42 wks tomorrow & no dilation - SO frustrated! - Page 2

[c'est moi]

i wish i had had the sense to come on here and post my situation when i was in a similar with my daughter. you've received some great advice, so for now i just want to send out some hugs and best wishes and positive vibes. hopefully you're MIA birthing your baby !

[terra-pip]

Same here...hoping all is well with you. I feel your inpatience. I was 7 days late with my first and the day I bought some evening primrose I went into labor without ever opening it. My second was 12 days past due and I can atest that worry about your birth can possibly stall it. My MW was out of town and I was going to deliver with the OB I chose in case of that...and never having had a birth in a hospital or with an OB before I was a little worried. But he was real nice about letting me go 42 weeks and I remember my last meeting with him he said "lets schedule an induction for the following Monday." I just didn't do it...I remember telling my husband that I felt if I scheduled it then it would happen so I wasn't even going to do it. I took castor oil that day, I told the OB I was going to try it, he said it couldn't hurt. I drank 2 tablespoons in OJ and another about 6 hours later. I know that any more than that and you could have some of the nastier side effects people talk about. I didn't feel bad with it at all. I woke up very gas crampy at bedtime and TMI: had a large BM, and then I was in labor the rest of the night and into the morning. I was 7cm when I got to the hospital and my son was born natural and pain med free about 4 hours later.

I have heard that castor oil will work better if you are really late...past 7 days or so.

Hope that things are moving along with you.

[Mama2Kayla]

This was the exact same situation I was in with my first. 42 weeks and nothing going on. I honestly thought I would be pregnant forever. The OB was pushing for a scheduled section since he thought any induction would fail, but my CNM agreed to try inducing. Even though I wasn't dialated, my body took to the pitocin right away and it was hell! My dd was born 11 hrs later, cord around the neck, bad apgars and bruising on her cheeks and face. She had such a hard time waking up the next few days and I really believe it was due to the rough pit. contractions.

Anyway, with #2 I waited to go into labor. He was born at almost 43 weeks and had no problems. Don't let them talk you into an induction. As long as your baby is fine, you can wait. I wish i had known this with my first

[MommatoAandA]

Not pregnant at all but wanted to stop by and encourage you, hopefully you have had your LO already, but with DD2, I went into labor and contracted for 7 days pretty steadily at 15-20 minutes apart being the farthest apart they got in seven days (there were days they were 4-5 minutes apart). About 3 days in of these contractions, I had bloody show and decided to attempt labor and delivery (my midwife was out of town). So I get there and they tell me I am a tight 1 CM and hard, I WAS P*SSED. My midwife came home a day later, visited me, checked me and I dialated another cm while she checked. That was Sat, baby was in my arms Tues at 1:54 AM. Sometimes labor is slow, sometimes your effacing rather than dialating or contractions are warming baby up. But hysteria or stress will create the fight or flight response in a laboring mammal, causing the secretion of adrenaline, telling your body "this isn't a good time" and stopping even true labor. So have that wine, take that bath, and breathe. ((HUGS))

[megviolet]

You're doing great mama! Just need to relax and let go. All the 'false' stuff happening is doing a lot of work! You're blessed to have an OB who isn't trying to scare you into an induction, that's wonderful!

My daughter was born at 3 weeks 'overdue'. Getting a very aggressive and painful membrane sweep&stretch at 21 days overdue put me into instant labour. It sucked, but better than pitocin... i had that too... after about 30 hours because i didn't eat or drink and my uterus was exhausted (eat and drink during labour!)

I'm now 4 days 'overdue' with my 2nd Some of us just gestate longer.

You've got lots of time before your induction, and i certainly wouldn't bump up your induction day... there is a reason why the baby isn't coming out yet, and forcing it can open a nasty can of worms.

Relax. Have a warm bath and visualize your cervix opening and baby pushing through. Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream.

You're in my prayers, best wishes! I'll watch for an update

[megviolet]

I wanted to add, until 20 days over my EDD, i wasn't dilated at all. High, firm, couldn't even sweep my membranes. Then a baby the next day. Cervical changes aren't a predictable measure of when labour will start

[Surfacing]

Just wondering how you're doing now, Mama.

[Terrilein]

Just wanted to add my own anecdotal story: On the day I went into labor my OB/Gyn checked me and I wasn't effaced at all, cervix was hard and closed tight. I had my baby two days later. So it just doesn't mean anything at all! Hang in there and relax!