A quick pregnancy update
I’m knocking on the door of 39 weeks. Let me say that again. 39 weeks. I’m due next Sunday. I had an appointment with my doctor’s nurse practitioner today because my doctor was out for a delivery. She did an internal, the first one I’ve had since 36w, at which point my cervix was beginning to efface, but that was it. Today, my cervix was very thin, very soft, and about 1cm dilated. Before she started, she asked if I wanted her to do a membrane sweep if I was dilated, which is something the doctor and I had discussed last week. She warned me that it was painful, but brief. I figure the point is to prod my body into labor, and surely it can’t be more painful than that. Go for it.
Within a nanosecond of starting the exam, I got a, “Wow! His head is LOW! Really, it’s RIGHT THERE!” Which explains why I had a little trouble the first time I tried inserting the evening primrose oil (a mild natural prostaglandin) capsules – because there is quite literally a head in my vagina. Whoa. Anyway, then she discovered my cervix was behind his head (again, the reason why I couldn’t get the EPO capsules in at first), and she had to pull it forward before being able to check for dilation and sweep my membranes. I’d heard some pretty awful things from friends about the membrane sweeping. Meh. It hurt, but it was indeed quick. On a scale of ice cream sandwich to HSG, it was kinda like that lidocaine shot before you have dental work done. Makes you wanna yell “Fuck!” and as soon as you do, it’s over. (I did not yell “Fuck!” I just made a lot of “Ow, oh, wow, ack” noises.) I guess a couple-few years of having your cervix probed, examined, shot with dye, and subjected to misoprostol puts a little membrane sweeping into perspective. Being fertile makes you a wimp.
My doc won’t have me go past 41w, and will schedule an induction at that point. So next week is full – a chiro/massage appointment, two acupuncture appointments, and another ob appointment, in the hopes that the kitchen sink treatment will get this baby makin’ his way out before then, sans pitocin.
Ouch! Good luck
And congrats! Sounds like you are close 
“Being fertile makes you a wimp.” – Haha love it! I laugh when my fertile friends complain about stupid “painful” stuff. One even threw up when having a blood pregnancy test done. Haha she’d be screwed if she was an infertile, I lost count how many betas I’ve had done in the past year.
Oh, I roll my eyes HARD at people who complain about blood draws. After 6 pregnancies, an IVF, and thyroid monitoring, blood draws are about as big a deal as peeing.
I used to be one of those people. Not anymore!
Omg!!! Good luck! I’m excited for you
Wow! What an exciting time for you! I am impressed that you are trying all the natural induction techniques sans pitocin. What a difference that will make. Wishing you the most beautiful birth!
Wow, 39 weeks!
Oh fertiles are such wimps! Good luck in the next couple weeks. So excited for you!
I’m still one of those wimpy ones–I avoided blood draws all my life before the plunge into TTC. Since that, I’ve had countless blood draws and am incredibly willing for more, but there is still that part of me that is absolutely creeped out by needles and hence mildly dreads the process…I shut my eyes and wait till its done, to this day.
These are exciting times for you! I hope you can avoid the induction,it sounds like you are real close. Good luck, can’t wait to meet the baby formerly known as ‘the alien’!
Ice cream sandwich to HSG, heh. Something tells me I’m gonna enjoy your retelling of a birth story more than most. Good luck!
My aunt had a recent hospital stay with IVs and a shot in the butt. Afterwards she told me, “how did you do all those treatments and shots and IVs? They hurt!” we IFers are pretty darn tough!
Have some spicy food or spicy time in the bedroom to move things along minus pitocin.
The Alien will be touching down soon! I’m glad you’re prepared to get him acclimated to this “Earth” of ours.
You’re so right about the wimpy fertiles. When friends complain about a shot or blood draw here or there, I always tell them they should be grateful they don’t have to have a bigger needle go in their butt every night for several months. Those progesterone shots are a bitch, but worse, they make your butt all lumpy! So happy to hear all is going well. Wishing you the best when your little alien arrives!
Hot damn, you are almost there! Good luck with what is sure to be an eventful next week or two.
Yay! Xo
I am so farking excited that you are so close to a baby in your arms. Squeee!
Wow, so excited for you! IF and all of it’s wonderful accompaniments have certainly toughened me up too! Good luck
You’re so close!
And, seriously, give me a shot, take my blood. Whatever. My husband and I keep trying to take the needles from the nurse at our allergist because we seem to be much better at giving shots than they are sometimes…
So excited and happy for you. Hoping for health and sanity in these last two weeks.
EEEK! So excited for you!!!!
So excited for you! I was wimp before IF too…it definitely has a way of curing you of needle phobia. Can’t wait to see pics hear about your little man’s arrival. Good luck with everything.
That’s so exciting! I’ll be sending you good vibes your way in the hopes your LO decides to show up before you need the pitocin — that’s something I’m going to try to avoid too. Your week sounds a lot like how mine will go if I go past my due date
Balls, it’s almost baby time!