He's a Big One!

Everywhere I go people tell me how huge I am. What pregnant woman wants to hear that? Don’t get me wrong…I am big. Luckily, it’s all belly but it’s a really big baby belly! My obstetrician is a bit concerned about high levels of amniotic fluid and so she scheduled me for a sonogram to measure the fluid levels and estimate the baby’s size.
Apparently the amniotic fluid should have started declining after 32 weeks. I was so nervous because my first son was pretty big and had a huge head.

My husband and I show up first thing in the morning the day of the sonogram and the technician gets started. She chats and attempts small talk as she takes measurements but all I can do is keep my eyes on the screen, on those little hands and that sweet profile. First she checks the amniotic fluid…the levels are a little high but not high enough for concern. So far, so good. Next up, the baby’s size.

My nerves, already stretched thin, just about snap when she measures the head size. It’s off the charts! Then she estimates the baby’s weight. My jaw dropped when I heard the estimate. How can I be having an eleven pound seven ounce baby?? I just started laughing because I was so shocked. Seriously? Eleven and a half pounds? My husband and I exchange a look of pure terror. Sonograms aren’t exact and can be off as much as two pounds, I know that. But even if it’s off by two pounds, I am still having a really big baby! My obstetrician does seem to think he’ll be closer to nine pounds.

I really don’t want to have a c-section and since I’m already thirty-nine weeks and dilated to 3 centimeters, my obstetrician schedules me to be induced. I was induced with my first son and it went well. And, honestly, I don’t want to wait five more days to let him get any bigger!