sam at 37 weeks

sam at 37 weeks is breech as can be. also, in the words of the ultrasound tech, for as small as what i am, i grew a bigger baby.

sam is anywhere between 6 lbs 9 oz and 7 lbs 7 oz, which is pretty big for three weeks before the due date apparently.

sam has a TON of hair.

unfortunately he did not get his father's head size and instead got his mother's melon head. i nearly had a stroke when the measurement on the screen was 9.87 cm across. dr. mulch jokingly said that maybe he is breech for a reason. no wonder it feels like he is breaking my ribs - he has a wrecking ball on his shoulders.

sam had his arm up over his face for the 4d pictures, but there is still one that is adorable. for those of you who "just can't see it," i photoshopped the "parts" so you could tell what was what.

and so here is the photo of our beautiful, precious, stubborn, large-headed baby boy:

i cried. he is wonderful.

dr. mulch said we need to have made our decision in a week for my 38 week appointment. if sam is still breech, we can either schedule a c-section for 39 weeks or try external version with induction at 39 weeks. (version is where they squish him around and try to make him turn, then induce labor and hope he stays head down.)

obviously there are risks and drawbacks to both. there is enough amniotic fluid for him to turn. the placenta is in the front, which makes version more difficult. if version doesn't go well, it could mean an emergency c-section, which means being under anesthesia and justin not being able to be there for what may well be our only biological child's birth.

with a scheduled c-section, you have the healing, the scar, and the terror (it scares the crap out of me). still, i would be awake and justin would be able to be there. it's just so "extreme" compared to natural birth. also, i couldn't even try to get pregnant for a year - which i'm not betting can even happen between breastfeeding and endometriosis, but that's a touchy subject for a girl with infertility (limiting something that is already so limited).

or he could turn. statistically by this point, chances are that he will not turn, but he technically still could. i've heard stories of babies turning this late or later, but it doesn't seem to be that common.

so we have no idea what we want to do. we go back and forth about it, and i've heard everyone's horror and success stories about all of the options. [please note, i am NOT delivering a breech baby "naturally." that is way too risky for my liking. if you would like to do that yourself, feel free.]

so what i will ask is that you please pray for us, that sam will turn head down, and that if he does not, that we will be able to reach a decision that we have peace about.

we are very excited to meet him - maybe even in just two weeks if he decides to be uncooperative. i can't wait to hold and snuggle my little boy and feel his soft hair and kiss his little cheeks. :)