I was quite looking forward to my chiropractor appointment. I'm partial to a good bone cracking to relief any stiffness or aches and I figured if there was a physical reason for baby being breech and it could be fixed that it would be something spine or pelvis related.
I turned up at the highstreet clinic, and not someone's house, and was handed a form to fill out. Just basic stuff really, address details and general medical history questions and then some diagrams of bodies that I had to shade the areas requiring attention.
The receptionist was really friendly and got me a drink and before long a women appeared to lead me into a treatment room.
Initially she seemed to be about 30 because she sounded young and spoke quickly but I think she's more like 35-40. She looked a bit mediterranean and was almost painfully thin but was really nice and bubbly.
We worked our way through the form and I had to mention the IVF because of the Clexane and she asked how many cycles. I told her six and she looked shocked and said I'm a new record - yay me. She attempted empathy by acknowledging how hard it must have been... zzzzzzz. Get to the back cracking already!
She asked me about how active I am, how much time I sit for, how much pelvic floor exercises I do. I made the mistake to admitting to not doing my pelvic floor exercises which turned into a lecture with her telling me how important they are and me telling her how tedious they are.
She did however mention they should be stopped at 38 weeks to allow for proper stretching during labour. We don't want our muscles too toned. I had heard of this previously but not heard it acknowledged by someone who seemed to be knowledgable about it and still an active advocate for the exercises.
She asked me if I'd had any Braxton Hicks to which I told her that I hadn't but she said it was pretty early for them anyway.
Then I explained to her about baby being breech and about not being sure if she was frank breech or not.
She asked me to lie on the couch on my back and then had a good old feel at my bump. She was a lot more thorough than the midwife was as she felt the baby at every inch and followed her body to see where it lead whereas the midwife kind of just dug her hands in and wiggled them around.
I was told that her head was up as suspected and flexed which means the chin is tucked under like it should be and that her bum was nice and loose. She umm'd and ahh'd as she seemed to be following the shape of the limbs and she decided that her legs were not by her head but were kind of frog legged downwards as she could feel the knees. That was a relief anyway and I assume that it means baby is a complete breech which is pretty much exactly the right position but pointing the wrong way. I don't know if that makes her more likely to turn or not.
Just then she declared I was having a Braxton Hicks. I couldn't feel anything, but then she explained that my bump had gone really hard. That is a Braxton Hicks?! My belly has been doing that at random intervals for weeks already, but I thought Braxton Hicks involved cramping sensations. I thought it was just baby putting up a little force field when she didn't want me poking her...
While I was lying down she also pulled my arms up above my head and asked me to straighten my fingers and showed me how one of my arms was reaching about an inch further than the other one and then I got up and say back at the desk.
At this point she pulled out a plastic spine and pelvis and proceeded to explain to me what happens to the pelvis and spine and what is happening with me. It dragged on for quite a while but I think the gist of it was that the ligaments on the left side of my pelvis were restricting its movement.
She explained that I might suffer some discomfort and I had to sign another form to consent to what was to follow.
Unexpectedly she then asked me remove my clothes except for my underwear and to put a hospital gown on. She gave me a moment and then returned and she asked me to perform several movements while standing up like touching my toes, sliding my arms down each side of my legs, standing on one leg, etc.
I hopped back onto the couch that had a special lowering section to accommodate a bump and a special pillow and asked to lie on my belly.
What followed REALLY hurt. She was pressing various parts of my arse and legs but it felt like she was using her knuckles or something. In some places it felt like she was boreing a hole into my flesh with her fingers and when I confirmed it was very tender where it was pressing, she'd just press it even harder. It typically hurt more on the left side.
She didn't touch my back but she eventually asked me to roll back onto my back and then she attacked my neck muscles instead.
Afterwards she did my arms again to discover that now the other arm was longer which meant she had over corrected so she had to make another slight adjustment and they like magic they both finger tips met. I couldn't help but think that it'd be fairly easy to manipulate the outcome by simply pulling my arms to where she wanted them.
Then she was finished and I am devasted to report that there wasn't a single crack during the whole thing :(
She told me the baby might be more active and that lying down on my left is better than sitting down which suits me!
She recommended switching between lying on my left and bouncing/leaning on my ball.
The cost came to £55 but the next appointment will be in a week and will only be £35, although it's also half the duration.
I got home and followed orders and my little lady has actually been very active. She normally is anyway but it's mostly been down below which has been unusual.
I'm lying in bed and having a feel and yes, she still in her usual comfy breech position *sigh*.
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