The Home Stretch

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! ... And all the other greetings I should have sent your way since my last post.

Things have been going quite well pregnancy-wise. In about two weeks, I'll be full term and ready to blow...
BUT it looks like labor itself is not in my future. Although the fabulous Dr. T. is willing to let me try for a VBAC, the past few ultrasounds indicate that Tarb2 is not in favor of one. He's floating in there in a nice diagonal position -not quite transverse but certainly not upside down. Dr. T. thinks it unlikely he'll go completely upside down and get his head engaged.

Two visits ago, she said that my CS with Tarb1 was perhaps due not just to arrested labor but CPD as well. This was certainly news to me because I thought I got cut up because my abnormally long cervix didn't efface and dilate. But she explained that while I had good, regular contractions, Tarb's head never engaged (stayed at the -3 position) and that could be an indication that my pelvis is just too small to accommodate a baby's head.

Tarb2's ultrasounds have been good. (We even caught him fiddling with his private parts a few weeks ago!) His femur and cranium constantly measure within range. His mid section is almost a week behind so he's skinny but Dr. T said it's nothing to worry about since they only start packing on lots of fat at 35wks onwards. Still, she said she would not let me try for a VBAC if this baby gets any heavier than 7lbs. precisely because of the afore mentioned CPD issues. Tarb was not a huge newborn. She weighed 6.2lbs when delivered at 37wks4days. And I'm not all that big either. When I got weighed at last week's visit, I had gained a total of 20lbs in this pregnancy. I gained at total of about 28lbs with Tarb.

The only problem I have with picking a birthday for this baby is that Dr. T. may have a bloody speaking engagement in Singapore on the weekend I was hoping to schedule a CS!!! So she may have to do it a few days before or after I'd wanted but said she'd inform me as soon as her plans were certain. She hasn't done so yet but I'm seeing her on Friday so we should know in a few days.

The check-ups and ultrasounds which have all gone quite well set my mind at ease but I still do get mini anxiety attacks about all the problems you can encounter in delivery. I'm not looking forward to the post-op period after the CS but I managed before and I'll manage again. Tarb2's looking good but I continue to pray for a good, strong, normal, healthy little boy.

Sending you all the best thoughts and wishes...