Foot in Mouth - 24 Week Check-Up

Today was a busy day at Alexian Brothers Medical Center. I got there in time, but after looking for parking in the near lot, checking with valet twice with no workers around, then parking far away in the garage, I finally got to registration. I was grumpy by this point, especially when I had to wait for a while just to give them my ID and insurance card (again...), but the registration clerk was cheery and told me how Dr. Moreira, one of the OB's at the midwife practice I use, delivered her son 9 months ago, and she was very nice and had a good experience with her. Foreshadowing!
Then, I had to head upstairs to the office to get my orange "juice" (aka the glucose syrup you drink as part of the gestastional diabetes testing). I would get to "enjoy" it while I was at my 24 weeks ultrasound with the perinatologist. Then back down stairs (yes, I took the stairs down--elevator was taking too long, and I beat it down 4 floors!) to the waiting room.

After the routine stuff, babies were measured at 1 lb. 7 oz. and 1 lb. 10 oz., Dr. Patel measured cervical length around 4 cm, which is less than 4 weeks ago, but still a very safe length--no bed rest for me! Apparently, at my previous visit, my cervical length was 5.7 cm, and the nurse commented that it was the longest they'd seen--I'm glad I could have a super-cervix. :) I also learned that some of the pains I have been feeling are "bladder dance"--both babies are breech (bottoms down), and head to head. So, while I'm looking at the sweet profile shots of Baby A, I see what looks like a hand approaching the mouth. Before I could say how cute it was that that baby was putting his hand to his mouth, as if to suck his thumb, the tech says, "That the other one." Oh, the other one's hand? No, the other baby's foot. Yes, Baby B is asserting his dominance over Baby A by putting his foot in his brother's mouth in the womb. It has already begun!

After I finished there, I headed back upstairs, prepared for a long wait, and was eventually escorted to a room. Soon after, my favorite blood-drawer, Eliza, came in, drew my blood, and asked if Liz (the midwife I was scheduled to see) had come in yet, and I replied, "No." Then she said that Liz had gone downstairs (to L&D) for a delivery. After thinking I would be there a LONG time, I was offered to see Dr. Moreira, and I took the offer.
I met her in the ultrasound room, which is where I always go to hear the heartbeats, so they can accurately get both babies. She was young looking, but very nice, and told me about the twins being breech, and we discussed options for birth. Ideally, she's the doctor that would deliver the twins if I didn't have to have a c-section, which I would like to try if Baby A is vertex. However, I guess there is only a 30-40% chance that if A is born vertex but B is breech, that B would actually turn to avoid a c-section. This isn't as hopeful as I had thought, especially since I'll probably end up with an internal monitor on Baby A to keep tabs on his heart rate through labor. For those who don't know, an internal monitor pretty much confines you to the hospital bed in a supine position, thus eliminating any chance of natural childbirth coping options. :( So, I'm not thrilled to death about the upcoming birth options, but I really am grateful that we have the medical technology that will keep me and the babies safe during this process. I'm ready to accept the birth that God gives me.