So, now it’s about time! The baby can come out anytime at this point.
In my case, it hasn’t happened yet, but we’ve got a news during my 11th OBGYN visit.
11th OBGYN Visit
The visit started as usual. First is NST, then appointment with my doctor. I guess I moved a lot during the NST so the sensor stopped reading lol We called a nurse and let them fixed it, so it wasn’t an issue at all. At the end, we’ve collected a pretty good data.
Next, I met my doctor. He came in and checked my cervix to see how much it started dilating. I mean, still week 37, the result was same as the previous time at week 36. He didn’t explicitly mention whether our baby’s head is dropped completely or not, and we also forgot to ask LOL What he mentioned was, since I’m gestational diabetes, he prefers not to over due the due date. The baby tends to come out earlier, but it sounds like it’s not always the case. He also told us that he wants to avoid C-section for whatever it takes. If we wait too long, then the baby may get over-sized and he will have no choice but have to operate C-section.
It is not only the concern he said. Even if I’m controlling my blood sugar level well, my placenta gets older faster than the normal women’s, which may cause complications to the baby inside.
At the end of the conversation, he recommended to proceed with inducing labor about 5 days before my due date at week 39, only if the baby is not out yet. Not with the drugs, but more like a mechanical operation. The method is called Foley bulb induction or I call it balloon insertion. He explained what it is and I also googled it afterwards.
Foley Bulb Induction
A foley bulb or balloon will be inserted into my cervix to open up or dilate. The balloon will be filled with saline solution or air. It will be placed between my baby’s head and cervix, so by gravity or by putting pressure on the cervix, it will help it dilate up to about 4cm. If it’s dilated enough, then the balloon will come out naturally. It seems like in some cases, the foley bulb will be enough to trigger contractions.
So we made an appointment for this foley bulb insertion. It will be on 10/19 Monday at 2pm. He will let us go home after insertion and wait for about 6 – 8 hours. Then, at night on the same day, probably around 8 – 10pm, we’ll head to the labor and delivery room. The doctor will be there to start helping me to deliver our baby. Hopefully things go smoothly and I don’t have to use any drugs to speed up the process.
We’ll have our last ultrasound visit on 10/12 and my last OBGYN visit on 10/13. I believe my doctor will monitor the baby’s growth and the dilation to see if the date is applicable. If he determines we still need to proceed with the plan, then at the latest, on the 10/20, we’ll meet our first baby boy 💛