Boogie Baby Prepares to Make His Appearance His Way

This is definitely my husband's child. After several weeks of checkups with a heads down baby, Boogie turned breech at week 36! My husband was breech - he tells me it is a sign of royalty. The only reference I have found is to Kaiser Wilhelm II, who didn't fare too well during his breech birth. So, readers, would love any pointers to information to substantiate or refute my husband's claims to royalty.

To turn the baby, I've been trying everything. Overachieving as usual. Acupuncture (moxybustion), chiropractor (Webster technique), hypnosis, inversion table, shoulder stands. My favorite so far has been lying upside down on an ironing board (head lower than feet) with an iPod and a light at the bottom of my uterus and an ice bag at the top. The theory is the baby will move its head away from the ice and want to go toward the music and light. But he hasn't budged.

I also had an external cephalic version at the doctor on Thursday, which was uncomfortable but not painful. The doctor said his butt is wedged in my pelvis; he's probably there to stay!

So I'll probably deliver via c-section. And early likely. I've been at the doctor every couple days over the last week. My amniotic fluid is on the low side; if it gets too low the baby will be delivered.

The project manager in me has not dealt with this well. Earlier in my pregnancy I had expected to deliver very early, since I was born six weeks early. At some point, I abandoned this expectation and decided I would be a week late, since the majority of first time mothers are a week late. It was decided.

So on Thursday when I was told that if my amniotic fluid was too low on Friday morning, I would have a c-section that day, I was devastated. Three weeks early. The house wasn't ready, we didn't know how the car seat worked, I didn't have any diapers, and I hadn't finished my work transition.

But as I sat on the couch Friday morning before we left for the hospital, I realized I wasn't emotionally ready. It's been such a special time, being joined with this growing being. And I wasn't - I'm still not - ready for us to graduate on to being two separate people. Then I realized I'm going to be unbearable if I'm this sappy at every single life transition this kid has. So tears dried, we went to the hospital, and... my amniotic fluid had held steady. I had drank 2 cups of water each hour from 6 pm to midnight the night before... Baby gets to stay inside me for a little while longer.

We go back Sunday morning for my next check. More water guzzling tonight!