38 Weeks

Baby girl is now 38 weeks.  She seems to be doing just fine as far as we can tell.  She's still quite active, and her heartbeat today was 145 bpm.  I'm still having a decent amount of Braxton Hicks contractions, but apparently nothing too real or productive because baby girl does not appear to be ready to come out naturally.  Looks like it will be another c-section for us.  In order to try for a VBAC next week, I needed to have a softening cervix, her head engaged, and starting to dilate.  Unfortunately though none of those things have happened.  She is still head down, but she's "floating" high and cervix is closed.  I'm sure I could insist on waiting it out, but we all feel safest with her being delivered at 39 weeks, based on what happened last time, and if that means having a c-section, then so be it.  I just want her here healthy and safe.  I'm a tad disappointed as I was hoping for a quicker recovery and a different experience, but in some ways it's also a bit of a relief too.  I know more what to expect, can plan for it, and don't have so much of the unknown as far as labor and a vaginal birth goes.  I'm thankful he checked me rather than tried to induce me next Friday and then I labored for hours and still ended up with c-section. 

So, as long as I don't go into labor any earlier, which looks rather doubtful, our sweet baby girl will join our family on December 23rd.  We arrive at the hospital at 6AM and surgery is set for 8AM.  I'm looking forward to what I hope is more of a standard delivery, rather than an emergency c-section.  I am praying for a healthy baby and actually seeing her afterwards, being able to bond, and spend some time with my little family. Looks like we'll most likely be spending Christmas Day in the hospital and will be discharged on Monday, December 26th.  He said if everyone was healthy and feeling really well we might be able to come home on Christmas Day, so we'll just play it by ear.  Luckily MJ is too young to realize if we celebrate Christmas on a different day.  It will be different for sure, but I'm actually looking a bit forward to it.  I think it will be really special welcoming a new baby right before Christmas and having my family together. 

One more week to go!!