New to the board at 40 + week

[babygro]

Hi everyone,

I am new here to this board, but I have been visiting the mothering.com website for a while. I am looking for a little bit of support in these last (well I hope last!) days of pregnancy and then in the postpartum period.

I was due on Sunday the 11th, so I am now 40 weeks and 4 days. While I was feeling OK about going beyond the due date and I generally feel good, I am starting to feel a lot of pressure. Today I met with my midwife and we discussed induction possibly at the end of next week. In the meantime I am getting constant antenatal testing to make sure everything is ok and if anything looks off, I could be sent to induction any day. I really hope I can avoid an induction and go into labor naturally and have a natural labor, but it seems difficult to avoid when you go past your due date, so I am feeling a little bummed.

Anyone else in the same boat?

[Therese's Mommy]

I am at 40+1 right now. With my first I was induced at 40wks, so I have no idea how long that pregnancy would have lasted and with my second I was induced at 42 weeks. One thing that many women do not know is that normal pregnancy lasts between 38 and 42 weeks. A woman is not considered "overdue" until she crosses that 42 week threshold. I would not allow an induction before 42 weeks simply for "lateness". Of course, medical situations can arise, but I am talking about the case where everything is normal, but you are told "it is time to get this baby out".

I was in the hospital with my first 2 and was not happy with those experiences. This time I am hbing with a mw. At my appt this week we discussed what would be happening if I went to 42 weeks (which honestly I fully expect to do). She would like me to get an u/s to check fluid levels and we would discuss a possible membrane strip, but in the end I make the final decision. I am cool with going for the u/s but not so sure about the membrane strip as I had them stripped 3 times with my second and aside from a lot of cramping and discomfort nothing happened. Even the morning I went in for my induction the OB stripped my membranes in the hopes that I would start labor on my own. I contracted a lot and cramped a lot...but then everything petered out.

I would take this time to do a lot of reading and make sure that you go in totally informed. Good luck!

Beth

[fyrebloom]

Welcome to the board! I was due the 11th too and I'm still waiting, although I'm UCing so there's no inductions here. Def look long and hard at whether you want to induce. Inductions fail 40% of the time and result in c-sections and there's nothing wrong with going to 42 weeks. In fact even ACOG states that term is from 38-42 weeks and you are not overdue until you hit the 42 week mark. There are lots of risks besides C-section so do your research 100%, don't make any quick decisions, get every "reason" down in writing and quantitate it before you consent. You never have to consent to any procedure and if you don't want to induce and there's not medical reason to don't do it! As long as you've had a healthy pregnancy and don't develop Pre-E or something there is not alot of risk associated with going past 40 weeks. My first was by induction and I lucked out with a vaginal birth, but that was about all. He was 41.5 weeks and just fine, if I had waited he's have also been just fine and we wouldn't have been subjected to the cascade of interventions that landed him in the NICU. Don't let them take your power from you, listen to your heart and YOU stay in charge. Always remember they work for you and you decide how this is going to go. It's your body, your baby and your birth.

[firewoman]

Better late than never!!! Congratulations on your pregnancy and impending birth.


I went 5 days past my due date this time. My midwives had me begin taking the homeopathics Cimicifuga Racemosa and Caulophyllum Thalictroides at the strength of 30C. I was to take 2 tablets of each 4 times a day for three days and then take a day off and start again if the baby hadn't been born yet. I agree with Fyrebloom. They can't FORCE you to be induced and it is silly to say that a woman that goes to 41 weeks needs to be. Stand your ground and try and stay calm and relaxed. Baby will come. I promise!

[Spiralshell]

Welcome aboard!

[StephM76]

Welcome! Well I would definitely try all of the natural induction methods before I'd do a medical induction. Have you thought about castor oil?

[babygro]

Thanks everyone, that is very encouraging. I am going to stay positive and continue my natural methods of induction (walking, acupuncture, sex, etc.) and if I am faced with an induction, I think I will try castor oil to see if I can't get things going on my own. I do have protein in my urine, which is why I am getting so much testing, but I don't have any of the other symptoms of pre-e, so far.