When Baby Flips Back: Navigating the Ups and Downs of Late Pregnancy

Oh my gosh, you guys. I swear, pregnancy is just one big, beautiful, confusing, emotional trip. Like, a full-on theme park ride that you can't get off of for nine months. And lately, it feels like I'm stuck on the teacups, just spinning and spinning, not knowing which way is up, hahah. I just had to sit down and talk about what’s been going on bc I know I can't be the only one who feels like this sometimes.

Literally, just yesterday, I was on cloud nine. Like, floating. Tanner even noticed I was extra smiley. We had a check-up, and my doctor confirmed that baby Cherry was head down. HEAD DOWN! I was so relieved, so happy, already picturing everything falling into place. I called my mom, I texted my sisters, I probably even did a little happy dance in the kitchen while making dinner. It was such a huge weight off my shoulders bc you know, you hear all the stories and you just want everything to go as smoothly as possible. I was feeling so good about it, so confident. Like, 'Okay, we got this. She's ready. I'm ready.'

The Unexpected Flip

And then today happened. Today, I woke up, and just... something felt different. You know that mama intuition? That little whisper that tells you something's not quite right? I swear, after two other pregnancies, I'm starting to get pretty good at listening to my body, even when I wish I wasn't. I just had this nagging feeling all morning that she had flipped back. I tried to tell myself I was being silly, that it was just my anxiety playing tricks on me. But the feeling just wouldn't go away. It was like a little knot in my stomach, not just from nerves, but from a physical sensation that was just... off.

So, against my better judgment (and maybe a little bit against Tanner's will bc he was trying to reassure me everything was fine, bless his heart), I called the doctor's office. They were so sweet and said to come on in, just to ease my mind. And you guys... she indeed flipped back. :,( I know, I know. It's not the end of the world, and babies move, but when you're this far along, and you've had that moment of relief, it's just... deflating. Like someone let all the air out of your balloon. I'm not gonna lie, I shed a few tears right there in the office. It wasn't even full-on sobbing, just that quiet, disappointed kind of crying that feels heavy.

The Emotional Rollercoaster of Pregnancy

It's so wild how quickly your emotions can swing during pregnancy, isn't it? One minute you're feeling on top of the world, invincible, and the next you're feeling like a total mess. And it's not even about being dramatic, it's just... the hormones, the anticipation, the sheer magnitude of what's happening to your body and your life. It's a lot. And sometimes, it feels like you're not allowed to feel anything but pure joy and excitement, but that's just not real life, is it? Ngl, sometimes I feel guilty for feeling anything less than perfectly happy, but then I remember that it's okay to feel all the feelings. This is a huge journey!

I think a big part of it is the loss of control. You can plan everything, prepare the nursery, buy all the cute little outfits, read all the books, but at the end of the day, your baby has their own agenda. And that's beautiful and amazing, but also kinda terrifying when you're trying to navigate something as big as birth. I just want her to be safe, and I want my body to do what it needs to do. And when things don't go according to the 'plan' you had in your head, even if it's just a little thing like baby's position, it can throw you for a loop.

What Now? Navigating the Next Steps

So, what does this mean now? Well, my doctor is amazing, and we talked through some options. It's not a panic situation, which is good. We're going to keep an eye on things, and she gave me some gentle exercises to try to encourage Cherry to get back into the right position. Things like spending time on my hands and knees, leaning forward, all that jazz. I'm gonna be doing all of it, trust me. I'll probably be doing headstands if I thought it would help, hahah. Tanner's already making jokes about me being upside down all the time. But hey, a mama's gotta do what a mama's gotta do!

We also talked about external cephalic version (ECV), which is when they try to manually turn the baby from the outside. It sounds a little intense, and I'm a bit nervous about it tbh, but it's an option if she doesn't decide to flip back on her own. And of course, there's always the possibility of a C-section if she stays breech. And that's okay too! My main goal is just a healthy baby and a healthy mama. However she gets here, that's the most important thing. But a part of me just really wants to experience a vaginal birth again, especially after Stella and Ozzy. Every birth is so different, and I just had a vision in my head, you know?

Giving Myself Grace (and You Should Too!)

This whole experience has just been a big reminder to give myself grace. And honestly, to give all you mamas out there grace too. We put so much pressure on ourselves to have the 'perfect' pregnancy, the 'perfect' birth, the 'perfect' everything. But life, and especially pregnancy, is messy and unpredictable. And that's okay. It's okay to feel disappointed. It's okay to feel scared. It's okay to feel frustrated. These feelings don't make you any less grateful or any less excited for your baby. They just make you human.

I'm trying to remind myself that this is just one small bump in the road. Cherry will get here, one way or another. And when I hold her in my arms, none of this will matter as much. But in the meantime, it's a real thing I'm feeling, and I wanted to share it with you guys bc I know you get it. You're my people. You're the ones who understand that sometimes, even when you're over-the-moon excited, you can still have moments of feeling a little bit deflated.

So, if you're going through something similar, or just having a tough pregnancy day, please know you're not alone. Send me all your good vibes, all your 'baby-flip-back-head-down' energy! I'm gonna try to stay positive, keep moving, and trust that my body and my baby know what they're doing. Even if it feels like they're playing a little game of hide-and-seek with my emotions, hahah. We'll get there. We always do. Sending you all so much love! ❤