Feb 5 2014

So will it be a c-section? (29 weeks pregnant)

Posted on February 5, 2014 by admin

So this week I went to see the midwife to discuss the extended breech saga. Beforehand I’d been really worried I’d be dismissed with a casual flip of the hand “Private scan companies don’t have the expertise to interpret your baby’s position”, “Don’t worry she’ll turn when she’s ready”, or “You had a bad experience with your son which has got you in panic” - Thankfully I have the best midwife in the world.

She was quick to have a little feel of her own but conceded that imaging is by far the most accurate method of determining baby’s position. Without further ado she pulled me up to my feet, placed her hand on my knee, looked into my eyes and asked me how I was feeling. I’d spent so many sleepless nights worrying about Mini Madam and how I was going to get her out safely, I hadn’t really thought about myself. I wasn’t expecting that question at all and it took me all of 30 seconds to reach for the Kleenex.

image001 So will it be a c section? (29 weeks pregnant)

She pointed out to me that some women are just unfortunate. There are a whole host of reasons why your pregnancy history could have bearing on subsequent pregnancies so I might simply have an underlying predisposition for carrying babies in this way. Although this makes it less likely I’ll ever give birth naturally, at least history has shown us I can bring a beautiful, happy and healthy baby into the world. There’s no reason at all that this shouldn’t be the case for Mini Madam - she’ll just make her way into the world via scalpel rather than her mummy pushing her out.

In a bid to get to the bottom of the problem she’s brought forward my final consultant date to the beginning of March where we’ll find out once and for all Mini Madam’s position. This is the earliest recommended date possible as a consultant is unlikely to make any recommendation at all prior to 35 weeks. If she’s breech (in any way whatsoever, I can book my c-section there and then. Having had a previous c-section I’m not a candidate for ECV so no attempt will be made to turn her - big relief!

I wasn’t so much upset by the idea of not being able to birth naturally - I guess I just expected a fight with the NHS to get authorisation for a c-section. The thought of my waters breaking hadn’t seemed like an exciting prospect anymore - it seemed like a nightmare. I’d had all sorts of visions of pushing for hours on end then being rushed into surgery - I’d been consumed with worry about the distress it would cause my daughter.

29 weeks bump1 So will it be a c section? (29 weeks pregnant)

I’m so pleased my midwife asked me what I wanted, rather than blithely following the handbook. She’s even booked me a same-day appointment with her immediately after the consultant, just to talk through my revised birth plan (if indeed it will change). She explained that this is because although my consultant will guide me through the physical procedure, she’s not best placed to talk to me about me.

Now I’ve had time to think about everything I feel much more relaxed. I’m not sure Mini Madam does though. She’s definitely up to no good in there and I can feel one side of my pelvic bone bulging in protest (SPD). The pain is mild yet persistent and keeps me up most of the night. I have discovered a genius product (Snoozle - a maternity slide sheet) which does help, but my mind is still struggling to shut down at night. I’ve refused physio for the SPD as I’m fairly good at pain management, I just feel we might be meeting our first daughter a little earlier than first anticipated.

So the answer to the question is… we just don’t know. But we are one step closer to finding out. All I do know is that I’m not the first mum-to-be that will undergo a second c-section, and I won’t be the last. These little monkeys do have us worrying don’t they?

Jan 27 2014

A Sneak Peek at Mini Madam & Some Bad News (28 Weeks)

Posted on January 27, 2014 by admin

Well the good times were short-lived. Just two weeks after telling the world I was finally feeling better with this pregnancy, I’m feeling rubbish again.

Emotionally, I’m beginning to worry about the stresses of having another little one to look after. As Craig is self-employed and solely responsible for supporting this mini family, the night-feeds will be my job (and my job alone) from Day 1. Of course, this would be the case anyway, it’s not like Craig can detach my boobs and get on with it without me! But all of a sudden it seems very real and very scary.

With Dexter not yet at nursery, and getting ever-more demanding throughout the day - I do worry I might see a resurgence of PND too. I also really worry about how my little man will cope with sharing me… and how I will cope being shared! I have this mental image of Mini Madam latching on and Dexter emerging into the room with various treasures he’s managed to collect from around the house - bleach, knives, and scissors… Of course these things are usually locked away, but what if I’m exhausted and get careless, or if Dexter develops telekinesis due to abandonment issues???

