23 week appointment and a game plan!

Went in for my 23 week appointment today. Everything looks great so far. I've had hideous lower back pain for the past 3 days to the point where I can't get up and down sometimes without crying. Turns out that baby boy is burrowed way down deep in my uterus. He has all this room to move around and he's shoved himself as low down as he can go. And stretched out sideways. So mama is in a world of pain right now until he moves. I'm pretty sure he's afraid of big sister who likes to still climb on me and get a little too rough sometimes so he's hiding.

Met with one of my OB's today instead of a PA and instantly liked her. We discussed in detail my concerns about my last labor/delivery and what I want out of this one. She knows how badly I want the VBAC to be successful and how scared I am of another failed induction. She was encouraging of us hiring a doula. I also discussed that I don't want an epidural offered to me. I want to ask for it when I want it. I'm afraid if it's offered, I'll be weak and take it. I want to have it when I'm ready for it and to only have it offered if we're nearing the window of me not being able to have it at all. So she wrote that down in my folder and told me to also discuss this with my L&D nurse when I go into labor.

The latest they are willing to let me go is 41 weeks. If I haven't gone into labor naturally on my own by then, we will not induce. My choice. My VBAC success with an induction is low based on my history of failed induction and slow progression. The recovery from a c-section after an induction based labor is shown to be more difficult than recover from a scheduled c-section. Those aren't odds I really want to gamble with so at 41 weeks, I'll opt for a scheduled c-section if I haven't gone into labor on my own. Since I want to push it as late as possible, she said we will schedule the c-section for 41 weeks exactly. If that ends up being the case, Baby Sunflower Bud and Sunflower Bud will share a birthday. Not a bad birthday present, in my opinion. :)

~ Sunflower Bud ~