"....
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Happy Almost a Mother Day to Me
36 Weeks, 2 days
Today is Mother's Day. I woke up at six and drowsed in bed for a while. The house was very still. Griffin is not home and the dog and cats were not pestering me to get up. So I laid there. Piper had the hiccups and my belly bounced every 10 seconds with each one. I felt the rolling slide of her whole body moving and the little flicker of hands. I have gotten very used to feeling all of this; it will be strange when she is no longer inside me and I am all alone with myself again.
I have been battling swollen ankles and feet for the last few weeks. Work was especially stressful as I tried to get everything wrapped up before I started my maternity leave. There is just not enough time in the day for it all. If I didn't actually have to teach every period, I would have had time to wrap up all of the other stuff. I had begun new projects two weeks ago that required my help, input and attention. Poor planning on my part. I should have just rolled out the markers and told them all to draw what they want to do for summer vacation. If only.
The flubbiness of my feet has not been my only concern; my belly has gotten so large that I have trouble doing things I normally don't have to think about to do: such as put on socks or feed the cats. I find myself holding my breath as I half bend over, half squat to get to the floor. I think I have forgotten what it is like to just go about your business without noticing that you are doing anything. I know I can't crush Piper by bending over, but she sure puts up a fight when I do.
My last progesterone shot was this past Thursday. The progesterone will stay in my system for a week to 10 days. Commonly, women having these injections go into labor sometime shortly after that seven to ten day period. So things could be happening very soon.
I am not nervous about labor or giving birth. The thought of the pain does not frighten me and I don't think I will be begging to go to the hospital for drugs. For me, the worst kind of pain is the type that is inflicted by someone else and I have had a lot of that over the past three years. My body will not create more pain than I can handle, but intervention by someone else might.
Its strange that I have actually become calmer and more relaxed about having our home birth as it gets closer. Griffin and I have been going to birthing classes and many of the other women seem to be terrified of the prospect of pain. There is only one other couple that is planning on having a home birth and we haven't actually spoken to them. Some of the women in the class are actually planning on having epidurals during labor, I wonder why they are taking a natural child birthing class.
We are planning on having a water birth as well as laboring in the birthing tub. Judy, our midwife asked us if we want to put the birthing tub out on our deck. At first it struck me as strange to give birth outside, but I am sure it strikes people as strange that we want to give birth at home. I have mixed feelings about being outside: it might rain, I might get cold, it might be too sunny and I'd get sunburned, what if my labor goes into the night and there are bats flying around us? (Actually, that would be pretty neat.) I don't care about privacy and the neighbors 'seeing' anything and that was the main concern that Judy had. Who cares about the neighbors? What about the weather?
Really, my biggest concern is what to do once Piper is here. Getting her out won't be nearly as difficult as knowing what to do with her once she has. I keep trying to picture myself hold a little, tiny baby wrapped in one of those swaddling outfits. Wrapped so tightly she barely wriggles around, I peek in and see her big eyes, her cute ears and her long whiskers. Meow. It always turns into my cat. It is so hard to picture myself holding a baby, a human baby, my baby.
Well, pictured or not, she will be here soon. I have lots of things to do yet and perhaps I should get started. I would make a list, but that would just be killing more time before I actually do something. Maybe I will look at those baby clothes one more time.
Meow.
Today is Mother's Day. I woke up at six and drowsed in bed for a while. The house was very still. Griffin is not home and the dog and cats were not pestering me to get up. So I laid there. Piper had the hiccups and my belly bounced every 10 seconds with each one. I felt the rolling slide of her whole body moving and the little flicker of hands. I have gotten very used to feeling all of this; it will be strange when she is no longer inside me and I am all alone with myself again.
I have been battling swollen ankles and feet for the last few weeks. Work was especially stressful as I tried to get everything wrapped up before I started my maternity leave. There is just not enough time in the day for it all. If I didn't actually have to teach every period, I would have had time to wrap up all of the other stuff. I had begun new projects two weeks ago that required my help, input and attention. Poor planning on my part. I should have just rolled out the markers and told them all to draw what they want to do for summer vacation. If only.
