Well, here it is. I'm 41 weeks and 1 day pregnant. I guess that Q spoiled us by coming 10 days early - by that token I've been feeling overdue since I hit the 38w4d mark. To say that I'm uncomfortable is an understatement. To say that I miss the simple everyday tasks (like drying off after a shower easily) is an understatement. To say that I'm still amazingly excited to meet this little procrastinator...is also an understatement. Impatient, yes. Excited, definitely. Scared and anxious, 100%.
As I've mentioned before, I love my midwife, Grace. She really feels like a member of the family. I could be in a completely foul mood on my way to her office and she can get me out of that fairly quickly because she just knows what to say or what not to say...or what look to give me. Which lately has consisted of a head tilt and a laugh when I come waddling into the office as a "less sparkly Ash". I've also said how much I love midwives in general. Ever since I reached the 39w2d mark, Grace has been doing sweeps for me to try to get things going. We've been doing them every couple of days and you just wouldn't get that from an OB. I'm talking that she comes in on days when the office is closed and on the weekend to do them. She just knows how anxious I am for things to get going and since I'm still gunning for an all-natural birth, she knows that I can handle a little "uncomfortable". So I have had 6 of these procedures (most recent one today) and am hoping that it will kick start something. Everything else down there is favourable and ready to go, but the baby keeps bopping his/her head in and out of my pelvis, so there isn't consistent pressure on the cervix to get things going. Apparently this doesn't happen often with first babies because the uterus hasn't been stretched before, but with second babies and so on, they have a bit more room. So what we have gleaned from this is that there is a defiant little bugger in here that likes to play games. Mama is not amused little one...
Grace suggested today that I should try to do as many things upright as possible - bouncing on an exercise ball, long walks, etc. Well it was around 40 degrees with the humidity today, so a walk was out of the question. I did pick up an exercise ball though and have been bouncing on that as much as I can. Q calls it "Mama's Ball" and likes to try to climb it while I sit on it...not so safe there, Q! I also had a reflexologist do a house call today to work on the points that can help to induce labour...so fingers crossed that something will happen soon!
The next steps are for us to have a Biophysical Profile ultrasound tomorrow. At this ultrasound, they will determine that the baby is still "well" (scoring an 8/8 on a scale that I'm not sure of) and that there is sufficient fluid. The results of these parameters basically mean that the pregnancy can continue on for another 48 hours without any foreseeable complications before having to be induced. I have chosen, though, to be induced on Thursday regardless of what the ultrasound says (unless it's not a great ultrasound in which we would be sent for an induction tomorrow). Grace said that what we might do for an induction is a "controlled rupture" of my waters at the hospital on Thursday and see if that would kick me into labour. I had jokingly (ok, half-jokingly) said today that while she was doing the sweep if she wanted to break my water that I would be cool with it...she had replied that she probably could break them easily, but would feel more comfortable if it was in the presence of an OB aka "controlled rupture" since the baby's head isn't fully engaged yet. Basically, I'm hoping to avoid having pitocin for an induction since that's crap and I didn't respond so well to it with Q. Fingers crossed!
I'm really trying hard not to complain about going overdue as I know that I have friends who have had trouble conceiving, had difficult pregnancies, and that there are also far worse things in the world than going overdue. It can be difficult though when everything has been about this pregnancy for the past 9 (almost 10) months and it's all that I can focus on. I know that in the next 48 hours I will either go into labour on my own, or be induced...so it is all coming to an end and soon we will be holding our newest Oakey addition! Can't wait!!!
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