I am still pretty beside myself about our hospital visit yesterday. I am 39weeks+5 days today, and there really is no end in sight for this pregnancy. Our appointment this week was with the doctor who was really mad about the calzone a couple weeks ago. After another flawless non-stress test for Aurora, I was asked by the medical assistant if I wanted the doctor to check my cervix to see if my body was getting ready for this baby. I was curious, I’ll admit it, so I agreed. The doctor told us about the Bishop score, and she would give us a number between 0 and 13 to tell us how ready my body seemed to be. Well, I was a zero. Straight up, my cervix is chilling, the baby hasn’t really dropped, there are no signs of impending labor at all. No dilation, it hasn’t moved, isn’t effaced.
Which brings us to the headline of this post.
That is straight up what this doctor asked me and my husband when she began to fret about the fact that I declined a 39 week induction. She continued where every other doctor has left off about all of the risks and things that don’t apply to my pregnancy, and rattled off statistics for DIABETIC patients (as in Type II prior to pregnancy), and then asked, “you want to bring home a live baby, don’t you?” I am grateful that my husband joined me for this appointment since we anticipated some pushback from the medical team. I’m honestly surprised I didn’t burst into tears.
We did get a real moment of clarity with this doctor, though, when she said “well do you want the induction or not”, and Jake and I began to ask additional questions. When we still weren’t sure or ready to commit to an answer, she told us it was becoming a legal issue by this point because I was not following the hospital’s standard of care. Then, all of the pressure started to make sense. So Jake said, “we accept legal responsibility for our choices from here forward” and the doctor was satisfied. So, what was supposed to be my last week of ultrasounds and non-stress testing has pushed out until Monday, when I get another ultrasound and non-stress test. I will be 40 weeks + 1 day at that point. Come on Aurora, don’t you wanna meet me already?
When in doubt, bring a buddy!