3 days until my 2nd due date

well I am 3 days away from my due date- the one I calculated when I found out I was pregnant and not the one the ultrasound tried to tell me. The ultrasound dated this baby around 2 weeks ago.

Obviously he has yet to grace us with his presence. But I know that some babies need longer cooking times then other babies, I will let him finish cooking, trusting that he will enter the world how and when he should.

Of course this means that I am still uncomfortable, have ridiculous heartburn, and can often barely walk.... but having a safe, natural delivery- even if it means waddling around another week is preferable to the alternatives.

And yes, I have had contractions nearly every night for a month- but obviously that means nothing in and of it's self. The contractions are now stronger and crampier.... but they have yet to produce a baby.

And I also found out a few scary statistics about our local hospital.... the one I have planned as a "back up" should something go less then perfect. The c-section rate there is 57%. OUCH

That means that 57% of those who deliver there end up with 6 weeks of not being allowed to lift anything other then their babies and not being able to return to full activities for at least 6 weeks, and then could even have some post partum issues because of the lack of baby having hormones that help with attachments and breastfeeding. It also means that 57% of the woman who deliver there will most likely have to have another c-section if they want another baby.

A c-section with a first time mom might not be the end of the world- the only people you have to take care of then is you and baby. But a c- section for a mom of 6 is a death sentence for her house and near impossible to get enough rest to heal from properly.

And yet most c-sections in the US occur because we elect to have our babies when we want to. We don't want the inconvenience of waiting and cramping and waddling around until all known reasons to wait seem to evaporate into a pool of "I don't care how- just get this baby out!" feelings.

Over 50 % of attempted inductions end in a c- section. If you think about a 6 week recover vs waiting just a few more days until baby decides to come himself. It seems very short sighted of us to attempt to push the baby out early. But we Americans fear nothing more then inconvenience.