He's Not Finished With Her Yet...

So it's been a very long week, and the induction didn't go quite as smoothly as we had hoped. I got to the hospital Sun night, they started the Cervidil medication which did nothing for me in terms of triggering labor, so they added Pitocin on Mon am. To make a very long story short, the dr said it wasn't triggering the contractions he'd hoped for, and he didn't feel comfortable breaking my water because I wasn't progressing favorably. He doubted my body was ready based on the signals it was showing, and forcing labor along would very likely lead to an emergency c section. Thank God he gave us the option of going home; I was a delirious, emotional wreck after 24 hrs of induction and no baby to show for it. It was pretty discouraging to hear shouts of congratulations and happy laughter from nearby delivery rooms, while meanwhile we sat in our quiet hospital room babyless when only 24 hrs earlier, we were brimming with joy at the prospect of meeting our sweet girl that day. But, I know God has a plan and once again, it doesn't always align with my timing.

So here I sit, almost a week later with my baby still inside, snug as a bug in a rug! My boss wants me working from home only (thanfully), so I have been coming up with creative ways to entertain myself and pass the time until she comes! Most of you who know me know I am not a TV person, and I don't enjoy staying in the house all day... in fact I hate it and it depresses me. I am used to being outdoors or active/on the go, so this is really testing me. I have been enjoying sleeping in (which will soon be a rare luxury), reading (almost read an entire book yesterday), learning how to use my new camera and pretending I am a photographer:), taking long walks (so thankful for the nice weather we've been having), scrapbooking, taking baths, and surfing the net. I had an amazing prenatal massage 2 weeks ago, and plan to go back Monday (my actual due date) if she's still not here. Anyone looking for a heavenly prenatal massage, go to Natural Body Spa in Brookhaven and ask for Linda. Wow, just wow. She incorporates some accupressure too which can trigger labor (didn't for me), but it feels fantastic nontheless.

So plan of action now is... well, nothing really! We wait till my due date, and I will go back in this Tues afternoon for the Dr to check my progress again and determine where we are. We have 2 options at this point: pray she comes by Easter, or be induced on Easter Sunday or this Thursday April 1. He will not allow me to go past 41 weeks for several reasons (nourishment from umbilical cord decreases at this point, size of baby in relation to me could cause some not so pleasant labor issues, etc), so we will need to make decisions again if she's still an inside baby on Tuesday.

To be continued...

3.22.2010 It's Official!

It's official, Leighton will be arriving in 2 days on March 22! Yesterday, my OB gave me the option of being induced on Monday. I've been experiencing prodromal labor for the last 2 weeks that has continuously worsened.... This involves labor like cramping & contractions, severe tightening of the uterus which prevents me from sleeping (braxton hicks contractions on steriods), and insane pressure on my bladder. It's very rare to affect people to this degree, so I am one of the lucky few! It's worsened since Wednesday, and the dr said today I am 3 cm dilated and a little over 50% effaced. He considers 4 cm being in active labor, so I am very close. He gave us the option to wait it out another week to my DD of March 29, or move forward and try to induce at 39 weeks, which is Monday.

I was very torn about what to do, so Jason and I went to lunch and discussed all of the pros and cons. We decided that moving forward with the induction is the best option for us given my conditions, and the timing is perfect as he has final exams starting the week of the 29th. I prayed about it alot and feel at peace with our decision. I am going into this confident and positive, and know that we are in the Lord's hands and he will ensure we have a safe and healthy delivery and baby! Everyone I talk to says they that before birth, they were so caught up in their 'birth plan' and wanting the 'perfect delivery' just as they imagined... but once the baby arrives, the delivery means nothing, and the baby overshadows everything else. We are looking at this as a means to an end, and our main focus is making sure LG is happy and healthy!

PS-Dr Crone thinks she is anywhere from 6 1/2 to 7 lbs, a healthy little bundle:)