Operation Get Baby Born Already!

39 weeks and 3 days. My due date is Monday, this Monday, August 9th. I am big, bulky, starting to waddle, tired and ready for this baby!!!

Technically, we are totally not ready for this baby. Silas is still in the nursery because we only just finished removing all the basement stuff from his room last weekend. It was a very long weekend, but with my parents help, we got everything done. The back bedroom is now ready to be readied for Silas. What do I mean? I mean it is in its pre-basement construction state! Actually, better than that since we removed all the boxes and clothing bins from under the bed as well. 

It is definitely the best I could hope for before this baby is born seeing as I could go into labor any day now. Which is not happening which is very disappointing!!!

But, rooms not being ready doesn't worry me. Seriously. It'll take a couple of days to sort through all the clothes that belong to my husband and myself and either move them or get them out of Si's room-to-be. But, right now, my closet and drawers are still filled with maternity clothes, so technically, I don't have space for those clothes. Once baby is born and I can wear real clothes again, I'll be able to put the maternity clothes away thereby making space for my real clothes. Painting, one day, max. I know this because we did a LOT of painting when we bought the house. At most, we'll have to paint 1.5 rooms: if this baby is a girl, we will have to repaint the top half of the nursery which is currently blue, but since the bottom is brown, we can leave it. If the baby is a boy, we only have to paint Silas' new room which is currently just beige since it was only a guest room. Will it be annoying to have to do work on the house, again, while on leave? Yes, definitely, but it isn't nearly as much work as we had to do when I was on leave after Silas was born... so not too big a deal. 

But seriously, me, myself. I am so ready to not only not be pregnant, but to meet this baby! I want to know if it is a boy or a girl! I want to hold this little baby in my arms already! As the due date approaches, I get more and more nervous about my idea of natural childbirth, but deep down, I know I am ready and capable of it... I will just have to keep reminding myself of that when contractions start!

This week, I put into action Operation: Get baby born! It consists of several steps to try and "bring on labor" most of which only work part of the time and usually because you were probably ready to go into labor anyway, but still, I think it is worth the effort!

At my 39 week appt on Monday, doc said I was still only 1cm dilated but that baby was MUCH easier to reach, probably at -2 as opposed to +2 and I was probably about 50% effaced. Dilation can happen quickly once labor actually starts... so my job is to get labor to start. 

Operation: Get baby born consists of several lesser Operations. One of which is easy and I have no issues putting into action. One of which, while is strategically difficult, it at least (in general) is enjoyable to put into action. The last two... well... lets just say they aren't operations I want to put into action, but will if I have to. They are:
1. Operation Walk and Exercise a LOT: I have recommenced walking the mile home from the subway. At the gym on Tuesday, I ran for 2 miles, walked for 1 and did my strength training. I head back to the gym tonight for my weekly trainer appt. 
2. Operation Get it On: My husband is a big fan of this operation as he has at least 6 weeks of celibacy to look forward to after baby is born... might as well get it in now. Finding a comfortable way to enact this operation is usually challenging, but once accomplished... well... the rest of the operation is much more enjoyable. 
3. Operation Castor Oil: Not something I want to put into action. Knowing my luck, I will end up with 7 hours of awful diarrhea and no labor!
4. The last resort... which if I make it to my 40 week appt on Monday may just need to be done is Operation Strip the Membranes. I remember quite clearly how painful this was when my doctor did it when Silas was born. I do not want to have to go through it again if at all possible, so I am hoping my first two operations are successful sometime this weekend. 

All told, it would be awesome if I could go into labor tonight or by tomorrow morning. Jacob has off tomorrow but will have to go into work tomorrow night. Going into labor while he is home and not sleeping for his shift would be ideal...getting him up and alert is always a challenge and getting him home from work because I am in labor could be as well depending on the mood his boss is in. 

If anyone else out there in blogger land has any tips on how one might bring labor about naturally without drugs, I am all ears!

In the meantime, Operation Get Baby Born continues...