23 Days To Go...Maybe...

(Teaser pic, previous baby...)

I actually had my first baby on his 'due date'. From what I've read, it's 'typical/common' to go the longest with the first and then often a wee bit earlier with the next ones, but then I've also read, and can attest to the validity of the statement, that there is no 'typical' when it comes to pregnancy.

With my second, I was induced 12 days past my 'due date'. They would've let me go to 14, except that it fell on a holiday, which fell on a Sunday that year, and they don't do inductions on Sundays, and half the hospital staff would be taking their vacation day on Monday (as they already had Sunday off, but you gotta get your vacation day in, right?!) and so they couldn't do it until Tuesday, which would've been day 16 (past due) and that was just too much... so Friday, 12 days over it was. He was 9 lbs. 10 oz.

With number three, I begged and pleaded to be induced a little before my due date, fearing another gigantic baby. My pleas fell on compassionate ears, and at 5 days early, she was 8 lbs. 13 oz.

I wanted to trust the Lord, as well as my body, with the next one. I was thrilled beyond belief to be getting good and ready a few weeks early- at 37 weeks I was dilated to 4 cm! That had never happened before. The midwife reminded me that didn't mean I'd have a baby in the next 24 hours, but she said she wouldn't be surprised if I didn't make it through the weekend... she was 5 days over, which meant that I walked around dilated to 4cm for a MONTH! At least that labor was short and sweet- 4 1/2 hours from start to finish. We were only at the hospital for about 2 hours before having her, and it was so smooth, and, while not pain-free, it was so manageable that it was the first birth with no painkillers whatsoever. She was 8 lbs. 14 oz.

Number 5 was interesting- water broke 5 days past 'due', but no active labor right away. I went to the hospital anyway, so they could start the IV antibiotics that I was supposed to be on due to a positive Strep B culture (you're supposed to be on them for 4 hours before delivering). An hour later, just after the midwife had stopped in to say 'hi' before changing into scrubs, and saying "we'll give it a couple hours and then discuss when to start pitocin", some contractions started. By the time she got back from changing, I was quite uncomfortable, and about 45 minutes after realizing I was in labor (without pitocin!) she practically flew out- all 9 lbs. 12 oz. of her! Then came the crazy bleeding, and um, yeah, not fun, my first experience with anemia... glad I don't have to live like that, I have enough troubles with energy levels. (oh, yeah, and she came without painkillers too, not by choice, the anesthesiologist didn't get there until I went to push- 'do you still need me?' he dared ask... "no!" I moaned... UGH)

So, trying to avoid the fast and furious, not to mention the downright dangerous bleeding, with number 6 (yep, I said 6) I opted for a controlled induction, and had my first epidural. I don't ever want to feel the creepy sensation of a small catheter being threaded up my spinal column again. It's worse that fingernails on a chalkboard. My blood pressure plummeted, causing me to vomit, while my husband had stepped out for a sandwich, yeah, he got to miss that, lucky guy. Pain relief was total, I will say that. The midwife cranked up the pitocin (since I couldn't feel a thing!) and left us for a bit of paperwork catch-up. She stopped in to see how it was going, and I had just had a contraction where I thought I had just barely felt the slightest sensation (I thought maybe the epidural was wearing off) so she said she'd better check my progress, lifted the sheet and grinned, um, yep, there's a head... that slight sensation was my daughter's head, crowning, you know that intensely painful part of delivery?! The point where your body is the most stretched open it will ever be...?! Yeah, I thought I felt a little something. She said go ahead and push- I laughed- push what? I couldn't feel a thing. I tried, but just busted up laughing at the irony of the whole situation. The pictures look as though I was in pain, nope, just laughing. Apparently I look like I'm in pain when I laugh- I should work on that.

Pain relief is nice, catheters up your spine, not so nice. I'm hoping not to go that route this time, but with pregnancy and delivery how it is, completely unpredictable, who knows? I'm just looking forward to our little guy (and a flatter tummy, I totally admit it). And with only 23 days to go, give or take 5-14 (probably give, as in 5-14 more days), I suppose I'd better get knitting...

Ya think?

Happy knitting-

ali