FINALLY some good news.
Disclaimer: Do not start calling me every day, asking if the baby has arrived yet. The following details mean that labor is just around the corner about 75% of the time, but they can also mean nothing the other 25% of the time. And, yes, I just made those stats up. But you get the point. Nothing with babies is predictable, least of all when and how they decide to show up.
Today, my midwife had a couple pieces of news:
1. I’ve lost my mucous plug, somewhere over the last 24 hours. I’ll save you permanent visual scars by actually TELLING you what this is and what it means, because if I don’t, there’s a slight chance you might google it. WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T GOOGLE “MUCOUS PLUG”. YOU WILL NEVER RECOVER. Do not think to yourself, “She’s kidding, I should google it”. I am seriously trying to save you pain.
Anyways, the mucous plug is a big “wad of snot” that keeps the baby sealed inside the uterus, safe from infection. Some people lose theirs weeks before they go into labor– my mom always lost hers 2-3 days before.
2. I am already 2 cm dilated and 60% effaced. I am not going to explain this. Combined with #1, it’s a promising thing.
3. I’ve been having severe back and uterine cramps, off and on, every hour or two, for the last 4 days. Combined with #1 and #2, this is a VERY promising thing. Before I knew #1-2, I’m not going to lie– I was a bit grumpy. It’s like being on your period for days but not getting to take any pain killers except Tylenol (which, as we all know, works great for headaches but falls miserably short in about every other dept.). Ibuprofen, or anything with Aspirin is deadly for the baby.
4. The midwife was actually able to feel Gregory’s head during my “internal” (read: “unpleasant”) exam. This, combined with #1-3, is a very COOL thing.
5. From the external examination, combined with how big my stomach is and the fact that I’ve only gained 26 pounds this pregnancy, she estimated Gregory to be about 6 3/4 pounds.
6. Gregory also had a very strong heart beat. 150/minute. And his fetal kick count is off the charts. So he is healthy as a horse, ready for the world!
As my sister-in-law Autumn said in a recent text, please pray that Gregory “comes soon and is shaped like a bullet”!