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[Snapdragon]

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[HisBeautifulWife]

I have stories, but they aren't my own so I don't know how helpful that is.

However, I did come across this today.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...797153,00.html

[emnic77]

I'm not a UCer (homebirther and lurk a lot) but saw this and had to reply...since you wanted late babies and good outcome stories

My daughter was 41 weeks and 3 days, not quite as long as you are but close enough. She was a big girl, 10lbs 4 oz and about 2 feet long, but her dad's side of the family tends to have large babies. She had meconoium in her water but I think that was largely due to the interventions I took to induce labor (a "vigorous" sweep & stretch by my OB, AROM, and epidural and a cohosh concoction I took myself when my OB was threatening induction) and not by her overdue status.

My son was 41 weeks and 1 day. He was quick and easy, 7lbs 7oz, a calm and completely uneventful birth. He still had a lot of vernix covering him as well.

Given my past births, I can accept that my body needs to cook babies past 41 weeks. Knowing that, I would not be concerned going up to 42 weeks at all, personally, and since my homebirth midwife knows my history and accepts this as well, I know I'll be much more relaxed if/when I head into the 41st week since I won't have the threat of induction looming over my head.

[AutumnAir]

I'm not a UCer (yet anyway!) but there's this thread over in the homebirth forum that might ease your mind a little.

FWIW my DD was born at 43+1 weeks, my mom was induced at 42 weeks with both me and my brother (so she would obviously have gone a bit longer) and my gran had a VBAC at 46(!!) weeks. All perfectly healthy babies. Some women do just gestate for longer.

You can also check out a site called something like 10 month mamas for reassuring stories about mamas who've gone 'post-dates' - some are UCs too.

I know how stressful the last stretch can be, but hang in there. No one stays pregnant forever (even though you probably doubt that right now!!)

[Snapdragon]

Thanks for the responses! I think I want to double post this in another section- not sure if it should be pregnancy or birth- maybe pregnancy.

[*EarthMama*]

Well, I wasn't a UCer with my last pregnancy (planning our first UC ) but I was planning a homebirth with a midwife. I went to 42w3d and I would have gone longer if baby had noy come naturally that day. I did do a non-stress test at 42 weeks to appease my midwife and confirm everything was good with baby (which I knew intuitively all along). I really believe that baby will come when ready and sometimes that can be a little before 38 weeks or after 42 weeks. It is really case by case. I had a beautiful labor and baby came out happy and healthy. His placenta had a few calcifications on it when it came out but it was in otherwise perfect condition. Hope that helps!

[emnic77]

Originally Posted by AutumnAir

my gran had a VBAC at 46(!!) weeks.

This was like my brother in law (my sister's husband). His mom says she went to 48 weeks, and that when he was born he was wrinkled and dry but perfectly healthy, as was the placenta.
Personally, I wonder if her dates were off but she seems pretty sure when we've talked about it!

[MiaMama]

I found the general thread about this outside of the UC board, and moved my response there.

The summary was that even the studies say that you are not "overdue" until AFTER 42, and that up to 43 is still pretty safe.

[bobandjess99]

I'd go to 42.5 without being concerned, as long as i didn;t feel concerned. So, another full week for you. I'd get antsy after 43, to be honest, that's when the outcomes start to decrease significantly. But teh odds are, you'll nevetr have to deal with that. the odds of your babe coming in the next week are significant!

[TopHat]

I'm a UCer. I UCed with my first and labor started at 42 weeks 5 days. My daughter was born at 43 weeks (it was a long labor). She was only 8 pounds, 7 ounces at birth, so she wasn't huge or anything despite her dates. No breathing problems, a little vernix on her and my placenta was whole and in one piece without any signs of calcification.

Those dates are based on my ovulation- I was charting and I know they are accurate.

I figured it was my first, my baby was still moving and the heartbeat was strong, so there were no worries. My husband didn't worry at all as I was going "over." It was just everyone else.... So this time I'm using a due season instead of date. I'm due in the summer. If it hits the fall equinox, I'm overdue.

