28 weeks
I used to get so annoyed when IF bloggers would get pregnant and then drop off the face of the planet. And here I am doing the same thing. The truth is, this whole "normal pregnancy" thing is almost a little boring even to me, so I'm having a hard time finding anything interesting to say about it.
But to bring you all up to speed...at the end of March I had another ultrasound to double check the baby's spine (they couldn't get a good view of it at the anatomy scan), and all looked good. Growth was on track and the tech double checked the sex for me (definitely a boy). Bonus cootercam u/s to check cervical length, which was something like 4.9 cm, so still looking great. I got a mild warning about weight gain (I had gained 6 lbs instead of the recommended 4 in 4 weeks) but everything looked good.
With the confirmation that this baby is, indeed, a boy (and I have the picture to prove it), I've been sorting through and giving away all of Bat Girl's girly clothes from the last 5 years. It's been hard--I now understand why my mom still has some of my Florence Eisemann dresses from the '70s tucked away in the attic. Even a little flimsy cheap Old Navy outfit brings back memories of BG wearing it, and I have to admit that I still cling to a vision of that second little girl that I thought I would have. Honestly, if I could guarantee another girl I would almost go for a third child--but I can say that another kid is 99% not going to happen for us, especially given our ages and financial situation AND the fact that I never want to go through fertility treatment again.
Anyway, luckily we have several little girls in our lives ranging in age from 6 weeks to 4 years old, so I know all the hand-me-downs are going to people who appreciate them. And we're getting boatloads of boy hand-me-downs in return, sweet little onesies with sailboats and dinosaurs on them and striped rompers that almost make up for the lack of little flowered dresses.
A week and a half ago (27 weeks) I had my 1-hour glucose test, which I passed, but it was discovered that I'm mildly anemic, so I'm taking iron supplements and eating hamburgers. That was also my first-ever OB appointment with NO ultrasound whatsoever--so bizarre! Never fear, next week I'm getting another scan to check growth (with the unicornuate uterus, we need to make sure there's no IUGR or other growth issues) and one more cervical measurement.
I'm firmly convinced that Baby Brother (as we've been calling him; turns out we are having a lot of trouble coming up with a boy's name) is and has consistently been breech, based on the movement I've been feeling. But my OB says it's still too early to tell, and she won't make the official call as to whether a repeat c-section is required until 33 or 34 weeks.
I'm torn about whether or not I actually want to attempt a VBAC, if that ends up being an option. The planner in me likes the idea of just having it all scheduled. And although the recovery from a vaginal birth is probably a lot easier, a c-section is a known quantity for me at this point. I'm not particularly wedded to the idea of having a "natural" birth experience--I made my peace with that long ago and I don't feel like I've missed out on something magical and important by not having had a vaginal birth.
And I don't want to try a VBAC and then end up with a c-section anyway, which is of course a significant possibility. If I'm really truly honest, deep down, I also don't want to fail at this. I've had enough breeding-related failures already. I feel vaguely guilty about not wanting a VBAC, or being chicken, or whatever this is. But I bet I'll get over it.
But to bring you all up to speed...at the end of March I had another ultrasound to double check the baby's spine (they couldn't get a good view of it at the anatomy scan), and all looked good. Growth was on track and the tech double checked the sex for me (definitely a boy). Bonus cootercam u/s to check cervical length, which was something like 4.9 cm, so still looking great. I got a mild warning about weight gain (I had gained 6 lbs instead of the recommended 4 in 4 weeks) but everything looked good.
With the confirmation that this baby is, indeed, a boy (and I have the picture to prove it), I've been sorting through and giving away all of Bat Girl's girly clothes from the last 5 years. It's been hard--I now understand why my mom still has some of my Florence Eisemann dresses from the '70s tucked away in the attic. Even a little flimsy cheap Old Navy outfit brings back memories of BG wearing it, and I have to admit that I still cling to a vision of that second little girl that I thought I would have. Honestly, if I could guarantee another girl I would almost go for a third child--but I can say that another kid is 99% not going to happen for us, especially given our ages and financial situation AND the fact that I never want to go through fertility treatment again.
Anyway, luckily we have several little girls in our lives ranging in age from 6 weeks to 4 years old, so I know all the hand-me-downs are going to people who appreciate them. And we're getting boatloads of boy hand-me-downs in return, sweet little onesies with sailboats and dinosaurs on them and striped rompers that almost make up for the lack of little flowered dresses.
