I found out today that I'm GBS+ again. I know they can work around it at the birthing suite but it still adds a layer of complication and urgency to the birth that I wish wasn't there. I means I have to go in earlier to make sure I get a dose of antibiotics so I can't labor at home very long, it also means that I may end up staying on the postpartum floor instead of going straight home to my own bed.
I thought I would be more rattled by this news, but the midwife was very reassuring, and I'm just going ot trust her. It's too late to change anything about my birth "plans". The chips will fall where they may.
I am still thinking of this birth as something that will happen in some distant future instead of, say, tomorrow. Or tonight. I had my first "oh my god is this labor" moment the other day when a contraction literally took my breath away, and then another followed right behind it two minutes later. From what I remember from waiting for Naomi is that I had those moments several times a day for two weeks, so I know I have a long time to go.
I declined the offer to check my cervix today. I remember how crazy those numbers made me last time, and I'm not doing that to myself again. I'd rather just ignore the meaningless numbers and listen to what my body is saying: nothing doing yet, don't hold your breath, it's going to be a little while. If I had heard I was a centimeter dilated and 70% effaced, like I was at this point last time, do you think I'd still listen to my body? No, I'd be sitting here obsessing, expecting every twinge to turn into full blown labor.
The baby has to stay inside until Sunday. We're using this weekend to finalize the preparation of our house. I am also decorating for Christmas this weekend, because I hate a half-assed decorating job, and that's certainly what I will get if I wait until after the baby's born.
Somewhere in my first or second trimester I posted on a message board about my predictions about when the baby would come. My guess was Dec. 4th, mid-afternoon, girl, 7.5-8lbs. That still sounds about right.