My babies lie sideways in utero- what's your superpower?
Preston Huron Hundt made his arrival, scheduled arrival I should say, on May 2nd, 2018 at 9:16am. He weighed 8lbs 12oz and was 21.75 inches long.
This baby, like all my others, was not in a 'head down' position. This baby, like all my other others, was not breech either. I have delivered four babies that were in the transverse position. Babies who present in the transverse position are laying sideways. For me, that has seemed normal, but apparently, when I looked it up, only about 1% or less of babies are positioned that way at birth making that actually quite rare.
I didn't think anything of this position when I was pregnant with twins- I had two large babies in there and of COURSE they found room wherever they could. Although I was hoping to deliver vaginally, I wasn't terrible surprised or terribly disappointed when it turned out that two babies were not where they needed to be. I accepted my scheduled C-Section with grace.
With Carter, I was really hoping to be able to try a V-BAC (vaginal birth after cesarian). I did not have a C-Section out of emergency or because of a condition I have that would make it impossible or very risky to try a vaginal birth. I was a great candidate to have success birthing without C-Section. Apparently, when I looked it up, around 97% of babies are set to come out head first. Surely this ONE baby would cooperate.
It was not to be- during the last 5 weeks of pregnancy, Carter was in a different position every time I went to the doctor. He essentially rotated almost entirely around my belly. He stopped just short of being head down again and instead left his head and body sideways. I assumed because my belly was able to stretch out so much because I had twins last time, he was able to spread out a lot and just was just swimming all over the place. Although this was my non-scienfitic and non-medical logic, that was essentially true with him.
No one explained to me why this transverse position seemed to be the one my children loved to have. It just was what it was. I guess in hindsight, I could've asked more questions, but I have trusted my doctors and have told them many times that I didn't really care how my babies got out as long as it was the safest for them and safest for me. I also had rationalized using, I think, pretty great logic as to why Nolan and Judah and Carter all ended up sideways.
When this last baby ended up transverse too, I finally had a doctor take time to examine me and talk with me about why my kids were in this position.
I have a tilted uterus, which I knew about already. While that isn't THE reason, it factors a bit because my body has to do a little bit of shifting to figure this pregnancy thing out. It also explains why everyone on earth always comments on how low I carry babies. My uterus is all mixed up so it actually doesn't sit as high as it's supposed to. I seem to look like I've "dropped" for many, many, many weeks. I had people telling me, around 30 weeks, that I looked like I might deliver any day. Ummmm, no thank you. I would comment back that this is how I always look- saggy belly, that's me!
Because I carry low and because I had twins shred my abdominal muscles completely (see other blog about my diastasis recti here), I truly have nothing holding anything in or up. My belly is the opposite of perky.
None of this was new news....
What WAS new was the actual position of my baby. I knew he or she was transverse laying sideways, but after the doctor felt around a bit, he let me know that my baby was actually IN FRONT OF the birth canal. So not only was my belly saggy, it was sagging OVER and IN FRONT OF the place where babies come out. He let me know that there was nothing even close to the birth canal or pelvic bone except fluid. I would never have a head or a foot or a butt anywhere near there- my kid was in front of all that and lower than all that swimming around sideways.
Essentially, if C-Sections had not been invented, I'd be in big big trouble and so would my baby.
I'd need somehow to lift my belly up and push it inward towards my body and down in order to have any child anywhere near where it should be.
FINALLY! I understand...
I understand why I've never went into labor. Not even little bit- never even been dilated.
I understand why I don't have the urge to pee that people get when they are closer to delivery in the third trimester.
I understand why all of my maternity clothes become too short because I'm hanging down so freaking low.
I understand why people make comments about my basketball and how low it is and how far it sticks out from my body.
I understand why my kids have been able to do flips around my body late in the third trimester when most babies are staying put.
I also understand, now, why my C-Section scare was so painful as I had SO MUCH SKIN sitting on top of it and hanging down over it. Ouch.
Babies are a miracle anyway, but MAN, our bodies sure go through some serious stuff in order to birth children and that's a pretty big miracle too.
