Pregnancy Journal: Baby’s On the Move and Birth Pool Choices

I’m almost 33 weeks now.  For the last few weeks, baby’s been in a rather…odd position.  It was kind of diagonal, with its head over my left hip.  It was absolutely impossible to get comfortable with the baby in this position.  Lying on my side felt so weird because of the way the baby moved, but lying on my back wasn’t really possible because of how heavy the baby is now (close to 4 lbs., plus the fluid, placenta, etc.).

I’d go to the chiropractor, who would adjust me, but somehow this made it hurt worse, especially at night.  I definitely didn’t feel any better, so I didn’t want to go.  Why would I if I felt worse temporarily?

But then Sunday night the baby squirmed a lot…and shifted positions.  By the time I was going to bed, I could feel the baby hiccuping, in a more normal head-down position!  Yay for finally being head down!  I was starting to get upset that baby wasn’t in the right position, and worrying about what that might mean for birth.  Luckily, this seems to have resolved itself.

All day Monday, though, I was sore.  I hardly slept on Sunday night because I couldn’t get comfortable.  Some positions really hurt my hips or caused them to fall asleep.  I just…hurt.  Going to the chiropractor seemed like a good idea.  I thought because the baby had finally shifted into the right position that he could help me.

So I went.  He said he could definitely tell that I’d “popped” more and that the baby had changed position.  He adjusted me…and I felt better!  Finally!  Now I just hope that bi-weekly (that is, twice a week) adjustments will help keep the baby in the right place and allow me to feel okay and sleep okay until the end.  That’s all I care about towards the end of pregnancy, honestly…not being in pain and feeling “okay!”

Tuesday was our next midwives’ appointment.  We now start going every two weeks!  I can’t believe we’re at that point already, but in two weeks I’ll already be 35 weeks.  That is soooo close to the end….

Everything’s looking normal — measuring about right, no weird signs.  And they confirmed that baby is head down!  I’m so happy and hope baby actually stays that way now.  I don’t want to even worry about not being able to have a home birth just because of the way the baby’s positioned!

We’re also seriously looking at our birth kit and a birth pool.  I’m thinking that I want to buy a Birth Pool in a Box Mini.  I looked at the full size pool, as well as La Bassine and Aquaborn.  I couldn’t take La Bassine seriously because it seemed barely a step up from kiddie pools and almost no one uses it anymore.  The Aquaborn was definitely more expensive, larger, deeper, and did not come with a liner (but did come with a lid).  I wanted a pool that came with a liner, much more than I wanted one with a lid.  I did not think I’d really use a lid, because I didn’t need it last time (in a 14-hour labor) and I could always buy a cheap tarp to toss over it.

Ultimately, I noted that several people said the Aquaborn could be hard to get in and out of, and possibly too deep if you were a smaller person, which I am.  I’m only 5’3″.  Several people noted that the mini BPIAB was plenty big enough for two people, and it’s about the same size as the kiddie pool I used last time (which definitely would have been big enough for two).  That clinched it — I want one that suits my needs and BPIAB mini seemed to do just that.  I like the idea of a liner to make clean up extremely simple, and to know that my tub will be clean and safe for the next use.  After the birth I’ll let you know what I think!

If you’ve used a birth pool before, which did you choose and why?  Did you like it?  Would you have made a different choice?