Stay in there, stay in there, stay in there...

That's my mantra right now. I met with my doula, Angie, last night. She is a certified midwife and offered to check my cervix to see if any dilation/effacement had started and to see if baby had dropped. With all the contractions I've been having and the low pelvic pressure I've been feeling I decided it would be a good idea to see exactly where I stand.

Well, it seems like I've got another impatient little one on my hands. Angie palpated my abdomen and commented that it seemed like baby was in a ROA position, which means baby is head down with his back on my right side. She said that is typically a position which will translate into a fast and problem-free labor. She then checked the position of baby's head in my pelvis and was a little surprised at how low it already was. With the cervical exam she walked Tim and I through each step to explain exactly what she was looking for and feeling of.

Obviously with Laurel I had some internal exams but I never really knew what they were doing and how they were coming up with X number of centimeters. Angie explained that she first checks the feel of the cervix to see if it is hard or soft to see how much effacement has taken place. The cervix has to be completely soft and pliable before significant dilation can occur. She said my cervix was very "mushy." (I believe that's a technical term.) She then felt to see if actual dilation had started. Sure enough, I'm already at 2 centimeters. She said I wasn't dilated all the way through my cervix but that she didn't want to push too much and risk causing more dilation at this early stage.

After gathering all that information she suggested I continue to take things easy and stay very hydrated. She said my body was definitely in a position where labor could begin at any time and progress fairly quickly. My goal right now is to make until April 23rd. That will put me at 37 weeks and in a much safer place to ensure baby is ready to be out in the real world. Obviously I'd love to make it until May, but I'm not sure how realistic that is at this point.

So everyone say it with me, "Stay in there, stay in there, stay in there..."