Dropping?

First, doesn't it seem like the pregnancy tickers should continue after your due date? I mean, I'm by no means the only person to pass their due date, and it seems like I should get some credit for it. It should say something like, "Mommy is ready to kick me out, but I really like it in here, and I'm staying!" Don'cha think??

But I digress...

Baby girl was doing some major gymnastics last night, but she seems to have settled down a lot today (to the point where I pulled out the doppler before my appointment just to make sure...) I also think that she may have FINALLY started to "drop." I feel much fuller in my abdomen than I have for the entire pregnancy. In other good news, my cervix has (again, finally) decided to start to open for business. At my ultrasound this morning, it was much shorter, and when the doctor checked me he said that I'm 1-1.5 cm dilated. THANK GOODNESS. She's finally getting the message that she is being evicted. My blood pressure was 126/80, so amazingly enough, we seem to have made it through the whole pregnancy this time with no BP issues. Yay.

The plan is to show up tomorrow morning before 6 am at the hospital and get things moving. I guess there is apparently some minuscule chance that the doctor might deem her "not ready" (i.e. not far enough down and in position) for induction, but I'm focusing on positive thinking and expecting that the next time I post here, it will be to tell you that she has arrived.

Induction

How about a break from the mundane tales of my ovulation? What do you say, ladies?

Amy over at There's Hope is worried that she may have to be induced and I told her that I'd be happy to share my story if she was interested. I thought I'd post it here since there are a few other mommies-to-be who read my little blog (and you never know when the person getting the induction might be you!)

First off, I never planned to be induced. In fact, I didn't have a birth plan, but the two things I strongly wanted to avoid were induction and c-section. So it got to be the day before my due date. I had been two cm dilated for like, TWO WEEKS. (Doctor saying, "the baby will come ANY TIME now.") At that appointment, I was FOUR cm dilated. Baby D was still seemingly not interested in taking a trip towards the light. My blood pressure was up (bordering on "pretty high"), I was kind of uncomfortable, and when I asked the doctor what she would do if she were in my situation, she said, "I would be induced." And so it was, that I set out to be induced.

As it turned out, the hospital had an influx of women actually IN labor, so they pushed off my induction until the day after my due date. I went in as scheduled at noon, and was finally hooked up to an IV by about 1:30 pm. At that point I was still about four cm dilated and 80 or 90% effaced. I was not given anything to ripen my cervix since I was already beginning to dilate. I was put on a slow pitocin drip and made very little progress for several hours. They upped the pitocin, and for a little while D's heart rate began to slow with every contraction. The nurses began to suggest that if that continued, I may need a c-section. They slowed the pit, gave my some oxygen (to get more oxygen to D) and D's heart rate steadied. I began to make progress by the evening and by about 9:00 pm, I was fully dilated and ready to push. D was born at about 9:45 pm. I did have an epidural at eight cm dilated, but all in all, the entire process was not as painful as I expected it might be.

I've oversimplified the story a little, but I have a few extra points to help you "interpret" my story, if you will.

1. I was already well dilated and effaced when I began, which probably makes a difference in time and pain.
2. The drop in D's heart rate was probably due to cord compression with each contraction. This was probably NOT related to the induction.
3. I think I have a fairly high pain tolerance.
4. I would not hesitate to be induced again in the future if it was recommended for me.
5. I gave birth at an AWESOME hospital in Boston and had complete faith in the doctors and nurses and their decision-making.

What I've learned:
1. You can't really "plan" birth.
2. Whatever road leads to a healthy, live baby is the best road to take.