No big news to report (unfortunately) but I figure it's been over a week since I posted and I didn't want anyone to either worry or get their hopes up! This Wednesday is our due date, and I'm feeling like we'll easily pass it before our boy shows up. Though if my OB had it her way I would have been induced by now--she was really pushing me at the past 2 appointments, despite the fact that I kept telling her that I would like to at least give my body the chance to try a natural birth. If there was some serious medical reason (gestational diabetes, preclampsia, etc) to induce early, I definitely would have given in and accepted the induction. However her reasoning was, well, kind of b.s. As of Thursday she was estimating the baby to be about 8.5 lbs so she thinks I'll have a hard time delivering that large of a baby (why she thinks this when women deliver larger babies than that all the time, I don't know). She said his shoulders could get stuck and we'd have to end up getting a c-section. Bull. Yes I know that could happen, but according to what I've read more inductions end up in c-sections than natural birthing of large babies do (and, by the way, a "large baby"--I think the term is macrosomia--is classified as over 9 lbs 15 oz, not 8.5 lbs). Her second reason for an induction was to avoid having the baby poo while in utero and end up swallowing it, which could lead to complications if he swallowed enough of it. Also bull. Once again, yes this could happen, but it could happen to any baby, there's no reason to think that our baby has a greater chance of this happening than any of the other millions of babies born on or past their due dates. Plus, as gross as it sounds, tons of babies do swallow poo in utero and are fine!
I know my OB has my best interests and those of the baby in mind and is just trying to be proactive and prevent certain complications, however these complications she is speaking of are all speculative at this point. I'm glad I stuck to my guns and fended off the pre-due-date induction. She was kind of peeved with me, but I was peeved with her too. I now realize the importance of hiring a doula--my OB was absolutely wonderful up until this point, which is why I didn't hire a doula or bother finding a midwife instead of her, but now I feel like she doesn't want to listen to me anymore. A doula would stick up for me! Rick has done a good job trying to stick up for me but since he has the same amount of experience in this birthing thing that I do (that is, none) my OB isn't really listening to him either.
All that being said, we have another appointment with her tomorrow (Tuesday) followed by an ultrasound on Wednesday and we'll discuss our options then. If I do end up getting induced, my guess right now is that it wouldn't be until after this coming weekend since it takes 3-4 days to schedule with the hospital and they won't schedule inductions on weekends. I feel much better about that option since by then I'd be a good number of days past due and it would give our little guy that much more time to show up on his own.
That's the update! As mentioned in the title, I didn't start this post with the intention of venting but since nothing else is happening, I guess this is all I have to talk about! :-) Hope all of you who celebrate Easter had a wonderful holiday--
-Suzi
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