Update

I've been to the doctor twice this week. My appointment on Tuesday was fine, but the doctor wanted to see me again yesterday since I am now past my due date. The doctor's due date was February 19th, and the ultrasound due date is today. Still no baby.

Everything with me and the baby looked good. They did all the normal things, plus they hooked me up to a monitor. It showed that I only had a couple of mild contractions over a span of 20 minutes. The doctor did an internal exam also. She said that my cervix is 80% effaced, and I've dilated 2-3 cm. That's different than what the midwife told me the week before (3-3.5 cm). Dr. Morgan said my cervix could change, but I'm not sure if I believe that her estimate was accurate. I know that every doctor can call it differently, since they're measuring with fingers and not a ruler, but she did everything really fast. I could tell she was trying to get me in and out as quickly as possible, and the whole thing was quite painful compared to when the midwife did it the week before.

She asked if I want to be induced next Tuesday or wait until I'm two weeks past my due date. I told her I'd rather be induced next week, or that she could go ahead and induce me that day, because I was ready to have my baby! She didn't go for that idea though. :) So the induction is set up for next Tuesday at 5 A.M. Yes, 5 A.M. That means we'll need to be up by three so we can leave by four. And we'll need to call first to make sure that there is a bed available for me. (Emergencies take precedence over inductions.) The only other time I've been up that early was last May, when I took my eighth grade students to New York. By the end of that day, I was beyond exhausted. I can't imagine what I'll feel like by the end of my labor - if I am induced, that is.

The doctor gave me a few suggestions for trying to get labor to start early. We've already tried some of those things, but some of the other ideas (like drinking castor oil) are a little out there as far as I'm concerned. Other people have told me to go for a walk or drive down a bumpy road. I have walked, but not because I'm trying to make myself go into labor. I'm walking because I know that the more active I am, the better my labor will be. And as for the bumpy road? I am not that desperate. Isaac will come when God's ready for him to be born.

At my doctor's appointment yesterday, all they did was hook me up to the monitor. The midwife saw me this time, and she said everything looked great. The baby's heartbeat is fine, and she can tell that he's moving around and that the placenta is working properly. The machine didn't pick up any contractions though. Before we left, I asked her some questions about the induction. It turns out that she will be the one inducing labor, so I'm really happy about that.

Part of me really wants the whole thing to happen naturally, because that is the best way. Another part of me would be relieved to have labor induced, because that takes away all the stress of rushing up to the hospital when it's time. Either way, I'm at peace about it.

I've been enjoying my week off too. I've been getting more things done around the house, and I've gotten to spend a good bit of time with Wes. And it's been nice to have some peace and quiet. I know it will be the last time for a while that I will have the house completely to myself, so I'm treasuring every moment.

Also, I've been studying more in my Bible study, Living Beyond Yourself, by Beth Moore. In this study, I've been learning about the fruit of the Spirit. This week, I've been learning about peace. I think it's been a pretty fitting topic for me to study, in light of what I'm about to go through with giving birth and adjusting to life as a new mom. At the end of each lesson, there's a space to write how God wants you to respond to what He's shown you that day. Basically, what He's been showing me is this. Be still before Him, and He will bless me with Isaac in His time. God's timing is perfect, and there's a reason I'm having to wait a little longer for him. God knows what I need, so I don't need to be fearful about labor/delivery. God will be there with me and provide for my needs during that time.

So am I still impatient? I'd be lying if I said no. I am still a little impatient. But I definitely am much more at peace about the whole thing. That's why I'm not desperate to start the labor process. In His time...

40 Weeks...Starting Maternity Leave Now

Well, no baby yet. I am truly amazed that Isaac has not been born yet. Last Tuesday night, Jancie was on call. I was really happy about that, since she was the one who'd done my cervical exam earlier that day. She talked to me for a little while, asked some questions, and said she thought I still had some time. Since my contractions started around the time that pregnant women typically have a surge of estrogen, she told me to try to get some rest and see what happened between 10-12. She said if it was just the estrogen surge, the contractions would taper off. If it was time, they'd intensify, and then I'd need to call her back. Well, I fell asleep, so that was the end of that.

My sister called me just as I was getting ready to lay down for bed, and both she and my mom freaked out a little when I told them my contractions were eight minutes apart. My mom thought I needed to go to the hospital, but I explained to her that the doctor wanted me to wait. (Her water broke with me, and she had a c-section with my sister, so never got to experience all of the things I've been experiencing lately.) She told me the next day that they stayed up until after one in the morning waiting for our call to let them know I was at the hospital. My mom was already calling me regularly to check on me, but now she's been calling every day. Needless to say, I feel very loved.

