Getting closer!

I haven't had a chance to post since my appointment the other day. (OK, I'm going to assume most of my readers are female, and will not be bothered by talk of dialation - except for my little brother, who was basically raised by women, so nothing shocks him anymore).

Dialated one centimeter, 60% effaced. I've never really understood this effacement stuff, but that was more progress than I was expecting. Dr. Tinker says he doesn't expect me to go into labor for about two more weeks, and gave me the option of picking out a date to be induced. That would be sometime during the week of Aug. 6th. Not sure what I want to do. I was induced last time, but I sort of wanted to go into labor on my own this time. David still does not think I will make it that long. Neither does my mom, who upon examining my face the other day, said, "I don't think you'll go much longer." Translate: You have the puffy face look.

I hate the puffy face look : ( Small price to pay though.

All this has me thinking about my last delivery experience. It went just fine, but looking back I said I wouldn't go the induction route again because reportedly this raises the risk of having to have a C-section. My doctor assures me that if your body is ready for labor, then that's not true, but I also know doctors really like scheduling things. And who can blame them? I've been losing a little sleep at night when I remember all the "procedures" involved in having a baby. Namely, these:
1. the breaking of the water (one of the reasons I want to go into labor on my own)
2. the catheter
3. the epidural - okay, this is more of a love/hate relationship. once you've experienced some of the labor pains, then you're begging for that epidural, but it still doesn't make the fact that they are inserting a very large needle into your spine any less scary
Those were by far my three worst moments. The pushing was not bad, and the IV only bothered me for a bit. I can stop myself from complaining when I think about my grandmother, who gave birth to four children at home, with only the help of a mid-wife. What she would have given for that epidural!