Week 36

The news from this week’s ultrasound was not as rosy as it’s been.

There is still lots of good news:

– The baby’s growth is very good. They estimate his weight at 6 lbs., 10 oz., which means he’s already bigger than the girls were at term. The sonogram tech said they may be off as much as a pound and a half, “but you’re not having an 8 pound baby.” Which is just fine with me.

– Placenta is good and healthy looking, as is the umbilical cord.

– Heart rate is good; all systems are go.

The not-so-great news:

– Amniotic fluid is in the low-normal range. Not ideal, but not a huge reason for concern at this point.

The real bummer:

Bud is in what they call a transverse lie. This basically means instead of being head down (which is the position we want him to be in for labor and birth) he is laying sideways across my uterus.

This is not good.

On the bright side, he WAS head-down as of two days ago, when I had a midwife appointment. He wasn’t engaged yet, which is probably why he shifted. Also, the amount of fluid — again, low-normal — makes moving him back a little tricky at this point.

If he doesn’t pop his head down into my pelvis (to stay there this time), we have to take the possibility of having a c-section very seriously.

Our current course of action is: monitor movement over the weekend; get an NST Monday or Tuesday to make sure Bud continues to do well; I already have a midwife appointment, as well, so that’s covered; go back to get an ultrasound in a week to check on the fluid situation again.

When the fluid increases, the doctors or midwives can do an external cephalic version (doesn’t that sound pleasant?) to move the baby into a head-down position.

My goals:

– Drink more liquid! I will be returning to the regimen of 8 oz. of water every 15 minutes, which is what I was on with both Flora and Kate.
– Rest when I can. This will be a little trickier. I will find a way.
– Find some exercises that can help get the baby head down again.
– Talk to my chiropractor to see if she has any tricks up her sleeve to get things opened up to move the baby.

I am healthy and Bud is healthy, and a healthy outcome is all that matters. We’ve got time for things to change.

Good thoughts, people. Prayers. I’ll do my part, and Bud will do his, I’m sure.