~Nichole ~ 2 Weeks and charts

I've got two weeks left. We've had to start making some hard decisions. This baby feels bigger than my previous two, that could be because he's already dropped further down than my first two did until I was actually in labor with them. I'm worried that he might come early, in which case I'll have to find someone to watch my kids and have Derrick rush home from work and take me to the hospital. We'll also miss out on a big bonus that Derrick will get if he doesn't miss any work. We're trying to decide if we should just ignore the bonus and have him home for the next couple of weeks to help with everything since I've been put on semi-bedrest (I'm supposed to sit as much as possible and not do many chores or lift heavy things), or try and make it to 40 weeks and hope he gets the bonus if I can put off having this baby until the due date. We could really use the bonus but at the same time if Derrick does take work off he'll be here if I go into labor or with his help we may be able to put off labor until we have family here to help with our other kids while we go have the baby. We keep saying we'll see how the next dr. apt. goes and make decisions from there, in hopes that the doctor will say "you're going to have this baby soon" or "looks like your progressing well for where you're suppose to be". I guess you never really know when the baby will come. I wish they could say that because I am dialated to 2.5cm and 50% effaced and the baby is in station +2 that I will go really soon, but some people go months being dialated and effaced and others don't dialate or efface until the day of labor. It's hard to be patient.

We've been seeing the doctor every week now and I am getting so excited to be done with this pregnancy, although I know that I'll miss being pregnant and feeling those little kicks... which aren't so little anymore. Now that they're checking the babies progress everytime I've been studying up on all the numbers and percentages and terms they start using. Most I knew from previous babies, but I forgot exactly what a station meant when my doctor told me I was at a +2 yesterday, so I thought I'd share my findings with you all. Maybe you already know this, or maybe it's too much info right now, but I'm hoping it will be helpful.

As pregnancy gets closer to ending your doctor will probably be saying things like "you're __ cm dialated, ___ % effaced, and the baby has dropped into __ station/position/engagement.".

Here are the charts I found most helpful in letting me know what it all really meant and looked like.

The stations range from -5 "floating" to +5 "crowning". A zero means the baby is engaged in the pelvis. There is a centimeter between each station.