Natural Birth and Baby Care.com

Doctors are confusing me!

by Shari Khan
(Karachi, Pakistan)

My wife's first day of LMP is 27-10-09 and now she is in 39th week of pregnancy. Our baby is still in upper position and and hasn't come down.

My wife has had 3 ultrasounds in her pregnancy and we have visited three doctors, 2 out of 3 said that there may be a C-section because baby hasn't come to the lower position and my wife is gaining weight. Her hands and feet are getting some swelling.

But recently one doctor said that these things are normal.

I am writing below the recent ultrasound detail please let me know what it is. This is our first child and we want it to be normal and healthy. I know my question looks big but we are confuse and getting worried, Please help us. Thanks.

Result date: 26-07-2010
No. of feotus: Single
Location: Intrauterine
Cardiac activity: Present
Gross feotal movement: Present
Presentation: Cephalic
Lie: Longitudinal
Amount of liquor: Adequate
Amniotic fluid index: 9.5 cm
Placenta: Posterior, low lying away from int. OS
Maturity of Placenta: Grade-II
4 chamber view of heart, feotal spine, stomach & kidneys appear normal.
No gross Anomaly seen.
B.P.D.: 9.8 cm
H.C.: 33.8 cm
FL: 7.6 cm
A.C: 35.0 cm
FL/AC ratio: 20
Gestational age: 39 weeks + 2days +-7days
EDD: 31-07-2010 +-10 days
Foetal weight: 3682 gms +-106 gms / kg birth weight
SD ratio of umbilical artry is 2.6 and RI is 0.6

Answer:

Hi Shari,

I'm not an ultrasound technician so I can't interpret results very well, though the results do say that your baby's position is head down, which is good.

It can be normal for your baby to stay high up until close the beginning of labor.

It's also normal to have a little swelling in the hands and feet near the end of pregnancy.

Most of the time everything is OK and the mother can have a vaginal birth.

Unless your wife starts having other complications it's probably to safe and wait for labor to start. The baby will probably come down and the birth will go well from there :)