Best Case Scenario

As it turns out, I didn't need plans A-D, took only one herbal medicine today (NOT castor oil) and--pending test results--won't have to keep waiting much longer for my PBC to finally appear.

When the doctor walked into the room with me this morning, the first things she said were "Your ultrasound was good, except of course that he's real big. I have to go by the Feb 8th date, but you and I know that might not be it." Suddenly, after months of unsucessful persuasion, she is on my side and we are buddies in the "I've been right all along" basket. I might've throttled her, but I was too happy thinking she was about to say something good.

Then came the big blow. Due to hospital policy (as a result of that Feb 8th date she has to go by) the earliest she will induce the baby is Feb 3rd. Yup. Feb 3rd. "You'll only be a week and half overdue by then" she says, using my date as the baseline. "That's fine," she comments. I tell her it is only fine if you aren't the one carrying around a bowling ball on your bladder. In order to get around this particular policy, I will have to consent to an amniocentesis to determine the baby's lung maturity. An unpleasant experience, I'm sure, but one which ranks as slightly less unpleasant than another two plus weeks of pregnancy.

So, tomorrow I troop myself into the hospital at 6:30 am. To my understanding (and I've done as little research as possible, having decided that ignorance, in this instance, is bliss) I will then have a three-foot needle shoved through my belly and into the sack around the baby. I'll hold still while they extract less than an ounce of fluid to send to the lab. After being monitored for a while on the labor and delivery floor to be sure that the process hasn't started labor (oh, please!) and that the baby is doing fine, I will be sent home to await the test results by phone. These, according to my OB, take all day to come back and I won't hear a thing until between 3-5pm. At which point, if all has gone well, they will tell me what time to expect to be induced the next day. Hooray!

So, I have won. The OB basically said today that my due date is more reasonable than hers. I still have several skirmishes to survive, however. One being the amnio. Really not looking forward to that. The next being that the results actually bear out my theory and we (the PBC and I) are given the green light to go ahead with the rest of the plan. Lastly, of course, the joy of labor (ha!) awaits. Somehow, although thrilled with my success at getting something started, I feel as though I may have won the battle only to land myself in the middle of the mine field. Ah well, if every soldier of motherhood came through unscathed, we wouldn't have stories enough to embarass our teenagers or blackmail our offspring.

If you pray, however, (and I know many are) I still have about--oh, 5 1/2 hours or so--to have this little one pop out on his own. Best case scenario. Somehow, I think in training the Navy Seals or Army Rangers rarely plan for the best case scenario. But I'm trusting that God's got my back on this one--He specializes in best case stuff, right?

"And we know that all things work together for good

to those who love God, to those who are the called

according to His purpose"

--Romans 8:28