Cervix Abuse

Dear Sophia,

Well, it appears the doctor is also anxious for you to come. I've been having contractions (of the Braxton Hicks variety, apparently) lately but I haven't dilated any further than I already was. I was actually relieved when the doctor only put on a glove to check my progress instead of pulling out the forceps (which I am not a fan of.) However, he decided he was going to push and push on my cervix like there was no tomorrow. I swear it felt like something was going to tear where it shouldn't! I was not pleased. Grandma thinks he was trying to thin out my cervix - I just wish he'd warned me he was going to be assaulting my innards.

In related news, you're bigger than I ever thought you were going to get. For some reason, the doctor actually measured around your abdomen and the length of one of your femurs, which he hadn't done in months. Shockingly, you're not too far behind in those areas! Your abdomen is at 31 weeks (and a day or two - I was too shocked by the first number to pay attention to the second) and your femur was at 33 weeks, like it's supposed to be!

Good girl. You're making Mommy proud. No wonder I'm getting to feel you from top to bottom inside me! In fact, the night before my appointment, I was sure I was feeling your foot as it pushed against the inside of my uterus. It felt solid, like a foot, rather than a hand or something else. Daddy was already practically asleep, so I didn't say anything to him. The next day, at my appointment, I felt the same thing - except that it was being jammed into my ribs. When the doctor did the ultrasound, he said you were laying head-down (not where it's supposed to be, of course, but down) so I was right! I had been feeling your tiny feet those times. It made me happy. For a little while, I felt closer to you than ever.

So, since you're laying down but your head isn't in the right place, I'm supposed to do these exercises to get you down in there. We'll see how those go and if they do the trick or not. All I know is you either don't like them because you stop kicking after I do them or you find them comforting, like a cradle. Either way, I hope they work. I was kinda hoping to do a vaginal birth, but we need you in place (and certainly not laying sideways like you like to do) to be able to do that! For now, I love you sweet girl. Keep on kickin'.

Sincerely,
Mommy.