In other news, I’m positively ravenous. The odd cherry bakewell and satsuma doesn’t touch the sides anymore. I’ve read that an 11lb weight gain is typical in the third trimester but if this carries on I’m likely to surpass that and eventually require air-lifting to the hospital!

Baby Girl 3D 28 Weeks A Sneak Peek at Mini Madam & Some Bad News (28 Weeks)

We also saw our gorgeous daughter in 3D this week. Craig managed to get a sneak peek too, in-between liberating various medical instruments from Dexie’s clutches throughout the scan. We counted all her toes and fingers and all the right bits were in the right places… including her girlie bits. This was such a relief. There was however bad news to come.

It seems my wonky belly button is due to Mini Madam chilling in just the one side of my belly. My placenta is wedged in beside her and she’s largely confined to my left hand side. Her feet are also wedged in beside her ears in all the tell-tale signs of another extended breech situation. What are the chances???

So it seems I have yet another Tom Daley wannabe lounging in my tummy. Dexter adopted exactly the same position throughout my first pregnancy and it ended with a failed ECV and a ruptured placenta. On my first day of maternity leave I bled out in my living room and had to call an ambulance. Dexter was delivered by emergency c-section a matter of hours later.

Of course there’s a slim chance baby could do a few somersaults and get into position before D Day - but there’s not much room in there for her to pull out such gymnastic feats. Of course I’ll be offered another ECV to try and poke and prod her over-and-under. But I’m beginning to think it would be selfish of me to even attempt this. An ECV might seem like the safest option, but I’ve seen firsthand what happens when it goes wrong. The thought of her getting tangled in my umbilical cord, or kicking my placenta to bits and compromising her ability to get those vital nutrients, frightens me more than the prospect of yet another c-section.

Of course I’m really reveling in the ‘what if’s’ here, but I’m still disappointed and worried. I had been really excited about the prospect of giving birth naturally and it’s sad to think I won’t be able to experience this. I also worry about whether my body will be able to cope with another pregnancy after this.

I’m off to see my midwife tomorrow - seems we have lots to talk about…

Aug 16 2012

Dexter and the Extended Breech Saga - time to take on the NHS

Posted on August 16, 2012 by mymillsbaby

For those who know me, they’ll know my pregnancy had its complications. As with all babies, Dex began his little life up high in the safety of my uterus. Unlike most other babies, throughout the duration of my later pregnancy he got quite comfy in there and didn’t fancy the traditional nose dive required for a safe birth. As we’re all aware, we duly have our scans at 12 and 20 weeks and put our trust in our midwives to inform us when our babies have taken this fateful plunge. So what if they get it wrong?

The truth is that we knew Dexter hadn’t turned. I hadn’t had that ‘moment’ that most women have when they feel baby plummet (a.k.a lightening). I’d also had a 3D scan at 32 weeks that clearly showed baby up high in a pike position that Tom Daley would be proud of. This, despite the fact I’d had reassurances from my midwife weeks earlier that baby was head-down. I even remember laying on the table in the Children’s Centre with my top pulled up high, jeans down, and Craigy watching on - I recall at that moment saying I was worried about Dexter’s positioning - but I was laughed at and told baby was fine. He wasn’t.

A routine doctor’s appointment at 34 weeks confirmed this. 34 weeks! The doctor couldn’t be 100% sure that the lump she felt above my pelvis was head or bum so did the right thing and referred me to the hospital for a scan. 1 week later, at 35 weeks, we finally had our fears confirmed and a highly emotional mummy felt bitter. Bitter. Dex was actually in an extended breech position and I believe he had been the entire time.

We were immediately offered a C Section or the opportunity to have a massage to turn baby around (ECV). The nurse at the hospital was a little hurried that day and we felt rushed into making a decision - she seemed to be signing to us to have the massage so we opted for ECV. Craig and I sat in bed that evening looking at the leaflets wondering if we’d made the right decision. We just had never considered a C-section and were looking forward to a water birth - this seemed the only choice. But the leaflets were full of stats and warnings and I remember sleeping fitfully that night wondering if I should put my baby through the trauma of being prodded and pulled so late into the pregnancy. Our appointment was at 37 weeks and I worried Dexter would be too big and the act of tugging at him would result in a C section anyway - turns out I was right.

