last appointment?

here's hoping! I have my 38 week checkup today, and a few questions to ask. I'm going to ask if, given the enormous amount the baby grew in the 2 weeks between my last 2 ultrasounds, I should expect that he's growing 1lb per week, and be suitably horrified. To go with that, will I be monitored any further, and is it possible that this baby will get to big to be delivered au naturel? This is all horrifying, I have to say. I don't want to be induced, because it makes for harder labour. I'm going to ask about the epidural, because apparently there's like, the one guy in the hospital who does them, and you have to give them lots of notice if you want one. Well, I don't know if I do yet, and I don't really feel I can make a decision right now. Maybe I could just say yes I do, and then tell him to go away when he arrives? Who knows. They also apparently give you a shot of something to *increase* your contractions immediately after the baby is born, to help deliver the placenta. Now, my understanding is that this particular part of labour is not in any way difficult for 95% of women. This drug causes you to have contractions for 2-3 hours, which, since you're done with the whole delivery part, sounds really awful. I'm going to find out about that and how to not get it. Doesn't seem right that they can just administer drugs without your fully informed consent anyway, really. I took bioethics, I know about patient rights. They also have a habit of just doing an episiotomy without asking. I'm more than a little apprehensive about delivering here, and all this new news is not helping. This is a strange place we've wandered in to.