Larger Than Normal

So far my pregnancy has gone off without a hitch or a glitch. There have been no abnormalities, no health or baby scares, and no major discomfort. It's partly because of this smooth ride that my 38 week appointment freaked me out so much. Here's what happened:

At this point in the pregnancy, I'm accustomed to the normal routine--weight taken (150lbs), blood pressure checked (117/70), and urine tested for protein. I really haven't deviated from the "norm."  At the 36 week appointment Barbora, the midwife, measured my tummy and said that it was "larger than normal," so we scheduled an appointment for a sonogram to gauge Megan's growth. The sonogram indicated that Megan was indeed growing more rapidly than other fetus's her age. For example, her head measured at 39.4 weeks, but we were only at week 37. (key note: Travis's mom also said that he had a large head at birth. Great!)
When we brought the news back to Barbora, she mentioned induction. I felt very uncomfortable, uneasy, and unsure about this path. After all, everything was going so well. I started asking myself all of these questions like would she really be that big to where I couldn't push her out? Are these measurements really that accurate? (I know they are not). Why am I already feeling the pressure to induce? Barbora's reasoning was that Megan was just going to keep growing, and if I wanted to have her vaginally, then induction was the way to ensure that end. However, I've heard that induction causes more painful contractions (but I guess that's all relative), and that inductions can increase your risk of a c-section because your body simply isn't ready. All of this uneasiness coupled with the fact that she actually took out her and the doctor's schedule to see what time frame would work best, made me wary that this delivery would be more of a matter of convenience as opposed to something natural.


After soothing talks with my sisters-in-law, friends, and co-workers, I felt strong in my decision to not allow them to induce me at 39 weeks. When the 39 week appointment rolled around, I found out that I was still only 1cm dilated--not enough to induce. The conversation was curbed, and I guess we will revisit it at the 40+ week appointment.

I still am not sure whether or not I will allow them to induce me at the next appointment. They will do a stress test on Tuesday...if she doesn't make her debut before then. I don't want any risk to come to Megan, but if she has a strong heartbeat and is still moving around and kicking, I don't see the medical need to induce. My biggest fear is that I will be talked into doing something that I am not comfortable with. I haven't had any regrets this whole pregnancy, and I don't want to start now. Stay tuned...