Using Sphincter Law in your Favor?

[MegBoz]

I'm considering attending a 3-day course for work when I'll be 38W 2D along. It's a 1 hour 20 min drive from home (often 2 hours in rush hour - that awful DC traffic!)

I don't have to, and actually I think my boss would discourage it, but I'd like to. Thankfully if baby arrives by then, it also won't be a problem at all for me to back out last minute, so I don't have to worry about that.

1st stage labor with my DS, my first, was only less than 5 hours, so I could realistically have a 2 hour labor with this one! But I'm thinking sphincter law can work in my favor... I won't be too comfortable going into labor on the highway or in the classroom, so wouldn't that contribute to inhibiting the onset of labor? Plus labor starts at night more often anyway, right? (With DS, it started just after noon, but I'd had my membranes stripped 2 hours prior.)

Plus, my DS didn't arrive until 41W4D, so I'm not that worried about labor before 39 or even 40W this time. Thoughts?

[cileag]

Sure, why not? :)  Of course, it might not work.  And honestly, I'd probably discourage it.  You have a history of short labor and it's your second child.

I think it's a totally individual call.  I think I might be stressed out enough about the what ifs that I wouldn't be super attentive to the workshop.  Also, do you have to sit through the whole thing? I think at 38+ weeks that would be a killer for me.  And twoish hours in the car each (again while also being uncomfortable) may contribute to a posterior kiddo. 

I don't think I would, but then again, I kept working my 12 hour shifts until 39 and 4 and people thought it was too much, but it was normal for me. 

[MegBoz]

Well, my first labor was fast, but I was home the whole time for 1st stage - most of which was spent floating in our in-ground pool on a hot July day. I was also alone for most of it. Of course there is no way to know, but I'm fairly convinced that without the solitude & the pool, it wouldn't have gone nearly so fast.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cileag 

And twoish hours in the car each (again while also being uncomfortable) may contribute to a posterior kiddo. 

Ooh, I hadn't thought about that. Good point. Yeah, there is no lumbar support in my car, which bothers me, but I've just been stuffing a scarf at my lower back to provide lumbar support & I'm OK.

It's a small group, so I could get away with standing up a bit in the back, so I'm not worried about the sitting-all-day issue.

Of course in the event things go super fast, the nearby hospital is so atrocious they actually have an official doula ban! Hm... OK, maybe it's not such a good idea. I haven't asked my MW yet either, but I'm fairly certain she'll think it's not a good idea.

Thanks!

[minkajane]

I'm hoping that if I keep telling myself I'll have the baby at 37 or 38 weeks it will happen, so maybe it can work in reverse? XH and his GF have decided that the Saturday before my due date is the perfect day for their wedding. I definitely don't want DS to miss the birth so here's hoping that I can convince the kiddo to come early so s/he is here safe and sound before that day!