Positioning, Transfer Protocols and.... Squatting

The baby has been flipping sides.  Two weeks ago s/he was ROA, a week ago s/he was LOA, and last night s/he flipped back to ROA.  I can tell by where the hiccups are at any given time.  At one point I think the baby was actually LOP, because the hiccups felt much fainter.  Wherever the hiccups feel strong, that's where the upper back is located.  The hiccups should be low in your abdomen if the baby is cephalic (head down), and thus far that's how it has been.  No worries about a breech here, though I tend to think breeches can be handled vaginally in most cases.

Random fact:
I have gained exactly 1 new stretch mark during this pregnancy.  My old ones have yet to stretch further than before, but the baby is supposed to gain a pound per week until birth, so that may change.

Had a midwife appointment today.  Usually Kacey and/or Rylan go with me, but because of this illness we're trying to kick they stayed home and I went alone.   So what did I learn today?

The baby has apparently "dropped."  The head is extended more deeply in my pelvis than last Friday (which, I assure you, I can feel.  Nothing like a good headbutt to the cervix to make you jump!), bringing me down from 36 centimeters to 35.  I haven't really mentioned these numbers in the past because there hasn't been anything to worry about.  There still isn't.  My blood pressure has been excellent, the baby's heart rate and growth are perfect,  and my weight gain is within the normal parameters.  In other words, all is well and baby should arrive in the next 6 weeks.

My midwife and I discussed hospital preferences in case of transfer or transport.  I actually thought about this and figured it out about a month ago.  I am the stereotypical 5 minutes away from the nearest hospital, though in the case of an urgent emergency I would actually want to go to the one that is about 15 minutes away instead as it is bigger and has more resources.  However, if it's just an issue of prolonged labor and I feel the need for medical assistance I would prefer the nearer hospital.  Their labor and delivery department is reported to be much friendlier and warm, in comparison.

I believe in having a contingency plan, but I don't foresee needing to go to the hospital at this point.  There have been a couple odd moments in this pregnancy though (an early lost mucus plug, around 20 weeks, and the strong contractions at 31 weeks), which have led me to carefully think about my options and what is safest for me and the baby.  I am wary of complications and have spent a lot more time researching the signs of some (and how to handle them) than I did with my last pregnancy.

On the whole?  I feel a lot healthier and physically well now than I did through my entire first pregnancy.  I attribute that in large part to Katy Bowman's work that I've applied (squatting, stretching, walking regularly).  It will only get better, too, because I just got my hands on a squatty potty which comes highly recommended by my favorite alignment specialists.  It sounds weird to be excited about changing how one "eliminates" but one of my biggest frustrations with learning about alignment and proper use of one's body is how difficult it is to apply those lessons to the bathroom where it can matter a -lot-.

And that's that.