A week and a half ago (27 weeks) I had my 1-hour glucose test, which I passed, but it was discovered that I'm mildly anemic, so I'm taking iron supplements and eating hamburgers. That was also my first-ever OB appointment with NO ultrasound whatsoever--so bizarre! Never fear, next week I'm getting another scan to check growth (with the unicornuate uterus, we need to make sure there's no IUGR or other growth issues) and one more cervical measurement.
I'm firmly convinced that Baby Brother (as we've been calling him; turns out we are having a lot of trouble coming up with a boy's name) is and has consistently been breech, based on the movement I've been feeling. But my OB says it's still too early to tell, and she won't make the official call as to whether a repeat c-section is required until 33 or 34 weeks.
I'm torn about whether or not I actually want to attempt a VBAC, if that ends up being an option. The planner in me likes the idea of just having it all scheduled. And although the recovery from a vaginal birth is probably a lot easier, a c-section is a known quantity for me at this point. I'm not particularly wedded to the idea of having a "natural" birth experience--I made my peace with that long ago and I don't feel like I've missed out on something magical and important by not having had a vaginal birth.
And I don't want to try a VBAC and then end up with a c-section anyway, which is of course a significant possibility. If I'm really truly honest, deep down, I also don't want to fail at this. I've had enough breeding-related failures already. I feel vaguely guilty about not wanting a VBAC, or being chicken, or whatever this is. But I bet I'll get over it.
Labels: pregnancy, project 2.0, unicornuate uterus
posted by electriclady at 9:31 PM
7 Comments:
Great news!
We had a lot of trouble with boy names and I am not 100% on what we chose, but it's a done deal now. We do call the baby "Baby Bro" still much of the time.
And I've started giving away girl clothes. It's sad in the way you said.
I wish I hadn't tried for a VBAC for what it's worth. I ended up so exhausted from labor etc. and it was a c-section anyway and it was all so uncertain and stressful leading up to the birth. I wish I had just planned a repeat avoided the worry and suffering (labor SUCKS).
Yep, giving away the clothes is bittersweet. And I have a huge bin of baby and toddler clothes, which I need to sort because I'm sure it's (a) age-stained and (b) suffering from broken/stretched elastic.
What you say about the VBAC makes a lot of sense to me. A hard choice all around (maybe you won't need to make it).
Normal is awesome!! I am getting ready to go through all of Zack's clothes so I can start shopping for girl clothes so I understand what you are going through. I imagine there will be plenty of memories associated with certain items of clothing.
Great update!
To be honest, I didn't really think about VBAC. My first c-section had been emergent and scary but the recovery was fine so I decided to go for a repeat c-section just to avoid the emergent and scary part. I have no regrets.
Like Jacquie, my first c-section was emergent and I recovered w/o a single issue (even impressing the nursing staff). Our small-town hospital won't even cover the liability involved in VBACs so it wasn't an option the 2nd time around. I read lots of stories about vaginal births and the amazing ones make me envious and the awful ones make my bits shrivel up to my naval.
I paid more attention this time around and I have some incredible memories of Aitch's birth and I only have to presume the emotions are just as powerful and memorable as if she had been born naturally.
Also? I still have the infant car seat and stroller and lots and lots of other baby items that I just can't bear to get rid of yet.
You're still naming him Ransom, right?
I tried a vbac with ds after my c-section from failure to progress with dd. I failed. Apparently, I'm too small and my kids' heads are too big. So I ended up with another c-section, and I've made peace with it. I have a friend who had a successful vbac and it was horrible afterwards...a very long recovery with uterine prolapse, no sex for months, and other maladies. It made me a little glad I couldn't do it. My recovery the 2nd time was a lot easier than the first because I knew how it was, and I had gone into labor on my own. Good luck!
Normal is SUCH a good thing! If I had ever been able to convince Mr. W to let me get pregnant again, I can assure you, VBAC wouldn't even be a blip on my radar. The known vs. unknown...as well as the fact that with UU, the breech position is just far too common (I had it with the lowercase the whole time as well) - it isn't the ideal birth for most women, but you (and I) aren't most women. Of course, like you, I also have the feelings of not failing at something else pregnancy/birth related playing into that.
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