a good report

I just had a doctor's appointment this morning, and everything seems to be just swell. I have now officially gained 37 pounds, which is just a smidge depressing. :) The baby's heartbeat was steady and clear, and I'm measuring to be just right. The doctor said that they will start checking my cervix at 38 or 39 weeks to start getting a feel for how well my body is preparing for delivery. We also talked about induction quite a bit. She let me know that they like to induce 7 or 8 days after the due date, because after that the placenta isn't as effective and could put the baby in danger. She also said that Nathan and I could decide ahead of time when we would want to be induced; it could be anytime after my due date as long as my cervix seems soft and ready. There is little risk involved with induction, but it does raise the chance of a C-section from 30% to 35%, because my body might not be as prepared to handle labor as it would be if I went into labor naturally. So we are going to be talking and thinking about if and when we want to make an appointment for induction, providing I do indeed go late like many first-time moms do.