3 Days

We are officially in the late zone. Today is my Expected Due Date, the end of the 40th week.

I actually thought I might be going into labour early this morning around 630am as I experienced some cramps and contractions. They seemed to be coming on quite regularly, but after about 3 rounds, they stopped. Strangely enough, especially after my last post, I was actually relieved to feel pain. I was like "Finally!" and happy that things were being put in motion. Honestly, all this waiting is just putting me on edge.

Poor Kisu was woken up by the false alarm (although he did say he couldn't sleep well anyway - apparently he had 4 different dreams throughout the night, all regarding labour).

We both got up and started pottering around the house - Kisu packing stuff for the hospital (I guess this was the only good thing that came out of the false alarm. I have been hounding him to put his stuff together and until this morning, nothing had been done) and I started clearing things around the house and putting sheets onto the baby's crib.

He even started timing my contractions, but obviously nothing came out of it. So we just went for an early breakfast before heading to the clinic for the latest checkup.

I went through the CTG again which showed 2 contractions about 17 minutes apart. I'm getting better at identifying contractions vs baby movements now. But they didn't hurt at all - just the usual Braxton Hicks.

Baby Sung is engaged and still happily floating around in her little fluid filled sac, but I am not experiencing any signs of labour. My doc is usually pretty comfortable with waiting up till the end of 41 weeks before taking any action, but as the ultrasound shows that my amnio level has started its descent (a sign of an aging placenta), both she and I do not want to wait it out too long.

Finally was subject to a Vaginal Exam (VE) - let me say this: OUCH! Definitely not pleasant. I had a rather large involuntary leg spasm as the doc poked around. ( Can't believe I have to go through this same thing more times...epi, definitely an epi)

Prognosis? Zero centimetres dilated.

So we made our decision about the induction. We have decided to give ourselves three days to wait it out over the weekend, and if things do not proceed naturally, I will go in for priming/induction next week.

Tuesday morning I return to get a pessary inserted - this is to help to ripen the cervix for dilation. I get to walk around/ go for lunch mid day after which I have to go back to the clinic to get a 2nd pessary inserted. After that, I either go into labour naturally (20% chance), or admit myself to the hospital on Wednesday morning where I will be put on a drip to induce contractions.

I also asked my doc about the episiotomy, and she told me that she actually usually doesn't do it (?!) I was so surprised because I thought most local doctors tend to do it rather than not, but she said if they do it it will be pretty small and anyway my baby is not big so likely that I will just get away with a little tear.

OK - tear versus cut. Er- don't know whether to be happy or sad!