Thanksgiving and a prayer request

I am up baking gluten free pumpkin bread and The Bee is still snoozing in bed. We'll be heading to my Grandma's in a few hours and I am looking forward to a day filled with family and food! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday ahead of you as well!

Yesterday I had an appointment. I have only gained 1 pound in the last 2 weeks (they expected me to gain at least 2). Ponyo's heart rate was good again, which was a relief because we got some possibly bad news. I am measuring small on the fundal height measurement.

Fundal height is "a measure of the size of the uterus used to assess fetal growth and development during pregnancy. 


It is measured from the top of the mother's uterus to the top of the mother's pubic bone in centimeters. It should match the fetus' gestational age in weeks within 1 to 3 cm, e.g., a pregnant woman's uterus at 26 weeks should measure 23 to 29 cm. This is valid from 24 weeks.

Most caregivers will record their patient's fundal height on every prenatal visit. Measuring the fundal height can be an indicator of proper fetal growth and amniotic fluid development." source

Dr. D didn't tell me what my measurement was, just that it was "a tad small." She said it could have something to do with Ponyo's position. The funny little girl is currently transverse (stretched from left to right in my uterus instead of being head up or head down). This has caused my belly to be wide like a watermelon for the past week or so. The Bee and I knew she was in this position starting last Saturday because when she moves, we can see and feel body parts on my right side high by my ribs and on my left side lower, kind of near my hip bone. Needless to say, at almost 33 weeks, we hope that she will change position to head down soon. The longer she remains transverse, the more likely a c-section becomes. So, friends on the internet, if you could pray for Ponyo, we would appreciate it so much! We are praying that the growth scan we have scheduled for next Thursday shows:

1. a healthy, growing baby girl

2. enough amniotic fluid 

and

3. that she is making her way into a head down position

Of course, the most important thing is #1. If amniotic fluid is low, though, it could mean I need to be induced early. If she remains transverse, it could mean an impending c-section instead of the natural childbirth I was imagining. If both 2 and 3 are a problem...then I am going to lose it. That would mean a c-section before she is full term (which I know they will try to avoid at all costs). 

In the meantime, I will be trying to get her to spin on her own. I am sure you wonder how, right? Well, I'll be spending some time on my hands and knees after work (great time to scrub the floors and tubs!), trying to do some yoga positions that may help (downward dog and child's pose) and I may try these moves from the site Spinning Babies:

This video shows an inversion you can do off the edge of your couch. Looks fun, don't you think?

And here is a picture of the breech tilt:

source

So, that is where we are Thanksgiving morning, 2012. So thankful for each other and our baby, but worried that she is not growing and wondering if she'll move to the position we need her to in order to avoid a c-section.