A Bit of Good News

After my utter freak out last night, today actually went well. We went in this morning for the manual version. To say that I was not looking forward to it would be an understatement. When we got to the hospital where we are delivering, they brought us to a nice delivery room--the one I hope we get when it's time, the one with the birthing pool.

Did you notice how I said we hope we get the room with the birthing pool when it's time? That's right, we are going for a natural delivery again. The doctor was able to turn her, and based on where her head moved to, she recommended that we NOT use prostaglandins and try to induce today, and that we take a long walk and wait to see how things go, instead!

The midwives who worked with us at the hospital were awesome about making me comfortable. They monitored the baby, who looked great, and then my doctor came in. I was expecting horrible pain and a long procedure. Instead, she covered me in ultrasound gel, there was some rather quick discomfort, and then she proclaimed that the baby was head down (this, from a pretty much straight up-and-down breech position, with the baby's head up and butt and legs down). She held the baby's head down for a few minutes, then the nurse hooked me to the baby monitors again for about a half hour. The doctor checked back in. I was having contractions regularly, but they didn't hurt and didn't go anywhere. The baby's heart rate looked good. So, the doctor wants me to walk a bunch today, and then wants to see me on Friday if I don't go into labor before then.

I would have been on the monitor for an even shorter time, but they brought me breakfast (tea and water and yummy toast with jam). A hospital with a menu that will deliver whatever you want! After I ate, the baby got hiccups, which raised her heart rate, and they wouldn't let me go until she calmed down again.

When we left, we ran into the husband half of a couple that we'd met during the hospital tour a month or so ago. They'd had their baby when we first arrived at the hospital. I'd heard the baby cry just after we got there. I thought that was an amazing coincidence. Then we left. The hospital is a couple of miles from our house, but there are a string of parks in between us, so T and I walked the whole way home through the parks. It was a long, slow walk, but a beautiful day for it, and everything has started to bloom. I came home, took a nap, and now we're going to the zoo. Hopefully, gravity will be my friend, the baby's head will be well engaged, and she won't move out of position again!

Updated to add: The zoo was completely awesome today. Some friends bought us year long memberships as a baby shower gift. Miss M ran from zoo animal to zoo animal, imitating the sound to the animals. She was adorable. She was talking to the lion and calling him "Alex" (we've been watching Madagascar quite a bit lately). She demanded to see the reptiles to see the "snakes and frogs." I love that she has no fear of them. When we went into the house with the zebras, she held her nose, which I've never seen her do before, and proclaimed that "zebras smell yucky." It was really fun to be out with her and see her so engaged. There was a statute of some gorillas in one part of the zoo, and one of the gorillas was holding a baby. She went over and patted the statute, then kissed the baby. It was priceless. We walked around the zoo for an hour and a half (this on top of our hour and a half or so stroll home through the park). We must have done at least 3 miles today, and probably more than 4. I'm pretty sore (my groin muscles in particular, oddly enough), but feel good. I'm having some contractions now that I'm home and sitting (and had some at the zoo today, too), but nothing painful. Hopefully it's all working together to keep her head down overnight. Fingers crossed.