Induction: August 8th

I went to the doctor for my weekly checkup today and we discussed (for about the 4th time now) induction. My doctor's been monitoring our baby for over a month now (we have weekly non-stress tests and every other week ultrasounds). They were concerned because the baby dropped from the 23rd percentile to the 15th percentile, and is now in the 14th percentile.

I've had a sinking feeling I'd be induced since they started monitoring, it was just a matter of time. I told my doctor when we started monitoring I wanted to give the baby as long as healthily possible to grow in the womb before being induced. If he's already small, let's give him as much time as possible to pack on some lbs.

Basically our visits have gone "well, you're looking good this week, let's hold off scheduling an induction for another week." Today we got my last ultrasound info back, and the ultrasound doctor (my absolute favorite of the three I've met with) had pointed out certain indicators that the placenta was deteriorating. Her recommendation was that I could hold off on induction until my due date, but not go over that.

This is because if the placenta deteriorates too much, and then is put through labor, it will detach and an emergency c-section results. I'd much rather be induced than have a c-section, and since the baby is looking around 6 lbs now, he's probably big enough to be born healthy.

So unless I go into labor this week, Sunday night at 7 I'll go in and have cirvidal administered to prepare my body for labor, we'll spend the night, and Monday morning they'll start administering pitocin to induce the labor. My doctor is on call Sunday night, so if anything goes wrong, or if drug #1 puts me into labor, she'll be already at the hospital (bonus). She said we should have a baby by 5pm Monday. So it looks like we'll be having an anniversary baby (8/8/11)! We'll do something fun this weekend to celebrate early, since we will not likely be up for much Monday night.