We went to have a non-stress test done yesterday and, praise God, everything is going just fine with the baby. The goal with the non-stress tests are to prove that baby is, indeed, not stressed out, and if he/she is, then it would indicate inducing labor may be immanent or a C-section may be necessary. They hooked me up to two monitors strapped around my belly.
The machine the monitors were strapped to printed out this information.
In the lower picture, the squiggly line nearest to you is the baby's heartrate (ideal heartrate is about 120 to 160). The more sporadic black marks are when I felt any type of fetal movement. (I was given a button to press every time I felt the slightest movement.) The graph farthest away (bottom) tracked my uterine contractions. Often times, the baby is sound asleep and the technician has to wake him/her up to get an accurate test. They do this by administering gentle soundwaves to the mommy's tummy or giving mom juice so the glucose can reach the baby to stir him/her. Our baby was wide awake and ready to rumble. We listened to the heartbeat for about 40 minutes before they unhooked me and established that our baby was fine and dandy, getting good oxygen supply, and had a healthy heartrate. The only thing is that he/she is not ready to come out yet. Apparently, it just too snug and warm.
After the NST, we visited the midwife. She examined me and determined I am 2cm dilated and 80% effaced. She determined that my body is ready to be induced. We decided on a Wednesday, May 25th induction date. Now, induction is the last thing I really wanted to consider in regards to bringing our child in the world. (Actually, C-sections are, to be honest.) But as of the afternoon on Friday, May 20st, my body just wasn't going into labor. My midwife wanted to at least schedule an induction for sometime next week, while still giving my body a chance to go into labor. Past 42 weeks, the mother and baby incur risks. The placenta is a temporary organ the body makes to support fetal growth and development. By 42 weeks, it is starting to wear out because it was only made to be utilized for so long; the baby may not even get proper oxygen supply after 42 weeks either. Hence, a favorable time to induce is about 41 1/2 weeks. It feels very strange to almost play God in helping determine when our child will be born. As my mother and my grandmothers all had natural labors, I assumed genetics would be on my side and we would already be parents by now. Alas, if nothing happens by May 25th, I will be induced. I feel ashamed on one hand because my body doesn't do anything more these days than manufacture Braxton Hicks contractions; I really wanted to feel like I was in control of my body or that my body was "doing what God designed women's bodies to do: labor." But on the other hand, we have lived the whole 9th month and now into the 10th month waiting for me to go into labor, and with every day that passes, knowing that control must be relinquished to God's timing, because only He knows what day and time our baby will arrive. It's really their little secret right now. In addition, it is a relief to have a closure date on the horizon. We will call early in the morning on May 25th to see when the best time for us to come in will be. They will give me up to 3 doses of Cytotec to induce me in 9 hours, 1 every 3 hours. At the end of 9 hours, they will break my water depending on how my body takes to the Cytotec or they will send me home for a few days to let me go into labor naturally. If I don't go into labor naturally after a few days, they'll induce me again, this time potentially with Pitocin. If the baby's heartrate drops during that induction, I would have to have a C-section (worst case scenario, but hey, it happened to Joe's mom when he came into the world 17 days overdue.) So, PLEASE pray that I either go into labor on my own by May 25th or that my body takes to the Cytotec on May 25th.
Below is my good luck flower that one of Joe's 6th grade students made for me. Cutest thing ever.
Katy I will continue to pray for you, Joe, and the baby. Remember that even when we feel like we are in control of our bodies, God is really the one in control. Always. Genetics really have nothing to do with how our bodies go into labor or don't got into labor. My grandma Janice had all natural deliveries, the second pregnancy being my mom and Kathy. She almost died giving birth to them. No days if that same scenario would have happened, a c-section would have been a wonderful option and necessary. Then my mom and Kathy both had 3 c-sections each. The important thing is that one way or another , whether it be through natural child birth or a medical intervention that came to be because God blessed someone with the knnowlege to create it, your baby will be delivered and all of this will seem almost unimportant because you will have your tiny perfect baby to hold in your arms. Pray for continued patience and for acceptance that God's will is what will be best for you and for baby. :)
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