Kicking Is Contracting

Had a very-late-pregnancy checkup today. In fact, it's my due date. They put a heart monitor on me for half an hour which revealed that what I've been thinking are kicks are actually contractions. Just painless ones. The ultrasound showed the baby active and in place, which is good. I am really counting on a natural childbirth this time. The doctor wanted to do an internal examination but I wouldn't let her. I didn't see any point. If I'm not painfully contracting and we saw on the ultrasound that things are hunky-dory then I'm going to wait them out. The Dr. (who was very nice and didn't try to pressure me but did spend a few minutes trying to convince me) said that if I am already five centimeters dilated then they'll just keep me there (my checkup was at the hospital) and I'd have the baby. This makes no sense to me. While it's possible that I could be dialated already and without any pain whatsoever, it's really really unlikely. There is no way I'm going to give myself over to the hospital and submit to all kinds of exams and poking and prodding until I absolutely have to. Besides, my plan is to give birth in another hospital altogether.

A friend of mine was due the same time as me. She went into labor late last week in the same hospital. She ended up with a C-section. She progressed nicely to 6cm and then stopped. The baby never descended. I stopped by to see her today while I was there. She's looking good-- it's a few days later-- and she says the baby's fine. I didn't see him. C-section is one of my nightmares, but I guess in many cases it's necessary.