The last OB visit (hopefully)

I saw my doctor for my very last regularly scheduled OB appointment this morning.  I didn't get to see him last week as he took a day off, so I had to see the nurse.  If you'll recall, the nurse told me last week that I was 2 cm dilated and 70% effaced.  Well, apparently, that nurse is a no-good-dirty-rotten-liar because what she wrote in my chart was 1.5 cm dilated and 60% effaced.  So when my doctor checked me this morning and declared that I'd made progress and was now 2 cm dilated and 60% effaced, I was understandably confused because that didn't sound like progress at all.  In fact, that sounded more like my cervix was getting THICKER instead of thinner.  I was going backwards now?  What kind of sick and twisted hell am I living in that such things can happen at almost 40 weeks pregnant?  He assured me that I wasn't going backwards, that I probably misunderstood what she'd told me.  After fuming about it for a minute, I did recall that she in fact had told me that I was "Almost 2 cm and 60-70% effaced".  Even so, I will still be giving her the stink eye if I happen to ever see her again.

We discussed my options and he told me I could safely and effectively be induced any time I wanted to (again hearing something different than what Nursezilla told me last week that I couldn't be induced until I got to 3 cm).  It took every single ounce of self control I had to not run right down to labor and delivery that second to present them a vein and have them pump me full of Pitocin.  I am so proud of myself for keeping my head on and told the doctor the plan I'd already formulated in my head that I knew I was comfortable with.  I want to give baby brother the opportunity to be born on his due date of the 16th (just like Alex was born on his due date).  The 17th is John's birthday and if I haven't had the baby by then, I want John to be able to celebrate his birthday.  So I scheduled an induction for June 18th.  By then I'll be officially overdue and I think I can stand one more week of pregnancy without going completely insane.  I also feel comfortable that the baby will be ready because I'd given him every opportunity to come on his own, which is something I worried about when I'd thought about inducing early.

At this point the doctor totally made my day.  He told me he had "a feeling" I wouldn't make it to the 18th.  That I would probably go into labor this week or weekend on my own.  Now, the doctor having "a feeling" isn't exactly hard science, and he very well could just be saying that to keep me from wallowing in my own pregnant self pity for the next week, but it still made me happy.

So, the good news is baby brother is healthy and apparently very happy in my womb and will very likely be born in the next few days.  More good news is that whether baby brother gets with the program and makes a speedy exit or decides to be difficult and stick around until he's forcibly removed, I will have a baby in my arms within a week.  The bad news is I have nothing to occupy my time for the next week.  I'm completely ready for the baby, the house is as clean as it'll ever be...So all I can do is twiddle my thumbs until something exciting happens.