3 days more to countdown. Wonder what's Lil watermelon thinking right now. Went for the weekly checkup on Tuesday and the Dr Ho threw out the option of induction. It caught me by surprise as I've not reached full term. more importantly, he wanted to do it the NEXT DAY! i'm sooooo not ready for the pain! Then, realising that according to the Chinese Almanac, 3 Nov is supposedly a good day, I requested for that day if an induction were to be done. Silence. Apparently I've made a very silly and unscientific statement which dumbfounded Dr Ho. As with most doctors, Dr Ho does not quite believe in "lucky days"...but on the contrary, as like most mothers, I would like everything to be perfect. Upon explanation however, I realise that it doesn't mean that if you were induced today, it means you are gonna pop today! In Singapore, the typical practice is to have a pill popped into your V area to help dilate the cervix. The cervix has to be dilated to 10cm before the baby can be naturally delivered (Dear God please let mine dilate naturally!-- muttering a prayer)
On other matters, whilst trying to keep my mind off this wait game, my nesting instincts have once again bitten me. In preparation for the mountain of food that the MIL needs to store in my fridge and perhaps bottles of breastmilk, I decided to give my fridge a good scrub!
What does it mean to induce labor?
(Credits: http://www.babycenter.com)If your labor doesn't start on its own, your practitioner can use medication and other techniques to bring on (or induce) contractions. She can use some of the same methods to augment, or speed up, your labor if it stops progressing for some reason. In 2006, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1 in 5 births in the United States was induced. This rate more than doubled from 1990.
Why would my labor be induced?
Your practitioner will recommend induction when the risks of waiting for labor to start on its own are higher than the risks of the procedures used to get your labor going. This may be the case when:
- You're still pregnant one to two weeks past your due date. Experts advise waiting no longer than that to give birth because it puts you and your baby at greater risk for a host of problems. For example, the placenta may become less effective at delivering nutrients to your baby, increasing the risk of a stillbirth or serious problems for your newborn.
In addition, if your baby gets too big, your labor is more likely to be prolonged or stalled, your chances of needing a c-section are higher, and both you and your baby have an increased risk of injury during a vaginal delivery. - Your water breaks and your labor doesn't start on its own. In this case, you'll be induced to decrease the risk of infection to your uterus and your baby, which is more of a concern once your membranes have ruptured. (However, if your baby is still very premature, your practitioner may hold off on inducing labor.)
- Tests show that your placenta is no longer functioning properly, you have too little amniotic fluid, or your baby isn't thriving or growing as he should.
- You develop preeclampsia, a serious condition that can endanger your health and restrict the flow of blood to your baby.
- You have a chronic or acute illness – such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or kidney disease – that threatens your health or the health of your baby.
Are there any techniques I can try at home to get my labor going?
No do-it-yourself methods have been proven consistently to be both safe and effective. Here's the scoop on some of the techniques you may have heard about:
- Sexual intercourse: Semen contains some prostaglandins and having an orgasm may stimulate some contractions. A few studies have shown that having sex at term may decrease the need for labor induction, but others have found no effect on promoting labor.
- Nipple stimulation: Stimulating your nipples releases oxytocin and may help start labor. While it's a time-honored approach, more research is needed to determine how effective it is. And because there's a possibility of overstimulating your uterus (and stressing your baby), it's not something you'd want to try without being monitored. Sometimes – more often when the end of labor is in sight – a practitioner will suggest nipple stimulation to provide a little extra help with contractions.
- Castor oil: Castor oil is a strong laxative. Although stimulating your bowels may cause some contractions, there's no definitive proof that it helps induce labor – and you're likely to find the effect on your gut very unpleasant.
- Herbal remedies. A variety of herbs are touted as useful for labor induction, but there isn't enough evidence to prove that any of them are both safe and effective. Some are risky because they can overstimulate your uterus and may be unsafe for your baby for other reasons as well.
On other matters, whilst trying to keep my mind off this wait game, my nesting instincts have once again bitten me. In preparation for the mountain of food that the MIL needs to store in my fridge and perhaps bottles of breastmilk, I decided to give my fridge a good scrub!
Look at all the expired stuff and this is just 80% of the things I threw!
EEwwwww....Think it must have been a year since I've cleaned it! OPS!
And more space!!:)
In preparation for confinement, the MIL has brought over most of the herbs and "goodies" over to my place. Am very thankful that she has offered to help me with confinement thus saving us a bit of moolah. Hopefully no conflict will arise as in the case of many. I think everything happen for a reason. Empress Dowager is in a totally oblivious mode (apart from blessing me), whilst the MIL is constantly in and out of Msia and markets, sourcing for the best ingredients. Am truly appreciative.
Inspired by R's blog, I decided to try my hands at scrambled eggs. Realised that I have never scramble an egg before and yum yum, it tasted pretty good!
Leaving you with an adorable looking phone found in the MIL's house! hahhaha
*BLEAH*
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