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2001-12-26

[For today's entry I'm recycling an email to a friend.]

Thanks for writing! Still no baby. Saw my doc today--I'm 10 days past EDD--and was a little surprised at how concerned she seemed to be--started talking about induction.

They did a non-stress test, which is electronic fetal monitoring for 15 minutes. The dumb nurses put me flat on my back then left the room and I started feeling really awful (sweaty, nausea, light-headed). Luckily B was there and went to get the doc--my already low blood pressure had plummeted from being on my back (in late preg you never want to be on your back as the baby puts pressure on the vena cava--I knew this but thought the nurses knew what they were doing).

The doc came in and had me turn onto my side, after which I immediately felt better and the baby's heart rate, which had also gone down, returned to normal and showed most of the patterns she was hoping to see. She was still a little less than thrilled, thinking that maybe the baby's reserves aren't as strong as they were a couple weeks ago. (The plummeting bp made the nonstress test kind of an inadvertent stress test, and while the lowered heart rate of the baby was not an unheard-of response, some babies might not have been as affected.)

After that, she was talking about options, the first being to admit me and induce with cytotec. The second, which I suggested, was to wait and see if I go into spontaneous labor. She recommended having a biophysical profile done, essentially an ultrasound that looks at several factors, including amniotic fluid. The ambulatory care clinic, where I'd ordinarily go for this, was closed for the holidays, so she called labor and delivery at the hospital and the OB on call said he'd do it (of course, he also said, "41 and a half weeks, you should induce her!") But he turned out to be pretty nice (albeit about 20 years old) and everything looked very good in the scan, really perfect.

Had I been with their practice, they would induce based on dates alone, but my doc supports my decision to wait and see if labor spontaneously begins. Frankly, I was surprised that she was so induction-happy at this point. I would maybe expect this at two weeks but I still have some time before then. She understood my reservations, and respects them, but also seemed to dismiss the risks associated with induction. (Oh, by the way, she did a vaginal and I am now 2 cm dilated.)

So we have another appt. on Friday and in the meantime I'm going to try every non-medical form of induction I can. I drank castor oil about an hour ago (mixed with pineapple juice--I held my nose and it wasn't too bad). I really hope I can jumpstart the process. And if things haven't happened by Friday, we'll reevaluate. If the baby is still in good shape, I hope to go at least until Sunday. Maybe schedule an induction for Monday morning and hope that something happens by then.

I don't think that an induction will necessarily lead to the cascade of interventions. According to [a friend who knows a lot about childbirth], given that I've already dilated a bit on my own and that I've been having some contractions suggests that I'll probably need a minimal amount of help to get things started.

So, that's my story. It's definitely been discouraging to have what I thought was the onset of labor and then have things peter out. I went today semi expecting a regular visit, See ya next week, and was taken aback by the doctor's concern. Though on some level I guess I had anticipated it because I asked B to come with me for the first time. It was so good to have him there--I could've passed out on the table during that test--and also for moral support.

Glad to hear you're having a good holiday. I hope the baby is here by Sunday when you get back. It's a full moon then, actually, and I hear that really ups the number of births. It's weird, actually, because I could just have the induction and then have the baby and be done with it--that's the philosophy of the OBs, Why wait? But it also means having to labor entirely in the hospital (yuck) and I believe it also requires a fair amount of monitoring, IV, and all the other stuff that restricts movement and that I really wish to avoid. And I just generally believe that unless the baby is in distress it makes most sense to wait until he's ready. (Speaking of he, the ultrasound confirmed the earlier ones that it is indeed a boy in there.)

So, cross your fingers for me! I'm off to take a second dose of castor oil cocktail.

Helene

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