Anyone else go super late?

[motomama]

This is my 3rd pregnancy other 2 were a week and more late but delivered with no complications. This one is over 2 weeks late I've had tons of prodromal labor. My midwife says everything is fine. I've tried lots of stuff-accupuncture, herbs, homeopathic, sex, nipple stim etc. I feel like I'm losing my mind and I'm going to be pregnant forever. Any advice??????

[mamatogirls]

I went to 42 1/2 weeks but my daughter was malpositioned. I learned it too late and ended up having a repeat c-section b/c she wasn't doing well at that point. Every time my midwife checked babys position they said she was LOA or ROA but I had a ton of back labor and nerve problems. Baby was trying to get in a better position but her head was stuck in a weird way. I would check our spinningbabies.com is you think that may be the reason. Good luck.

[Vaske]

My first baby went to 42 weeks, 3 days, with a lot of miserable pre-labor, on top of the general misery of being a month more pregnant than many moms go. But when labor finally started, everything went fast, smooth, and easy. My body had done a lot of the work before I went into "official" labor, and waiting until the baby was ready was the best thing for her.

My advice is to take especially good care of yourself, and delegate as much as you can to others.

[motomama]

It's nice to know I'm not the only one, My midwife keeps saying the same thing- that my body is doing a lot of the early labor work- I actually feel great and and have been sleeping good my prodromal labor usually stops at night and I sleep. I am reading that spinning babies website- thank you!!
I believe this baby is in pretty good position-head down -back on my left side-feet on my right side. Midwife did suggest lots of pelvic tilts to have the baby face my back. I'm going to read more spinning babies.

[dannic]

I have a friend who goes three weeks over.(!) Her cycles are way off and so normal edd's don't work for her. She is petite (size three at the most) and has ten pounders and everything goes just fine!

[Mama2Kayla]

I went to 42 weeks and 6 days with my second. I tried all the usual stuff like walking, sex, castor oil, nipple stim.--nothing worked, he came when he was ready . I didn't even have too much pre-labor. Just a few contractions the day before. My
labor ended up being only 5-6 hrs and my ds weighed 9lbs. I totally think the birth was easier because I waited until my body was ready. I spent alot of time those last few weeks rocking on my hands and knees or over the birth ball to make sure baby was in a good position.
It can be tough to wait and I know how frustrating it can feel! I changed my voicemail message so it updated ppl calling that I was still pregnant. It was my first homebirth and friends and family called a million times a day to check on me--very annoying after a while!
Just relax and try to enjoy the last few days before the baby comes. Once he/she is here, you will be plenty busy .

[triscuitsmom]

Yep! I went to 43 weeks, 2 days with my first. He was almost nine pounds and perfect healthy and perfect in every way. He nursed like a prostar from the start and gained weight right away, never lost.

My second was born at 38 weeks, 1 day after spontaneous rupture of membranes. He was just under eight pounds, but had more difficulty with nursing, got really bad jaundiced, and was just so tired for the first few weeks. By the time he was a month old (so about when his brother was born) he was acting like a "normal" (since my reference was my first) newborn.

I'm due again in September and I'm hoping to go over rather than early. Makes for much more cooked and ready babies if that's how long it takes your body to cook.

Won't be long now Mama. Enjoy these last hours/days

[McMandy]

I also think going over makes for a much quicker birth and healthier baby.. most of the time, of course.

I was 41 1/2 weeks when our third child was born. I have friends who went over 42 weeks with no issues.

People make a big deal out of it now because so many people give birth earlier because of interventions (c-sections, inducing, membrane stripping.. etc). It has become "normal" even though it's not really.

Also, sometimes we think we have gone "way over", when in reality, our due dates may have been off. I know that, with my first two, they changed my due date because of what they saw on the ultrasound, but I felt it was still incorrect. Sometimes babies are bigger or smaller than "the norm" so this isn't always a good way of measuring gestational age.

For most of us, the longer we go in pregnancy, the lower and more "prepared" the baby is. I knew active labor wouldn't take long because I could tell the baby was headdown (and had been for a while) and was low- whereas, with my first two, when I went into labor, they were high up and there was much pushing to get them down. (Whew, that will wear a girl out!)

(I had my membranes stripped with my first two.)

[AutumnAir]

Yes, I went to 43+1 weeks with DD too. Turned out she was malpositioned (posterior and asynclitic) and that may have caused her to be later than she would otherwise have been, but at the same time she looked decently cooked to me. Some dry skin on her hands and feet but no other signs of being 'post-dates' and she was perfectly healthy.

If you suspect your LO might possibly be malpositioned I'd suggest looking into rebozo sifting to jiggle them into a better position. Otherwise, just hang in there - it's really hard to wait, but no one stays pregnant forever!

[MegBoz]

Originally Posted by triscuitsmom

Yep! I went to 43 weeks, 2 days with my first. He was almost nine pounds and perfect healthy and perfect in every way. He nursed like a prostar from the start and gained weight right away, never lost.

Yeah, I didn't go very late - 41W4D, but labor was pretty fast & easy - under 5 hours for 1st stage for a 1st-timer! Then 45 min to push him out (after waiting 30 min to get to the hospital while resisting the urge to push!)

He nursed WONDERFULLY & gained an entire pound the first week, another pound the 2nd week!

