A Ray Of Hope

Ok, so something very interesting took place the other day. I belong to a mother's group, and the one mother I know is a doula. She participates in a lot of home births, and is very familiar with the vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) process, etc. I wrote to her the other day, just to let her know of my situation. I wasn't really expecting any feedback from her, but (to be honest), I just felt like venting to someone who I knew would understand my dilemma about having another breech baby.

She wrote back to me telling me about a chiropractor she knows who specializes in something called the Webster Technique. I had never heard of this, but she said it is supposed to be very successful in helping breech babies turn. This, of course, peaked my curiosity. I knew I had to be really careful, because my amniotic fluid is low, and I did not want to do anything that would involve trying to turn the baby, etc. After reading a little bit about it online, praying and talking to my husband, we decided to check it out. I was actually able to talk to the chiropractor on the phone personally, and he answered all of my questions upfront. This technique is so successful, because many women have a misaligned pelvis which can cause a different shape to the uterus - preventing a baby from turning correctly.

Well, we decided to check it out! My husband was home from work, which was wonderful, so he was able to go with me. The doctor examined me and noticed that my right hip is slightly higher than my left. This can cause a misalignment in my pelvis, which can cause my uterus to become shaped in a way that does not allow the baby to flip as easily as if it were a "normal" shape! Isn't that incredible? This doctor told us that the success rate is very high after 1 adjustment for some people, and 4-5 adjustments sometimes for others. The best part is, my insurance covers this! The doctor did an adjustment on me that day, and it just involved my pelvis and some place on my hip. I left wondering how that could help anything, but he said that it helps to relax the pelvis. He also gave me an "exercise" to do that helps to open up my pelvis. It reminds me of something I learned to do in Lamaze class a few years ago to relieve labor pain.

I woke up this morning and felt really physically uncomfortable. I can always sit down and feel Anna's head at the top of my stomach. It was there today, but it also feels like her entire body is going across my stomach. I think she might be sideways now! She's kicking around as usual, and it just feels so different because she's in a different position. I don't think she's head down, but she's definitely in a completely different position than usual!

Part of me is afraid to be hopeful, but I really am. I know she is turned at least sideways, and I go back for another adjustment on Tuesday. I've always been very skeptical of chiropractors, but I figure that I'll try it if there's a chance that this will help her to turn on her own, and it's not invasive in any way to the baby.

We'll have to wait and see. It feels good, at the very least, to have an option of something to try. Does that make sense? I actually have a sonogram Tuesday afternoon, so I'll know for sure what position she's in. I'll update you soon!