Well, if writing a 40 week update was a surprise then this is a total shock! 41 weeks, whoever would have thought I'd get this far! I know in my last update I had talked about having an elective C-section at 40+5, but all that has changed. I'll explain more further on.
At 41 weeks pregnant my little Pip is about the size of a watermelon. She (yes, it's a girl!) is between 19-21 inches long and could weigh between 7-9lbs now. I do hope it's not much more than that! Here's what's been going on during my 41st week of pregnancy with baby number three.
Baby Development
Pip is fully cooked! She is fully developed now and will just keep getting fatter until she decides she's ready to be born. Just not too much fatter please!
Body Changes and Pregnancy Symptoms
My bump is really, really low, to the point that I can't close my legs if I am sitting down. Driving has been very tricky this week so I have tried to avoid it unless necessary, like when I've had to go to the hospital for appointments. I'm feeling a bit more relaxed than I was last week, I was extremely anxious and panicky over the last weekend. I feel really sorry for the baby when I feel her trying to move around, you can tell she doesn't have much room in there despite her efforts to wriggle and rummage!
Antenatal Appointments
Like last week it's been a busy week for appointments. On Friday I had my second sweep then a third on Sunday. Each time my cervix has been more "favourable" than the last but nothing has happened as a result. I had been thinking about the c-section all weekend and I was just not happy about having a one at 40+5 for no reason other than admin. I spoke to my midwife and she suggested that I try to talk to a consultant when I went in for my pre-op blood test.
So on Monday I trekked over to the hospital with the boys in tow and asked the receptionist at the maternity unit if I could speak to a doctor about changing the c-section date. While she wasn't horrible, she kept telling me that I couldn't change the date. She told me there was no one there that could talk to me and suggested I go to the Day Assessment Unit instead.
The boys were starting to act up and I was losing my confidence, so by the time I got upstairs to the DAU I was an absolute state. I was crying so hard I couldn't even speak. Full on ugly crying. This total angel of a midwife came over, calm as anything, and asked me if I was okay. Through sobs I explained that my C-section was tomorrow, that it was a week earlier than it should have been, that I really didn't want to have it so early if I could avoid it and that I just wanted to know if there was a later slot I could move to.
She took my notes and told me to sit down while she phoned down to CLU (the consultant led unit) to see what could be done. I sat there sniffling away for a few minutes before she returned.
"It's all sorted", she said, "you've been added on to the 18th. There will just be four electives that day instead of three. Now go home and do the opposite of what you're doing now, and this baby will come."
The sense of relief was incredible. I felt like a weight had been lifted there and then. If it gets to 12 days overdue and this baby doesn't come, so be it. But at least I know I have given her every chance I could to come naturally. A C-section at 12 days overdue has always been the plan, but when the date was brought forward by a week for admin reasons - not any medical reason - I was gutted. So to have a bit more time has made me so happy!
My midwife came round on Wednesday to check on me and the baby. Everything has been fine: urine sample, blood pressure, baby's movements and heart rate. She performed a fourth sweep, or rather the student midwife who was with her did, and said that my cervix is stretching to 4cm.
Looking Ahead
This is definitely going to be the last of my pregnancy diary updates as my C-section date is 18th April. I will be 12 days overdue at that point. I know that other mums have options like inductions, or expectant management, but I'm not able to have an induction and I am happy with my consultant's reasons for not going beyond 12 days.
I've got another midwife check on Saturday and another sweep will be done, but that will be the last one. I need to go in for my pre-op blood test on Monday - which is my birthday. The end is in sight - but I still am hoping that baby will make her appearance before then!
I've got another midwife check on Saturday and another sweep will be done, but that will be the last one. I need to go in for my pre-op blood test on Monday - which is my birthday. The end is in sight - but I still am hoping that baby will make her appearance before then!