[bender]

My son was born 41w, 5d at 8lb, 7oz and 22 inches long. I had a hospital birth, but my son was 'late'. I went into labor naturally, but stalled out at about 6cm. My doula, husband, and I tried everything to get it moving again, but we opted for pitocin because my membranes had ruptured and there was meconium in the fluid. I was also worried about the baby's health as well as being too exhausted to push and be part of the birth. I still ended up having him naturally, even with the pitocin.

Before the birth, I did 3 non-stress tests, and he did fine. At the end, I started having signs of preeclampsia, which is another reason I used pitocin. I wanted minimal interventions, but I also wanted to have a healthy baby, so what I did worked for me.

Good luck with the waiting game. The end result is worth it.

[Snapdragon]

I am feeling calmer about this today than I was yesterday. I spoke with the midwife's assistant and she said they can even see up to 43 weeks be fine in a healthy well nourished mom.I am healthy and well nourished and I still feel just fine and baby is still moving.

If the baby goes 5 days longer (which is not really what I Want- but it would just be weird!) he or she will be born on My Birthday! That would just be so weird and precise.

Anyway- I am going to just enjoy myself today and try not to worry.

[jessica_anne010]

If it makes you feel better I was born at 44ish weeks according to my mother in 1971. :-) My longest pregnancy so far was 42 weeks. Can't wait to see what this one does. lol

[MrsPil]

My mother went to 44 weeks with myself and both of my sisters. With my DD I was at least 44 weeks - she came out cracked with cracked heels, an aged cord, and not a spot of vernix left on her but perfectly healthy. My sister had both of her daughters at 43 weeks + some days, again both were perfectly healthy. It's just a matter of genetics for us - we like to cook our babies to crispy-crunchy perfection!

There are some tips on Birthlove's Ten Month Mama page, but as long as I had good heart tones (assuming you have a fetoscope) and movement I would be comfortable maintaining pregnancy rather than inducing.

[Snapdragon]

anyone else not get a NST at 42 weeks?

[aramat]

I know someone who, back in the early 70s/late 60s, gave birth to a healthy baby boy @ 46 weeks.

[MrsPil]

Originally Posted by Katie34

anyone else not get a NST at 42 weeks?

By 28 weeks I was UPing so I did not have any sort of formal testing, just what I could do myself.

[guest8990]

i am having my first baby, and my first UC ... i was due march 1st. i measure 43 weeks. the thing about UC is faith, i am having issues with trusting my body all of a sudden, lol. i only *sometimes* test positive on a pregnancy test. and i have not had a medical proffessional oversee any part of my pregnancy. we know there is a baby int here, we know because we have a hearbeat and movement and random feet stretching waaaaayyy out im 1 1/2 dialated and 75-80 % effaced, i just keep thinking, what if we arent pregnant? what if im crazy, lol. however, we feel 44 weeks is acceptable, and if we manage to go past that date, then we will look into herbally inducing. i have to *shamefully* admit we have tried all the home remedies. my husband leaves for a week at a time, 2 1/2 hrs from our home, without traffic.. so i get a little antsy, lol. im okay with waiting. and when and if 44 weeks come, i will probably keep waiting thats just what we tell the family members all freaking out that we arent going and getting induced, lol

[Snapdragon]

totally- requires faith. See my update in Feb ddc.
Trying to be fine as nothing is really wrong if I just don't let others in too much. and keep believing in myself.

[Snapdragon]

adbayer I know how you feel! We haven't told our families that we are sort of doing UC. I almost feel like what we are doing is turning out harder than UC as now I am dodging this horrible energy from these midwives we were going to use for "back up". I have just told mine and dh's moms that the midwives are treating me badly but I didn't want to say- but we will probably do UC anyway.
42 weeks +1 day- bloody show yesterday, light contractions. Ready to give birth. Friends and family starting to have fear for us. And I know what you mean about the self doubt! Woke up covered in it today- like- am I dumb for not getting the NST? which I don't want in any way- ooo- contraction happening right now!
ahh, faith- in this world of fear coming at us from all angles. It takes a truckload of faith to get by- isn't that a song?