40 Weeks: Gestation Frustration

I'm still here!!!

We just got back from my 40-week appointment today. I'm still dilated to "one". The nurse-midwife said that doesn't mean I can't go into labor on my own today or tomorrow. But for now, we play the waiting game. They WILL let me go to 42 weeks if amniotic fluid levels, baby's heart rate, my health continue to be fine. If it doesn't look favorable for having the baby on my own or via induction, they will schedule a c-section, at that point (sometime around 07/15). My next appointment is next Tuesday afternoon.

At this point the baby isn't quite 8 lbs yet, per the nurse-midwife. I don't have any swelling, my blood pressure remains great, and I think I'm up 27 lbs total. I do think the baby has dropped, as I can see / feel my ribcage again. (Now I just look like I've had a few cases of Pabst Blue Ribbon too many ;-).

So, lunch after the appointment was spent eating...what else? Eggplant parmesan. :-) (The third dose of eggplant parmesan in the last two weeks). Doug is now to the point of rolling his eyes when I suggest (with my tongue-in-cheek, as well) that these types of meals can encourage labor.

I've heard that 40 weeks is an average human gestational period. AVERAGE. The window is between 38 and 43 weeks. Being that my Mom carried me 42 and 3/4 weeks, my sister carried each of her boys 41+ weeks, and Ava was 41 weeks and 3 days, I would venture to say we're long "gestators" in my family. Not a club in which I would want to place membership, but obviously there isn't anything I can do about it...

I did have a case of the entirely neurotic nesting-thing hit me yesterday and today. In the past 24 hours I have: swept and cleaned the kitchen floor, bathroom floor, steps to the basement, vacuumed, cleaned the shower & tub, done laundry, washed down our cabinet surfaces, cleaned our refrigerator, organized our freezer, separated out Ava's toys, labeled some of her toy containers, watered the garden, purged the junk drawer(s), separated her crayons from markers from colored pencils and YES, sharpened all of her colored pencils... And painted my nails! (toenails are no longer "reachable" :-)). All of this in hopes that they might tell me I needed to go to the hospital after today's appointment. :-) Oh well. I guess this little guy will come when he's good and ready. So, I am SERIOUSLY thinking of buying a pogo stick and putting it to good use. Even if just to make the neighbors do a double-take. :-)

After all of the cleaning, I do feel some sciatic pain in my lower back / hip area. I had it CONSTANTLY when pregnant with Ava, and think it was because I taxed my body so much with all the walking I did. I think this pregnancy has been much easier in that respect, because I haven't tortured my body so much! I don't feel like a "90 year-old beached whale", as my previous doctor said all pregnant women feel by the end. I just feel like a "beached whale". No aching joints this time around.

Ava seems to be getting better with her cough, but now she seems to have a stomach bug. At our friends' house on Sunday she threw-up three times and then once on the way home. She's been home with me trying to get some rest for the last few days. Her appetite has returned, thankfully. It seemed to hit her out of the clear blue sky. Hopefully she's on the road to recovery!!!

Until you hear from me, assume the baby's birthday will be July 15th. In that way, if he arrives "early", we'll all be surprised!

P.S. - It is a little discouraging for me to hear (via Doug's Blackberry, right after our appointment, still in the exam room) that one of his co-workers had her baby at 37 weeks 3 days, weighing in at 7 lbs 10 oz... Which leads me to the inevitable question... If the doctors didn't "make" me have a c-section at 42 weeks, how long WOULD this body hold onto this little guy? Hopefully I will find out the answer to that question, before modern medicine decides to intervene...

Until next time...

Peace, love and PRAYERS this baby will decide to announce his own arrival,
Shelly, Doug and Ava