The Countdown Continues

Yes, I'm still pregnant, and quickly approaching my due date (Jan 15). So why am I so anxious to get this baby out? Well, for starters, I've been painfully uncomfortable for almost 8 weeks, getting little sleep and making it nearly impossible to get anything accomplished. On top of that I've been dilated for about 4 weeks since she so graciously decided to put her head down. Right now I am 3 cm dilated and almost fully effaced. My cervix is "very" anterior and soft (still not sure what that means, but I've heard my cervix described as "favorable.") Really there is nothing stopping this baby from coming except for the fact that I haven't gone into labor.

So besides the fact that I'm being fairly impatient, what's the problem? During my visit today, my doc told me that if I come back next week (on my due date) that we'll be scheduling a C-section shortly thereafter. Given my previous experience with the knife, they're not too keen on allowing me to go much past 40 weeks. And given my disposition towards C-sections, I'd like to do everything in my power to prevent this worst case scenario...so that means she needs to get the heck out of dodge and quick.

There is one alternative they may consider, but it requires the approval of all the docs at Kaiser. Dr. Bernard (whom I love) is willing to break my water to see if I would go into labor naturally, but I would have to know that if nothing happened within a certain time frame then I would end up with a C-section. But at that point we'd be past my due date, and a c-section would be pretty much imminent anyways, so why not try? This is not what we want. I'd rather her just kick it into gear like now, so I don't have to worry about the possibilities.

On a side note, my friend Katy (who was due the day before me) had her baby on Monday. Her water broke at my house (luckily not in my house) on Sunday night, and labor followed. In the AM, they headed to the Birth Center and were given some very bad news...baby was breech. A few hours later, Rebekah Joelle Linda was born via C-section. I know this wasn't at all what Katy or Wes (her hubby) wanted, and I remember feeling that disappointment with Owen. It's emotionally and physically draining. But the baby is healthy and beautiful and that's all that matters, right?

Please join me in prayer that Madison decides to grace us with her presence soon. I'd really like to prevent the slice and dice approach this time around. The recovery alone would be ridiculous given the fact that I still have 2 boys at home who need my attention. Plus, who would do laundry (since you're not supposed to go up and down stairs)...Neil? Not so much. Please Madison, be a good girl and come out and play soon.