I'm really glad I made it through last week though. Now I won't have to go back to work until post-planning, which starts on May 27th and lasts for three days. That also means that Isaac won't have to start daycare until the end of July, so I'll get to be home with him for over five months. There were some days when I wasn't sure if I could keep going (physically), and there were other days I just felt so ready to go into labor and get it all over with. Then I realized that this has been my prayer for several months now - that I would be able to carry Isaac to full term, work until Winter Break, and be home with him for five months - so I just needed to suck it up and do it. I'm really thankful that God answered my prayer.

This week is Winter Break, so the students aren't at school. I'm so glad to have the week of my due date off, to get a few more things done around the house and rest as much as I can before the big day. My next doctor's appointment is tomorrow. I'm really hoping that they'll go ahead and admit me to the hospital tomorrow. It would be so much less stressful than having to rush up to the hospital when I'm in active labor. But, we'll see.

Quick Update

I had another good report from the doctor today. Isaac's heartbeat is still strong, my blood pressure is still normal, and my labor is progressing. Janice told me that my cervix is "very thin," and I've dilated almost 3.5 cm. If I'd been having contractions, she would have admitted me to the hospital. She told me to stay well-fed, hydrated, and be sure to conserve my energy. She said it could definitely be tonight, or it could be next week. She predicted I'd definitely have him within ten days though.

I felt some contractions on the way home, but they were irregular. When I got home, I talked to my mom, cleaned up a little bit around the house, rested for a while, and worked on thank you notes.

Janice said this is the week for me to pamper myself, and she also advised that Wes and I spend as much time together as possible. She said to have some couple time and spend time connecting, because it would be the last time we'd be truly alone for the next 20 years. We took her advice too. Wes and I just got back from Shogun's, a new Japanese restaurant that opened up. It was a nice, quiet dinner.

During dinner, I started feeling contractions. They've been getting closer together, so who knows. Maybe this is the night. I would definitely be relieved, and so would Wes. We'll see though. I'm going to wait a little while longer before I call the doctor. The last two contractions were 11 minutes apart. Going to lay down now...

39 Weeks....The "Miserable Stage"

Yes, I am in the "miserable stage" now. It's been hard to get comfortable at night, so I'm not getting as much sleep lately. It's also more uncomfortable to walk. But that's ok. Not too much longer, and it will all be worth it.

Everyone is saying one of two things when they see me now. "You look like you're about to pop!" or "You look like you're ready to have that baby." Sometimes I feel like I'm going to pop, and I definitely feel ready to have Isaac.

I'm really surprised that I'm still hanging on, but I'm grateful. If I can make it to the end of this week, I won't have to go back to work until post-planning. How nice that will be. But, we'll see. Tomorrow's another checkup with the doctor. So if I don't update my blog tomorrow afternoon, you'll know what happened...

38 Weeks

I went for a prenatal checkup yesterday, and I got some more exciting news. My cervix is 80% effaced. 80%! Also, Janice (my midwife) told me that this time, she could feel the baby's head. So, that means he's dropped. I'm not totally sure how all this works, but she told me she had to push his head down to reach around to the opening of my cervix to see how much I've dilated. She said I'm somewhere between 1.5--2 cm dilated, but she couldn't be 100% sure. While she was pushing his head down, that was pretty painful for me, so she didn't it for very long. I asked if all this means he could be born early, and she said it's possible. She said I could go into labor tonight or two weeks from tonight. Waiting is really hard!

Everything else was fine at the appointment too. Isaac still has a strong heartbeat, and my blood pressure is still within the normal range. My uterus has also grown since last week - from 37.5 to 39 cm. I asked her if she could tell how much he weighs, and she estimated that he's about 7 pounds now. She also told me that I'm "all baby," which was reassuring. Hopefully it won't take too long to lose the weight if that's the case.

I've had contractions since yesterday's visit. I had some yesterday and then again today at work. Isaac also feels heavier in my stomach, and there's been quite a bit of pressure. Part of me would really like to have just two more days at work, because we're heavy into fundraising this week and progress reports go home on Friday. There are also a few minor things I need to do to be totally ready for the sub to come. The other part of me, though, really doesn't care about all of that and just can't wait for him to be born. Not knowing when I'm going to go into labor is really driving me crazy. Did I mention that waiting is really hard?