Another Appointment

So these three pictures are of Perry and I wearing a shirt that every Stotts woman who has been pregnant has had a picture in it including Perry's mother. So I of course needed one as well. (And Perry lol) (That's a pillow under his shirt by the way)


So today I am 38 Weeks and 5 days. I had my most entertaining appointment yet, more so because we talked to the provider (nurse practitioner) longer than any other visit that I have ever had. So we had a Biophysical profile again on the ultrasound. He scored 8/8 which is good. Then we saw the NP. She was really nice. I liked her a lot. She asked if we had any questions and we usually don't but we don't really know what questions to ask. So she asked if we had been talked to about labor and we said no and so she did her labor schpeal. Then I told her that we hadn't had any questions because I don't think it would be effective to ask about specific things on my birth plan since the doctor is really only there to catch the baby and I don't even know which doctor it will be because they are all on call at different times. And it might not even be a doctor from this clinic if I deliver on the weekend because the clinics switch off being on call. So anyway she validated my concern and agreed with me that it wouldn't be effective and to just give my birth plan to the attending nurse when I check into the hospital, which is what I was planning on doing anyway. Then she asked if I wanted to get checked or if I had been checked ever and I told her I was checked about 2 weeks ago and nothing. Then she asked if I wanted to get checked, and I said yes. Then I asked about what exactly "stripping the membranes" was because I had heard from other people but never from the doctor. She said that it is just putting your finger into the cervix and swirling it around the edge of the cervix to stretch or widen it. This is supposed to agitate the cervix and cause it to dilate on its own soon. She said that she would do it if I wasn't dilated. She said doctors prefer women to be dilated a little by now or at least a 1. So she proceeded to check me and said I wasn't dilated but I wasn't completely not dilated. I am what she called a nubbin. She couldn't fit her whole finger in but just the tip so the cervix is opening a little but not to the point of making a hole. So anyway she continued to do the strip membranes thing and tried to get passed the cervix but couldn't but still she was able to agitate it a little and stretch what she could. I am 50% effaced and the cervix is soft and not hard, which is a good sign. She recommended, to get the cervix dilated: intercourse and nipple stimulation. So of course Perry is pleased with that prescription lol but anyway. I was a little surprised. I had read about stimulating labor by doing those things but never from a doctor. I thought it was more of a wives tale but she backs up the fact that semen has prostaglandin which naturally stimulates the cervix to dilate. So anyway.. I'm sure they will check me again on Saturday at my next BPP (biophysical profile ultrasound) and appointment. She also said the cervix is posterior so behind the babies head a little so not quite in place for labor (no big deal) and that the baby is at a -3 position. The scale ranges from -5 where the baby is still up and floating and not dropped at all and +5 where the baby is almost coming out of the mom. So I guess he has dropped slightly but not completely, which would be a 0 score right at the cervix. Oh and the baby has grown. He is roughly 6lbs. 9 oz (they say it is less accurate the farther along you are.) So he is around 6 lbs. So he is getting there. I was 6lbs 4 oz so he might have already by passed my birth weight. This makes me feel like he is doing just fine, and he is, but that he won't be super small but average. So that's good. However when they told us how many weeks he is measuring, he is at 36 weeks 2 days. So whatever. He's growing and that's what matters right?