3:53 pm - Sunday, Apr. 23, 2006
Week 37 and 1/2
I go to the midwife, and the appt for the perinatal visit is already lined up. I'm so tired. I'm always fugged.
On the day of the ultrasound I decide I'll take Boy with me so as to avoid having to worry about picking him up on time. Through the hospital. Wait in the waiting room. Finally into the Comfy Chair. By now I can recognise my baby's kidneys, her heart (easy), cranial cavity, femur... all the things they measure. And I'm waiting for her to wiggle, and she doesn't. And I'm waiting for her to breathe (They practise that in the womb) and she doesn't, and I'm starting to get worried, but then the whole time I'm hearing her heart beat, so I calm myself down. Finally the tech admits that she's worried about this too, and that that if we don't get some movement in a half hour we're going to call the Dr.
OK
I'm trying to call Simon, but the phone doesn't work well through the hospital walls. When I do get through I get his voicemail. Great. Meanwhile she keeps rubbing the wand on my belly, murmuring encouraging phrases to the baby. Come on, give me a wiggle. I don't cry.
Finally we give up, and the Dr is told, and the Dr says we're going to do a non stress test. This is just a half hour of monotoring the baby, who steadfastly refuses to wiggle. Her heartrate is ok, so I'm not panicing. They've pretty much decided the baby will be induced, it's just a question of whether I get to go home first.
Meanwhile Boy and I are watching cable. On Canadian public television they're playing the most hilarious cartoon I've ever seen. OK, maybe not, but it's really really funny. Then we switch to SpongeBob.
Multiple people come in and look at the printout. They reassure me. I have a cold, and I'm trying to find things to blow my nose on- Boy ends up going to get me toilet paper, and comes back with 5 squares, bless his heart.
Finally they decide this is it. They're inducing tonight. I can go home and get my bags, but I should come back in a few hours.
Still can't get ahold of Simon. I'm sort of pissed, and in a fit of spite I leave a voicemail that says they're inducing tonight, and will he call me back now?
I'm strangely excited. I'm going to see my baby within a day (most likely), but I'm worried, because we all know that there are issues, or we wouldn't be doing this now.
I drop by work to tell them the news. My boss took it very well. I wasn't done doing my projects, so I was upset, but there was nothing to be done now.
Boy and I drive home and arrive minutes after Simon and his brother. "What's this about inducing?" I'm pretty excited.
Simon looks up and says "I'm not ready."
Too bad.
I'm a whirlwind of preparedness. I'm going to eat oatmeal and finish somethings, Simon and the fam are going to go eat a burger. I call everyone I know, even my Mom, and tell them all the news. Loon and her lovely partner are going to come watch Boy. I take a lovely hot shower thinking it's the last one I'll get for a while.
Eventually the car seat is in the car and we're driving away in a state of shock.