He's here!

Just a quick post in between feedings and company . . . We welcomed Baby W on Tues night at 11:48 pm via cesarean birth (birth story to follow in next post).  He was 8 lb 12 oz, 21 inches!  We got home from the hospital yesterday and are just head over heels in love with him . . .

Buying more time

Thanks for all the helpful feedback!  I called my doctor today (she was on call at the hospital this weekend) and told her that I was a little concerned about inducing so soon and told her I wanted to try stripping the membranes again to see if that would get labor going for me.  She said that was perfectly reasonable and didn't seem to be concerned at all about waiting another week before inducing.  I was so relieved that she is willing to wait a few more days.  Stripping the membranes is uncomfortable, but definitely preferable to other methods of induction.

So going in tomorrow morning for that and then an u/s on Wed to check on baby and make induction plans if he still hasn't decided to come.  Whew!  Tues was just coming up too fast for me.  I feel much more relaxed now knowing I have a little more time for my body to prepare.

No progress

I saw my doctor yesterday and had an u/s.  Baby still looks great on the biophysicial profile (the thrill of u/s is definitely gone after having one every week since 34 weeks).  My mom came to the appointment with me which was nice, because it was soooo long.  I waited 3 hours to see the doctor, because she was in surgery.
Anyway, she checked me and I am still only a fingertip dilated and still 50% effaced.  Kind of disappointing, but I figured as much, because I don't feel like anything has changed much in the last week.

My doctor wants to go ahead and start inducing me on Tues night at 40 wk 5 days. I would go in for a cervical check and then decide if I need a cervical ripening agent to proceed.  I'm pretty sure that I would need this.  She wants to use Cytotec which I have read bad stuff about.  I asked her about Cervadil, but she said she hasn't had as much success with the Cervidil.   The one good thing about cytotec that I read is that it can kick you into labor so much that you don't end up needing any pitocin.
I am just nervous about the risk of uterine hyperstimulation.   I hate that I have done so much reading and envisioning about natural birthing and now I am going down the road of a totally interventionist birth. It sucks.  

One of the deciding factors on inducing is when my doctor is on call, which is Wed.   I think I was so worn out at the appt after waiting for 3 hours that I just agreed to whatever she said, but now that I have had time to think about it, I really would rather wait until the weekend to see if maybe, just maybe, I can spontaneously go into labor.  There is no medical reason right now that I can see to be induced.  ACOG doesn't recommend inductions until 42 weeks, unless there is a medical reason.  Amniotic fluid level is good, placenta looks good, baby is happy.
My doctor said that only 5% of women go past their due date.  I don't know if she was talking about their practice or in general, but I know for a fact that in general this is absolutely not true.

So if anyone has any suggestions and advice, I would welcome it.  One minute, I feel ok about the induction and the next I am really nervous and feel like it would be better to give it a little more time.

Should I be eating castor oil omelettes for breakfast?!

Still on the inside

      Only 3 days until my due date, and Baby W is still happily in my belly with no signs of labor impending.   When I saw my OB last Thursday, she stripped my membrane (which I don't recommend at 39 weeks!).  I was barely a fingertip dilated, so used a speculum and a swab to force through my cervix and remove some of the mucus plug (TMI, I know!).   She said she had done this on a woman a couple of days before and she had her baby within 48 hours.  No such luck for me.  It was an uncomfortable procedure and for the next day, my bladder was really irritated, felt like I was getting a UTI.   I don't think I will go for that again unless my cervix is really looking ripe.  The membrane sweep got my braxton hicks going good, but after 48 hours, everything just went back to normal.

    Yesterday, I did 2 hours of squatting and weeding in the community garden (was sore today!), went on a walk and went to prental yoga.  Doing everything I can to bring this baby down.   My mom and sister were in town, so they were hoping I would go into labor this weekend.  My next appt is Friday, so it will be interesting to see if I have made any progress.  My doctor says she will probably induce me at 41 weeks.  I want to avoid induction, so just praying that he decides to come out before then!

Almost 39 weeks

Can't believe that I am at this point!  Earlier in this pregnancy, I was worried about a preterm delivery because of frequent Braxton Hicks, but now I realize I might go past my due date and have to be induced.  My doctor said that we will probably induce at 41 weeks if I make it that far along.   I don't feel that baby is in any hurry to come out.  I really want to go the natural birth route and I know that being induced makes it harder to do that because pitocin increases the contraction pain. I guess we will cross that bridge when we get there.

I've been walking alot, swimming, gardening, and doing yoga.  My feet hurt when I first get out of bed, because I spend so much time on them during the day.  I actually feel like I have more energy now, probably because I am not so anemic.  Sleep has been good lately, although having to get up to pee alot more.  Laying on my left side is getting tiresome.  I feel like baby is slowing down on his movement a bit - he's running out of room! As far as I can tell he is still head down.

My bags are pretty much packed.  I have a labor bag, postpartum bag and diaper bag packed with baby's things.  I also have a big laundry basket with my yoga blankets, mat, blocks, birthing ball and extra pillows.  I downloaded "Birthing from Within" on my kindle the other day.  It says to hold an ice-cube in your had for 60 seconds in order to prepare yourself for the pain of childbirth.  I couldn't last more than 10 seconds!   However, contractions are pain with a purpose, so I think it makes it a little different than any other pain I have had to endure.  Still having frequent Braxton Hicks, but nothing painful at all.

We have a name picked out.  We delayed in revealing it to my in-laws because my husband is the "third" and we knew they wanted a "IV".  We decided not to go that route and we knew they would be disappointed.  We had some drama for about a week and then thankfully, they seem to have accepted it.  My husband and son will actually still have the same initals and the name is still family names, but incorporates both sides of the family.

One of my good friends is giving birth today.  She has been in the hospital being monitored for pre-eclampsia and HELP syndrome for the last 12 days and her doctor decided it was time for her baby to come out.  She is 36 weeks, so hopefully they can avoid the NICU.  She started cervadil last night and this morning she will start pitocin.  I really hope everything goes smoothly for her - she's been through alot lately.   She also conceived this baby via IVF, so we've been travelling down this road together the last 9 months.

Jay at Stuck in a Baby Drought is delivering via induction today too.  So excited for her!