this site is becoming exceedingly good birth control. shivers.

You're enormous! And still wonderfully lovely.

I'd send you some love in the form of sugar free chocolate mousse (I'm diabetic) from Massachusetts, but I don't think it would make it.

Godspeed, Heather.

I agree with Milla. Yikes.

thank god for a penis.

You look great! Best wishes!

wow, time sure does fly. You look gorgeous by the way. A toilet birth would definitely be a funny story.

I'm convinced that these OB/GYNs are simply witch doctors with better costumes. They measure and torture and spout centimeters and percentages and none of it means anything. Which is frustrating for people who aren't 4,ooo weeks pregnant. If I were you, I would start the epidural now.

There no words of comfort for you now that could be anything but annoying, but you'll manage, and you'll bring home little Butterscotch Popcorn Pants and Leta will be a big sister and all will be well in the universe. Especially now that the nursery is finished.

Good luck and have a doughnut for me!

Hang in there, girl! My doctors FORCED ME to go 36 weeks with my twins, and with one's elbows in my bladder and the other's feet coming out of my eye sockets it was pretty miserable. Think of THAT kind of misery and feel good! You're almost there!!!!

Yeah, but you make 38 weeks look good.

That's no mean feat.

Dear Heather,

Are you sure your doc did not "strip your membranes" or do "membrane sweeping"? When you describe the pain and like cleaning out a water bottle, that sounds like membrane stripping, not a plain jane cervical check. I took a Bradley Method class last year before giving birth, and one young woman said that her friend described membrane sweeping done w/o consent or notification as feeling like "a rape". It is meant to induce labor, but can be dangerous, especially in Group Strep B positive mothers (one quarter of all pregnant women), which I was. I asked my doctor if he routinely does it, and he said "yes". I refused to even allow a cervical check, let along THAT, and did not have my first cervical check until I was almost 100 percent effaced and almost 6 cm in Triage. Just be aware of what they are doing to you, and you have a right to say "no". I allowed two cervical checks: 1) In Triage 2) The resident because they had to do it before an epidural.

http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/sweepingMembra...

Here - google this: "what is membrane stripping"

Best of luck!! It's your body. You are in control. I refused to allow a male intern to watch his first ever natural childbirth.

You are a gorgeous mama size but where do you get off having that teensy bottom? At 38 weeks I looked pregnant coming and going.
Keep up the good work. You make nice people.

Heather; you look gorgeous. Truly.

I just finished reading your new book, It Sucked and then I Cried; in record time (less than a day.....). Loved it, Heather. Wonderful book (from the heart). Thank you for writing this important book about postpartum depression and about all the "lighter" topics, like Chuck "barking in Russian". I laughed so hard I wanted to pee.

Best of luck in these final days I'll be thinking of you.

You are amazing. Best to you,

kate

Do you know about nurse-midwives? We are skilled, evidence-based practitioners who don't do all the checking, because, as you conclude yourself, it MAKES NO DIFFERENCE and is extremely painful. One of these days, you'll go into labor, checks or not. Just let it happen, and tell them to keep their hands to themselves.

Congrats on what's sure to be a lovely baby. You look great, and I really enjoy your blog.

I was 4 centimeters for the LONGEST week of my life! While only in my 39th week, in my mind I was late, as the first baby was 10 days early. A well-timed trip to an acupuncturist, some homeopathic remedies and, yes, a tablespoon of caster oil brought it all on. . .very quickly. I hope you're ready for the possibility of a quick birth. I was in the hospital for all of 17 minutes before baby #2 arrived and I have heard MANY, MANY similar stories.

Good luck and you look fabulous!

Exciting! I'll never forget those days leading up to the birth of my second child. I couldn't look at my firstborn without weeping for how his world was about to be shattered! It didn't take long for him to realize that the baby was pretty cool to have around, first she was his punching bag but now they're very good buds.

I never dilated or effaced or dropped of did anything to indicate that any baby was ever going to voluntarily exit my womb, right up until my due date...when my water broke. Good luck!