EDD - 3 update

Today I had my next midwife appointment so here is the update for 3 days before my due date.

Everything is good. My blood pressure was perfect. I was a little concerned because my ankles have begun to get a little swollen but it is July and HOT. I did not gain any weight which actually pleased me. Since we have been sick this week with a stomach bug I feared that I might have lost weight and I did not want that. I am currently 2 cm dilated and 80% effaced so things are moving slowly in the right direction. My belly measurement (fundal height) has actually shrunk 2 cm as Squeak has dropped. She is in perfect position for a regular birth - head down and engaged, back toward the front. All great news.

Lindsey (my midwife) and I talked about our plan from here. My due date is on Friday and she hopes to see me then as that is the day I optimally want to deliver. It is when she, my OB and my friend who work in L&D are all on duty. If that day comes and goes without a baby though, we scheduled my next appointment for next Wednesday. At that time we will do a biophysical profile which is a sonogram just to make sure that everything is OK with my "past term" baby. She is not concerned that it would not be, it just standard. The OB had originally said that my final deadline was the 25th, one week past my due date but today Lindsey said she had talked to the OB and due to a few factors, such as the 25th is Lindsey's birthday and she does not want to some in for surgery, the hospital surgery schedule is full, etc. They will let me go until the 29th. While it does not excite me that I might have this baby in me for 4 more days than originally thought, I am glad that they agree to let nature take its course and allow me to go into labor on my own.

Overall I am feeling pretty good (except for the stomach bug we have). I am still getting around pretty comfortably and sleeping OK. I seem to be taking 1-2 hours of naps a day which is really odd for me. I am just at that point where I am a bit impatient. I am a planner so this lack of control is frustrating. There is nothing on my calendar but to have a baby. The list is all done, the house is fairly straight. We are ready.

Katherine is so excited about meeting baby sister. She gives my tummy hugs, kisses and zerberts all the time. She will say things like, "I want baby sister to come out. I want to hold her. I'll be soft. I'll kiss her. I'll share my toys." She tells us all the things that she will do to help and all the things she will teach baby sister. It will be so fun to see them together.

So, keep praying that we go into labor on our own and my preference would be soon. And, if yo have any fun labor inducing ideas, let me know. Lindsey said the only proven one is the one that got me into this situation, but I love to hear your ideas and am willing to try all kinds of stuff like eating eggplant, etc.

On the naming front, we are pretty sure we have a final name! It has been fun to see suggestions and guesses. The most fun has been my father in law who emails me a guess almost every day. He continues to hope that Squeak is a boy named Bobby Joe but if she is a girl he has suggested Judy, family names of Caroline and Stella and flower names of Jasmine and Lily from childhood memories Sam has or the flower names of Hyacinth, Daisy, Rose or Violet from our favorite BBC comedy, "Keeping Up Appearances". I do promise that we are not using family names from my side of Ruby, Fanny and Willa Mae (sisters). Their other sister was my great grandmother Marie. Thank goodness for one normal name in the bunch.

Hyacinth Bucket (Bouquet) from Keeping Up Appearances