Progress report
For several weeks, I have assumed the baby was going to come early. Perhaps it was the prediction at my 32 week ultrasound when the baby's had measured large or the fact that the baby dropped into my pelvis when I was 35 weeks. Maybe it was because I was so nervous about going into labor while in Wisconsin at 34 weeks that I started thinking labor was imminent from that point on. It could be because I've felt so physically limited in the last few weeks or simply a desire to get this show on the road. Any which way, I have believed the baby was going to come early.
I might have been wrong.
I am now 8 days away from my due date and there are few signs that labor is going to knock on my door in the next week. I learned today that I am 1 cm dilated (ideally I would like to be around 3 cm before labor starts), my cervix is still 2 cm long (that's less than half way effaced and I need it to efface fully), and my cervix is posterior (it will need to move into a more neutral position). In other words, my body has got some work to do before it's ready to have this baby. As my midwife said today, it is still possible I could give birth before my due date but she didn't make it sound likely.
I'll admit I'm a little disappointed because my maternity leave is set -- I'm going back to work October 1 regardless of when the baby comes -- and I'd like to spend as much time with the kid as possible before then. I'm also ready to be past the discomfort of late stage pregnancy. But on the other hand, I'm somewhat relieved. My last day of work is Friday, so this means I will likely get to enjoy at least a few days of rest and relaxation before the baby comes. If I can figure out how to do so, that is. When I think about my doula's mandate to "REST AND CHILL OUT!!!!" (her caps and exclamation points) once I stop working, I'm a bit perplexed. If I were to rest, what would I do all day? Andy helped me brainstorm solutions to this puzzler for about an hour tonight. I had mostly false starts (apparently developing ambitious non-work related to do lists was not the point of the exercise). Finally I came up with two ways to rest for real: lie on my lounge chair in the backyard sun and find a local outdoor pool where I could go swimming. Both require hot weather next week so I beg you San Francisco, give mama a little sun will ya?
Perhaps the more important development in my appointment today was that I was tested for pre-eclampsia. This dangerous pregnancy-induced disorder can lead to maternal and/or baby death and can only be treated with delivery. If I have pre-eclampsia, I can kiss goodbye my hopes for a natural child birth and say hello to induction, an epidural and possibly a c-section. My midwife and I determined today that I have developed three risk factors for pre-eclampsia so she ordered immediate lab work to test for the disorder. I cannot tell you how relieved I was when she called tonight to tell me that all of my lab tests are normal. We will still need to monitor for new developments but for now, there's little reason to think I will develop pre-eclampsia before the baby comes. Phew!
I might have been wrong.
I am now 8 days away from my due date and there are few signs that labor is going to knock on my door in the next week. I learned today that I am 1 cm dilated (ideally I would like to be around 3 cm before labor starts), my cervix is still 2 cm long (that's less than half way effaced and I need it to efface fully), and my cervix is posterior (it will need to move into a more neutral position). In other words, my body has got some work to do before it's ready to have this baby. As my midwife said today, it is still possible I could give birth before my due date but she didn't make it sound likely.
I'll admit I'm a little disappointed because my maternity leave is set -- I'm going back to work October 1 regardless of when the baby comes -- and I'd like to spend as much time with the kid as possible before then. I'm also ready to be past the discomfort of late stage pregnancy. But on the other hand, I'm somewhat relieved. My last day of work is Friday, so this means I will likely get to enjoy at least a few days of rest and relaxation before the baby comes. If I can figure out how to do so, that is. When I think about my doula's mandate to "REST AND CHILL OUT!!!!" (her caps and exclamation points) once I stop working, I'm a bit perplexed. If I were to rest, what would I do all day? Andy helped me brainstorm solutions to this puzzler for about an hour tonight. I had mostly false starts (apparently developing ambitious non-work related to do lists was not the point of the exercise). Finally I came up with two ways to rest for real: lie on my lounge chair in the backyard sun and find a local outdoor pool where I could go swimming. Both require hot weather next week so I beg you San Francisco, give mama a little sun will ya?
Perhaps the more important development in my appointment today was that I was tested for pre-eclampsia. This dangerous pregnancy-induced disorder can lead to maternal and/or baby death and can only be treated with delivery. If I have pre-eclampsia, I can kiss goodbye my hopes for a natural child birth and say hello to induction, an epidural and possibly a c-section. My midwife and I determined today that I have developed three risk factors for pre-eclampsia so she ordered immediate lab work to test for the disorder. I cannot tell you how relieved I was when she called tonight to tell me that all of my lab tests are normal. We will still need to monitor for new developments but for now, there's little reason to think I will develop pre-eclampsia before the baby comes. Phew!
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