Week 38 - Aug. 14 - 10 days and counting.....

Week 38:
Your baby's intestines have accumulated a considerable amount of meconium (the code name for black, tar-like baby poop), which is usually eliminated shortly after birth and gives you your first experience with the 100-wipe diaper change. Here's what else is up: Your baby might just scratch himself in the womb as the fingernails have grown over the fingertips now. Baby's lungs continue to mature and his brain and nerve functions are working better every day. The latter two will continue to mature until Junior is a teenager, at which point he'll know it all (or at least he'll think he does). Your baby weighs about 6½ pounds and is around 19 or 20 inches long—as long as a duffle bag.

WAITING.....I'm ready but don't really like the fact that I have NO idea when Eli will be arriving. On Tuesday evening, I woke up with back pain and menstrual-like cramps...which is a sign that labor is starting. Coupled with the fact that I was 1 cm dilated...I was hoping the end is near. Well, went to my weekly appointment on Wednesday, accompanied by our Doula, Susan and was monitored for about 30 minutes. The doctor said that the results were perfect! He checked me and said that I am 70% effaced (definition: Your cervix prepares for birth by softening and thinning. You won't feel this happening; it may only be measure with a vaginal exam. Effacement is measured in percent. When your cervix is normal, it is considered to be 0% effaced. When you're 50% effaced, your cervix is half its original thickness. When your cervix is 100% effaced it is completely thinned out and you are ready for vaginal delivery.) And, I'm still 1 cm dilated....you need to get to 10 cm before delivery...and that my cervix is very soft. The doc made the mistake of saying...we'll you could possibly be deliverying in the next 8 -12 hours....because I have been contracting most of the day. He sent me home, put me on bed rest for the remainder of the evening and told me to hydrate and eat. Well, at about 10 pm....it all stopped, went to sleep and feeling fine the next day. It's now Friday and I'm at work...still having some contractions, cramps and back pain but that's about it. Technically there are 10 more days until my due date....so, I'll keep everyone posted.