The flubbiness of my feet has not been my only concern; my belly has gotten so large that I have trouble doing things I normally don't have to think about to do: such as put on socks or feed the cats. I find myself holding my breath as I half bend over, half squat to get to the floor. I think I have forgotten what it is like to just go about your business without noticing that you are doing anything. I know I can't crush Piper by bending over, but she sure puts up a fight when I do.
My last progesterone shot was this past Thursday. The progesterone will stay in my system for a week to 10 days. Commonly, women having these injections go into labor sometime shortly after that seven to ten day period. So things could be happening very soon.
I am not nervous about labor or giving birth. The thought of the pain does not frighten me and I don't think I will be begging to go to the hospital for drugs. For me, the worst kind of pain is the type that is inflicted by someone else and I have had a lot of that over the past three years. My body will not create more pain than I can handle, but intervention by someone else might.
Its strange that I have actually become calmer and more relaxed about having our home birth as it gets closer. Griffin and I have been going to birthing classes and many of the other women seem to be terrified of the prospect of pain. There is only one other couple that is planning on having a home birth and we haven't actually spoken to them. Some of the women in the class are actually planning on having epidurals during labor, I wonder why they are taking a natural child birthing class.
We are planning on having a water birth as well as laboring in the birthing tub. Judy, our midwife asked us if we want to put the birthing tub out on our deck. At first it struck me as strange to give birth outside, but I am sure it strikes people as strange that we want to give birth at home. I have mixed feelings about being outside: it might rain, I might get cold, it might be too sunny and I'd get sunburned, what if my labor goes into the night and there are bats flying around us? (Actually, that would be pretty neat.) I don't care about privacy and the neighbors 'seeing' anything and that was the main concern that Judy had. Who cares about the neighbors? What about the weather?
Really, my biggest concern is what to do once Piper is here. Getting her out won't be nearly as difficult as knowing what to do with her once she has. I keep trying to picture myself hold a little, tiny baby wrapped in one of those swaddling outfits. Wrapped so tightly she barely wriggles around, I peek in and see her big eyes, her cute ears and her long whiskers. Meow. It always turns into my cat. It is so hard to picture myself holding a baby, a human baby, my baby.
Well, pictured or not, she will be here soon. I have lots of things to do yet and perhaps I should get started. I would make a list, but that would just be killing more time before I actually do something. Maybe I will look at those baby clothes one more time.
Meow.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Time is Spinning Away
34 weeks, 1 day
There has been so much to do over the last month, I feel like I have just turned around and May is almost here, heck, Piper is almost here! My belly keeps growing and it looks like I am trying to shoplift an overripe watermelon under my shirt. Piper now moves in big, strong ways - rolling, pushing and stretching. I have only 2 weeks left at work before my maternity leave. The nursery is now painted a beautiful sunny yellow, thanks to my wonderful father-in-law, Jan. I have only 2 more progesterone shots left and my ass is excited. We have been getting hand-me-down baby things for several weeks now and I am still stunned at how tiny the clothes are. And tomorrow is Piper's baby shower - thrown by two of my favorite people - my mother-in-law, Claire, and my sister-in-law, Jenn, both of which are far more baby oriented than I am. But, let me tell you what has really been going on.
At our last and final visit at the NJ Perinatal Group in St. Barnabas hospital we got to see Piper via ultrasound again. She looked fine, growing like a weed. And then we were informed that she was now breech, but we have 'plenty of time' to get her to turn around. That was Monday, March 29th. It made sense to me because she had been kicking at my waistband every time I would wear something tight. So, I accepted their statement and carried on with my life.
When we saw Judy, our midwife, later that week she felt my belly and was trying to decide which way Piper was pointed. With the evidence from the ultrasound and the kick, kick, kicking at my pants line, I told her that Piper must be breech right now. Judy felt around some more and decided the big, hard ball at the top of my uterus was, indeed, the head. So she is breech. So, so what?
Judy looked only slightly concerned when she told us that we could not have a home birth if Piper was coming breech. In fact Judy was not allowed as a certified midwife to knowingly deliver a breech baby at home. My jaw hit the ground. What? No home birth? But what does that mean? Visions of c-sections floated in my head.
