That's right! Next week! Monday to be precise. Or hopefully it will happen on Monday. I hope I don't endure another 18 hours of labor. Or gosh, what if its LONGER? I guess that could happen. But for sanity's sake, I'm planning on having this baby quickly and with minimum hassle on Monday.
So the doctor decided Monday to induce me next week. In the whirlwind of activity since that decision I have had no time to update my blog. Sorry! I have several topics I would like to blog on before Miss Ellynor's arrival though. So hopefully I will be able to fit all of those in.
So on Monday, my little family loaded up and headed off to the doctor's office bright and early. This was going to be the first time Josh got to see Elly on the ultrasound since he's had to work during every other appointment. I was thinking they'd do an ultrasound and decide she was biggish but not so much so as to be alarming. This baby just doesn't feel as big as Evie did. I figured I'd then have my cervix checked and be at a 1 or 2 and that would be it.
Well, the doctor started the ultrasound and checked everything out. He confirmed (again!) that the baby was a girl. Which is great because at this point if she changed her mind and became a boy he was still going to be wearing a lot of pink. Then the doctor started measuring Ellynor to determine her approximate weight. Now the average newborn in the United States is 7 lbs. That's the official number at least. Most people I know have babies somewhere near the 7 lb mark. So I believe it. Little 5'3" me however...I give birth to giant babies. But those little rolls are SOOOO cute.
So the first measurement he takes is Elly's femur bone. I was 36 weeks 1 day and her leg measured 36 weeks 5 days. Not a big deal. Next he moves to her abdomen. Obviously that's the largest mass on the baby, though of course not the hardest part to deliver. The head and shoulders are the hard parts. Head generally being the hardest because it comes first. He gets a look at the abdominal cavity and measures it...
"Hmmm, let me try that again..."
Second time. Gets a good picture of the abdominal cavity. Measures.
"Well, her stomach is measuring 41-42 weeks...so, she's a good size baby. Let's look at the head."
*gulp*
Elly has been really, really low for a few weeks now. In fact, two weeks ago I told this man that the baby was really low. And he told me humorous stories about previous patients who came in asking to be checked because they felt like the baby was literally falling out. I told him that I could relate because every time I stood up it did indeed feel like her head HAD to be coming out. He chuckled at me. In that doctor's way that they have that makes you feel like you're five and telling him about the giant fuzzy monsters that live under your bed. Now this same man is having to move this stupid ultrasound wand WAY below my bikini line to get a picture of this baby and says to me, "Boy, her head IS low."
I gave him the "duh" look at which time he chuckled again and told me that I probably could have told him that. I fought an urge to roll my eyes.
Well, he finally settled on an image of the outline of her head after talking about how hard it was to get a good picture because she was so low, pointed out the mass of hair that she had (which I also could have told him because I've had a ridonkulous amount of heartburn with this pregnancy) and measured her head. It measured approximately 38 weeks 4 days or something.
*gulp*
All in all, the computer calculated that she weighed approximately 7 lbs 11 oz. Still smaller than Evie was but babies can gain up to a pound a week during their last month of gestation. Between a half pound and a pound. And of course, the ultrasound could be off give or take a pound. So she could be anywhere from 6.7 lbs and 8.7 lbs now. Putting her between 7 lbs and 10 lbs by next Monday. So the doctor outlined my choices for me.
At 37 weeks a baby girl has a 2% chance of having lung immaturity or breathing problems at birth. Interesting factoid, baby boys mature slower and have a much higher chance of having complications if born at 37 weeks. A 2% chance is pretty minimal but it is still a risk. Evie was born at 37 weeks and a few days and she was fine. One choice is to be induced next Monday when I'm 37 weeks 1 day. Otherwise, I could wait until I was 39 weeks along and have a planned C-section. If I were to go into labor naturally after next week, he said he didn't feel comfortable allowing me to try and deliver the baby naturally. I would be an automatic C-section any time after next Monday.
The doctor said he felt comfortable with inducing me on Monday. I am really anti C-sections and would do pretty much anything that doesn't threaten my health or my child's to avoid one. So despite how much I dread being induced again I agreed to being induced on Monday. So unless she decides to come sometime in the next four days, I will be on a pitocin drip by around 7 a.m. Monday morning.
The doctor gave me my orders for the hospital and sent us on our way. He didn't check my cervix, which kinda disappointed me because I've been walking and bouncing and eating lots of pineapple so I really wanted to know if I'd made any progress. But ah well. We'll find out Monday I suppose!
In the meantime, I have been making a list (and checking it twice, hehe) of all the things I want to get done while I still can. All the things that need to be done prior to Elly's arrival. Like cleaning the house, making sure everyone's bags are packed, making sure the pantry is stocked and we've got plenty of diapers and formula on hand. Because a Walmart trip is completely out of the question for our first week home. All the family has been notified and my mother-in-law has graciously rearranged her schedule so that she can be at the birth and then stay with us for the first few days at home. I'm trying to finish reading the book I've been working on and beat my latest DS game. I put in my time-off request at work and arranged to have others work for me during my absence.
I'm also trying to really cherish and savor my last few days with just Evie. I'm trying not to dote on her any more than usual since I don't want her to get too used to it just to have everything dramatically changed next week. Josh has managed to get a week off work for Elly's birth and has Thursday and Friday off this week to spend with me and Evie.
I've even planned Super Bowl festivities. My last day as a pregnant woman so I'm going to eat and enjoy it. Plus, maybe the hot wings and spicy dip will help the whole labor thing. One of the wives tales says that spicy food can start labor. So I will just keep my fingers crossed. Wish me luck!
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