whale watching

People have been asking how i think we managed to get the baby to turn... Luck? Prayer? Chiropractic? Frozen peas? Elephant walking? Laying on the stairs upside down? Neil talking to the bottom of my belly? Using a flashlight? i dunno - but one of the most entertaining parts of trying to get a breech baby to turn has got to be the swimming pool... Lemme tell you about it.
The littles really wanted to go swimming that Sunday... i didn't really... i felt puffy & tired & horribly, embarrassingly grumpy, but i was raised by my mom who never passed up an opportunity to have fun... & so i went.
"i guess i should..." i started.
Neil already looked horrified.
"You're not gonna do a one & a half off the diving board are you?"
i just took it as a compliment that he thinks i could do a one & a half off the diving board...
"Well, if i end up with a c-section, i wanna be able to say i did everything i could..."
He gave me a withering look.
"Neil, if *you* think it's embarrassing to be with me in the pool, imagine *being* me. Do you think i enjoy looking like shamu doing tricks in the pool?"
"Yes. i do." he replied grimly.
In the changeroom, i wriggled my way into my swimsuit & with little ones trailing at my heels, i made my way to the hot tub.
After only moments, the big girls jumped up & said, "OK! We're heading to the diving board now."
Neil was looking a little amused now that he saw how empty the pool was - & how embarrassed i really was. He gave me a little pep talk & i sighed & jumped in the deep end. The water was cold & my belly immediately turned into a hard little ball. i swam a length & at the end i did a few somersaults before getting Cai to hold my feet in the air while i tried to keep myself upside down. Then i swam back to the deep end. This whole time, i didn't feel a single kick or wiggle - my belly felt hard & wouldn't relax at all - i felt goofy & i was sure that nothing was gonna happen. i decided to take a break, & went to the hot tub. Gagey & i walked around on our hands & feet in the hot tub - he was so pleased i was coming up with so many fun games to play... & i felt a teeny kick. After a few minutes, we headed into the smaller, warmer pool & i swam a couple of lengths. i could feel sweet little person starting to wake up - & i decided to try a few more somersaults & handstands. i swallowed my embarrassment & as gracefully as i could, i contorted & squirmed - feeling the baby inside me doing the same thing. At one point, i came out of the water & felt a hard ball on the side of my abdomen... a head? a bum? Either way, transverse was a step in the right direction. i knew that little bump was about to go either down or up, so for good measure i did another flip in the pool & the bump was gone. i tried palpating my own stomach, but my confidence is shot & i wasn't sure i could feel the difference between a bum & a head. Cai gave it a go too - but wasn't confident either.
i decided to call it a day. i think neil could tell i was tired, 'cause he let me go by myself to the changeroom & change out of my whale costume. There was a cute little pregnant girl in the changeroom - she was helping her toddler out of his swimsuit - she hadn't been swimming. i asked her when she was due, & it was only days before me.
Then she asked me if this was my first baby.
i could have kissed her.
That night, at church i described my efforts to a friend. She nodded in agreement - never once insinuating that i was acting like a crazy child... "Oh, believe you me, if i were in your shoes, i'd be doing the same thing!"
i almost kissed her too.
Baby ended up actually turning 3 days later - after my third chiropractic appointment, using the "Webster Technique".
Although i was prepared to advocate for our best care with the possibility that baby was breech, it does feel like a huge load off that teeny one has decided to turn around & come head first.
i still went swimming this past Saturday - but i just enjoyed myself. i let the water hold me up & felt my body become weightless. i swam a couple of laps - feeling my overused muscles relax & my underused muscles get a work out. i played with Gagey in the shallow end & tried to be a little more discreet - tugging at the bottom of my skirt to get better coverage.
Swimming in the 9th month is a little embarrassing - but it's worth it.
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ps - i will post the hiccup answer tomorrow.