There are ways of getting the baby to turn, Judy assured us. The website spinningbabies.com is full of ideas. When our visit was over, and I got in Griffin's truck, I was already looking up the website. In fact, I looked up several websites with tricks for turning a breech baby. And so began my two week journey of spinning that baby.
The easiest thing to do is just massage in a circular motion, around and around and hope she just goes with the flow. I rubbed my belly every chance I got - like I was my own Buddha. It is difficult to rub a belly in big circles with a shirt in the way, so I would sit on the couch in the evening with my shirt yanked up and over my belly and rub away. I couldn't tell if it was doing any good, but it felt nice. I tried to massage every chance I got, but there are a lot of times where you just shouldn't be yanking up your shirt - like while driving, for example. One truck driver got an eye-full one day when I was going home from work and I decided to stick to rubbing during couch time only.
Another trick is to try to get the baby to turn its head towards the direction you want her to spin by encouraging her to look at something. The website suggests using a small, but strong flashlight. Start the flashlight where you think the baby's head currently is and then move it slowly to where you want her to go. When she sees the light she may try to follow it like a cat does with a laser pointer. I don't know if that worked either, but I did it every night. I would cringe and yet stare deeply at my glowing belly thinking I might actually see her inside that red-yellow haze. It's like candling a chicken's egg to see if there is a chick inside. How creepy would that be? I didn't see her, but I almost didn't want to.
Another technique is 'aversion' - it's the opposite of the flashlight trick. I only did this one a few times since it bugged me and I am sure it bugged Piper. The idea is to put something cold on your belly in the area that her head is and then something warm in the area you want her to turn to. I only did this one in the afternoon after work, because by nighttime I like to be warm and snuggly. So I would put a package of frozen peas on the top of my belly and put the heating pad at the bottom of my belly and hope that Piper would get chilly and try to escape the cold. I don't know if this worked, I never felt her move when I would do this and it seemed kind of cruel to me - chilling half of her fishbowl.
The last technique that I really made a big effort to do was 'inversion'. I would lie on the couch with my head on the footrest and my feet over the back of the couch. I would try to get my butt as high into the air as possible. We were watching The West Wing at that time, and I would usually stay that way for half an episode or 25 minutes. I remember being a kid and watching TV this way. What was I thinking? Ah, to be a kid again! It is so uncomfortable now and it would kick my heartburn into high gear. The idea is to just get her head to 'sink' into position. I would visualize her giant noggin drifting down with the massive weight of her brilliant brain. (Guess I am already biased about my kid's intelligence) I would combine this with circular, bare belly rubbing, boy that must have been a sight!
After two weeks of torture, we were back meeting with Judy. We sat and discussed options if Piper remained breech. I wanted to avoid the hospital at all costs, so I was open to any ideas. She said that the OB she is associated with in case of emergencies could try to manually turn her. The doc could give me a muscle relaxer and try to spin Piper around. Judy said it would be painful, but could work - or it may not stick and Piper could just go right back to breech.
Another option is to use a different midwife who isn't restricted by the certified midwives rules. Apparently, Judy has a friend or colleague that is a midwife in Uganda and she is here either visiting or has come back home to NJ. My ears starting ringing when I heard the word Uganda and I missed most of the rest of the conversation. I pictured myself squatting in a field in Africa . . . hyenas laughing in the distance - but we are getting ahead of ourselves here.
Judy checked my belly. She felt all around and listened to the heartbeat with the doppler. The heartbeat was lower in my belly than it had been last time. The hard lump at the top of my belly seemed to turn into a squishy one, like a butt, and she said she thought she could feel the head just above my pubic bone. Piper had spinned! Somehow - one, some or all of my efforts paid off and Piper was now in the proper position. We were delighted.
As we were leaving, Judy told me not to do anything to disturb Piper now. We don't want her spinning back around. Okay, I will keep the frozen peas away from my belly. That won't be hard. But why did she turn in the first place? Was it those tight waistbands? Or the back brace? Or how I sit leaning forward while squinting at the computer? I can't be sure. I will try to send her 'head down' thoughts as often as I can. Just keep your head down, kid, and everything will be okay.
