A Turn of Events (literally)

I was almost able to finish teaching until the kids went on their winter break...ALMOST...but when I learned on Monday night that our baby (who had been in a head-down position for months) was in a breech position I decided to start my leave two days early so that I could focus on getting our little one to flip back into the correct position. I am so glad I took the time to do it because I am learning that it is a near full time job! Dr. Biter is hopeful that if I focus on the following techniques and methods, I can get the baby in the correct position for delivery and avoid a cesearean.

Here are some of the things I am doing to help our baby make the move...

postural inversion/slantboard: I lay on my back (head-down, bottom up) on an ironing board that is propped up against the couch, or I do a "head-stand" by kneeling on the couch and putting my head on the floor. The idea is that gravity will push the baby's head into the fundus, tuck it, and baby can then do a somersault into the correct position.

flashlight: usually while hanging upside down, I use a flashlight against my tummy to guide the baby's head down to the correct position. Follow the light little one! :)

accupuncture: I am getting accupuncture every 2 days for 2 hours from a WONDERFUL lady who specializes in fertility, turning breech babies, and inducing labor. The accupuncture definitely gets a respose out of our baby!! I felt like he/she was going to crawl through my ribs or tear through the side of my stomach. OUCH! The accupuncturist gave me a wonderful massage afterwards that made me feel much better after the "Alien" experience.

Moxibustion: Twice a day, Adam burns a moxi stick made of herbs close to the outside of my pinky toes as a form of accupressure. It definitely stimuates activity in the baby! The baby does all kinds of crazy movements while Adam is doing this.

Chiropractor/The Webster Technique: I see a chiropractor every day to help align my hips and pelvis so that the baby has enough room (and the space is even) to move back into position. On my first adjustment the doctor said that my left hip was out of place, causing my pelvis to tilt. This could have been part of the reason the baby flipped.

Ice packs and heating pad: I place an ice pack on the top of my abdomen and a heating pad on the bottom to get the baby to turn his/her head to where it is warm and cozy. This method really ticks the little one off!! Whenever I do this the baby pushes very hard against my ribs and the side of my stomach, much like the "Alien" experience during accupuncture.

Yoga and yoga poses: I have been doing yoga once a week throughout my pregnancy and I am going every day now. When I am not at yoga I am doing at least 100 cat cow stretches at home or hanging out in the polar bear position to let my uterus hang and give the baby room to make a flip into the correct position.

swimming/handstand in the pool: I am swimming at the YMCA's pool for an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening to allow my uterus to relax and give the baby room. I also do A LOT of handstands in the pool to produce the inversion effect. The old ladies looked at me kind of funny at first, but I am now making friends with them. I can just imagine how weird I look to these women who are exercising in their Speedos and swim caps--a huge pregnant girl wearing a string bikini doing ungraceful handstands. YIKES!

Positive thinking/visualization: I am also just trying to be positive and visualize our baby making a turn into the correct position. I am talking to the baby and asking him/her to work with me on this one, but so far the little stinker is just as stubborn as his/her momma! :) Adam has also been talking to the bottom of my stomach to encourage the baby to move down towards his voice to hear him better.

On Saturday morning I will go see the doctor again to see if any of the techniques have worked. If they haven't, he will try to manually turn the baby into the correct position while closely monitoring him/her on an ultrasound machine. My doctor is well known for his patience and success with this procedure, so we feel pretty confident about it. I have heard this procedure is far from comfortable, but I am truly not the slightest bit worried about myself--I just want the baby to move.

I am again reminded at how grateful I am for Dr. Biter. So many doctors would have immediately scheduled a cesarean when learning that the baby was breech so late in a pregnancy. My doctor is encouraging me to try all of these methods and says that if they don't work, he will still allow my body to go into spontaneous labor so that the baby is making the decision about when he/she is ready to come out, not us. And, he will allow me to labor for a while with the hope that they baby will shift again in labor, or at the very least, allow the baby and I to benefit from some of the hormones that are released during labor before performing a cesarean. Adam and I are hopeful and positive, but we are ready to accept whatever kind of birth is best for the baby.