A bit over 20 inches long, your baby has continued to grow and may now weigh almost 8 pounds. As cozy as he is, your baby can’t stay inside you forever. For your baby’s safety, your practitioner will talk with you about inducing labor if your baby isn’t born in the next week — earlier if there are any problems. Most practitioners won’t let you wait more than two weeks past your due date to give birth because it puts you and your baby at increased risk for complications. About 5 to 6 percent of women have prolonged pregnancies that extend three or more weeks beyond their estimated due dates. Babies born at 42 weeks and beyond can have dry parchment-like skin and are often overweight. Waiting that long to deliver also increases your chance of developing an infection in your uterus that could be dangerous for your baby or of having a stillbirth. What’s more, your labor is more likely to be prolonged or stalled, both you and your baby have an increased risk of injury during a vaginal delivery, and you double your chances of needing a c-section

12:19am

NST, AFI, etc 3:00pm

I knew the castor oil wasn’t going to send me head first into labor. Why’d I try it anyway? Because I was hoping it’d give me enough contractions to cause something, anything to start going on down there. It didn’t and I am never touching castor oil, again.

7:00 pm: Buy 2 Frosties from Wendy’s. Taint with 3oz castor oil each.
7:30 pm: Finish drinking first Frosty.
8:00 pm: Take walk around the block.
9:00 pm: Drink second Frosty
9:30 pm: Speak to mom and grandma on the phone. “Nothing’s happening. I must have dad’s system. Not even a gurgle.”
9:40 pm: Belly says, “GULGKDJGGULDGKJADFSJLK”
9:41 pm: Horrifyingly attached to the toilet. Sweating.
9:45 pm: Think it’s over. Nauseous, lay down.
9:47 pm: It is *not* over…
9:50 pm: Projectile vomit all over Eric’s hand while sitting on the toilet. All remaining castor oil comes up. Eric says, “Well, there’s a first time for everything…”

At least I know my body has an amazing overdose mode. If something gets in that really just ain’t right, it will come out. Full speed with the force of a canon ball no matter who is in the way. Go ahead, laugh. I would.

I’m a little disappointed. Just enough castor oil got in my system to cause a few minutes of toilet time but not enough to cause even the slightest of intestinal or uterine contractions. It did nothing but make me sick. That’d teach me to screw with nature’s plans.

Our NST and AFI is tomorrow. Ben’s not been moving a lot lately, which is worrying me. I think he’s ready to come out and my body’s just not letting him. I have my mother’s overprotective genes.

I’m still praying everyday that he comes before the induction. I will repeat, I’m scared to death of that induction. We’ll be doing a bit of walking today. Then maybe I’ll spend the $30 and get some black and blue cohosh…because apparently getting violently ill the first time around totally wasn’t enough for me.

((Island Girl tagged me with the “Five Things I Dig About Jesus” meme. I am completely de-wittified lately, as the child has eaten my brain, but I am working on it now!))

Girl’s Doogal was born July 5th, 2007 at 11:29pm. Just in time to see his grandma. I’m incredibly happy for her. Congratulations!