Close. But not quite.

I went in for my 37th week appointment late on a Monday afternoon. I was scheduled to see an office APRN as my doctor was out of town. It was a pretty standard visit, quickly running through the same stats as always.

Blood pressure: Perfect
Weight: Pretty good
Belly Measurement: On the mark
Dilated: 1 cm (no changes)

Upon completing her check, the APRN asks, "Any questions?" Uh. Yeah. IS THIS BABY BREECH? She feels around my belly, with a perplexed look on her face. "No. I don't think he is breech...but..."

BUT.

BUT what.

"Let me check you again," she says. "Well, I don't think he is breech, but....I can't feel anything?"

.........................................

Immediately, I am both confused, terrified and mystified. Yes, I felt huge so I could easily argue he had a small planet to discover within me; but the reality of my size was finite. It wasn't THAT big. So, where the hell is this baby?

The nurse decided to perform a quick ultrasound to discover baby is neither breech nor head down. Instead, he was comfortably nestled from side-to-side in the transverse position. The nurse suspected baby had turned a full 90 degrees since my last visit.

I considered it a mild victory. He had indeed turned, just not all the way. Surely, he could do it again...right? Just as my internal monologue cheered my success, I realized: there is a (small) chance of a breech vaginal delivery but NO way to birth a sideways baby. Rats.

Meanwhile, the nurse retrieved my doctor's partner. The doctor explained that at just over 37 weeks, the baby probably still has some room to move. "There is a chance he will continue to move into position. There is also a chance he is already too big. If that is the case, a C-section is the only option." Just as I suspected. Rats!

The doctor offers an alternative. A version procedure. She explains that she and neonatologist will attempt to externally turn the baby into position. If all goes well, I will continue my pregnancy to term and have the natural, vaginal delivery I preferred (ha!). There is a small chance the procedure could induce labor, so I should be prepared. She could schedule me this week, as the procedure should ideally be performed before 38 weeks. Without much time to process, I decided to try the procedure. After all, I had a few days. Maybe he would turn on his own with just threat of a version! The nurse returned with my appointment. Tomorrow.

TOMORROW!

Gulp.