This post will have a lot of whining in it that may get lots of eye-rolls, so excuse me for that.

So I had my almost 39 weeks appt today. First let me say, there are several reasons I am hoping to not go late and wanting to go a bit early. One, both my mom and my doula will be out of town around the 9th of June. My mom will be back the10th--my original due date, and the doula won't be back for a while. I meet with the back-up which I am sure I will like sometime later this week. Two, I am very uncomfy. It is not my back but my belly, and my joints in my hands hurt a lot. You who have been there before get it.

The good news: his heartbeat is good in the 40's and he has good fluid around him. And I am very grateful for that. And the one fun thing during the appt was seeing his goods. Definitely a boy there, and one dad will be proud of, lmao

The rest: So first my blood pressure was high at 130/80. Thankfully, when they rechecked it before I left it was normal at 110/70. But that freaked me out. Then I ask for a check and was REALLY excited hoping I was effaced or dilated. Well, she couldn't even reach my cervix it is still so high. Then, she couldn't really feel his head down there (and neither could I ) so I had to have an ultrasound. Turns out, his head is down but he is not engaged at all--his head is not down in my pelvis at all I was hoping this wouldn't be the case, especially since my mom needed c-sections since even with pitocin she never progressed past 1.5 cm after 12 hours post water breakage. I just felt so bummed.

AND, she estimated his weight to be 7.5 lbs. Babies grow what, 1/2 lb a week? And then the midwife mentioned getting a growth ultrasound which I didn't push b/c then I would risk out of the birth center. I KNOW he sometimes gets his head down there, but now that I think of it I have not felt that in four days or so. He just squirms everywhere else and stretches my sides. I just feel so deflated. My doula says I could still start labor anytime still, but now I just want to be on my hands and knees all the time and doing everything else possible to get things moving (in that position, if you catch my drift).

And my last whine--the internal check hurt! Not really bad or anything, but I still feel like a wimp. I don't get why it always stings even with lube. ***** great, I mean a baby has to come out of there you would think a few fingers would be nothing! Like, "Oh what, you checked I didn't feel a thing!" should have been my response. Instead I squirm. In fact, the only time I haven't squirmed a lot is when it was my RE--a man. I guess I am just a ho!

[ShannonMVT]

Okay let me give you my BTDT thoughts and hopefully it will help you...

I wouldn't worry about the BP, even your "high" level is not really all that high and like you said, it went down. Mine was high once at the drs and they had to recheck. Always fine otherwise.

I thought the internal checks hurt as well. So you are not alone there. Not horribly, but it did hurt. It just feels different when you are preggo cause they are really mashing things around in there to try to feel baby's head, etc. So it's not the same as when you were at the RE's.

During my checks before I went into labor I was not effaced at ALL, or engaged. Just a tiny bit dilated but not much. I was bummed and thinking that the EPO I was taking wasn't doing squat.

Even when I went to the hospital in labor (LESS THAN 2 HOURS BEFORE MATTHEW WAS BORN!) they told me his head was at -2 station! He never "dropped" so to speak. Incidentally, I think that was why I was feeling like I had to push even before I was totally dilated, I needed to bring his head down further into my pelvis.

Also, there is a great chance you will be totally different from your mom! I was expecting to be just like my mom. She had all 3 of her kids significantly "overdue" and each time her labor started by losing her mucus plug. I thought I'd be the same. NOPE! I had my baby at a bit before 39 weeks and labor started by my water breaking. Totally different.

I order you to go do your Hypnobabies and chill out. You will be fine. You will do great. Jack will come when he's ready and he won't be "too big".

I hope some of that helps...I do understand your worries, I had a lot of the same ones. I hope Jack decides to come soon for you...I know you are ready!

P.S. Have you listened to any of the birthing day tracks? It's worth a shot to try to move things along.

Shannon, thank you for writing that.

I can't find my ipod that had all my tracks on it

[~Jess~]

Ugh, the last week or two is the worst. I hope you go soon!

[alicenwonderland]

((huggles)) hope he starts making some progress soon! That can't be comfortable.

[LaLaRose3]

I know how you are feeling... I didn't get as far along as you, but I had such chronic pain and yuckiness, plus an overall tough pregnancy, that I was just ready to get the baby out!

Anyway, do not put anything on that internal check.. there are women that are completely "closed" and go into labor the very same day. Then again there are women who walk around dilated to 3cm for two weeks!

I hope that you have your little boy soon, mostly because I cannot wait to meet him!

You are right Lauren *sigh* patience is a virtue I struggle with. I feel better at least then I did earlier.

[soImarriedAnerd]

Just adding:
Internal checks ONLY show where you are at THAT moment---they are NO indicator on whats GOING to happen.
Station---women (like shannon) do that all the time--its not uncommon AT ALL.
Internal checks are more uncomfortable due to swelling and increase blood flow and lack of natural lubrication later in the pregnancy.
Now GET YOU YOUR BOP!
What tracks do you want---If you PM me your email address I will send then to you!

Oh and a proper bloodpressue should only be taken after 5min of rest (sitting in one place). And I'm hoping you meant 140's NOT 40's for heartbeat LOL

[Angelaosaurus-rex]

Whine all you want we all love you and are hear for you to whine at! I think that's in the JM terms of service .

Internal checks hurt me too!! Its funny the guy doc didn't hurt you.... was he hot LOL jk! Every guy doctor I have had is normally more gentle or maybe I am just a ho too.

