I know the subject line is far from breaking news but, at the same time, it kind of is. At 37 weeks and 2 days today I went in for a 38 week scan and gestational diabetes consultation and walked out with an appointment for a sweep next week.
Normally, they induce at 38 weeks if you have gestational diabetes but we've been pretty adamant about not wanting to be induced unless there's a clear medical reason. This wasn't some crazy decision we came to on our own, mnd you. We did research and talked with our midwife and felt that, as long as our little acorn looked healthy and my levels were steady without using drugs, I could be treated as an individual without GD when it came to labor and birth.
The next time we'll see this profile, it'll be in person!
The obstetrician today was willing to meet us halfway. For those of you who are lucky enough not to know what a sweep is, it's a rather uncomfortable procedure that, if your body is ready, might encourage you to go into labor. That's the nice, unclinical explaination anyway. If your body's not ready, though, it's a wash but it's at least trying to induce in a semi-natural way that would let me stay at home for the first part of my labor and, fingers crossed, also might mean a smaller chance of interference in the form of forceps, ventouse or c-section. So that's what I'm going in for on Tuesday the 19th. And if it doesn't work, they'll give it another go the following week and if that doesn't work we'll talk about induction.
We came home a little dazed and Matt went to work. Since it was five in the moring in Ohio, I waited a bit before calling my parents to give them an update and goofed around on Ravelry with only half of my brain functioning. It wasn't until a few minutes into my call to them that everything hit me and I burst into tears. Up until now I've felt really confident about labor and bringing our little acorn home but now that his arrival is earlier than the date we've been carrying around for months I'm starting to get scared. As my mind wraps around it, I'm starting to get a little excited as well but...yeah, I'm scared.
Thankfully, other than some bedding for his crib (or cradle in the US - a cot is a crib in the UK), we're ready for him. We're not quite as ready for my parents to visit but that'll all work out. And I did finally finish his little coming home cardigan last week. I'll sew on the buttons tomorrow, add it to my mostly packed hospital bag and cross my fingers that it'll fit him.
And now it's time to attempt to get a good night's sleep...while I can.
It'll be okay, honestly for me it wasn't that bad and I am a huge baby, as long as you just take everything as it comes and try not to get to ahead of yourself you will be fine. If you can go with the flow, stay "calm" and not have any huge expectations you will be home snug with your acorn in no time. I had to go in for stress tests for the last 2 weeks of my pregnancy because of blood pressure issues,and the tests were more stressful than the birth(for me). Good luck and enjoy this time with Matt because you will be busy and may not have a chacne to really look at each other for a few months(you'll be too busy looking into your little ones eyes).
ReplyDeleteI was wondering when it would kick in. Hope everything goes well. Rest and take care of yourself. Oh, and enjoy the nice weather while it lasts!
ReplyDeleteThose tears were coming no matter what. You're desperate to meet him, you want him to get here safely, you want to avoid pain, you wonder if you'll mother "right." Always, always cry. Those tear ducts and those lumps in the throat are never wrong.
ReplyDeleteBIG Georgia hug.
I had a sweep and went into labor 36 hours later. Who knows if that was the trigger but I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!
ReplyDeleteI didn't really get scared until the last half of labor and then bringing her home from the hospital the first time. Like "WHY ARE THEY TRUSTING US WITH THIS INFANT! WE CANNOT KEEP THIS THING ALIVE!" But as you know, it all worked out.
Fingers crossed that everything will go smoothly!
I felt the same way! My doctor did the sweep three times in the weeks before I had Grace, getting more aggressive every time, ouch. You wait and wait for L&D and to meet your little one and then it happens all in a rush. I don't think you are ever truly ready, just take every hour or moment at a time.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard when life goes another way then you had thought it would. Sounds like you have a great grasp on what is important to you and Matt, and advocating for yourself. That's excellent!
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