The Birth "Plan"

I had my final prenatal appointment today! I am 39 weeks and 2 days along and I am booked to be induced on Monday evening. I was pretty gung-ho about not being induced, but I think things will go much better this time since my girl stuff already knows what it's supposed to do.

Last week I was dilated to about a 2.5cm and 80% effaced. They booked me to come in Monday the 13th at 6pm to begin the Cervidil overnight, then Pitocin drip in the morning. Today she checked me and I am dilated 3-4cm AND I talked her into stripping my membranes (ouch!). She said my cervix is all ready to go and we can skip the Cervidil! Now we come in at 10pm on Monday and they will start the Pitocin drip after I'm checked in and have an IV. With any luck my little one will be born Tuesday morning or afternoon and maybe we'll go home early Wednesday!!

I work tomorrow and it will be my LAST day before I start maternity leave. Hopefully they have mercy on me because these loins are feeling heavy! I was pretty crampy right after the doctor visit but I think it's subsiding a bit. Of course I could still go into labor on my own at any point--which would be ideal--so we are ready for that too, but either way he'll be here by the end of Tuesday! I have already been having frequent contractions for the last few weeks. Sometimes they are about 6 minutes apart even! I know they are just Braxton-Hicks and aren't the real thing but I have been on high alert waiting for the real stuff to start! I never had any of this with Bradley--he was just a happy camper staying in there until we dragged him out.

My MIL Penny has graciously accepted our request to stay at our house with Bradley while we are in the hospital. That way he doesn't have to miss school and she can watch our house and cats. She will still bring him up to visit us of course and she won't have to make the hour drive from our house to her house while things are going on.

Thank you for following our intense and emotional journey to parenthood! We are in the final days now and my next blog post will be all about our new bundle of joy! Check back soon!