The overdue thread - Page 8

[mckittre]

lawmama - yay how exciting!  Good luck!  I think you had the same due date as me, so I hope I'm next!

I have to go in for an NST and BPP today.  Which I was hoping not to make it to, but oh well.  If they accidentally ruin the surprise about my baby's gender at the ultrasound, like last time I was pregnant, I'm going to hit someone. 

I had exactly 1 painful contraction last night.  Which now I'm starting to doubt I even felt, since I haven't had any more of them.  Really I feel like the 42 week "deadline" is much more stressful than just waiting for the baby to come.  This morning I woke up to think "oh no, only 4 days left", as if I'm some sort of ticking time bomb.  I hate feeling like that.  I think, despite losing the tax deduction and having to be a bit forceful with the midwives, I'm going to skip scheduling any induction this week if the tests look good.

I'm trying to be encouraged rather than discouraged that everyone else with a due date earlier than me has dropped out of this thread already.  And that no one seems to have needed induction just for being late, and all babies are OK. 

Natalya - I don't know why nipple stimulation would stop working.  I know it doesn't work for me either, but it didn't work in the first place (I suspect my nursing toddler accustomed my uterus to that a long time ago). 

[northcountrymamma]

Some helpful links I discovered...hopefully they may bring help to some of my fellow pastdue mammas!

http://www.empoweredchildbirth.com/articles/birth/whatifs/induction.html

http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/natinduc.html

http://www.moondragon.org/mdbsguidelines/postdt.html

http://pipermartin.wordpress.com/category/homeopathy-and-induction-of-labour/

I won't look at using them until at least the end of this week. But am leaning towards some homeopathic remedies to try to assist if I'm still pregnant by Thursday (41wks). I am so darn restless.

lawmama...hope things continue for you, sounds really promising!!!!

[lawmama1984]

It is my water!!! I should be holding my baby in the next 48 hours! LML!!!!! He is not in an optimal position, so I am going to work on that. Cx have sort of petered out. Hoping they pick up once I get him locked and loaded! Thank you for all the support...I'll be back soon with pics and updates :)

[carolina~mom2be]

blah - feeling pretty hopeless today.... i REALLY want a baby before new years and I feel like i'm running out of time! Plus, my family is here to spend christmas with us and help out with the other kids and of course meet this new little one that hasn't even arrived....i think i'm going to work on not feeling so much "pressure" from everyone (i'm bringing it on myself) hubby and i are going to work on some "induction techniques" tonight while the family gets out of the house and stays in a nearby cabin with our kiddo's..... hopefully having my own space with just hubby and I will get things going! I REALLY HOPE SO AT LEAST! wishing all of you that are left a short wait and easy labor vibes! this is my third time being overdue so i know that the baby will eventually come - but it still gets sooo mentally hard at the end!!!!! 

[mckittre]

carolina:  That's just how I felt yesterday!  Today I feel much more at peace with it all.  If this baby wants to come next year, it can come next year (despite losing the tax deduction).  Baby and I won't suddenly explode at 42 weeks, and once I have a baby, the memory of waiting for him/her will fade quickly. 

[sarahn4639]

Melek, I hope you have a baby in your arms and your HBAC was amazing!!!! 

I am not in a good place today.  I have had a couple nights of prodromal labor, we even filled the pool 2 nights ago before it stopped, soooo frustrating!!  I made DH take the week off because I just can't function on my own with the other kids right now.  I'm feeling guilty that DH's time off is being spent without having his baby.  Today is my birthday.  I wanted to be done having kids at 30, I'm 31 today, it's silly, it's completely silly, but I was not happy to wake up pregnant this morning.  I would love to share a birthday with this baby.  However, I can't picture a day labor, I'm working on that!  Also, I had bloody show the other night when we filled the pool, that's pretty serious, and then nothing, sooo frustrating.  Last night I was was woken by really painful back contractions every 30 or so and they are randomly continuing today as well.  I just went to the bathroom and I have a little bit of show again.  I'm trying to be happy and positive and I'm blessed with supportive friends and family that aren't pressuring me, but man.  This sucks.  I'm 41w 1d.  Much more pregnant than I've ever been.  It's odd that that's happening to several of us this time! 

