Down to business

For some reason I feel like I need to give a disclaimer that this blog post could be a little tmi. If you've been reading the blog for a while you should be used to the going's on in my uterus/vagina/ovaries but, just in case, some parts of this blog could be considered tmi.

I had another doctor appointment today and am happy to report that I am making progress! I'm up to 2 centimeters dilated now, my cervix is "very soft" and the baby's head has moved down a little more than last week. So, definite progress. I am actually really surprised. As of yesterday I was convinced that baby Evan would be staying inside indefinitely.

I was telling the doctor that I am definitely ready to have the baby so while she was checking my cervix she tried to "stretch" it a little for me to help get me going. As if having her whole hand up there wasn't painful enough already. That shizz HURT!! Wow. I almost asked her for an epidural right then and there. There was some blood on her glove when she pulled her hand out and she described that as "bloody show". I've heard your bloody show comes when you're about to go into labor so I'm not convinced that's what it really was. I think her trying to pry open my cervix with her hand may have had more to do with the blood than the onset of labor. I did bleed for a little while after the appointment but am not bleeding any more. I am having lots of cramping though. Not really painful, just uncomfortable.

I asked the doctor about all the old wives tales about getting labor started and she said the only one that's true is having sex. Yay. Apparently there is some kind of hormone or protein in semen that helps the cervix soften and dilate. She said they actually use a synthetic version of that protein in induction medications. I guess no amount of spicy food can replicate that. So, yeah, while I'm not thrilled about it, I will do what I have to do and hopefully will be meeting my baby boy very soon!