This baby, like all my others, was not in a 'head down' position. This baby, like all my other others, was not breech either. I have delivered four babies that were in the transverse position. Babies who present in the transverse position are laying sideways. For me, that has seemed normal, but apparently, when I looked it up, only about 1% or less of babies are positioned that way at birth making that actually quite rare.
I didn't think anything of this position when I was pregnant with twins- I had two large babies in there and of COURSE they found room wherever they could. Although I was hoping to deliver vaginally, I wasn't terrible surprised or terribly disappointed when it turned out that two babies were not where they needed to be. I accepted my scheduled C-Section with grace.
With Carter, I was really hoping to be able to try a V-BAC (vaginal birth after cesarian). I did not have a C-Section out of emergency or because of a condition I have that would make it impossible or very risky to try a vaginal birth. I was a great candidate to have success birthing without C-Section. Apparently, when I looked it up, around 97% of babies are set to come out head first. Surely this ONE baby would cooperate.
It was not to be- during the last 5 weeks of pregnancy, Carter was in a different position every time I went to the doctor. He essentially rotated almost entirely around my belly. He stopped just short of being head down again and instead left his head and body sideways. I assumed because my belly was able to stretch out so much because I had twins last time, he was able to spread out a lot and just was just swimming all over the place. Although this was my non-scienfitic and non-medical logic, that was essentially true with him.
No one explained to me why this transverse position seemed to be the one my children loved to have. It just was what it was. I guess in hindsight, I could've asked more questions, but I have trusted my doctors and have told them many times that I didn't really care how my babies got out as long as it was the safest for them and safest for me. I also had rationalized using, I think, pretty great logic as to why Nolan and Judah and Carter all ended up sideways.
When this last baby ended up transverse too, I finally had a doctor take time to examine me and talk with me about why my kids were in this position.
I have a tilted uterus, which I knew about already. While that isn't THE reason, it factors a bit because my body has to do a little bit of shifting to figure this pregnancy thing out. It also explains why everyone on earth always comments on how low I carry babies. My uterus is all mixed up so it actually doesn't sit as high as it's supposed to. I seem to look like I've "dropped" for many, many, many weeks. I had people telling me, around 30 weeks, that I looked like I might deliver any day. Ummmm, no thank you. I would comment back that this is how I always look- saggy belly, that's me!
Because I carry low and because I had twins shred my abdominal muscles completely (see other blog about my diastasis recti here), I truly have nothing holding anything in or up. My belly is the opposite of perky.
None of this was new news....
What WAS new was the actual position of my baby. I knew he or she was transverse laying sideways, but after the doctor felt around a bit, he let me know that my baby was actually IN FRONT OF the birth canal. So not only was my belly saggy, it was sagging OVER and IN FRONT OF the place where babies come out. He let me know that there was nothing even close to the birth canal or pelvic bone except fluid. I would never have a head or a foot or a butt anywhere near there- my kid was in front of all that and lower than all that swimming around sideways.
Essentially, if C-Sections had not been invented, I'd be in big big trouble and so would my baby.
I'd need somehow to lift my belly up and push it inward towards my body and down in order to have any child anywhere near where it should be.
FINALLY! I understand...
I understand why I've never went into labor. Not even little bit- never even been dilated.
I understand why I don't have the urge to pee that people get when they are closer to delivery in the third trimester.
I understand why all of my maternity clothes become too short because I'm hanging down so freaking low.
I understand why people make comments about my basketball and how low it is and how far it sticks out from my body.
I understand why my kids have been able to do flips around my body late in the third trimester when most babies are staying put.
I also understand, now, why my C-Section scare was so painful as I had SO MUCH SKIN sitting on top of it and hanging down over it. Ouch.
Babies are a miracle anyway, but MAN, our bodies sure go through some serious stuff in order to birth children and that's a pretty big miracle too.
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| The day Nolan and Judah were born (38 weeks) |
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| The day Carter born (41 weeks) |
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| The day Preston was born (39 week, 1 day) |
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