Checkup: 38 Weeks

Exciting news! Scott and I went in for my 38 week checkup today, and things are progressing very nicely.

Shortly after warning us that first-time moms often progress slowly and that I shouldn't be disappointed if there hasn't been much change, my doctor checked me out and reported that I am currently 1 cm dilated and 80% effaced (that's the shortening of the cervix, for all you laymen out there.) The baby's head is also at a +1 station, meaning she's dropped low and is ready to go.

I have a baby's head lodged in my pelvis. It is attached to arms, a torso and legs. She has a heartbeat I can feel, a diaphragm that gives her hiccups after I've eaten a meal, and a thumb she sometimes likes to suck, making her body undulate softly. They all make up a tiny person who will very soon come out of me. This still blows my mind when I think about it.

The checkup doesn't mean anything as far as knowing when labor will begin, but it's definitely a positive sign. And now, my friends, the final countdown begins. Next week I'll get one last ultrasound to make sure everything looks okay, but it appears the baby is already eager to reassure us that she's just as ready to get going as we are to get her there.