The Plan

So tomorrow I will be 41 weeks pregnant. That's 7 days overdue. And according to my doctors, that's as long as they would like to see me be pregnant. Although I feel fabulous and healthy, I am starting to agree with them. I am starting to wonder if she will ever come out on her own. I am still only one cm dialated. According to the perinatoligst at the ultrasound yesterday, she may not even be dropped all the way down yet (she could still get some pretty good images of her face). I have not had any contractions, not even Braxton Hicks. There is no indication that this little girl is planning an arrival for the near future, and it's just not safe for me to wait and see when she decides to arrive. Some might say, maybe the due date calculated was wrong? Nope. My LMP was September 4th, with would actually give me a due date of June 11th. Now I don't know a date of conception, but bottom line, we are DEFINITELY overdue. Thank God she is measuring average in size, last week was 7 lbs 11 oz, I forgot to ask the Doc today what she measured. Oh well, i will find out soon enough.

They told me today they want to induce me tomorrow night. I knew before I got to the appointment that's what the doctor was going to say. She had actually scheduled me for an induction LAST Wednesday night and I cancelled it last minute, hoping and praying that postponing things one more week would give me an opportunity to go into labour on my own. We tried everything possible. I have been walking everyday for 6 weeks with John, now that my mom is here sometimes it's been twice a day. I ate lots of eggplant. We drove on a few bumpy roads, had sex as much as humanly possible in my condition, ate mexican food, hot oil pizza, and "labour" salad. Ladies and Gentleman, I TRIED CASTOR OIL FOR PETE'S SAKE! Though I found a great new way to "clean myself out", let's just say none of these old wives tales worked for me and I am still one very pregnant lady.

So tomorrow night John and I go to the hospital between 4 and 5, where they will give me an insert called Cervadil (used to ripen the cervix) and I will sleep with that in all night. Friday morning they will start me on a Pictocin drip and hopefully soon after that our daughter will be born. I say hopefully because in many ways the odds are stacked against me. Because my body is not progressing at all naturally, it makes an induction a lot more difficult for me and the baby. The rate of C-Sections are almost 1 in 2 of first time moms with failed inductions. At this point, a c-section is pretty much my worst fear and what I have wanted to avoid at all costs. I am praying this will not be the case for me. Also, I was really hoping to deliver this baby unmedicated and completely natural. Well the pictocin makes that more difficult as it brings on stronger, faster, harder contractions that are basically unnatural. Therefore, the natural endorphins your body produces to manage the pain of childbirth are not near enough. I have been told by a few people that and induced but unmedicated childbirth IS POSSIBLE, however, NOT enjoyable (obviously). John and I are going to go ahead with our plans with our eyes open to these facts and our minds open to anything can happen.

I am pretty bummed about the whole thing to be perfectly honest. I really wanted to go into labour naturally and experience it in a more unplanned way. But I have been reminded time and time again this week that at the end of this all the main goal is a healthy mommy and a healthy baby, and as the day approaches and I now have something in stone to look forward to, I am just trying to embrace that attitude as well. I am sad it won't go as I had planned, but I also know it will still be more than I could have ever imagined. And the moment I get to hold her in my arms and look into her eyes, this will all be little worries of the past. Wow, we are going to meet this little miracle in less than 48 hours. What a journey, I feel so blessed to have made it this far with a beautiful and perfect pregnancy. I am so ready to meet her, in any circumstance.

So John and I are going out for our last diner tonight as just the two of us. *sniff* Probably sushi, our favorite. Yipee! Tomorrow I will spend with my mom relaxing and doing last minute things to prepare for Baby's arrival. Tomorrow night I will be in the hospital, I may or may not post another update, depending on how the day and evening goes. Chances are, the next posting will be pictures of Sweet Baby Coppola along with a birth announcement from a very excited Mommy!

Family and friends, I ask that you say a prayer for John and I as we embark on this journey of parenting. Please pray for the safety of the baby and myself during labour, and for a natural, fast and safe childbirth. I would ask that you pray for it to be pain free, but I know that's stretching it a little. Just please keep us in your thoughts on Friday, it will be the most amazing day for us and we appreciate knowing you are all thinking of us and wishing us well! For those of you who have been supporting me on this journey with prayer, positive thoughts, words of encouragement and amazing friendship (you know who you are) I love you and appreciate all of it. This pregnancy has set a whole new standard for me of what a true friend is and I strive to be a better one everyday because of you all. Thanks Guys!