Today was my big 'internal exam', which I've been freaked out about because while some friends have said it's easy and not uncomfortable, others have said it's horrible and really uncomfortable. I'm happy to say I thought it was fine -- definitely some pressure, but not unlike having a pap. Everyone (and every doctor/nurse) is different, and my dr. is very gentle. He said I could squeeze his arm if it hurt too much but I didn't need to (and I'm a wimp!)
So... The baby's head is very low, but no dilation has started just yet. My cervix is 80% thinned out, but still further back (posterior) than it will be it comes to the front (anterior) for dilation. He thinks he will see me for my appt. next week, but after that he said all bets are off! He still predicts that I won't make it until the 29th before going into labour. Everything is looking good... her heartbeat is very strong and positioning is just right, and my blood pressure is still v. good. We're almost there!
*Squeamish alert - don't read on if you're grossed out by birth/labour stuff*
I asked some questions about labour, and learned that if I lose the infamous 'mucous plug', which not everyone does, it doesn't always mean much because the mucous actually can grow back! It also isn't literally a giant plug that is holding the baby inside... but if it's mixed with blood it can be one indicator of the difference between false and real labour. That's the also infamous 'bloody show' we wait for - and no, that's not a Brit expression for waiting for a movie to begin! There is actually a concern if you bleed as though you have your period, and you need to get the hospital right away. And, not everyone's water breaks either. If it does, it's really not likely to be a big gush like on TV. So either way, pads are recommended now and I'm going to have to start turning the light on for my hundred nocturnal pees to make sure I don't miss anything!
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Mucous plug was nasty for me dude. Fell out 15 minutes before our dinner on New Years Eve. Gave birth two days later. The plug itself was gelatinous -- and that's about as pleasant as I can make it sound. The only pleasant thing about it is that we knew baby was on his way.
Internal exam -- not the worst thing ever, but not looking forward to it this time around.
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