butterfly wings

yalei was breech, and her position in the belly caused her feet and legs to bow a great deal. we were a little concerned because we didn't even notice it at first. the baby is swaddled so often, and she sleeps so often, that it took a minute.

it caught us by surprise because you really get nervous that the baby will be okay at first. she did actually have a tough time right at first; she didn't breathe right away. still, she was okay! the doctors explained that c-section babies sometimes don't get all of the fluid out of their lungs at birth. they think that the pressure from a vaginal birth helps the baby absorb the fluid into their blood. sometimes,in a c-section, some fluid remains and the doctors agitate her a bit to get her started. so, anyway, then she was okay, thank god, and i felt really relieved. i felt really scared, but then i felt like i got away with something, or something like that.

the other night, though, we first noticed that her legs were bowed and her feet bent at a severe angle under each other. it has improved a bunch, already, but you can still see the angle. if you look at the pictures, her right foot is really twisted underneath her left foot. in fact, both of her ankles are bowed. we've tried to do a little bit of work to get them straighter, but it's a little tough because there was just so much time that they were set in the other position in the womb.

the doctor today did say that it's very natural for breech babies because of their position. he suggested some specific stretches and massages to do, and he also said that her legs may stay bowed until 18 months. it is or was a bit scary, so we're very relieved and hopeful everything will be okay, god willing.