There has been so much to do over the last month, I feel like I have just turned around and May is almost here, heck, Piper is almost here! My belly keeps growing and it looks like I am trying to shoplift an overripe watermelon under my shirt. Piper now moves in big, strong ways - rolling, pushing and stretching. I have only 2 weeks left at work before my maternity leave. The nursery is now painted a beautiful sunny yellow, thanks to my wonderful father-in-law, Jan. I have only 2 more progesterone shots left and my ass is excited. We have been getting hand-me-down baby things for several weeks now and I am still stunned at how tiny the clothes are. And tomorrow is Piper's baby shower - thrown by two of my favorite people - my mother-in-law, Claire, and my sister-in-law, Jenn, both of which are far more baby oriented than I am. But, let me tell you what has really been going on.
At our last and final visit at the NJ Perinatal Group in St. Barnabas hospital we got to see Piper via ultrasound again. She looked fine, growing like a weed. And then we were informed that she was now breech, but we have 'plenty of time' to get her to turn around. That was Monday, March 29th. It made sense to me because she had been kicking at my waistband every time I would wear something tight. So, I accepted their statement and carried on with my life.
When we saw Judy, our midwife, later that week she felt my belly and was trying to decide which way Piper was pointed. With the evidence from the ultrasound and the kick, kick, kicking at my pants line, I told her that Piper must be breech right now. Judy felt around some more and decided the big, hard ball at the top of my uterus was, indeed, the head. So she is breech. So, so what?
Judy looked only slightly concerned when she told us that we could not have a home birth if Piper was coming breech. In fact Judy was not allowed as a certified midwife to knowingly deliver a breech baby at home. My jaw hit the ground. What? No home birth? But what does that mean? Visions of c-sections floated in my head.
There are ways of getting the baby to turn, Judy assured us. The website spinningbabies.com is full of ideas. When our visit was over, and I got in Griffin's truck, I was already looking up the website. In fact, I looked up several websites with tricks for turning a breech baby. And so began my two week journey of spinning that baby.
The easiest thing to do is just massage in a circular motion, around and around and hope she just goes with the flow. I rubbed my belly every chance I got - like I was my own Buddha. It is difficult to rub a belly in big circles with a shirt in the way, so I would sit on the couch in the evening with my shirt yanked up and over my belly and rub away. I couldn't tell if it was doing any good, but it felt nice. I tried to massage every chance I got, but there are a lot of times where you just shouldn't be yanking up your shirt - like while driving, for example. One truck driver got an eye-full one day when I was going home from work and I decided to stick to rubbing during couch time only.
Another trick is to try to get the baby to turn its head towards the direction you want her to spin by encouraging her to look at something. The website suggests using a small, but strong flashlight. Start the flashlight where you think the baby's head currently is and then move it slowly to where you want her to go. When she sees the light she may try to follow it like a cat does with a laser pointer. I don't know if that worked either, but I did it every night. I would cringe and yet stare deeply at my glowing belly thinking I might actually see her inside that red-yellow haze. It's like candling a chicken's egg to see if there is a chick inside. How creepy would that be? I didn't see her, but I almost didn't want to.
Another technique is 'aversion' - it's the opposite of the flashlight trick. I only did this one a few times since it bugged me and I am sure it bugged Piper. The idea is to put something cold on your belly in the area that her head is and then something warm in the area you want her to turn to. I only did this one in the afternoon after work, because by nighttime I like to be warm and snuggly. So I would put a package of frozen peas on the top of my belly and put the heating pad at the bottom of my belly and hope that Piper would get chilly and try to escape the cold. I don't know if this worked, I never felt her move when I would do this and it seemed kind of cruel to me - chilling half of her fishbowl.
