Still here.

Welp, here we are - 41 weeks.

Throughout this pregnancy, I never really anticipated giving birth before my due date, so I am still doing pretty ok, but I thought for sure that Baby G would be here by now!

Specifically you may have noticed I was a little quiet yesterday, Well, my preliminary labor signs had increased, Baby G and I had had a nice long talk as we watched the sunrise about what a beautiful day it was to be born, and I had read some Ina May excerpts that I found especially helpful. I was in the zone and so sure I would go into labor yesterday. Peaceful, calm, excited and ready.

Don't ask me why, I just had a feeling. So much of a feeling, in fact, that I left work early yesterday to go home and continue trying to ease baby out. It started raining like the second I got home, so I convinced A to go walk the mall with me. We walked and walked, like the old people in the mornings that I used to wave to when I worked at J.Crew in college. Contractions came. Regularly. So much so I had A pull out his timer app. Things were looking good and I was so excited.

Now, I knew we had a long way to go, I wasn't in enough pain to merit breathing through contractions and we are talking 6-7 minutes apart...nothing to freak out about, but I was sure it was a sign of good things to come.

But, alas. Then it all stalled out. We got home, I sat on my birth ball and rocked some hip circles, and then hooked myself up to my breast pump. Yup, I have been ding that too. And still. Nada.

Well, I thought, maybe just not right now, but surely I will wake up tonight in labor. So, I set about making a light dinner and spending some QT with the husband. We cuddled, made sure the last few items were ready for the hospital bags, just in case, and watched Despicable Me as we drifted off to dream land...

...and I woke up this morning.

41 weeks pregnant.

So, I don't get to gleefully call in and cancel my appointments today because I am already in labor (which I was looking so forward to!). Instead I will go in and behave and begin asking the dreaded questions that I never thought I would need to about induction procedures, etc.

Now don't get me wrong, I am going to ask about everything else we could possibly be doing to naturally induce first, BUT I am well aware that I am at the point where I need to begin preparing mentally at least for the possibility of an induction next week. And the first part of that is having the right information.

I will ask the questions and accept the information, all with the giant hope that none of it will be necessary. On the upside I will get to hear baby's heartbeat again, and even see him or her, since at this point in addition to the Non-Stress Test, the practice performs an ultrasound to be sure fluid levels are good, etc.

I am definitely excited about seeing baby again - it has been so long! - BUT, I am hoping to avoid any sort of weight guesstimate at the same time. This is my newest question, btw. Everyone seems so interested in how big that "they" {the healthcare professionals} think the baby is at this point. And I shrug and say "no idea" because the midwives don't perform unnecessary ultrasounds, so...we haven't had an estimate.

Here's the thing - I don't want to know. I know that those estimates are notoriously unreliable and like +/- 2lbs. and I know myself. I know that if they say "Baby seems to be about 7.5 lbs" I will immediately jump to 'having' to push out a 9.5 lb baby in the actual delivery. It's just how I am. I know that, and I know I do not need another mental hurdle during the process of (hopefully) natural childbirth. So, we will see if they can just not tell me. I don't know if it's possible, but I am going to ask!

So, that's where we stand.


41 weeks along

...and I am happy that I have created such a happy little womb environment for my baby that they don't want to leave! But I promise, it's better out here baby ;)