You Can Plan for These Things?! My Birth Plan for Baby No. 2
I am a planner. Type A personality right here!
When I was pregnant with my first child, I read up on labor and delivery and signed my husband and I up for classes, I took a breastfeeding course, and researched all the parenting books I could. I tried to be as prepared as possible.
And then we found out my baby was breech.
So I read up on possibly getting a version (where the doctors physically try to turn him around from the outside - no thank you!) and fairly quickly decided that wasn't for me. I tried chiropractic and some recommendations from my OB and Spinning Babies. It was recommended that if my baby didn't turn on his own by a certain date, that we would schedule a c-section. So I started researching that too!
After some time to process this news, which certainly wasn't a part of my birth plan initially, I came to accept it. After all, these are healthcare professionals, they know what they're doing, and it is their job to get my baby out safely. I also had this feeling in my gut that if my baby wasn't going to turn head down on his own, then perhaps there was a reason for it - maybe he had a cord wrapped around an arm or leg or even his neck! So, I came to terms with my c-section fate. While I was disappointed to begin with, I actually found comfort in the ability to plan for the birth happening on a certain date at a certain time. Type A, remember?!
Look at that little squish! I'm pleased to say that through lots of prayer, we did just fine...Bram arrived safe and sound. He was able to start skin-to-skin with my husband in recovery while I was being stitched up, and I was able to join in shortly thereafter. My recovery went extremely well.
So, what's the plan for Baby Meinel No. 2?! Well, this one is throwing me for a loop too!
I've recently been diagnosed with polyhydramnios, which means I am carrying more amniotic fluid than what is average. We don't know the cause, as I have been fairly healthy and had all normal test results up to this point, and same goes with the baby. After multiple ultrasounds and screenings, baby looks to be developing normally for where we are at, thankfully. For the 50% of women who have this diagnosis, the cause is unknown. We will continue to be monitored weekly via ultrasound and have check-ins with the perinatologist until the baby is born. The big risk at this point is premature labor. This little one too, at this point, is also breech! So, we've decided (or, baby has, if you will) on another c-section. There are risks involved in both attempting a VBAC (which, as long as baby is still breech won't happen anyway) and having another major abdominal surgery. I'm familiar with the c-section process and everything to expect thereafter. I'm comfortable with being able to plan for it. I know I will have help at home the first few weeks after the birth as well, so I don't have to worry about that. Because of the higher risk of premature labor, I just need to be super careful with watching for signs and symptoms of labor to make sure I get to the hospital in time to go into the OR without further complications. So, if baby isn't here on his or her own time, we have a c-section scheduled for early March.
Knowing that we can still do skin-to-skin and delayed cord clamping are really the only big things I want/need to happen to be happy. And for me and my practitioner, those are viable options with a planned c-section.
Do I recommend this option for everyone? Absolutely not! I recommend you do what feels right to you! Do your research. Reach out for support if you need it. I have resources if you're interested.
And, no, you can't really plan for these things. Welcome to parenthood!