The last technique that I really made a big effort to do was 'inversion'. I would lie on the couch with my head on the footrest and my feet over the back of the couch. I would try to get my butt as high into the air as possible. We were watching The West Wing at that time, and I would usually stay that way for half an episode or 25 minutes. I remember being a kid and watching TV this way. What was I thinking? Ah, to be a kid again! It is so uncomfortable now and it would kick my heartburn into high gear. The idea is to just get her head to 'sink' into position. I would visualize her giant noggin drifting down with the massive weight of her brilliant brain. (Guess I am already biased about my kid's intelligence) I would combine this with circular, bare belly rubbing, boy that must have been a sight!
After two weeks of torture, we were back meeting with Judy. We sat and discussed options if Piper remained breech. I wanted to avoid the hospital at all costs, so I was open to any ideas. She said that the OB she is associated with in case of emergencies could try to manually turn her. The doc could give me a muscle relaxer and try to spin Piper around. Judy said it would be painful, but could work - or it may not stick and Piper could just go right back to breech.
Another option is to use a different midwife who isn't restricted by the certified midwives rules. Apparently, Judy has a friend or colleague that is a midwife in Uganda and she is here either visiting or has come back home to NJ. My ears starting ringing when I heard the word Uganda and I missed most of the rest of the conversation. I pictured myself squatting in a field in Africa . . . hyenas laughing in the distance - but we are getting ahead of ourselves here.
Judy checked my belly. She felt all around and listened to the heartbeat with the doppler. The heartbeat was lower in my belly than it had been last time. The hard lump at the top of my belly seemed to turn into a squishy one, like a butt, and she said she thought she could feel the head just above my pubic bone. Piper had spinned! Somehow - one, some or all of my efforts paid off and Piper was now in the proper position. We were delighted.
As we were leaving, Judy told me not to do anything to disturb Piper now. We don't want her spinning back around. Okay, I will keep the frozen peas away from my belly. That won't be hard. But why did she turn in the first place? Was it those tight waistbands? Or the back brace? Or how I sit leaning forward while squinting at the computer? I can't be sure. I will try to send her 'head down' thoughts as often as I can. Just keep your head down, kid, and everything will be okay.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Have you missed me?
32 Weeks
Well, I have been busy. I feel GREAT, enormous, but great. I just finished an interview for another blog about my shop on Etsy and thought I would post it here, since many of you have no idea I have interests that go beyond my uterus:
Tell the world something about your self and what you do in life?
I am an artist, teacher, wife, soon-to-be mother, collector and mini-entrepreneur. I have been an artist my whole life, well, since I was able to pick up a crayon and draw. I teach Fine Art in a high school, so I have plenty of materials at hand. Most recently, I have been working in wool sculpture felting, but I also dabble in polymer clay, watercolor, drawing with almost anything and working with found object sculpture. I have my masters in ceramics, but have a hard time focusing on one media, as you can tell.
I have been an avid collector of pottery and glass for over 10 years. I collect vintage pottery and ceramics because I appreciate all of the effort involved in making a piece. There are so many points in the creation process where things can go terribly wrong, even in commercially produced items, that I admire pieces that ‘survive’ to become little gems.
Glass, on the other hand, is simply amazing to me. I have never had the chance to create with it and so even the most simple pieces look like wondrous miracles in my eyes. My favorite era for both pottery and glass is from the 1930’s to the 1960’s. There is look and feel to pieces made during this time that is hard to find in things made commercially today, even by smaller companies. They have a feel to them with little flaws and irregularities that make them seem more real.
What current entrepreneurial efforts consume your time?
My Etsy shop, Vintage4Vintage, has become my new venue for selling vintage collectibles. Many of the items I sell come from my personal collections as I try to refine and sometimes redefine a grouping. My husband and I live in a lovely Art Deco era lake house built in 1930 and my collections can be found throughout our home. Every time I sell something from one of my collections, I consider it to be making a new space to fill with something else I will find in the future, and that I am passing on a treasured object to someone else to enjoy.
Currently, I have been buying and sorting though lots of vintage buttons. Buttons are like little pieces of history and sculpture wrapped into one tiny package. The range of colors, textures, shapes and historic connections are endlessly fascinating to me. And again, I love the look and feel of these older items.
Why do you do what you do? What inspires you? When do you get most excited?
