Gigantor update

We had our big "How big is Elle" ultrasound today. It was an interesting appointment. First of all, everything looks good, and Elle is not as huge as originally feared. The ultrasound tech estimates her at 8 pounds, 1 ounce. She's head down, which I've known, although somehow she's still finding room to move from side to side. It was confirmed once again that we *are* having a girl. Her bladder was full and her heart looked great. Other than that, she just looked majorly cramped in there. We got a few good looks at her face and her chubby little cheeks, and the tech tried to get some 3D photos, but her face was smashed against the uterine wall, so they didn't turn out all that well.

Baby's smashed face.
(If you want to come out, you'll have more roooooommmmmm!)

The tech also said that I have "A LOT" of fluid. Awesome.

Then I did my normal "peeing in the cup" and "standing on the scale" routine and we were taken back to our exam room. As I was otherwise occupied, Tim was inspecting the ultrasound photos. Apparently he thinks our daughter is going to look like an Easter Island statue.

Easter Island Statues.

The doctor came in, looked at the chart and said 8 pounds, 1 ounce was not bad, but she still seemed big, haha. He said I do have a lot of fluid (I can only imagine Elle swimming in an Olympic-size pool of amniotic fluid, so I'm glad I can make her stay in Wombville that much more comfortable.) We had another internal exam and apparently I'm now 2 cm dilated, my cervix has softened and things are slightly more thinned out, but the baby's head is still high.

The doctor then gave us some options. He said that the longer the baby has to chill in utero, the bigger she will get. He said I could wait to go in to labor on my own until 41 weeks, at which point they'd want to induce. He said if we waited until next week, we could have another ultrasound just to see how the baby was doing in terms of weight and fluid (although he "doubted a lack of fluid would be an issue." OK, I get it. Lots of fluid.) Or he said we could induce before that.

I asked what he recommended from a medical standpoint, and he said there really wasn't much of a difference. An induction with a first-time mother carries a slightly higher risk of resulting in a c-section, but we're looking at a slightly higher risk of needing a c-section because she's big, anyway. And the longer she cooks, the bigger she'll get. (Side note: Tim thinks she's going to come out with a tan, looking all oven-roasted.) He said that if it were him having the baby, he'd likely opt for the induction before 41 weeks because of her size (despite all of her laps in the swimming pool).

We told him we'd be OK with scheduling an induction, and he went to check the hospital's schedule. (Maybe this is what she needs to come on her own!) We're currently scheduled to arrive at Labor & Delivery bright and early on Monday morning to start things. If Elle comes on her own terms before that, that would be great. But if she continues her stubborn streak (seriously have NO idea where she gets that), we'll still get to meet her early next week!