I'm still feeling better than I was when I was pregnant with Juliet, but morning sickness has definitely been rough. I've had a few days where I've just stayed on the couch in my pj's, not eating anything. One of the chiropractors I see, Dr. France, gave me Sea Bands and some ginger lozenges a few days ago, and they've made a HUGE difference. Instead of being nauseous and sick every morning, I'm mostly hungry. Although I still get worn out easily and feel a little weak, it's a huge improvement on how I'd been.
I had my second ultrasound on December 13th. Two days before that, I had started spotting lightly. I know the doctor had told me to expect this, but it was still very scary. I'd spent the week and a half before then growing more confident that everything was fine with the baby, and as soon as this happened, all that confidence was gone. I was terrified all over again. Needless to say, as I was laying on the bed waiting for my ultrasound to start, I was so nervous I was shaking. I teared up as soon as I saw the little heart still beating away at an amazing 189bpm! The bleed that they had seen two weeks before was still there, but significantly smaller, almost completely gone! The doctor said this is a very good sign, and she is very happy with how things are looking. The baby is growing right on target, measuring at exactly 9 weeks at the time. I could also see the baby moving around like it was stretching, and I could make out tiny arms and legs already! It was so amazing, and so incredibly relieving!
A week before the ultrasound, I was visiting Sheena, and I got a call from my midwife telling me that the doctors had reviewed my records from Hawaii and had decided that I would not be allowed to attempt a VBAC delivery. Their reasoning was that the incision in the uterus was closed using a single closure instead of a double closure. According to them, this made the risk of rupture higher, and therefore I wasn't a candidate. I was heartbroken when I heard that. Another c-section meant so many other things.. recovery from another surgery, even less chance for VBAC with future kids, higher risk of complications and miscarriage with future pregnancies, and on and on. I became even more determined at that point to find someone who would give me a second opinion. My gut told me that my current doctor was just feeding me excuses for something that they never intended to do anyway (They had told me that their policy is to do a repeat c-section for anyone they dont have a history with, and that they didn't want to pay to have an anesthesiologist and surgeon to be on call the entire time I'd be in labor, rather than just the hour or so it took to do the surgery. We also found out from another source later on that their insurance wouldn't allow them to do VBAC deliveries). So I did some research, and while there is some controversy over the safety of a single vs double closure, there have been several studies done that showed there was not an increased risk for rupture with a single closure. This made me feel much better, after all, a safe delivery is ultimately most important.
While I had been researching that, Sheena had been looking for doctors in my area that support VBAC deliveries. The first doctor she found was Dr. Dinsmore in New Port Richey, about 45 minutes away from my house. I read some reviews and decided to make an appointment and see what she had to say. I figured if someone who supports VBACs and has a high success rate with them told me that I wasn't a candidate, then I'd feel a little better about having to have another c-section.
My appointment was on December 15th. I brought Juliet with me, and I'm glad I did. Dr. Dinsmore is great. She was joking around with me and playful with Juliet. She did a quick ultrasound to get a look at the baby (who is still doing great!!) and talked with me a little bit about their practice. They are very supportive of VBAC deliveries (even in patients who have had more than one c-section), as well as alternative healthcare. I feel very confident that they'll allow me to have the delivery I want. Dr. Dinsmore went over my medical records from my previous c-section with me, and said that I should have no problem at all with a VBAC. I specifically asked her about the single closure, and she said it wouldn't be a problem. They will do an ultrasound around 34 weeks to check the incision and make sure its still looking good, and as long as it is, I'll be allowed to go into labor naturally. I am so very thankful that I trusted my gut and got a second opinion!
Since things are looking so good with the pregnancy, and the baby is doing so well, Matt and I decided it was time to tell everyone about the baby (those who didn't already know, of course). So, together, we let all of our friends and family on facebook know about our wonderful news. I was very happy that we were able to be online together when we shared the news. There is so much of this pregnancy that he can't be here for, and sharing that with him meant a lot to me. Of course, our friends and family are very happy for us!
The next appointment is January 4th, around 12 weeks! I'm hoping that some time around then I'll be able to feel the baby moving around! I felt Juliet around then, and I've read that a lot of second time moms can feel their baby move much sooner. I'll let you know!
