Come out number eight… your time is up!

Due date today. And nothing. Yet.

I had my consultant’s appointment yesterday afternoon, which turned out not to be with the consultant but with the doctor who had booked me in for the induction which wasn’t to be. She apologised several times for the miscommunication and subsequent bother to me, and several times I reassured her that it was fine. After all, you aren’t going to mess around with someone who is about to give you an internal examination, are you?!

I asked her what the next steps were and she said that she could carry out a sweep. This is the act of separating the membranes which will move the mucous plug blocking the cervix, and releasing prostaglandins. Statistics (pah!) reckon half of women who have this procedure carried out will go into labour 24-48 hours later. Any bets on me being in the 50% of women that doesn’t?!.

She then went onto say that their normal policy is that I would be left until 40+12 to go into labour naturally, to which I said I wasn’t happy about going that far over, so she suggested 41wks or thereabouts to which I agreed. Once again she said that any induction would be carried out by ARM only (Artificial Rupture of the Membranes – or breaking of the waters), as they could not use prostin gel to ripen the cervix. Therefore it would only be possible if my cervix was favourable to have the ARM carried out otherwise I would be booked in for an elective caesarean. I asked her if that would be decided on examining me on the day and she replied “Oh no, I’ll do it now.”

I then braced myself for the internal examination and she carried out the sweep. Not the most pleasant experience but something you’ll willingly put yourself through at full term pregnancy in the hope that labour will get going. She then gave me the wonderful news that my cervix is soft and low and 2cm dilated, meaning that not only am I deemed suitable for ARM to be carried out, but there’s a good chance that I’ll go into labour naturally sooner and won’t need to be induced. If I don’t go into labour before I’ll be going on next Wednesday, 3rd June.

So there we have it – the story so far.

OK baby… come out, come out wherever you are!