41 weeks

If you know me in real life, you will be in HUGE trouble if you share this information (especially today's) with anyone!

Dr appointment:

• 1 cm dilated (still... booooo!)
• 25-50% effaced (up from 10-20%) he told me 25% then when writing it down in my records said 50%... weird eh?
• still soft
• still posterior (made the check borderline painful. very hard to reach)
• baby at a -1 station (from -3/-4 last week and 2 weeks before that!) super excited about this because it means I'm not imagining the feeling of a rock in my bum! haha

NST/Ultrasound

• baby's spine on my left
• cord all good
• heart adorable beating like a mouth opening and closing
• didn't see any big movements on the ultrasound
• fluid low so I'm on a list for induction for wednesday morning/afternoon. I'm a priority.
• NST frustrated the nurse/Dr/whatever she was because it wasn't baby's active time so we didn't get a lot of movement
• had a bunch of pretty consistent early labour/BH contractions during the test
• SUPER uncomfy position to stay in especially on my back. If I get to my induction and they need to use pitocin, I want a portable monitor! It was TERRRRRRIBLE being stuck in one position strapped to monitors!

And here's the interesting part: I was on the list for tomorrow morning/afternoon to get induced for low fluid. However, I'm having contractions and heading to the hospital shortly. Here's hoping it's not a false alarm... these hurt more!

Contraction 0:01:17 / Start 22:53:37
Rest 0:05:23 / Stop 22:54:54
Contraction 0:00:52 / Start 23:00:17
Rest 0:04:47 / Stop 23:01:09
Contraction 0:00:59 / Start 23:05:56
Rest 0:04:07 / Stop 23:06:55
Contraction 0:00:55 / Start 23:11:02
Rest 0:05:21 / Stop 23:11:57
Contraction 0:01:05 / Start 23:17:18
Rest 0:03:56 / Stop 23:18:23
Contraction 0:00:46 / Start 23:22:19
Rest 0:04:05 / Stop 23:23:05
Contraction 0:00:56 / Start 23:27:10
Rest 0:05:40 / Stop 23:28:06
Contraction 0:00:53 / Start 23:33:46
Rest 0:02:19 / Stop 23:34:39
Contraction 0:00:16 / Start 23:36:58
Rest 0:09:33 / Stop 23:37:14
Contraction 0:00:50 / Start 23:46:47
Rest 0:05:00 / Stop 23:47:37
Contraction 0:00:36 / Start 23:52:37
Rest 0:05:48 / Stop 23:53:13
Contraction 0:00:53 / Start 23:59:01
Rest 0:03:50 / Stop 23:59:54
Contraction 0:00:42 / Start 00:03:44

How your baby's growing:

A bit over 20 inches long, your baby has continued to grow and may now weigh almost 8 pounds. As cozy as he is, your baby can't stay inside you forever. For your baby's safety, your practitioner will talk with you about inducing labor if your baby isn't born in the next week friday at 11 days post due date is when they get you on the list here. we spoke about that today at my appt — earlier if there are any problems. Most practitioners won't let you wait more than two weeks past your due date to give birth because it puts you and your baby at increased risk for complications. About 5 to 6 percent of women have prolonged pregnancies that extend three or more weeks beyond their estimated due dates. Babies born at 42 weeks and beyond can have dry parchment-like skin and are often overweight. Waiting that long to deliver also increases your chance of developing an infection in your uterus that could be dangerous for your baby or of having a stillbirth. this is what makes me the most anxious... praying that all will be good! What's more, your labor is more likely to be prolonged or stalled, both you and your baby have an increased risk of injury during a vaginal delivery, and you double your chances of needing a c-section.

How your life is changing:

It's hard not to be anxious when your due date comes and goes and you're still hugely pregnant (especially when well-meaning family and friends keep calling to check on your status!). But don't fret — you won't be pregnant forever. There's a good chance you'll go into labor on your own this week, hope hope hope! and if you don't, you'll be induced by 42 weeks, or earlier if you or your baby has any problems.

The methods your practitioner uses to induce labor will depend on the condition of your cervix. If your cervix hasn't started to soften, efface (thin out), or dilate (open), it's considered "unripe," or not yet ready for labor. In that case, your practitioner will use either hormones or "mechanical" methods to ripen your cervix before the induction. Sometimes these will end up jump-starting your labor as well. seems like it might have done it to me! Depending on your situation, the procedures can include stripping or rupturing your membranes, or using drugs like oxytocin (Pitocin) to start your contractions. stripped my membranes today... barely felt it! atm I'm a candidate for cervadil (prostaglandin) If these and other methods don't work, you'll end up having a c-section.

In the meantime, be sure to tell your practitioner immediately if your baby's movements slow down or if any fluid is leaking from your vagina.