Let’s crunch some numbers
Not the kind Matt’s busy crunching, with the assistance of TurboTax and about ten billion Lowe’s receipts.
The fun kind, the kind where we get to discuss cervixes. Well, not cervixES. Just one cervix. Mine, specifically.
First Baby: My cervix was dilated exactly NOT A BIT by my 37 week appointment. 5 days later, I had a baby.
Second Baby: My cervix was dilated to a 4, it was 100% effaced, and her head was fully engaged by 36 weeks. And I walked around like that for nearly 4 weeks before I got my baby.
Given this information, today, when my midwife pronounced me dilated 2 centimeters and 40% effaced, we can now say with preciseness that: We still know absolutely nothing about when this baby is coming.
So, what’s the point of having vaginal exams at all? None, really. My midwife only did it at my request, and I can’t even really say why I wanted to know. I guess I was hoping the few nights of pretty uncomfortable contractions I’ve had has been doing something. But what does it even matter, if it’s not doing THE thing?
It’s okay. I am a wee bit uncomfortable. And I didn’t really sleep much at all last night. Neither did Matt, who was busy pushing on my back and squeezing my poor, poor leg that seems to bear the brunt of discomfort–okay, I’ll say it–PAIN–during, and even between, contractions. The contractions which varied from 10 minutes apart to 2 minutes to 5 minutes, randomly. For about 5 hours.
But really, baby should stay put for a couple more weeks. We really need to be able to get some of these empty duplexes rented out before Matt has to take a week or so off (at least in the evenings) to take care of older children and pander to my every whim, right? ;)
Filed in: pregnancy | March 16, 2009
Kate
hang in there lady! I felt like a chicken walking around with a HUGE egg between my legs for a good 4 weeks! So uncomfortable. But fortunately, I didn’t “egg” on the labor but standing to much, etc. The longer I stuck out the most uncomfortable early labor signs, the fast and smoother I believed it made my active labor. (And LOTS of water helped too.) Nico was almost a 10lber. and it was the smoothest, quickest and relaxing labors I had had yet, with any of the other children. So exciting preparing for the moment it happens! Are you having a home birth??
Simply Mother
I do feel a little like a chicken. :) I tend to believe I just have an extremely prolonged early labor, and at some point “active labor” gets started with the rupturing of my membranes, and from there it’s only a few hours until birth. I’ve always said I have pretty short labors, but now I’m thinking I actually have extremely long labors, that last for weeks and weeks!
And yes, this will be our first home birth! We’re very excited. I wrote a bit about it a few days ago.