37 weeks: full term!!!

Today is an exciting day to celebrate -- we made it full term!!! Yippee!!!! Eloise can come on out whenever she's ready. Or maybe it's that my uterus will kick her out. Either way, she's fully developed, healthy, and good to go! That shirt no longer covers my belly. If you look closely you can see the maternity panel from my jean shorts sticking out below it. 

We're up to twice weekly appointments now. On Wednesday we had a visit with the OB and I got tested for Group B Strep, which I learned just the week before is done with two swabs: one vaginal, one rectal. It wasn't nearly as bad as I anticipated, just a quick howdy doody on the outside. If the test comes back positive then I'll have IV antibiotics when I get to the hospital in labor to protect Eloise. About 25% of pregnant women carry the bacteria and don't know it, it's not a big deal for adults but it can cause serious infection in newborns. I imagine I'll find out the results of that test at my next OB appointment this Wednesday. Last Wednesday my OB also performed an internal exam to check my cervix and we found out I was 80% effaced, Eloise was at -1 station, and I was not dilated. All of that really means nothing in terms of when I'll go into labor, but it does mean significant progress has been made. I think it's helpful to look at these things in pictures.

Effacement is thinning of the cervix. It's like Eloise is putting on a turtleneck. Last week we were 80% effaced, and at 100% effaced her head will be about to pop out of the turtleneck:

Station refers to the position of the baby in the pelvis and ranges from -5 (floating) to +5 (crowning/being born). It's also referred to as engagement. Last week Eloise was at -1 station, so just one station away from being in position to push:

And finally, dilation refers to the opening of the cervix. In most first time moms, effacement and engagement start before dilation. Last week I was not dilated at all. Pushing begins at 10 cm dilation. Here's a handy visual aid of what that looks like (PS - yikes!):

Today we had a non-stress test (NST) and ultrasound to measure the amniotic fluid index (AFI). It lasted about 45 minutes in total. We started with the ultrasound and looked at the amniotic fluid levels in four quadrants of my uterus to make sure there's enough, and thankfully there is. We also saw her sucking on her hand. And her head completely smashed against my cervix to the point that her chin is in her chest. It didn't look comfortable for her! But the nurse said that position is a good one. For the NST I had two monitors strapped to my belly for 25 minutes: one measured baby's heartbeat, the other measured my contractions and baby's movements. The hope is to see baby's heart rate increase with movement, and the decrease with rest. It did. We also saw (and I felt) a couple contractions. The nurse goes, "Those are the real deal." But, they're not regular yet like they would be if I were in labor. At this point they feel like mild menstrual cramps low in my abdomen and last about 40 seconds. The guideline for going to the hospital is the 5-1-1 rule: five minutes apart, lasting a minute each, and continuing in this pattern for at least an hour. 

Anyway, I'm eagerly anticipating her arrival and it's about all I think about these days. Baby, baby, baby. In addition to today's NST/AFI appointment, Wednesday we'll have another OB visit and cervical check, our preparation for childbirth class, and Friday a visit with our doula. With so much going on, it's hard not to be all baby all the time! Evan and I have both been hitting the Hypnobirthing book and practicing all the relaxation, breathing, and visualization techniques. Plan A is to have a medication-free birth and that is how I'm preparing. Of course, we have no idea how labor and delivery will go, so I'm also trying to keep an open mind and accept whatever happens. No matter what, this baby is coming out, and the birth will be a temporary experience that we will both recover from. And then we have our beautiful baby, Eloise!