Still pregnant and loving it!

I can honestly say I am enjoying each day that I’m still pregnant with Elle. I’m 39 weeks along now, which is two weeks longer than my last pregnancy already! Elle is approximately the size of a watermelon and my doctor appointments, along with Elle’s ultrasounds, have been going really well. We are feeling more and more prepared for her arrival on the home front as each day passes too.

Monday night, during the Broncos football game, I started to have a few contractions (three to be exact)…probably because the game was very exciting in the second half! The contractions were some of the first that I can say with confidence were in fact contractions! I now have a contraction counting app on my phone in case real labor contractions begin! That experience was the first indication that neither Phil nor I really know what to expect from “going into labor naturally,” rather than being induced. Luckily, my weekly doctor appointment was the next morning, so I was able to ask all of our labor questions while I was there.

I was able to ask how natural labor typically starts and how to know when to go to the hospital. I told the doctor I plan to work until I go into labor, so she gave me some guidelines to know when to leave work and go home. It was very helpful! So, if I have contractions regularly for an hour straight, even if the contractions are not painful, I’m supposed to go home and rest to see if they intensify or subside. If the contractions intensify into real labor, I’m supposed to use the 5-1-1 rule to know when to head to the hospital…contractions should be 5 minutes apart (from the start of one to the start of the other), lasting for 1 minute each, for a period of 1 hour. And those contractions should be painful enough that I can’t talk through them…I should have to stop talking in order to breathe through the contraction. The doctor also reminded me that my water could break, which would signify the start of labor, but that only happens in about 10% of pregnancies. I was still 1.5 cm dilated and no more effaced than last week, so there was no indication whether I’m closer to going into labor from those stats.

Also at my Tuesday appointment, Elle was measured to be in the 30^th percentile for size and was estimated to weigh 6 pounds, 14 ounces. The ultrasound tech gave Elle a score of 6/8 for her biophysical profile this week because Elle wasn't moving her diaphragm to show her practicing breathing, so she received a zero for that category. Consequently, I had to stay at the doctor’s office for a non-stress test (NST) to make sure Elle was doing well. She passed with flying colors, so no worries there! Also, the doctor had a hard time getting an accurate measurement of my tummy because Elle has dropped down into my pelvis, which I didn’t realize until she told me. Very interesting…

My fluid level was still above 10 AFI, so the doctor simply scheduled my next Tuesday appointment (which will be my due date), and told me if I didn't go into labor before my next appointment, we’ll have to have “the talk” about possibly inducing me. Since my doctor induces patients by 41 weeks along, that means Elle should be here within the next two weeks…no matter what! We are SOOOOOO excited!