This Is The Week

Tomorrow is my last and final pre-natal appointment and I admit I am growing a bit anxious. I really don't want to have to make a choice regarding how I will be induced and considering Wednesday is my cut-off date, I'm getting a little nervous.

I realize this whole thing sounds absurd to most people considering that MANY of my friends opt to be induced every time. But when you're crazy like me and you want to do things naturally and let things go on their own...and then when things don't go on their own...it gets to be a little frustrating.

As some background for those who don't know....I was induced at 41 weeks with my first baby almost 5 years ago. I was told via ultrasound that he looked to be about 6 lbs and the doctor was concerned that he might not be getting enough nutrients from the cord, so they suggested induction. Being the naive, young, first-time-mom-to-be that I was....I assumed that was my only option.

My son was born about 10 hours later, after me being constrained to my hospital bed and enduring several hours of extremely strong contractions, at a beautiful weight of 7 lbs, 6 oz. Thus began my realization that technology is not always all that it's cracked up to be.

My second child was born 14 months later and came all on her own at 41 weeks and 1 day. Her labor and delivery was beautiful! I labored in (and out of) the tub for several hours and she arrived 7 hours after I arrived at the hospital birthing center. My midwife was FANTASTIC and, regardless of the fact that my daughter's heartrate dropped slightly with each contraction, the midwives thankfully allowed me to be closely monitored and did NOT send me to c-section as many doctors would have.

My third child followed 18 months after my second. I had weeks of irregular contractions (not unlike this pregnancy), had been dilated to 5cm for several days, and finally just requested that my midwife break my water at 38 weeks and 5 days. Basically, I got impatient. The whole process lasted about 16 hours and, despite the fact that I wasn't in any pain at all until it was time to push, once we got to that stage, it was miserable. My daughter's head wasn't anterior (facing down, as it's supposed to be) or posterior (facing up), but rather it was sideways. This required my midwife to twist her a bit with each contraction for...I don't know how long. It seemed like forever. I think it was realistically a few hours. But regardless, it was terrible. I can't help but wonder if this would not have happened if I had simply let nature take its course.

So this time around, I am praying that things will happen on their own, as they were intended to do. Please join me in praying that this baby will arrive before my appointment tomorrow morning. And if God chooses for the baby NOT to arrive by then, then pray that I will have the wisdom to make a wise decision concerning Wednesday's unfoldings.

Hope you all had a great weekend!