Midwife Appointment

Today I had my weekly midwife appointment.  I asked her to check my progress since I had contractions on and off from Thursday - Sunday last week, so she relented and checked me and NO PROGRESS!!!  I just knew it.  So all of that annoying discomfort and pain for nothing.  And she even said that the 90% effaced number that the previous midwife told me was generous and she thought I was really just 75%.  Oh well, at least I now know not to get my hopes up that Brooke will decide to come early.  I'm just going to stick with the expectation that she won't be here until I'm induced.  That will help me manage my emotional and mental state better because those contractions were really messing with my head!  This process is not only physically taxing, it's also mentally and emotionally exhausting!

I had another non-stress test after my midwife appointment.  Brooke's heart rate and amniotic fluid are both good, so that's great news.  And my blood pressure has been doing pretty well.  Sometimes it's a little high, but once I rest lying down, it goes down.  It's now pretty regularly in the 130s/80s.  Hopefully it continues to stay low so I won't need additional medication during labor.

On Friday I will have another non-stress test.  Next Tuesday I will have my last midwife appointment and non-stress test.  At the midwife appointment they will check my progress again.  If I'm still only 1 cm dilated, I will have to go into the hospital Wednesday night to get something to help my cervix ripen before they give me Pitocin on Thursday, which is what they use for induction.  I'm not sure if I will have to spend the night Wednesday night.  I hope not, but I have a feeling I might have to so that they can keep an eye on my progress.  I will ask the midwife at Tuesday's appointment to find out for sure.

So, unless you hear from me, just assume that things are going well and Brooke isn't coming until next Thursday :)  Wish me luck that this next week will go by quickly!