Don't worry about your moms delivery's! My mom had all vaginal births, and so did my older sister but I had a c-section.

I know how un-comfy you are just try to relax as much as possible and be sure to get plenty of sleep!!! Oooo and take warm baths and showers it helps with back pain!!!

((HUGS)) ((Little Landen hugs))

[~* Helen *~]

Aww, I hope he comes soon, I agree the checks internally do hurt when your pregnant as they are trying to reach higher up etc.

I can't wait to meet him !!

[IamMom]

I was wondering how your appointment went and you have every right in the world to whine. I started whining to my DH last night (a little bit of the same stuff - I'll post in a minute) and that's just what us preggos do at the end.....cause we're OVER IT!

Things could change so fast hun......there is no rhyme or reason to why things happen when and how they do with childbirth. I was reading my journal from my pregnancy with DS last night and at my 35 week 5 day appt NOTHING was happening......and then at my 36 w 2 days NST my BP was thru the roof - I was contracting 80% effaced and 2 cm dilated (and I had done squat to make anything happen)....and it was then they called for induction. That was only a like a 4 day span and that much changed. So you just have to take it one day at a time. I think back now to how badly I wanted him out and then felt like it would never happen and then I look into his big boy three year old face and I wonder where the time went.....it FLEW by!

We're here for you girl - you best just get on here everyday and give us a "Michelle and Jack - check in " you got that!?

[Mars]

I'm hoping you go some time this week. I hated my internal. It was awful!!!!! Thankfuully I only got them during labour.

Here are some labour vibes!!!!

[Resi]

I would not worry about it too much. I was 90% effaced, around 1-2 cm dialted, and his head was RIGHT there and you know what happened to me. My mom was a lot different so I don't think we can base it on our mother' s labor & delivery. Things can change very fast. It won't be too much longer. Hang in there.

[sara~b]

I bet you'll go really quick once it starts! I thought my labor would take forever based on family history. I even got to 5 cm without starting 'real' labor. They finally induced when I hit 5 cm and Gemma was born in under 5 hours! I think your's will be even faster! And I remember how much the internal checks hurt too. Labor and delivery was a lot less painful at least in that 'general area'. LOL.

I know how frustrated you must feel, BUT....

When I went in for my 39 week appointment (was actually 2 days before my EDD), I had UN-progressed. The week before, I was 1cm, 0 station and 80% effaced. At the 39 week appointment, I was 1 cm, -2 station, and 70% effaced ***? I thought that I would go overdue for sure and was a total grump-puss.

Guess who went into labor that same night! You never know! Your body has a mind of its own and loves to throw you curve balls.

Oh- and don't worry about the internals. They hurt me too and made me feel all crampy afterwards. Its a different, "foreign" kind of pain/discomfort....different than labor. Labor accomplishes something, internals just suck

[♥Ashley♥]

No eye rolls from me, your a tough cookie woman! I cant imagine how achy you are right now having such a small frame (and by the way thats what those people who say your huge dont understand you have a small frame! Of course thats gonna make your belly look bigger its NOT BIGGER though!), I hope Jack comes sooner than later!! I really hope you start making some progress! I cant imagine how awful you feel! But it will all be worth it and you wont even think about it when your handsome little man comes!

[soImarriedAnerd]

Hope your feeling better today

[freesiangel]

Sorry you got all ouchied up by the doctor... Hopefully baby Jack will be on his way soon!!

Maybe I'm just being stupid here, but if doing internal checks doesn't really help us to know anything then why do they do them? I could care less if I'm 1 cm for 2 weeks or not at all - my body is going to go into labor when it goes into labor. I dunno, from what I read here I guess I'm just wondering why they do them at all. It seems like a lot of unnecessary discomfort just so we can know a number that could change an hour later. Am I missing something important here?

[.Brandi.]

Honey, thinking of your mom's labor will mess you up!!! My labors were SO different from my mother's!!! I'm the first, and my mother gave birth to me in 45 minutes of her water breaking. She NEVER needed any pain meds. She was the last admitted to the hospital and the first to give birth when I was born. My brother was a preemie because he had the umbillical cord around his neck and she still had a natural birth with him. My labor with Edward was 29 and 1/2 hours long. Ended in c-section. Preston was scheduled, sort of. I'm the only person on both sides of our famialy to have a c-section. No one else in my family had a c-section.

So don't think about family history!!! You could very well be like Breanna and just go when you least expect it!

I am feeling better today after reading all the responses and talking to my doula. My expectations for the appt were just too high I suppose. You all are right about how it could still happen anytime, so I have been just trying to relax. I am going swimming later so maybe that will start things up! At the very least I should have some funny story about people's eyes bulging out of their sockets when they see my huge butt in the bikini I bought! A one piece is just too itchy on the belly.

Angela S, I was able to find my ipod last night, but thank you! And yes I meant 140's, LOL

Angela L, I suppose he is sorta hot I think you are right they are more gentle, or just have better vagina memorization skills, if that even makes sense. He always seemed to know exactly where to go whereas sometimes the female docs get kind of lost? And the female docs always seem to take an abnormally long time doing that thing with their fingers where they spread things out before inserting whatever, whereas a man seems to just throw on the lube and go! LMAO, that sounds so weird, I obviously have spent way too much time thinking about this

Lauren, I think the same thing. I usually could care less but thought maybe knowing there was some progress would get me more excited or something. Ordinarily though I would rather just keep my cervix to myself though (although I always get excited for the cooter cam)