Sprout's update: June 19, 2007

Whew, what another day this has been. We met with the doctor today, and my weight has remained unchanged since last week (yeah!), but Sprout's weight is estimated to be approximately nine pounds. Any which way you look at it, that is one big girl. She could still gain one-half to a pound per week... and we still have four more weeks to go.

Once the ultrasound was completed, I went through the physical exam, and still, there is no dilation, even though the contractions are pretty consistent. Now, I thought I was a little further along (37 weeks as opposed to only 36 weeks plus one day), but there it is. My doctor explained to me that it is NOT uncommon to not have dilated at this point, but he also said my cervix is "unfavorable." He said that even if I had some emergency (which I do not, both of us are fine, thank God!), that my labor could not be induced... he said we'd need to discuss a plan. Oh, goodie, you all know that I love plans, lol, but mine are always subject to change (always have been - always will be). Pisces rule! Chaos and disorder, that's me!

We discussed my options, and it is very true, I am physically exhausted most of the time, and he can clearly see that I am in misery (I love my Sprout, don't get me wrong, but the physical aspect is something incredible... even the most basic things wear me down). My mother was with me today, John's daughter, Crystal, and my daughter, Andrea, and my niece, Brandy. He asked me if I would like to sit down with mom and talk things over, and I told him I wish John were present because whatever decision I make IS going to have an impact on what he can do, too. Fortunately for me, he works right across the street from the hospital, and when I called him, he was there within 10 minutes.

We went back and talked things over with the doctor, who gave us a full explanation of what was going on, and he answered all of our questions. Short story? I can wait to see if I can have Sprout vaginally, but while we may go through a waiting period, she is going to continue to gain weight. John teased me, and he said my cervix must be rusted shut (ok, big guy, funny, haha), but even if we waited, a C-section might still be necessary since my first child, Andrea, was less than seven pounds... Sprout is clearly a great deal larger. John's daughter, Crystal, was also a nine pound baby (or a little more). My doctor said we could intervene -- IF... IF... her lungs are properly developed (and at her age right now, they may NOT be), we could schedule a C-section, but in order to do that, we would need an amnio to determine how far along her lungs have developed. That test, itself, poses some risks, but all in all, it is my decision to make, and he gave us all the information we needed to make an informed decision.

I don't want to do anything at all that will harm my "little" angel, but at the same time, to wait much longer also increases her size and, therefore, my chances for a C-section anyway. I hurt, a lot, and if I were not a teacher with summers off, I would be miserable (if I could work at all). Standing on my feet, sitting, or walking any length of time renders me absolutely useless. All in all, I did not make a decision today, but, instead, I postponed the decision until I could have a good think on it. I will go back in on Thursday this week, but after today, once again, I came home exhausted, and the C-section is looking like a great idea, as long as Sprout will be ok. The contractions and back pain are really uncomfortable, and just walking wears me down to nothing (and I used to be an "electric super-charged high-energy old girl"). I miss my old me.

Our current thinking, at this time, is to go in on Thursday and have the amnio performed. It takes a few hours to get the results, but if it is determined that little Sprout's lungs are "good" -- then we are in favor of a C-section, which I can have scheduled this Friday. I like Friday because that was my grandmother's birthday, and I loved her so much... I feel kind of guilty about a C-section (I feel like I am evicting a poor little innocent angel), but this could all happen anyway. Of course, since I am not working, I could "sit it out" for two more weeks and see if things change (they could, and I am an optimist at heart), and then, if a C-section is necessary, that's fine, too, but at least she has had a full chance to "go it on her own."

For now, though, I have prepared myself, just in case, and John and I went out today and got the crib and the mattress (we'd been dragging our feet on that purchase because I am so fussy), but most other things have already been taken care of... so, we'll see what happens on Thursday... if I show any signs of dilation at that point, I may re-think things and wait it out for up to two more weeks.

Meanwhile, the ultrasounds (not yet scanned) show a very cute little cherub completely "smushed" in there... poor baby, she needs so much more room. A funny little anecdote is that according to the measurements, not only is Sprout a big girl, but they also measured her little tummy (poor choice of words, actually), and my sonographer showed me her ranges... low, medium, and high, in terms of percentiles.... Sprout's little tummy is WELL ABOVE the 90th percentile. In short, my little girl has got a great big belly... she's "off the chart"!

Bad ol' mommy me... I should not have had those country-style BBQ ribs and baked potato over the weekend when we grilled out. Now, the diapers that we have bought for her may not even fit! Good thing we never got a bassinette -- those things are good for a child up to 15 pounds, and Sprout would not have gotten much use out of it at all.

Oh dear.