What should be an exciting time...

[Simonsez2u]

has turned into one of pressure and stress.  My doctor will not allow me to go over 41 weeks because I am a VBAC and he is not "comfortable."  I believe it is because he is afraid the baby will get to big, over eight pounds if out of his comfort zone which is ridiculous. I'm 39 wks +5 days and no signs of anything happening in the labor department.  I have an appointment next Wednesday and I know that he is going to want me to schedule a c-section if nothing has happened.  At my last appointment my cervix was still high, tight, and not even 1 cm dilated.  My son was 41 wks 4 days when he was born.

I'm just so upset and stressed.  I keep begging baby to come.  I've been living on my birthing ball to try and get the LO to move down, I'm taking EPO orally, walking, and praying.  My DH and I plan to go into the appointment Wednesday and refuse to schedule a c-section but then that brings along with it a whole new set of worries.  I've read conflicting information about his ability to drop me as a patient some say yes he can others no. I'm concerned about this because what I would like to happen is I get to 41 weeks, run test to ensure baby is healthy and then wait some more if everything is okay.  I'm comfortable with going to 42 weeks, after that well I might get nervous.  My other option is to refuse the c-section, have him drop me as a patient, and go to the hospital in labor and deal with whatever doctor is on call but then I ask myself "is a hostile environment something you really want to deal with in labor?"

It's messed up and I am angry that this joyous time has been reduced to this...really angry.  I guess we will see how the appointment goes. Hopefully I won't make till then.  I just wanted to vent.  The thought of undergoing another c-section for no good reason as all has just consumed me and I feel sad.

[c'est moi]

1. i'm so sorry.

2. i'd post this in the vbac forum.

3. i'd cross the bridge when you get there and have loose plans to just negotiate when you get there.

4. i advocate not stressing because you never know if the baby is going to come before 41 weeks anyhow.

5. if you get your 41 week appt, he can't strap you down and force you to have a c-section. you can say, "before we schedule, i want to have an NST to check on the baby. then can we talk based on the results?"

6. i think i'd rather try my chances with a hostile environment than surrender to a c-section. your chances are better for a vaginal birth with the first scenario than the latter.

7. i've also heard of people scheduling just to get the OB off their back and then not showing up or calling in sick the day of.

HUGS!

[lillymonster]

Originally Posted by Simonsez2u 

has turned into one of pressure and stress.  My doctor will not allow me to go over 41 weeks because I am a VBAC and he is not "comfortable."  I believe it is because he is afraid the baby will get to big, over eight pounds if out of his comfort zone which is ridiculous. I'm 39 wks +5 days and no signs of anything happening in the labor department.  I have an appointment next Wednesday and I know that he is going to want me to schedule a c-section if nothing has happened.  At my last appointment my cervix was still high, tight, and not even 1 cm dilated.  My son was 41 wks 4 days when he was born.

I'm just so upset and stressed.  I keep begging baby to come.  I've been living on my birthing ball to try and get the LO to move down, I'm taking EPO orally, walking, and praying.  My DH and I plan to go into the appointment Wednesday and refuse to schedule a c-section but then that brings along with it a whole new set of worries.  I've read conflicting information about his ability to drop me as a patient some say yes he can others no. I'm concerned about this because what I would like to happen is I get to 41 weeks, run test to ensure baby is healthy and then wait some more if everything is okay.  I'm comfortable with going to 42 weeks, after that well I might get nervous.  My other option is to refuse the c-section, have him drop me as a patient, and go to the hospital in labor and deal with whatever doctor is on call but then I ask myself "is a hostile environment something you really want to deal with in labor?"

It's messed up and I am angry that this joyous time has been reduced to this...really angry.  I guess we will see how the appointment goes. Hopefully I won't make till then.  I just wanted to vent.  The thought of undergoing another c-section for no good reason as all has just consumed me and I feel sad.

He can't drop you unless there is specific state law that I am not aware of, but I went through this because I was planning on vbac too. They must give you 30 days to find a new provider or find one for you - he can't drop you, that is patient abandonment and if he does, you can report him to the medical board, even if you are doing things AMA.

You can also schedule and not show up  - say there was an illness in the family.

I ended up going into labor 39 weeks 1 day, I had no signs before then, I just started contracting on and off one day and then 24 hours labor I was 5 minutes apart. Really out of the blue, I went from like 4 to 9 centimeters in the matter of 2 hours or something crazy like that. My first was "overdue" and I was induced at 40 w 5 days.

Again I would also try vbac in the hostile environment, things could go fast, like with me, at the point I was when I got there, they really wanted me to continue with no drugs since things were going so fast, and I made it to 9 centimeters drug free. My first labor was 18 hours, my second was like 3 before I started pushing. I left my first midwife practice because they wanted to schedule me at 40 weeks for a section and I went into labor 6 days before then!  You never know what will happen, and I would try not to stress about it.

[NaturalMama311]

Sorry you're having to deal with this:(  I would schedule the c/s just to get the doc off your back and then cancel at the last minute for a family emergency or something.  I would also ask for the NST to measure the baby and base your decision off of that. 

Maybe you can also negotiate with your doc to induce at a certain point instead of going straight to a c/s?  I was also a VBAC and my midwife didn't want me to go past 41 weeks, at that point they wanted to induce me - a c-section was the last resort./worst case scenario.  Maybe you can compromise and agree to be induced at a certain point to avoid the c/s.  FWIW, I had to be induced and still had my VBAC and a natural birth!

[soccerchic21]

So so sorry! My providers were going to let me go to 42 weeks which is pretty common. If your NST is A-ok maybe they will change their mind? I was also asked to schedule my cesarean at 42 weeks just so everything could be ready. This was brought up at my 35 week appt. When the scheduler called the house I never answered the phone. I am not sure why but they never did call back and my midwife never asked if I scheduled. Thankfully I didn't need the appt. 

So so so so so many babies are born right after the 41 week mark naturally. I would hate to schedule a cesarean when your body is so close to being ready. 

I agree with previous posters. You don't have to schedule and if he drops you it is better to just walk into the hospital in labor. Just make sure you have a solid support system around you  be it your partner, doula, strong friends and family. Those people can speak for you while you are in labor.