Sometimes, good things happen.

I dread receiving letters and phone calls from companies. Especially companies with whom I have had financial disputes in the past. Therefore, it was a delightful change today to receive a call from this particular company admitting that they had made an error, apologising profusely, and offering to do whatever they could to make it up to me. I soon found that this did not convert to cash terms, instead they offered to send me their product for free along with a years free subscription to their service. Being in my right mind (for now at least), I politely but firmly declined.

However, I no longer have any hard feelings toward them, and I will not carry through my threat of maligning them to every person I speak to, and I will even give them a plug here!

On a more topical note, it looks as though this blog will remain at thirty-three weeks plus five.
Firstly, I am not suffering prodromal labor; I am in stalled labor! My unclear thinking turned out to be pretty lucid! It was fortunate that I read the article that I did. When I mentioned my concern to Dr B, it was as though a lightbulb went on above his head. (Although if he had read my file a little more thoroughly, he could have figured it out for himself!) He then performed an internal exam, and to his surprise, found that I was 100% effaced, but not the tiniest bit dilated, due to the scar tissue from my prior surgery. And unfortunately, because of this scarring, my cervix is unable to do anything on it’s own, and medical intervention is necessary. I now have no option but to rely on interventionist methods to kick-start labor. I’ve resigned myself to it now, but at least it means I get to see our baby sooner! Oh, I forgot to tell you that this intervention is going to take place in the next hour or so! (Told you I’d keep you well posted!) So hopefully it won’t be too much longer before I can place our announcement here!!

Wish me luck!

Well, it's official. I'm prodromal. I have now spent over two weeks in "This Is It - No, It's Not" mode. And I'm mighty sick of it. Last week Dr B told me that the next time the contractions began to get to the hospital before they stopped again and he would break my waters. I considered his offer, but I really wasn't sure if that would accomplish all that much, and I would have a greater chance of needing medical induction if it didn't work.
However, after a week of suffering, I'm ready to reach a compromise. I'm going to have my membranes "swept", as opposed to ruptured. This is supposed to be a highly effective, (yet still "natural") method of starting a reluctant labor. I hope so.

There is just one thing that I would like to be reassured about before any of this starts. A few days ago I came across an article on "stenotic cervixes" which basically means a cervix that won't budge, for a number of reasons. One major reason being scarring from previous cervical surgery. This has me worried, as two years ago I underwent diathermy to treat a pre-cancerous cervical condition. So perhaps there is a possibility that everything else is ready to go, but my cervix keeps going "Stop! I'm not moving, so you may as well give up." Does this sound plausible?

I'm not thinking very clearly at the moment... I'll consult my doctor and let you know what he thinks. Until then, I think it's best I stop.

And from the trusty iVillage calendar:
36 wks gestation
38 wks LMP
Length: 34 cm crown to rump; 47.5 cm or 18 1/2 inches from head to toe.
Weight: 2900 gms or about 6 1/2 lbs. If I'm lucky.

(Oooh, and a newer belly pic will be available very soon!!!)

Response to comments:

I don't think I’m quite round enough to be a basketball, perhaps a football?

No news could mean anything at this point, but the most likely reason is that I’m being slack. I’ll try harder in future, I promise I'll even try to type out a quick post just before leaving for the hospital… :)

My Official Due Date (ha!) is the 23rd of December, however if, as last time, I go past my date by two days, we will in fact have a Christmas baby!
Which doesn't thrill me, but not because of the Yiddish thing (I am in fact a Christian with Jewish roots) but I would much prefer to spend Christmas in the comfort of my own home with my loved ones, than in unfamiliar surroundings suffering great pain.

Also, I am still having “practice contractions”, and I’d prefer not to drag on with them for another two weeks. They are quite tiring, not to mention frustrating and quite painful. And occurring as I type. So I’ll have to leave this for now…

Hey. I have a dr's appt. in 17 minutes. I'll let you know all about it later...

By the way, my belly diameter now equals 113cm (44.5 inches). I hate thinking about that in conjunction with the fact that I am only 166cm tall.

No baby yet.

At my Drs appointment last Wednesday I learned that:

i) I now weigh 81kgs (or a whopping 178.2lbs)

ii) The baby's head is engaged. Apparently this is not usual for a second pregnancy, usually the head doesn't descend into the pelvis until labour is well established. So it could mean that I could have the baby any time or I could hold off for another two weeks and six days.

Dr B was actually so certain that it wouldn't be too much longer that he sent me to the hospital for a CTG, and told me to go to bed early in case labour started that night.
And so with my spirits soaring that the good Dr thought I would soon meet our new baby, I sat on the CTG for half an hour or so, until the midwife returned and unkindly informed me that I had wasted her time as the results revealed nothing.
I left in shame, praying that I would go into labour that night, just to spite her. Alas, it did no good.

Every day since I have wished for the same thing. I'm getting so frustrated. And tired. I am exhibiting all the signs of going into labour at any moment - and have been for a week! And still nothing. Well, it'll have to wait now anyway. Tomorrow is 3yos 3rd Birthday (I know, I've been ahead of myself for a while!) and I have a Thomas the Tank Engine cake to bake and decorate, various delicacies of questionable nutritional value to whip up, a thousand balloons to inflate and a house to make festive. I'm glad we're only having a small family gathering!

3yo has actually asked for a baby sister for his birthday. I have tried to explain that I'll try, but I don't have a lot of control over the e.t.a or gender of his sibling. Plus I think the novelty of sharing a birthday might wear off after a few years.

It is unlikely that I will be posting regularly from now on, but I'll let you know as soon as anything of any significance occurs!

I leave you with Saturday's Pregnancy Calendar Report:

35 wks gestation
37 wks LMP
Length: 33 cm crown to rump (about 45 cm or 17 1/2 inches head to toe).
Weight: 2700 gms or 6 lbs.
Earliest date of full-term birth: get ready!