Baby Update: Week 27

Hi all! We are now in our 27th week and doing well! Little Miss is growing/moving like a champ! She often rolls around and makes my tummy move in funny ways! We are excited to welcome her into our family! We are still discussing names...we'll let you know if we get close to having a workable list...

One thing that has been on my mind this pregnancy has been method of delivery. Glen came via c-section after a failed induction at 10 days overdue.  I have decided, after much research, that I am going to try for a vaginal birth after ceserian (VBAC). I missed out on the first few hours of Glen's little life due to many factors but what I missed the most was being the first to hold him. I want to be the first to hold our little miss. So I have come up with a birth plan that includes most of what the doctors say I "have" to do and the things that I want.

First and foremost: no c-section until 14 days overdue, hoping that labor will start on its own. If we make it to Dec 10th without Little Miss hitting the scene, then we will go to c-section.

Assuming labor starts on its own, I have a plan and hope to follow it as much as possible. I would like to labor at home for as long as possible; meaning until I feel like I need to get to the hospital to get an epidural. One of the requirements my doctor has for VBACs is that I am on an epidural during the pushing stage of the process so that if I have complications, then I can be given drugs right away for surgery and they can get the baby out and save my life.  However, my doctor did say that I do not need to get the epidural right away, I can wait until the transition stage of labor. So my goal is to make it to 7cm before I get the epidural. Why? Because I want to be able to use the tub during labor as well as other things to help the baby move down the birth canal. One reason I think that Glen did not progress is because I was in bed on an epidural for most of labor. Of course, that's because I was on pitocin for the induction and the contractions got hard really fast!

Once I am on the epidural and at the pushing phase, then I hopw to be sitting up as much as possible to help the baby procede down the birth canal. With Glen I was laying on my side and felt that he did not progress because gravity was not working with me. So Ammon will have to sit behind me to help me and my legs stay up. We'll see how that goes. I've been stretching my legs to get limber enough to be in that sitting position for long periods of time. Hopefully it all pays off.