[gentlestrengths]

baby 1: 42 weeks exactly (I used castor oil)
baby 2: 41 weeks and 3 days (I did everything you can think of besides castor oil, RRL tea by the gallons, blue & black, herbal enemas, just everything, I did NOT want the castor oil this time!!)
baby 3: 41 weeks and 6 days (did castor oil 2x - midwife was in town just for me, and wanted the baby OUT before she left!!)
babgy 4: 43 weeks 4 days (determined to let things be "natural", but was DONE and took castor oil and promptly went into labor, she was 10 pounds, and i felt her bones scraping mine as she came out - I am not a small woman, at 5'9" tall, so i would never have thought 10 pounds was too big for me, but i honestly do not ever want another 10 pound baby.)

My others were 8 pounds, then 8 pounds 12 ounces, 8 pounds 5 ounces. So it isn't like any of them were tiny - but 10 pounds was a lot. It didn't hurt more, but it was tough to feel that bone-scraping-bone feeling as she came out, she FELT huge. I won't let myself go that far again. I think 41 or 42 weeks is my limit.

I have always had irregular cycles, and I think I do subscribe to the theory that cycles can correlate with gestational time.

I am pregnant with #5 right now, and my cycles were exactly 28 days for the first time in my life - for about 4 cycles before I got pregnant. So I am interested to see what happens this time.

[Mama2Kayla]

Originally Posted by gentlestrengths

I am pregnant with #5 right now, and my cycles were exactly 28 days for the first time in my life - for about 4 cycles before I got pregnant. So I am interested to see what happens this time.

I am on baby #3 and in the same situation. My cycles were always 34-36 days long with my other kids but when AF returned after my ds, my cycles have been exactly 28 days. I am exctied to see if this one comes out on time .

[Snapdragon]

I am currently 41 weeks and 2 days pregnant with my first baby.
the whole week thing is so annoying in my mind as I actually ovulate on CD23 and know exactly when I conceived- so I just added 38 weeks to my ovulation date to get in sync with the language of others.
So I am 41 wks+ 2days according to how it would be classified if I were to have a 4 week cycle and ovulate on CD14. so annoying, that whole thing!
anyway- I guess this is totally well within "normal" and safe range, right?

My midwife says yes but I am not so into my midwife anyway.
Anyway- all along I have been saying- the baby knows when to be born, I will relax and trust. So I am still trying to do that!
So is it true that up to "42 weeks" (put in quotes to get in sync with the language used) is totally safe and not any reason to worry?

Baby is still moving around tons and I feel just fine.

[heartandhands]

I went 42 wks 3 days with my first. I had a ton of prodromal labour. When I finally did go into labour (after trying literally everything to naturally start labour for 2 wks) it was insanely painful from the first cm of dilation. It was 28 h then 2.5 hrs of pushing. I cannot imagine how horrible of a failure an induction would have been! Clearly my body and baby were barely ready even at 17 days "overdue". My cycles were always dead on 28 days and I know for sure when I conceived. I think some of us just bake them longer.

[Snapdragon]

I am glad to be reading this thread again right now. 41 wks +3 days. Still feeling really good. It is good to hear some of the good stories on this thread.

[FillingMyQuiver]

My first child is the only one who came before 40wks, and I think it was b/c I had a UTI that my OB wouldn't treat me for. My babes all went like this:

DS1 (born in a hospital): 39w 4d, 7lbs 6oz, 16hrs of HARD labor (I was on pitocin for "failure to progress" after not dilating past 3cm for 6hrs)
DD1 (home water birth): 40w 4d, 8lbs 14oz, 10hrs of wonderful labor
DS2 (HWB): 41w 3d, 9lbs, 6hrs of easy labor
DD2 (HWB): 42w 2d, 9lbs, 2hrs of intense labor w/ a lot of back pain- when she presented, her head was turned w/ her nose to my right hip, but the rest of her came out straight

If I ever get pg again, I told my MW I pray I get to start over at 40w b/c I can't imagine going past 43w OR having a faster labor than 2hrs, my MW is 45min from me, she broke every possible speed limit to get to my last birth.

But for the most part, babies come when they're ready. I know I was very anxious w/ my 2nd pregnancy to have that baby, w/ my 3rd, I was very accepting, w/ my 4th I only became anxious the closer I got to 42w and after b/c my MW felt she should send me for a NST if I got to 43w (only b/c going that "late" wasn't normal for *me*) And I think that's what needs to be remembered, look at what's normal for YOU.

[*EarthMama*]

Oh I feel for you mama! I remember that feeling of going crazy waiting and wanting to try every homeopathic treatment or food that might "naturally" induce labor. In the end though my dd came when he was good and ready (at 42w3d). If you are concerned medically speaking you could always have a NST done just to ease concerns but really lots of mamas go post dates and have happy healthy babies. Maybe your babe just needs to cook a little longer and you need the extra time to yourself! Rest assured this pregnancy won't last forever and your sweet baby will be in your arms soon enough!

[mntnmom]

babe #4 went to 42wks. Easy 3 hr labor. And I'm now at 41wks 5days with #5. So I feel you pain! If you're feeling good about baby's movement I wouldn't worry. Though I do like that my midwife is coming by to check his heartbeat every couple days.

[Snapdragon]

Originally Posted by mntnmom

babe #4 went to 42wks. Easy 3 hr labor. And I'm now at 41wks 5days with #5. So I feel you pain! If you're feeling good about baby's movement I wouldn't worry. Though I do like that my midwife is coming by to check his heartbeat every couple days.

I am also at 41 weeks and 5 days! (with baby #1) And feeling tired!

[Snapdragon]

anyone else refuse the NST at 42 weeks?