Being ‘green’ is really trendy these days, but my passion for vintage items has made me ‘green’ for a long time before it became popular. I really enjoy the thrill of the hunt when looking for things to add to my collection or my Etsy shop. Garage sales, tag sales, junk shops and flea markets are among my favorite hunting grounds. I often feel like I am saving things from being tossed in a trash heap. Many of the pieces I buy are rough, dirty, unidentified and often classified as ‘junk’. I spend time cleaning and researching each piece to learn about its history, maker and origin; I really enjoy the researching part it makes me feel like a true treasure hunter.
What one thing made the biggest difference when getting started?
I have learned that it is important to not try to do everything at once. A little at a time and everything will get done in time.
What is the last thing that made you belly laugh?
We have a Great Pyrenees, Bella, who is such a funny dog. When we are watching a movie in the evening, she bounces around the room with a toy, flipping it in the air and catching it all by herself. Our two cats, Jack and Hunter, just sit and watch her; I swear they are shaking their heads thinking that she looks like an undignified fool. I have laughed until I cried watching the three of them together.
Have you ever been in business before?
I have had other shops in ‘online antique malls’ and on auction sites, but I felt lost in the crowd. Etsy has a much ‘smaller town’ feel to it, which I really enjoy.
At what point do you consider yourself successful?
I love what I am doing, so I already think I am successful. My shop supplies my ‘slush fund’ to buy goodies that I would feel a little guilty buying normally.
Where do you do your best thinking?
Insomnia is a frustrating thing to deal with, but lying in bed at night in the dark provides a great place to think. It’s quiet and I am never interrupted. The only problem with coming up with a brilliant idea at 3am is that I occasionally forget it by the time my alarm goes off.
What does your average daily work / life balance look like? How much time do you work, play and sleep?
Being a teacher, I am on a set schedule 10 months a year. I get home at 3:30, I check emails, do some Etsy stuff, make dinner (or reservations) and by 8pm my husband and I wander to the couch to watch a DVD. Weekends are more creative, fun and often filled with treasure hunting. During the two precious months I have off in the summer – all bets are off!
If I could introduce you to anyone, who would it be?
I am 7 months pregnant and I can’t wait to meet the little girl that has been kicking me! I am looking forward to showing her all of the things that fascinate me and getting to see the world through her new eyes. My husband and I both value quality over quantity in most everything in life. Although objects are just things, often the most simple things are the most ‘real’ as well. Things that are ‘real’ do not have an end to their usefulness, or to their lives, they just need someone to find a new purpose for them and they will become valuable once again. This doesn’t work so well with all the stuff people buy that is manufactured in mass quantities today. We will try to instill these values in our daughter, I can’t wait to see if it works!
What stops you from giving up when you are frustrated?
Every time I sell something and get a message from the buyer about how beautiful it is; I feel like I have done my part in saving one more item from the trash. It seems like this happens at just the right time and I want to go on and send more beautiful, vintage pieces out into the world to be loved again by others.
If your are interested - please visit my shop Vintage4Vintage on Esty. CLICK HERE.
Well, I have been busy. I feel GREAT, enormous, but great. I just finished an interview for another blog about my shop on Etsy and thought I would post it here, since many of you have no idea I have interests that go beyond my uterus:
Tell the world something about your self and what you do in life?
I am an artist, teacher, wife, soon-to-be mother, collector and mini-entrepreneur. I have been an artist my whole life, well, since I was able to pick up a crayon and draw. I teach Fine Art in a high school, so I have plenty of materials at hand. Most recently, I have been working in wool sculpture felting, but I also dabble in polymer clay, watercolor, drawing with almost anything and working with found object sculpture. I have my masters in ceramics, but have a hard time focusing on one media, as you can tell.
I have been an avid collector of pottery and glass for over 10 years. I collect vintage pottery and ceramics because I appreciate all of the effort involved in making a piece. There are so many points in the creation process where things can go terribly wrong, even in commercially produced items, that I admire pieces that ‘survive’ to become little gems.
