Bed Rest, Day 8, in Which There Was No Bed, and No Rest

Yesterday was rough... the worst I've had since starting bed rest. I was too exhausted to post anything last night. I basically crawled from the truck to the couch, where we did our family devotions, then went straight to bed.

Yesterday started with me waking up - as in WIDE awake at 5 am. Since I've been on bed rest, my sleep cycle has been messed up. I nap when I feel like it and stay awake when I feel like it, regardless of time of day or night. I think this will come in handy when the baby is born and I'm up half the night. I never could nap during the day very well, but I've gotten the hang of it since being in bed for a week - ha.

Anyway, this was the day of the big checkup, in which my main goal was to convince the doctor NOT to induce me. I really wanted to wait and see if the baby would come naturally on the fourth of July. So we headed to the doctor's office in the town 77 miles away. We had time for a leisurely lunch (during which I ate way too much - a whole French Dip sandwich. It was good, but I've been eating about half that much lately). The doctor had been called to the hospital for an emergency just 15 minutes before our appointment, so we ended up waiting over an hour before she made it back. No problem. We always bring something to read. But I was getting tired already - especially with the full belly.

Everything went really well at the appointment. Blood pressure was excellent. I had lost 3 pounds during my week of bed rest. And I wasn't showing any symptoms that concerned the doctor, so she easily agreed to let me wait to deliver naturally - under the condition that they measure my amniotic fluid levels, and track the baby's heart-rate on the monitor for half an hour. No problem. Then she checked to see if I was progressing, and I definitely am. I was dilated a good 3 cm, and 70% effaced, and the baby was at a -1. I know that means I will deliver soon - and quickly, once it all starts. I tend to have fast labors anyway, and my husband is already worried about making it to the hospital in time to deliver. We have an hour and a half drive through a mountain canyon, in which we have no cell phone service, and there are very few homes along the way to stop and make a call from - not that we're going to be thinking about stopping at that point - ha. With my other children, I haven't even been that far along when I got to the hospital.

Then I thought to ask the doctor if she would be on call to deliver over the weekend. She won't be. That was a major hit. I LOVE this particular doctor, and have gone out of my way to see her throughout the last half of the pregnancy. I would have seen her through the entire time, but she was on maternity leave when I started this whole journey. She is the doctor who delivered our last baby, and having her deliver this one would be the first time I have had the same doctor for two babies. And this is number five for us! Anyway, to have her deliver us, we would have to have the baby by Friday, or wait until next Thursday. I know with my numbers, there's no way I will make it to next Thursday. And for that matter, I know it is extremely unlikely I will make it to the fourth.

Well, the ultrasound showed I have great amounts of fluid (no surprise to me - I've felt "squishy" and even pointed it out to my husband the other day). Then we went for our half hour on the monitor. They have a great room for this - quiet, less light, nice place to visit, and with the most amazing - sink into it recliner you've ever sat in. It's like being swallowed by a pillow or a cloud. So while we were in there, I talked to my husband about the idea of going ahead and inducing Friday, so we could have this particular doctor deliver. I really don't care for the doctor that is on call over the weekend. Nothing personal. She is just very heavy handed - as in rough. As in painful. And I haven't had a chance to visit with her about my personal preferences for the delivery.

I still don't want pitocin or an epidural, but I think as far along as I am, all it would take would be breaking my water or stripping the membranes. The doctor agreed, and thought it was a great idea. She said she didn't have a problem with me waiting, but felt that it would be good to go ahead and deliver while she knows he is doing well. And, after all, Friday is my due date. This will be my first baby born on his due date (if he cooperates).

It was a hard decision, which I am still second-guessing. She told me I can always call and cancel the induction if I want to, and I may do that, but I have a feeling I might go into labor naturally by then anyway. My biggest goal has been to make it to July and not deliver in June. Why? Because the July birthstone is a Ruby, and I think that would be a great addition to my mother's ring - ha. Not to mention the significance of the Ruby to the Proverbs 31 woman, which is the real reason. I know. Not a very good reason. Pretty ridiculous, really. But the June birthstone is pink, and what boy wants a pink birthstone? (Though my husband assures me that boys don't care what color their birthstone is.) Oh well. This boy's mom cares!

After we saw my doctor, we slipped over to the pediatrician's office to chat with him. He's great too. In fact my husband even saw him when he was a kid (an older kid, but still, this guy's been around awhile.) I love that he takes a lot of time and is very thorough with explaining everything - and the pro's and con's of everything. Our last baby had bad jaundice, and we were in the hospital a few days longer to cure it, so I had questions about that as well as another complication I have. I tested positive for Group B Strep which can cause spinal meningitis in babies. Because of that, I will have to be on antibiotics during the delivery. (This was another reason we think the induction might be a good option - at least this way we can get some antibiotics into my system before they break my water.) They say it's best to have two doses, and that they are given 4 hours apart, so being there already when labor starts might be a very beneficial thing. After we talked to him, we felt much more confident that inducing was a good option. My husband is my rock in all of this. I am wishy-washy when it comes to making decisions. Too much emotion and hormone influence at this point. I'm always second guessing myself, so it was nice to have him there to make the decisions. In fact, he is so at peace with this that I doubt we will cancel the induction.

The only negative was that the pediatrician won't be available this weekend either. He has another one covering hospital calls for him. His daughter is getting married. So while we have some idea how he would have handled the possible complications, we don't know for sure how the other doctor will. If we deliver early enough Friday, he will still be the one to see us. If not, we get the fill in doctor, which is fine, and very understandable. These people have families too, and I'm big on making your own family a priority.

Anyway, with all the extra testing, visiting the pediatrician, etc, it turned into a very long day. We had a little shopping to do, then went out for dinner, and then had an hour and a half drive home through a mountain canyon in the pouring rain. I love rain, especially when it comes with thunder and lightening, but by then I was completely wiped out. I'm sure it was a combination of getting up at 5, the multitude of tests, shopping, etc, when I've done nothing but lay in bed for over a week.

So what am I doing today? I'm laying in bed all day ;) trying my best not to go into labor before tonight, when I can have my baby any time after midnight ... in July - ha. I'm actually praying I will begin labor spontaneously tonight or in the morning so I won't feel guilty about "inducing" - and I do feel like it could easily happen. I know the baby has dropped more, and I'm having some stronger contractions, but nothing consistent yet. We were originally supposed to be at the hospital at 7:30 am, but they pushed it back to 12:30 pm due to some scheduling conflicts at the hospital. Maybe that will give me time to progress. Tonight I plan to walk with my family to the park (if I'm able - the baby's low enough now that it is painful just to walk to the bathroom). And then tomorrow, I want to get to the town where the hospital is in time to walk around awhile before my water is broken. Then I won't have to make the drive through the curvy canyon while I'm having contractions. Those are my plans. We'll see what God's plan is :)