Week 39 - The waiting begins

On Tuesday, I spoke with the OB folks to discuss the results of the ultrasound. They weren't so concerned about the large baby inside. However, they were alittle concerned with the extra amniotic fluid that was also discovered. Due to this, I was asked to get a NST (non stress test) to make sure that the baby wasn't living in a stressful environment. So Dave and I went to the hospital, and had the NST done. What happens during an NST is that two belts with monitors are attached to my belly for approx 20 minutes. One belt measures if/when I'm having contractions. The second belt (the important one) measures the baby's heart-rate. What they are looking for are any irregularties in the baby's heart-rate. Since the baby is moving, they want the baby's heartrate to go up a bit after moving, then return to a base line. If the baby's heartrate doesn't move at all or if the peaks and valleys are extreme, then the baby is in distress (and I'd be headed to an emergency C-section). Happy to say that baby passed!

On Thursday, I attended my regular appointment. At this point, we needed to decide what to do with this baby inside of me. The midwife, the OB, Dave and I decided on a plan of attack. If my cervix were close to being ready (i.e. softened and starting to dilate), we would induce. Well...they check my cervix and I was at zero dilation and zero effacement. In addition, the baby hasn't even dropped. Although inducement was still an option, the midwife and OB recommended against it. Pretty much, if they try to induce me, it is likely that my body will fight it and my labor experience will turn into a war experience with forceps and vacuums in a vaginal delivery. I could also just have a C-section (which seems popular these days). However, a C-section is still a major surgery and I prefer to go there only if I really need to. So we all decided to wait it out another week and see what happens.

Although Dave and I are happy with our decision, we are anxious to have this baby!