Odd-ity

Well... I've officially made it to 40 weeks. Now the "overdue" count begins.

The funniest thing about doing a natural birth is the reaction of people in my life. It's really funny how people react to the fact that I won't be induced (save medical necessity) that I've declined vaginal exams to check my dilation and effacement and that my midwife is, as they put it "just waiting around" for me to go into labor.

One gal I know told me she just won't go into labor herself, her doctor always has to induce her. (Her last one was induced a whole 2 days after her due date....) Another lady at work told me that every day past their due date they get sicker and my midwife was crazy to not just induce me this weekend (she then added how convenient it is my due date is on a friday so I could be induced over the weekend!!).

These women have been sold the "induction is normal and necessary for most women" line that the U.S. health system shoves down women's throats. If that was true what would have happened to our species before modern medicine? How do European countries like the Netherlands have substantially lower infant morbidity and mortality rates than us, yet use much less inductions and medical interventions?

Babies come when they're ready. Only about 2% of women make it to the 42 week mark without going into labor. Those are good odds. Yet almost 25% of women who are induced end up having a cesarean. Not so good odds.

Plus the final nail on this coffin... I'm doing a VBAC (Vaginal birth after cesarean) and if you induce a VBAC you up your chance of uterine rupture. Big no-no!

So this rant all leads to this... I have a 75%-ish chance of going into labor in the next few days... and a 98% chance of going into labor in the next two weeks.

I like those odds!