Waiting

These days, most of my time has been spent reading, cleaning, hanging out with Pierce and my family, and waiting...lots and lots of waiting. Baby Lucy is now twelve days overdue. We really didn't think she would be so late. She was measuring ahead for much of the last trimester and we assumed she would come right on time, if not a bit early. But Lucy has other plans. 

Last Wednesday, I went to see the OB for a fetal stress test and an ultrasound to check on baby since I was 41 weeks to the day. Everything was perfectly fine and Lucy is healthy, but the OB  guessed that she will be "at least" nine pounds! When I got that news, I sort of hung my head and muttered, "Oh Jesus," but he reassured me with a laugh by saying she was measuring fine and that I shouldn't worry.

"She'll fit," he told me. I sure hope so!

The next day, I went for an appointment with my midwife and discovered that I was dilated to 3 cm and 50% effaced, which was a huge relief. We weren't expecting there to have been any progress but, unfortunately, not much has happened in the days since. My midwife told me to come back this Wednesday, when I will be 42 weeks, and they will likely give me the option to either be admitted to the hospital and induced or keep waiting. Pierce and I have talked a lot about what we want to do, and I think we're going to go with induction. I feel confident about it because my midwife assured me that since I've already made progress they wouldn't have to give me very much pitocin to get labor started. From there, I can do the rest on my own and still deliver naturally once the pitocin wears off. That was a big encouragement for us since we really want as little intervention as possible. And if we wait until I go into labor on my own, its far more likely that Lucy will be too big and I'll have to undergo a C-section. Neither of these options were a part of the "plan" but, like I said before, I know that plans can change. And at this rate a little pitocin is a far better choice than a C-section. Or...Lucy could still come before then! Whatever happens, we will have a little baby girl soon and we are over the moon about it. This is going to be the best Thanksgiving ever.

In the meantime, here are a few shots of the last week:


Clockwise from top right:

1) Can never get enough of crunchy fall leaves
2) 41 week baby belly
3) A beautiful yellow tree on our street
4) The almost-full moon on Saturday night
5) I found a beautiful dedication in Jennifer Weiner's Little Earthquakes
6) Popcorn and an at-home date night
7) I finished grad school!
8) Coffee and conversations with hubby
9) Lucy's baby wash, ready to go by the kitchen sink, when she's big enough for her first bath
10) Loving on my little sis
Wendi NunneryLucy, family, food, pregnancy