When I went for my 39 week midwife appointment I really didn't think we were going to make it to our 41 week + 1 day appointment. But lo and behold there I was sat in the doctor's waiting room 2 weeks later. Still very much pregnant and no more than a few twinges to say that anything could be moving.
The midwife checked baby first and confirmed that he has dropped but he's only just on the brim of my pelvis at the moment. She can still wiggle his head which if he was fully engaged would be held more securely in place.
I was naked from the waist down, my partner had come along for moral support and I was as psyched as I was ever going to be for that lovely sounding membrane sweep - let's get baby moving! And then she told me she wasn't going to be able to do it because baby was still too high. There was an element of relief but more a feeling of disappointment that we weren't going to be able to give our little boy that gentle encouragement in the right direction. Apparently with any membrane sweep there's always a risk that your waters can break accidentally. If baby is still too high in the pelvis, he isn't sufficiently blocking the exit and the umbilical cord can come out before the baby. This is, apparently, an emergency situation which obviously midwives are keen to avoid.
So I duly put my clothes back on and took a seat whilst she called delivery suite to book me in for my induction 4 days from now. She explained the process and the different options available and I feel like it'll be nice to have that end date in sight now rather than all this unknown. I like the idea of the balloon the most as at least I can come and relax at home afterwards rather than staying in hospital and waiting for it to work like you have to with drug induced labour. But I must admit, my lovely relaxing water birth is starting to look like a pipedream.
She hasn't ruled out him arriving of his own accord in the next 4 days so let's hope he gets a wiggle on and I can have a relaxing, natural birth with water and nice lighting and some music... but if that's not meant to be, getting baby here safe and sound is the priority so maybe I'll have to sacrifice my birth plan in order to achieve that...