Disclaimer: I own nothing of CSI
Complication
"Hi you guys, are you getting excited?" Dr. Wilson asked.
Jackie was at one of her last doctor visits before baby Ryan's arrival.
"Yes." Nick and Jackie answered in unison.
"That's good, and how has the little one been?" She asked.
"Good, active like normal." Jackie responded.
"Good, and are your other little ones looking forward to the new arrival?" She asked.
"I think so, although when I asked Karlie yesterday if she was ready to meet her new baby brother she told me not today mama, so we'll see what happens when he comes." Jackie said with a laugh.
Dr. Wilson laughed.
"Alright Jackie, your vitals are normal, but I have just a bit of bad news for you and that is if this little one doesn't come before your next appointment you'll have to get your blood drawn again, not because anything is wrong, we just like to check it when you get close to your due date."
"Hurry up Ryan." Jackie told the baby.
Nick and Dr. Wilson laughed at her.
"Time for the fun part, lay back." Dr. Wilson instructed Jackie.
Jackie did as she was told.
The ultrasound started off normal but then Jackie noticed Dr. Wilson's face change.
"Is everything ok?" Jackie asked worriedly as she tightened the grip she had on Nick's hand.
Nick also noticed the change in the doctor's face and was worried but he tried to remain stoic for Jackie's sake.
"Well before I say this let me assure you that the baby is one hundred percent fine."
Jackie breathed a huge sigh of relief, she looked over at Nick and he gave her a small reassuring smile.
"Then what's wrong?" Jackie asked again.
"Well the baby is breech, which means he is facing the wrong direction, instead of being head down, he is bottom down, which makes the delivery a bit more complicated."
Jackie knew what breech meant, and she had a pretty good idea of what her doctor would recommend.
"How so?" Nick asked, he knew what being breech meant too but he didn't know what that meant for the delivery.
"Well, usually when babies are born they come out head first, this little stinker decided to be difficult and flip around, and he'd come out bottom first."
"Is that a problem?" Nick asked confused.
"Well it can be, you see the largest part of the baby is it's head, if the head is delivered first that tells us that there is enough room for the rest of the baby to be delivered, but breech babies come out bottom first and what can happen sometimes with breech babies is there bottom's can be delivered but their heads can get stuck which can be very serious because it cuts off the baby's oxygen supply. It can lead to the baby being brain dead or in severe cases the baby could die, that is very rare, but it can happen."
Nick felt like he was going to throw up, this appointment was suppose to be a normal checkup and now Dr. Wilson was telling them that the baby may die.
Dr. Wilson saw the look on Nick's face.
"It's ok, we aren't going to let that happen." She assured him before turning her attention to Jackie.
"Jackie what I almost always recommend for first time mothers when they have a breech baby is a c-section, now obviously this isn't your first baby, and your other deliveries have gone very smoothly, also a couple of your babies have been quite large, which tells me that your body can accommodate large babies without a problem. That means that the scenario that I described of the baby's head getting stuck is unlikely. Normally if a patient had a history like yours of uncomplicated deliveries coupled with the fact that the babies were large, I would feel completely confident that a breech delivery would be perfectly safe, but because you are so small, just barely over five feet tall it gives me just a little bit of pause."
"Do you recommend that I have a c-section?" Jackie asked.
"Yes, I'm sorry, I know that isn't what you wanted to hear but I think we should play it safe here, in all likelihood a breech delivery would be safe for you but there is a slight risk. I'm not trying to scare you into having a c-section but as your doctor it's my job to inform you of everything that could happen, the decision is completely up to you though."
"If you think a c-section will be the safest way then that's what I'm going to do, I just want the baby to be safe and healthy." Jackie told her.
Nick nodded in agreement. "And the safest for Jackie too." He added.
"In my professional opinion this is the safest way, and you're right, at the end of the day the only thing that matters is a healthy baby and mommy." Dr. Wilson told them with a smile.
"You're absolutely sure that the baby is fine right?" Nick asked.
"Yep, he's happy as a clam in there, he's just already being stubborn, you guys might be in for it when he gets older." Dr. Wilson quipped.
Nick and Jackie laughed.
"And Jackie's fine too?" Nick asked.
"Yes, she's great." She assured him.
Nick was very relived.
"There is a procedure that can be done called a version, where we manually try to turn the baby but to be honest because it is so far into your pregnancy, it's really crowded in there, there just isn't much room for the baby to turn around so the chances of a version being successful isn't that great, and it is an uncomfortable procedure for you mom, and sometimes the baby gets a little stressed out as well, but if you'd like we can try." Dr. Wilson said.
"I think I'd rather just have the c-section." Jackie told her.
"Ok, I understand." Dr. Wilson said with an understanding smile.
She then added "The cool part about scheduling a C-section is you get to pick the baby's birthday, when would you like to do it?"
"Wow we get to pick the baby's birthday, that's a lot of pressure." Jackie quipped jokingly.
Nick laughed.
"So when do you think Nicky?"
"It's up to you, there is no way in hell I'm making that decision." Nick told her.
"Big help dear." Jackie teased.
"Sorry." Nick told her, although he was still not going to suggest a date.
Jackie looked at Nick and grinned.
"How about the twelfth?" She asked him.
"I thought you'd say that." Nick said with a laugh.
"Would the twelfth work Dr. Wilson?"
"Yes, that would work." Dr. Wilson confirmed.
"Ok, then the twelfth it is then." Jackie told her.
"Do you have any questions for me before we finish up, you guys were thrown for a bit of a curveball today."
"I have a question." Jackie said.
"Ok, what is it?"
"What if the baby turns by himself before the C-section, or is there no chance of that happening?"
"Well, anything is possible but because it's so crowded in there right now the chance of him turning on his own isn't likely, but we'll do an ultrasound right before we perform the C-section just to be sure." Dr. Wilson told her.
"Do you have any other questions?" Dr. Wilson asked.
"Yes I do actually, what if I go into labor before my scheduled C-section, will the baby be ok?"
"Yes, he'll be fine, if you go into labor before the twelvth then just come in and we'll do the C-section then. Anything else?"
"Not right now." Jackie told her.
"Ok, then I'll see you next week."
"Ok thank you." The couple said.
"If you think of anything else just give me a call."
"We will, thank you." Jackie said before they left.
On the drive home Jackie was thinking about what had transpired during her appointment, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't at least a little nervous about having to have a C-section but the only thing in the world that mattered was the health and safety of her baby and if a c-section was required in order to make sure the baby was born going to be ok then she was all in.
The End!