Ruth is a challenge already and she isn't even out yet!

So on Thursday, we went for the ultrasound and it was very apparent that little Ruth was breech. The tech allowed us to hear and see her heart beating, watch the arms and fingers moving and pretty much observe all the important things that ultrasound techs are required to display using the machine. I had to take a break near the end of the session due to feeling nauseous. It didn't feel good to lie straight on my back while the tech ran her instrument all over my belly so I turned to the side for the remainder portion of the time. The lady told us that some women come in and during the procedure, vomit all over the place. I sure hope that ladies haven't upchucked on the expensive equipment!

I felt sad that Ruthie was not in an optimal position. On the way out, I called our practitioner and gave her the low down and she gave me a plethora of advice on how to turn the baby without resorting to extreme measures such as an external version (where professionals literally try to move the baby around with their hands from the outside of the belly). This procedure is very painful and has some risks involved. Some of the non-risky ideas Amy gave me were to lie inverted on an ironing board leaning against a couch, use of heat, cold, lights and music. The idea behind using heat and cold is that babies prefer being warm and would shy away from a bag of frozen peas held on the upper belly. A heat pack can be used below the belly to attract the baby to go towards it. By utilizing a flashlight below, it hopefully would encourage her to go towards the light. (My personal opinion on this is the light would scare her!) In addition, a chiropractic visit was suggested to have the Webster technique used on me.



I have received some encouraging words from people who have had breech babies a couple weeks before term. Babies have been known to flip a couple of times before labor begins and some move during early labor. The key is to be mentally prepared in case Ruth never turns by the time she is supposed to and then we'll have to go in for a C-Section. Yuck! A C-Section is the last possible item on my list to get this baby out. I am praying that she flips and stays put so we won't have to deal with major abdominal surgery and all the risks involved with that - never mind the cost! :) Bleh!