I am past due again. Am I really surprised? No, not really. I have no idea what it is about me or my babies that causes me not to go into labor. I know its not something that I can control. I've done everything that I know of, that I've read about, that people have told me to try. So if there was something I could do to go into labor, it would have happened.
I went to the doctor this past Tuesday. I was still dilated 1 cm just like I have been for 3 weeks now. My doctor needed to call the OBGYN doctor that we have been consulting with to discuss options. Much to my surprise, they are willing to attempt an induction. The risk of uterine rupture doubles when labor is induced but it is still a very small risk. I will go back to the doctor this coming Tuesday if labor doesn't happen on its own before then. At that time we will schedule the induction at the hospital to begin Wednesday night. The plan is to do what they call cervical ripening (insert a certain medication and let it sit overnight while you sleep to soften the cervix). Then they will begin pitocin (the drug that makes you have contractions) Thursday morning. That's what we were supposed to do when Emmett was born, but when I got to the hospital last time for my induction I was already having contractions that were about 10 minutes apart. I was barely feeling them, so I didn't even realize it. Because I was contracting they decided to skip cervical ripening and start the pitocin that night, even though I wasn't dilated at all. 26 hours and change later, Emmett was finally born by c-section. Despite getting fully dilated and pushing for 2.5 hours, his head was too big to push out. I am a little worried that an induction will just go the same way it went last time. But I feel that it is worth a try to avoid having a c-section. And the doctors think this baby is smaller than Emmett was. My biggest fear is that this baby will end up going to the NICU with breathing problems like Emmett did. But, I have no reason to believe that having a c-section instead of an induction would make that any less likely to happen. The doctors don't seem to think so either, becuase I asked about risks to the baby, stating that as my biggest concern (obviously). Of course there is still a chance I could go into labor on my own before Tuesday, which would be the best case scenario. But I'm not too optimistic.
I have everything ready for the baby to be born. Thanks to my crazy nesting, I couldn't be more ready. Everything is clean, washed, and in place. The house is in the best shape its been in since we moved in 6 years ago. I would love a bigger house, but I've done the best I can with the amount of house we have. We have 3 bedrooms, which will soon all be occupied (no more guest room, unfortunately). But if we can make this house work for a few more years while the kids are little, it will save us a lot of money and make it possible for me to stay home with my boys. When they are both ready to be in school full time, I will be ready to go back to work full time. Not that I'm looking forward to going back to work, I am certainly happier staying home with them. But to go back to having 2 incomes again would make life so much easier for us. We could actually plan some fun things like vacations for example. And deep down, I do miss teaching just a little bit and I would like to give it another try. Plus teaching is perfect for being a mother. That's a small part of why I chose it as my profession in the first place. By the time I go back my teaching license will have expired, but I will cross that bridge when I come to it.
Now it is time to go take care of my current chocolate craving while Emmett is still napping.
