41 Weeks

Uh, well, here we are again. 

This will likely be the last post that I write for weekly pregnancy updates.  In 6 days (or sooner if need be) we will be starting the induction process, so if Bug doesn't make her appearance soon I will be in the hospital by the time I hit 42 weeks. 

Lets hope that doesn't happen.

I am thinking/hoping that something may happen soon.  Yesterday I experienced my bloody show, which means I am now sans mucus plug.  I was thinking that the moment I spotted blood it would be time to start thinking about heading to the hospital.  Then I reviewed the pile of childbirth books that I now have floating around and discovered that this means that labor should start "in the next several days". Pooohey. 

I have been cramping quite a bit for the last few days and had those things that I think might be contractions this morning at about 9 minutes apart for over an hour.  Now, they are still lingering, but aren't as regular. 

Bad news of the day... my sister has some dreaded illness ( fever and cough) that started on Thursday.  We had a breakfast/farmers market trip planned for this morning, but I'm staying away from her and her plagued ass.  She has vowed to stay in bed, load up on fluids and vitamin c, and get better fast so that she can be around when Bug falls out.  I told her not to worry too much, as it doesn't seem like there is any real reason to hurry.

The real tragedy is that I don't have plans for breakfast and I am STARVING! Beware, I may bite.


I will update when more exciting things start to happen.

Update: 40+ Week Check Up and I'm Still Pregnant

So, I feel like an idiot.  Twice I have been very sure that I was experiencing the symptoms of early labor, and twice I have been wrong.  Before this experience, I couldn't understand why women were sent home from the hospital thinking they were in labor.  Now, I totally get it.

I am still cramping like crazy.  In fact, that, combined with my still snoring husband and the two hour nap I had this evening, is why I am still awake.

I am starting to question whether or not I will know when I actually am in labor.  I haven't really been in pain, just mostly a high level of discomfort when I'm feeling these things I guess I imagined were contractions.

So, the good news is that the baby has dropped considerably since my last appointment.  I am at a -1 station and almost fully effaced.  Also, Bug's heart rate is around 145 bpm and her movement is good.  But I am still only dilated to 1/2 a centimeter. 

Time to develop a gameplan.

Doc says that if I hit 42 weeks we'll induce.  For now, she set me up with an appointment on Monday during which I'll have antepartum testing done.  As long as Bug scores well, she can hang out until the end of the week, but they will strip my membranes.  She sounds confident that there is a good chance that I'll have the baby before Monday without any intervention, but I'm not so sure.

So ladies, help me out.  How did you know that you were in labor?  What was the big difference between this cramping crap and actual contractions?