rivka: (rosie with baby)
[personal profile] rivka
This is a story that starts out a little scary and has a happy ending.

My midwives have never asked me to keep "kick counts," but I definitely have a strong sense of when I expect Niblet to move, and how much. His most active time of day is right around when I go to bed. At 10:30 or 11, I expect a good 10-15 minutes of active kicking and rolling - enough to make the surface of my belly ripple visibly.

Last night? A couple of mild kicks, and that was it. So this morning I was more alert than usual for fetal movement, and again, there was much less than I expected. Putting a bag of frozen broccoli on my belly for a minute or so didn't wake him up. Eventually, after much inward focus, I felt a couple of slight, subtle movements. Enough to reassure me that he wasn't dead, but not enough to reassure me that nothing was wrong. It was weird. And scary.

I called the midwife on call, and she had me go to the Center for Advanced Fetal Care at the hospital - where I'd just been on Tuesday. They did a biophysical profile, which is a combination of an ultrasound to assess the baby's "practice breathing," movement, muscle tone, and amniotic fluid level, and a nonstress test using an external fetal monitor to identify appropriate heart rate accelerations with movement.

And! Pretty much as soon as she started the ultrasound it was clear that Niblet has turned head-down, just as he's supposed to be. His feet are up by my right ribs. We've canceled the external version scheduled for Tuesday - I'm just supposed to go to my regular midwife appointment on Wednesday to have his position checked again. I can't believe I didn't feel him flip!

He passed the biophysical profile with flying colors. It was hard for the nurse to get him moving - she had to do a lot of repeated jabbing and pushing with the ultrasound wand and roll me from side to side a few times - so it wasn't just my imagination that he was less responsive than usual. But once he did move, he looked great. The nurse's theory is that I felt such a strong difference in his movements because he's moved head-down and is in a more natural, comfortable position.

I am so! Relieved! I cannot even begin to tell you. I've been trying to mentally prepare myself for a C-section - and then, this morning, I was quite genuinely scared by the drop in apparent movement. I am SO HAPPY that he is all right, looking well, and VERTEX.

Also, apparently I'm contracting much more than I realized. My contractions are painless and mild, but during the nonstress test they were happening every 3.5 to 5 minutes. This doesn't mean anything with respect to labor imminency, but it's certainly a good sign that my body is preparing itself.

Date: 2009-01-30 04:39 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] going-not-gone.livejournal.com
Yay Niblet! Here's to an uncomplicated birth and a happy, healthy mom and baby. :)

Date: 2009-01-30 04:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ailsaek.livejournal.com
Oh thank goodness!

Date: 2009-01-30 04:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] morning-glory.livejournal.com
Yeah for you, and congrats on the vertex baby. I'm glad to hear everything is allright.

Date: 2009-01-30 04:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] casperflea.livejournal.com
Yay! I was hoping he would flip himself. And less kicking because he's finally all snugged in sounds exactly like my late-pregnancy experiences.

Date: 2009-01-30 04:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] acceberskoorb.livejournal.com
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

Date: 2009-01-30 04:51 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nex0s.livejournal.com
Go NIBLET!

That's just great :) He sounds right comfy now, no need to kick :)

N.

Date: 2009-01-30 04:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] wcg.livejournal.com
Yay Niblet! (And thanks be.)

Date: 2009-01-30 05:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kcobweb.livejournal.com
YAAAAY!!! :)

Date: 2009-01-30 05:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] minnaleigh.livejournal.com
YAY!! What good news!! I'm sorry you had to go through a period of fear but so happy it turned out well in the end.

Date: 2009-01-30 05:20 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bibliotrope.livejournal.com
Yay! Niblet sounds like he's getting ready for his Big Day. Hope all continues to go as smoothly as his flip. (Maybe he'll grow up to be a gymnast.)

Date: 2009-01-30 05:26 pm (UTC)
ext_29896: Lilacs in grandmother's vase on my piano (Default)
From: [identity profile] glinda-w.livejournal.com
Oh, yay for position change! (And continuing GoodThoughts for a safe and uncomplicated delivery!)

Date: 2009-01-30 05:28 pm (UTC)
ext_73228: Headshot of Geri Sullivan, cropped from Ultraman Hugo pix (Default)
From: [identity profile] gerisullivan.livejournal.com
*Whew!* *Wow!* Huzzah, Niblet!

Date: 2009-01-30 05:30 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nelc.livejournal.com
Well done, that baby! He's not likely to turn around again, is he?

Date: 2009-01-30 05:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] threeringedmoon.livejournal.com
Yeah for the niblet! I am glad he flipped on his own.

Date: 2009-01-30 05:57 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fairoriana.livejournal.com
Oh yay for cooperative Niblets!

Date: 2009-01-30 06:10 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bosssio.livejournal.com
Huzzah!!!
I know that sometimes babies don't kick so much because they are getting so darned big, there just isn't as much room to give a really big KICK!

Date: 2009-01-30 06:12 pm (UTC)
eeyorerin: (absorbed penguin)
From: [personal profile] eeyorerin
What a good baby! The best baby ever, that Niblet.

Date: 2009-01-30 07:31 pm (UTC)
pameladean: (Default)
From: [personal profile] pameladean
I'm sorry you had a scare, but so glad it turned out well.

P.

Date: 2009-01-30 08:11 pm (UTC)
ailbhe: (Default)
From: [personal profile] ailbhe
Woo! This is brilliant. Well done Niblet :)

Date: 2009-01-30 08:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] papersky.livejournal.com
I can't believe you didn't notice! That's really amazing. And I'm so glad he's flipped.

Date: 2009-01-30 09:27 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lydy.livejournal.com
Hurrah for the Niblet. Glad everything is ship-shape.

Date: 2009-01-30 11:10 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lizardling.livejournal.com
Yay to Niblet turning heads down!

Date: 2009-01-31 01:46 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ratphooey.livejournal.com
Yay! I knew the Niblet would cooperate.

Date: 2009-01-31 04:24 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ex-serenejo.livejournal.com
What a huge, huge relief.

Date: 2009-01-31 05:40 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] erisian-fields.livejournal.com
Woo Hoo!

Colin was breech the entire pregnancy and he flipped in the car on the way to the hospital. Babies have their own time and ways about getting here.

Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy and solo time with Alex. It's utterly precious.

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