The ECV was declared as successful by the consultant. I’d sampled the gas and air as baby was manipulated round by his bottom inside of me. I remembered being utterly thrilled and posting on Facebook about how proud of baby I was. The odds had been stacked against us but my baby played ball. The water birth was still on and I’d be able to carry full term and make the best of those precious weeks of pre labour maternity leave. In reality I had just 1 day of mat leave before Dexter was delivered.

Less than a week after the procedure, my placenta abrupted and I went through the horror of bleeding-out in my living room . I wasn’t to know that most mothers will go on to successfully deliver. I thought I’d lost my baby. That ride to the hospital in the ambulance was the worst I’d ever had. I couldn’t understand why the ambulance didn’t have the equipment to check baby’s heartbeat, I was scared to death and Craig was 1 car behind us unable to ride with me. Just 6 hours later, after being initially told I would be discharged, the bleeding was severe enough to order an immediate emergency c section - Dexter arrived the very next morning.

I’m not reliving all this to complain about the NHS, apportion blame with the midwives, doctors or consultants, or feel sorry for myself. The beautiful truth is that Dexter is here and he’s safe and happy. My issue is that there’s now an outstanding problem resulting from him spending 38 weeks with his little feet and legs stretched out in front of him. He grew like this inside of me. His bones fused together in that position. He never got a opportunity to flex and twist and kick and stretch like normal babies. Back then, to our mind, we’d be lucky to escape with no consequences. We haven’t been lucky.

The midwife discharged me from my C-section with a follow-up orthopedic appointment. This was to check his hips and was routine for babies who spent so long in the extended breech position. The happened on his 13 week birthday (yesterday) - again far too late in my opinion but we weren’t worried. Dexter has displayed no problem with his legs, knees or hips so we assumed everything was fine. The specialist was lovely and very gentle when performing her checks - she confirmed that everything was progressing well so we were hugely relieved and ready to put this mess behind us.

Just as we were about to leave, I mentioned casually that Dexter really favours his right hand side and would rather stare at a white wall on this side, than turn to face the opposite direction. It was said almost in jest as we were less than a foot away from her door ready to leave. Surely if that was something serious, and something that could have resulted from Dexter’s pre birth positioning, someone would have forewarned us. To us, Dexter would simply grow out of it, it was just one of those things. But yep - you’ve guessed it, it isn’t.

The doctor stopped us in our tracks and had another feel of Dexter. She watched us physically manipulate his head and Dexter cry in bewilderment and discomfort. She continued to be chatty and pleasant but has confirmed that this could be a result of the breech. Never-the-less she didn’t seem overly concerned. She’s ordered an x-ray and the appointment will be sent to us in the post. I hope that this letter will arrive tomorrow and the appointment will be within the next week. In truth, I suspect my ever-the-optimist approach is about to be tested once again as it’ll be for a date in the faraway future and we’ll sit here worrying for another few months.

We’re left feeling a little anxious and confused. Surely Dex doesn’t deserve all this. He’s been through so much already and I just want to move on knowing he’s okay. We’re beginning to worry that Dexter might have a permanent crooked neck, maybe even a spinal problem… we’re playing amateur doctors and nurses with our own child and we’re scared.

For now, we’ve been told to manipulate his head regularly and place ‘temptation’ (toys, the tv, and ourselves) to his left. It doesn’t appear to be working as Dexter’s head feels stiff when we move it. He’s a baby, OUR BABY and he’s precious and delicate. We don’t want to do more harm than good so we’re reluctant to force him. But what if we don’t? What then? Will just waiting and hoping, and messing about with rattles and the direction of his bouncer be enough to encourage the problem to work itself out naturally???

Having just walked in and found me upset, Craig and I have agreed to make a follow-up appointment with our GP. We simply can’t afford to ignore what our child is telling us. It’s this blissful ignorance that caused the problem in the first place so it’s time to toughen up.