Glass, on the other hand, is simply amazing to me. I have never had the chance to create with it and so even the most simple pieces look like wondrous miracles in my eyes. My favorite era for both pottery and glass is from the 1930’s to the 1960’s. There is look and feel to pieces made during this time that is hard to find in things made commercially today, even by smaller companies. They have a feel to them with little flaws and irregularities that make them seem more real.
What current entrepreneurial efforts consume your time?
My Etsy shop, Vintage4Vintage, has become my new venue for selling vintage collectibles. Many of the items I sell come from my personal collections as I try to refine and sometimes redefine a grouping. My husband and I live in a lovely Art Deco era lake house built in 1930 and my collections can be found throughout our home. Every time I sell something from one of my collections, I consider it to be making a new space to fill with something else I will find in the future, and that I am passing on a treasured object to someone else to enjoy.
Currently, I have been buying and sorting though lots of vintage buttons. Buttons are like little pieces of history and sculpture wrapped into one tiny package. The range of colors, textures, shapes and historic connections are endlessly fascinating to me. And again, I love the look and feel of these older items.
Why do you do what you do? What inspires you? When do you get most excited?
Being ‘green’ is really trendy these days, but my passion for vintage items has made me ‘green’ for a long time before it became popular. I really enjoy the thrill of the hunt when looking for things to add to my collection or my Etsy shop. Garage sales, tag sales, junk shops and flea markets are among my favorite hunting grounds. I often feel like I am saving things from being tossed in a trash heap. Many of the pieces I buy are rough, dirty, unidentified and often classified as ‘junk’. I spend time cleaning and researching each piece to learn about its history, maker and origin; I really enjoy the researching part it makes me feel like a true treasure hunter.
What one thing made the biggest difference when getting started?
I have learned that it is important to not try to do everything at once. A little at a time and everything will get done in time.
What is the last thing that made you belly laugh?
We have a Great Pyrenees, Bella, who is such a funny dog. When we are watching a movie in the evening, she bounces around the room with a toy, flipping it in the air and catching it all by herself. Our two cats, Jack and Hunter, just sit and watch her; I swear they are shaking their heads thinking that she looks like an undignified fool. I have laughed until I cried watching the three of them together.
Have you ever been in business before?
I have had other shops in ‘online antique malls’ and on auction sites, but I felt lost in the crowd. Etsy has a much ‘smaller town’ feel to it, which I really enjoy.
At what point do you consider yourself successful?
I love what I am doing, so I already think I am successful. My shop supplies my ‘slush fund’ to buy goodies that I would feel a little guilty buying normally.
Where do you do your best thinking?
Insomnia is a frustrating thing to deal with, but lying in bed at night in the dark provides a great place to think. It’s quiet and I am never interrupted. The only problem with coming up with a brilliant idea at 3am is that I occasionally forget it by the time my alarm goes off.
What does your average daily work / life balance look like? How much time do you work, play and sleep?
Being a teacher, I am on a set schedule 10 months a year. I get home at 3:30, I check emails, do some Etsy stuff, make dinner (or reservations) and by 8pm my husband and I wander to the couch to watch a DVD. Weekends are more creative, fun and often filled with treasure hunting. During the two precious months I have off in the summer – all bets are off!
If I could introduce you to anyone, who would it be?
I am 7 months pregnant and I can’t wait to meet the little girl that has been kicking me! I am looking forward to showing her all of the things that fascinate me and getting to see the world through her new eyes. My husband and I both value quality over quantity in most everything in life. Although objects are just things, often the most simple things are the most ‘real’ as well. Things that are ‘real’ do not have an end to their usefulness, or to their lives, they just need someone to find a new purpose for them and they will become valuable once again. This doesn’t work so well with all the stuff people buy that is manufactured in mass quantities today. We will try to instill these values in our daughter, I can’t wait to see if it works!
What stops you from giving up when you are frustrated?
Every time I sell something and get a message from the buyer about how beautiful it is; I feel like I have done my part in saving one more item from the trash. It seems like this happens at just the right time and I want to go on and send more beautiful, vintage pieces out into the world to be loved again by others.
If your are interested - please visit my shop Vintage4Vintage on Esty. CLICK HERE.
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