nothing, zip, zilch, nada …

Well, we have made NO progress in the birthing process, so my doctor agreed to let me wait a little longer. I would much rather keep waiting it out and let her come when she’s ready. If she decides to be unfashionably late, then I’ll go back to the doctor next Tuesday to schedule an induction date. My doctor doesn’t want me to go past May 25, so at least we know it’ll be before then. ;)

I must admit, I’m relieved. Ken and I are impatient, and we want her here NOW. But we don’t have any signs that she’s ready to come out. Why put her or me under undue stress? 

The primary risk you face if you’re induced is that the induction won’t work and you’ll need a cesarean. The process of ripening the cervix and then inducing labor with oxytocin can take a long time. If you still haven’t gone into labor after 24 to 48 hours, your practitioner may consider it a failed attempt and you’ll have to deliver by c-section. This process can be very hard psychologically on you and your partner. What’s more, having a c-section after a failed induction is associated with higher rates of complications, especially infection, and longer hospital stays.

In addition, certain techniques, including using Pitocin, prostaglandins, or nipple stimulation, occasionally hyperstimulate the uterus (meaning you have contractions that come too often or are abnormally long and strong), which in turn can stress your baby. In rare cases, prostaglandins or Pitocin also cause placental abruption or even uterine rupture, though ruptures are extremely rare in women who’ve never had a c-section or other uterine surgery. (Prostaglandins are associated with a relatively high rate of rupture in women attempting a vaginal birth after a cesarean (VBAC), so they should never be used if that’s the case. And some experts don’t think women attempting VBAC should be induced with Pitocin, either.)

To assess both the frequency and length of your contractions as well as your baby’s heart rate, you’ll need to have continuous electronic monitoring during an induced labor. In most cases you have to lie or sit while being monitored, but some hospitals offer telemetry, which lets you walk around during the process.

Remember that your practitioner will recommend inducing your labor only when she believes that the risks to you and your baby of waiting for labor to begin on its own are higher than the risks of intervening.

source: http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/pregnancy/childbirth/173.html

Plus, I’m completely healthy. My blood pressure is normal, I have no protein or sugar in my urine, no signs of fetal distress, and I feel great. My doctor doesn’t even measure babies because the measurements are so innacurate, but I think you can look at me and tell that she’s not that big. So really, there’s no reason to push her to get here before she’s ready.

I am very comfortable with this decision, and until then, we’ll just keep walking, eating spicy foods, and crossing our fingers that she’ll make her appearance soon. Ken’s been giving her pep talks every night, but if she takes after me, she’s not listening.

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