Update on labor status....

I'm 1 week and 1 day from my due date. Or 38 weeks and 6 days pregnant.

Just wanted to update on my status so far (I reread my blogs just prior to the birth of Kaua and it was nice to see what I was going through at the time and want to continue a good record for future reference).

So today is Thursday. On Tuesday, when I was 38 weeks and 4 days pregnant, I noticed that I was loosing a little bit of my mucus plug towards the end of the day. Each time I wiped when I went to the bathroom, there was some mucus. Went home and packed my hospital bag in hopes that this meant baby was coming. But it stopped later that night. Saw some very slight mucus again at around same time yesterday, but only on one bathroom occasion. Today, so far, nothing.

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday morning and eveyrthing is fine. I opted out of a cervical check till my appointment next week, only because I know that whether I'm dilated or not will not tell me anything about how soon my labor will start. (I was told I was barely 1 CM dilated with Kaua at 38 weeks and had him 2 days later).

I've been having tons of Braxton Hicks over the past few days. Feeling them daily and several times an hour, but they are not painful. I haven't really been keeping track of them, but I'm fairly certain they are not consistent or worth timing as of yet.

No bloody show. No real mucus plug loss as of yet.

Lotsa discomfort when I stand and walk, mainly because the baby's head is so low and seems to be hitting my cervix, sometimes painfully when I sit down heavily. I'm feeling really slow. My lower back is achey, especially now b/c I'm sitting at a computer all day for work. I stand up to take breaks every hour, but am still achey and stiff. My groin area hurts on occasion when I walk, especially in my left side, kinda like a pulled inner thigh muscle.

I'm feeling like this baby will be coming very close to its due date, and praying it doesn't go over my due date.

When (or if) I go back to my doctor's for next week's appt, where i'll be 39 weeks, 5 days, I'll ask the doctor to do a cervical check and hopefully a stripping of my cervical membrane to get things going. I've been told that they wont let me go past 41 weeks due to studies that found increased risk to baby if I give birth past the 41 week mark. Guess baby will be here no later than 8/12, but I am really praying that he or she makes an appearance in the next few days!!!

Have been and will continue to try walking on a daily basis to help speed things along. This is difficult though b/c I'm feeling fatigued, my feet are more swollen and hence more painful when standing for even short periods of times, and I just feel so huge and awkward and uncomfortable.

Hurry up baby #2!