He's coming soon

This baby's coming on Friday, possibly Saturday, if not sooner.

We found out at my 38-week appointment yesterday that, despite a week of bed rest, my blood pressure had not dropped (or risen, thank God). I also had some protein in my urine (the sample taken at that appointment) which I'd never had before, and I had gained a few pounds in the last week. My doctor assured me I was okay at the moment but that the best course of action was to get me "unpregnant." Things could escalate over the next several days, and I'd much rather have the baby while just dealing with hypertension than have him next week when pre-eclampsia has become an issue.

So, that all being said, I am being induced on Friday (I'll be 39 weeks). It's for medical reasons and I feel confident in my decision (as much of a "decision" as it was; it was medically advised and I trust my doctor). I actually will go in on Thursday night to start the "ripening" (I hate that word!) and stay the night there. Friday morning the actual induction will begin. My doctor will be working that day, which is great, and she wants to avoid a section of course. But... I am unfavorable for induction at the moment (still just 1 cm dilated, not very much effaced), so we're praying that things change by Friday, which is entirely possible.

With that in mind, she stripped my membranes yesterday. My weekly exams haven't hurt, despite her warning they would, but this did. Not terribly, but it wasn't fun either. She said there was a little blood and to expect more throughout the day (I saw a little).

Upon returning home - and back to good old bed rest - I started having slight cramping. I've had very obvious Braxton Hicks since week 18, but this was very different. BH never caused me any pain, just tightening, and this was more like period pain, which I know early labor contractions can feel like. By evening, I started timing them just out of curiosity. They were irregular, but seemed to be growing in intensity. A couple hours later they were really painful and my lower back ached terribly, to the point of making me cry. At that point they were three minutes apart. Ryan, home from work for dinner, packed his bag, but we decided he should go back to work and wait for our call.

Well, almost as soon as he left, the pain started to improve. It must have been false labor, which was very frustrating since it made the entire painful episode seem worthless. But I'm hoping that perhaps it at least caused me to dilate a little more. That's at least my wishful thinking.

I slept okay, but not very long, waking up early this morning to discover some blood-tinged mucus. Not sure if this was the bloody show (even this late in pregnancy that phrase still makes me cringe) or just some blood from my OB stripping my membranes. I tend to think it was the BS (perhaps, again, wishful thinking) because it was nothing like the slight spotting I'd had immediately following the appointment, and because it was in mucus. It was a good amount of mucus, possible more of the plug, which I believe I've been losing over the last three weeks (which really doesn't mean anything, although I've read the BS does possibly mean a little more).

I'll go in today for a meeting with a labor-and-delivery nurse, and then return Thursday night to be admitted. Oh how I hope I am more than one cm dilated at that time! It would be such a blessing to be favorable for induction, and to progress well once it begins. It'd also be nice if I went into labor naturally sometime in the next two days. I don't care if it's even before I get to eat Thanksgiving dinner! (speaking of which, my doctor assured me I can eat a normal Thanksgiving meal before heading to the hospital. Yay!)

So only two more days of bed rest left to go (as I've been saying lately, it's been hard for me and that's saying a lot because I'm admittedly someone who normally LOVES just laying around!) and just about three days until we'll meet our little boy. It's so hard to believe!

And no Black Friday shopping for me. Darn! Just kidding. I've actually never been in my whole life.

I can't thank you all enough for your prayers. They mean so much to me. I will be praying for all of you on Friday!

St. Gerard, pray for us. St. Maximilian Kolbe, pray for us. St. Gianna, pray for us. St. Therese, pray for us!