A Real-Life Pregnancy: Week 40

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Photo Credit: Dean Lipoff

The first couple of days this week were filled with tons of excitement and preparation for the big day. I really want everything to be perfect and ready for our baby. Turns out my baby's birth is right near a holiday so I'm also getting ready for that too!

I planned meals, did all the grocery shopping, and even pre-made some food and had it in the freezer. The house was now super clean and my husband was off work for two weeks.

Then the big due date arrived. And it passed.

What?

Still Waiting for Baby

I know that most babies don't come on time, but what to do now? We went off to the OB-GYN. My husband joined me again for the visit ready for what we hoped was our last appointment. Once again the doctor attempted to strip the membranes with no luck. My cervix was just not ready. The baby is ready, my uterus is ready, my family is ready, I'm definitely ready, but my little itty-bitty cervix was not going to budge at the moment.

The doctor scheduled an appointment for labor induction the following week with hopes that things would progress naturally. Then we talked about what we could do ourselves to help the process along, and it mainly involved sex! Yes, sex. Just what I want to do right now.

Semen is a natural form of prostaglandins that help to ripen or ready the cervix for childbirth. So, guess what, we were told to go home and have sex and then to relax afterwards just like I did while trying to get pregnant. Oh, it also wouldn't hurt if I had an orgasm—what? Orgasms cause uterine contractions and can help stimulate labor. I'm not in the mood. But, what to do. I think my husband enjoyed this doctor's visit more than last week's. We scheduled an appointment for next week and went home.

Still Waiting!

At least we had some relatives to keep us busy and a holiday to keep us distracted. The next day came and went and everyone kept an eye on me. The next day came and went and everyone was really keeping an eye on me. I was starting to feel a little like a science experiment.

Days went by and I still wasn't feeling anything change. We followed the doctor's orders, and well, tried to move things along naturally. I did some research too into other natural labor inducers. I found suggestions to eat spicy food and fried food, try bouncy car rides, and do lots of walking. All that came of it all was an upset stomach and tired legs.

Because we were also in the midst of a holiday, I was cut off from contact with the doctor's office and the on-call nurse practitioner. I realized how much I have taken advantage of this in the past, and I'd encourage you to do the same! It's so nice to be able to call and have an expert answer even my silly questions.

What I did realize during my time with my family, waiting for the baby to come, was that there was no way I was going to make it to my induction date: My body was falling apart. I couldn't sleep. Plus, my entire support staff, family, hubby, had taken time away to be with me and the baby—and I still didn't have a baby. My husband was going to have to go back to work right after our baby's birth. This baby was going to have to come out naturally in the next couple of days, or I was going to move up our doctor's appointment!

Sarah's Stats

Waist measurement: 45.5 inches
Weekly weigh-in: 180 pounds!
Pregnancy symptoms: Everything! I don't know how much more I can take.
My favorite pregnancy anecdote for the week: "Just relax!" says my doctor, husband, friends … What? How?
Pregnancy "first" of the week: Wasn't I supposed to have a baby this week? Well, no baby yet!
Doctor's visit: Yes—was told to go home and relax and have sex. About the Photo: The above picture of the author was taken during her 40th week of pregnancy by Dean Lipoff.

Read the next installment: week 41