I hope there have been more babies born and less mamas on this thread, but I have to admit that it is very comforting to me to have you all to commiserate with! 

[carolina~mom2be]

big hugs to you Sarah.... I'm feeling much more at peace today - (pregnancy is such a roller coaster of emotions) starting to have some contractions that actually FEEL like something might happen soon.... we shall see :) I don't want to get my hopes up too much only to be let down again (negative thoughts I know) so instead, right this second, I am going to manifest that TODAY is the DAY! Your birthday and our babies birthdays!!!! :) Easy Labor Vibes your way and lots of labor dust stirring around... this thread needs it!!! :)

The end is near - for all of us :) We will all meet our little one's SOON!!!!

[sarahn4639]

Thanks Lee Ann!  It *is* a good day to have a baby!  :)  I think I might go hang with some friends this morning and try to get a change in my attitude too.  Best wishes that we all birth soon!

[mckittre]

Happy Birthday Sarah!  Even if it doesn't feel like a happy one right now.  I'm sorry to see you still here, false alarms like that must be so frustrating!  (I get my hopes up every evening too, but not for any good reason).

41+4 today.  My dad's birthday is tomorrow, maybe baby wants to share with grandpa.  Really, I guess I'll just see what happens.  My NST and ultrasound were perfect yesterday, and I'm feeling well prepared to go in and argue against scheduling an induction at my appointment today.  It's almost like I've given up on trying to ask baby to come when I want, and am focusing on sticking up for baby's right to come when he/she wants.

[northcountrymamma]

Sarah, I hope you have had a wonderful birthday and have found peace in the waiting game that we can all empathize with!

I am practicing some more meditation these days than I typically do and finding peace in my own process of waiting. I am finding gratitude that after a baby (dd) who was made to come when she wasn't ready with natural induction due to a low platelet count, that this time the baby has the freedom to choose it's birth day. Letting go...it's what it is all about. Letting go of attachments, of preconceived notions and of fear. I am not afraid, I am prepared but not anxious and I am grateful for the joy I experience each time I feel a little heel sticking out or a kick or even a stronger surge...my body is preparing for a peaceful, intuitive birth surrounded by love and support. 

Perhaps these mantras may help some of you as well...

This thread is helpful to me in so many ways...knowing that I am not alone in waiting to meet my little love, it's ever so helpful. Many thanks to you all. 

[sarahn4639]

Thank you all so much, this thread has really helped me through the last week!  (((hugs)))  Well this was the crappiest birthday ever.  I had a nice morning with good friends and then my parents came and took my kids for an afternoon of fun.  So that's the good stuff, but while they were gone, I labored for hours, really strong, 2-3 min apart, down low, labor.  I had DH fill the pool (again) and I walked a lot to keep things moving.  It was getting really serious and I really wanted in the water so I got in and it all stopped.  I had 2 weak contractions and nothing.  I got out and had a major meltdown.   I cried and cried and felt sorry for myself and cried some more and laid in the dark and mourned.  Then I started contracting again, I got up and had a lot of bloody show and kept contracting randomly but strongly.  My mom offered to stay but I sent her home because I've kind of just given up hope that this baby is ever coming out.  This is so unlike me.  I am a patient person, I know babies come when they are ready and my body knows what to do and how to do it.  But, man, this labor-stop-labor-stop is really messing with me.  I honestly won't believe it's real until I'm pushing so I'll probably end up with an unassisted birth because I'll call my MW too late.  But seriously, I was in super active *real* labor today, what the hell?  I'm still holding onto a thread of hope that the baby will be born in the next 3 hours and we can share a birthday.  Grrr, sorry to be so self centered and depressing!

