Erin has just passed into the “Ack! Get this thing out of me!” stage, but hasn’t yet entered the “Must! … Stomp! … TOKYO!” stage. Tomorrow’s the due date, but that doesn’t mean anything. There’s some Braxton-Hicks going on, but otherwise all’s quiet on the contractions front.
Our midwife sat us down yesterday and talked about conditions for inducement. Now, there is absolutely no indication that induction will be needed, and the general consensus here and with the midwife is that it’s to be avoided if at all possible, but as we enter the fortieth week, we need to pay attention to the placenta. Most placentas are designed to last another whole month, but some aren’t. Then there is the question of space. If the baby starts running out of ambiotic fluid, he or she could stop making those practise breathing movements that are so important. So, barring delivery, visits to the midwife are about to become a lot more frequent; on the order of every second or third day, as we keep watch on the baby.
Induction isn’t an emergency procedure; it has to be booked. So the midwife is doing a very good thing by sitting us down and talking about it now, since it’s something we will have to look ahead to, even if it’s unlikely we have to use it.
We have had a lot of people stay with us this week, who are still staying with us to attend the birth. Erin’s best friend from high school, Therese, is in town, and hoping the baby is born before she has to leave on November 1st. I may already have told you all that she’s a registered nurse, and is to be present at the birth as a set of capable hands to help out. My mother-in-law Rosemarie is also here to offer moral and physical support before and after the delivery. Her husband’s neice, Rosemary, was also here until yesterday, having come up to help share the driving and to stay a little while before she boarded the plane back to her native Australia.
Last night ago, we all wrote down our predictions on the where, when and how much facts of the delivery process. So far:
Rosemarie: October 29, 5:20 a.m. 7 lbs, 4 oz. (in other words, labour to begin right about… now!)
Rosemary: October 30, 11:00 a.m., 8 lbs, 0 oz.
Erin: October 31, 4:30 a.m., 7.5 lbs.
Me: November 1, 1:00 a.m., 7 lbs, 7 oz.
Kim Jernigan: November 1, 12 noon, 8 lbs, 2 oz. (to which Erin replies, “if you turn out to be right, I’m going to curse you!)
Therese: November 3, 4 p.m., 6.5 lbs. (another “curse you if you’re right” response).
Any other takers? No money involved.