38 Weeks, 5 Days

BIG changes today.
And I can't really say when it happened, this afternoon maybe?
This morning?
But you dropped and you dropped waaaaay down.

By the time I was getting ready for my midwives appointment this evening I had figured it out.
And not so much because I could breathe easier (I really still can't) or even because I noticed that my shape was different.

It's because you're now pinching a nerve every time you shift around and it's excruciating.

When I was almost ready to leave, I felt you start to move and then I had the most awful nerve pain shooting down the entire length of the back of my right leg.
Sure, other babies have pinched me before but you nearly paralyzed me.

I started screaming.
SCREAMING.
There was nothing I could do and I couldn't move or walk and could barely even stand up.

Daddy just so happened to be in the room and I think he thought I was joking at first but then realized that I wasn't, I really was in agony.
Oh, it was terrible.
TERRIBLE!
And it started to happen again while we were out having dinner and I was so afraid I'd start screaming in public. 

I didn't.
But I didn't feel great, either and thought I was going to be sick in the bathroom.

When we arrived at the midwives office, I had decided that I'd ask for an exam.
I'd been nauseated again today, and with you dropping down combined with a few other new signs of pre-labor that I won't list here because they're sort of gross in a girl way, I thought I'd feel better knowing where I stand.

During the first part of my checkup, they usually manipulate you to see how you're lying and when I laid down, I couldn't believe how flat the top half of my belly was!  Last time when Jill measured me, she had the tape up under my ribcage and here Abby was sort of in the middle of my belly.

You measured 40cm last time, remember I was complaining how big you were?
Today you were at 35 cm!!!
THAT'S how far you've dropped into my pelvis!
When Abby was feeling you on the outside of my belly, she said she could only feel your chin--the rest of your head is buried in my bones :)

Doing the internal exam was a bit awkward, honestly.
But I'm not sure that sort of stuff is ever really comfortable for anyone.

And as soon as she felt you, her eyes popped open and she said, "WOW, this baby is really low!  Are you sure you're not in labor?"
It freaked me out a little, if I'm honest.
I wasn't expecting her to say that.

I knew things had definitely changed but good grief, suddenly I was half expecting her to just yank you right out.

In terms of "stations" which is how doctors and midwives reference a baby's engagement, any negative number is considered a very high position--not engaged in the pelvis.
Zero station is equal to the pelvic bones
And plus stations are below the bones, heading for the big exit sign.

You are currently sitting at a plus 2, which means you're way in there.
At plus 5, you're crowning.
You could still wiggle back out but I really don't think you're going to.
It seems to me that we're really kind of getting ready for this!
Abby said my conditions were "ripe" for birth but that I do have some laboring to do still which makes me feel better.
Not like the second I go into labor, you're going to come flying out in ten minutes.
(Though you might as soon as I fully dilate!)

But she did say I'd likely do very little pushing at all.
Once we get clearance from my body that everything is ready, it shouldn't be difficult to get you into my arms.
And so...we wait and cross our fingers that this is the start of something and not that I'm just going to be carrying you super low like this with your head between my legs for another week.
Ahem.

I'm sort of superstitious that if I actually say when I think you'll come, that I'll automatically tack on three extra days past my due date.
But I don't think it will be long now.
And I hope it's not past this weekend.

I just need to take one day at a time and see what you decide to do.

Ready when you are, Baby!

Loving you already, Low-Rider :)
Mama