NCM, thank you, I'm working on mantras as well and they do help me for the most part! 

mckitter, I *love* that you are sticking up for your baby!!!  Go mama go!!!  I hope your baby comes soon!!

[northcountrymamma]

blessings to you sarah...I hope your next post has great news to inspire the rest of us onward!  I can only imagine how difficult all that would be...it sounds frustrating to say the least. 

[mckittre]

northcountry - I don't exactly meditate, but have been trying to go about my daily walks with some of those same sorts of thoughts.

sarah - sorry things keep start/stopping for you!  I can't imagine how hard that must be, and this thread is absolutely the place where it's fine to come and be depressed about it.

I had a good appointment with my midwives today, and was surprised that they didn't really pressure me about induction at all.  Basically all they said was that our recommendation is 42 weeks, but if you're well informed, and baby looks good, we're comfortable with whatever you want to do.  It's such a relief not to feel like I have an "expiration date".  I realize that that countdown to the magic 42 number is a lot of what was making me so stressed, and I feel better waiting now.  Even if I don't end up having a baby this year and miss out on the tax break.  :) 

Perhaps this is all to teach me a little humility to think I can know what to expect this time around based on the kid I already have.  This one is not the same person as his/her brother.  Why should I assume this baby needs the same time to cook?

[mckittre]

I didn't really want the honor of making it to be the most overdue mom left in the month.  Yay for me!  No one's pregnant forever, right?

[carolina~mom2be]

mckittre, you're next! I feel it!!! Perhaps you and your SO can do the deed... have a relaxing night alone.... followed by watching some amazing birth video's on youtube.....that's what it took to get things going for me. I fell asleep content and woke up with contractions. Do something that you enjoy to get your mind off of it and the baby will come soon after :) 

[lawmama1984]

Hi everyone! I literally just walked in the door from the hospital. So sorry I have not been able to update. My HBAC ended up being a really positive, beautiful, empowering CBAC (even under general anesthesia!). I am working on my birth story now and will post it as soon as it is finished. I was able to labor at home for 2 days and I made it to 10 cm with a little lip and got baby to a zero station all on my own. The actual hospital experience was wonderful as well. I am really surprised with how happy I am about my whole labor and delivery....I am on a cloud 9 birth high. The baby was born on the 28th at 7:04 PM, 10lb 8oz, 22 in with a 15 in head!! He looks JUST like his big brother when he was born :) Breastfeeding has been a breeze, which is also a huge blessing. I am loving life right now

Mckittre, how are you? You have been in my thoughts. I wish I could have had a laptop at the hospital because I was thinking of you.

Sarah, I hope you are snuggling your sweet baby right now!

NCM and Carolina, how are you 2 holding up?

[CSS]

I've been trying to follow along as well.  Lawmama-I'm so glad to hear you had a positive birth.  What a head!  I'm hoping for lots of babies today!

[northcountrymamma]

Congratulations lawmama on a positive birth experience and the arrival of your little boy!

I'm still hanging in here, thought I've been in labour a few times only to have it fizzle out. Last night was the most discouraging as I couldn't sleep through the contractions and i really really felt it was for sure. However, I'm trying to keep positive through lots of meditation and other means of relaxing. (though I don't think playing on my new iphone counts as relaxing but I can't seem to put the darn thing down). 

mckittre, hoping that you are birthing a baby right now!!

I seem to be the only other overdue mamma left....?  DP things I should stop coming to the site because it might be frustrating me to see mamma's birth their babies while I'm still not holding mine.  Alas...I find it encouraging for sure to read all these wonderful birth stories!  I keep dreaming of a super speedy birth too because of all the crazy fast births here!

[carolina~mom2be]

NCM - you aren't the only one - this I can assure you :) Perhaps you are laboring away as I type!! Lots of labor dust for you - and just think... you'll have a 2011 baby! That's the new body style ;)

[starshine1001]

I'm still here, too...still here...  *sigh*  ;)