"Past Due" Support Thread - Page 2 « Back to Group Discussions

[iixivboots]

Oh andaluza, tons and tons of positive thoughts for you and your little guy. I know you are going to get through this so well. I feel like I was the biggest wreck about labor and birth and even I made it okay! You have been so strong and positive through this whole process, we are so lucky to have such a great influence! I think it's natural to be afraid and especially when you actually know when it's coming.

I really believe induction does not have to lead to a host of other unwanted interventions and I really hope that you get the support to make the choices to have a birth you can be proud of. That was the biggest thing for me, when I wrote to the amazing L&D nurse, she made it possible for me to be proud of my labor and the choices I made. It's going to happen for you, too, I just know it.

We are all waiting to hear your news when you're ready, but take all the time you need to recover emotionally and physically before you share your birth news or your baby with anyone!

[LeAnn A Doula]

Thinking of you today, Andaluza! Sending lots of joy and love to you and baby.

[Arcanefamily]

Removed by user.

Edited by Arcanefamily - 8/28/12 at 11:32am

[Thandiwe]

Heading into 40 weeks, 4 days.  My midwife contacted me and asked if I wanted a cervical check because I was feeling so defeated about going longer than ever before and having so much prodromal labor.  So tonight she checked me.  I'm 4cm, about 50% effaced, soft as jello, and baby is about zero station, really, really low.  When she finished, she mentioned something about how she was able to reach right around his head and said something about stripping membranes.  I told her to go for it!   She hesitated because it's painful and can cause wicked contractions that don't ramp up enough.  But it can help, too.  We talked and she said she was fine with trying it.  She got in there and remarked at how easy it was to strip and how soft/open things were, so she did a partial and left it at that.  It really wasn't too bad, thought the following contractions have been harder.  Having had a precipitous labor before when I was this advanced, I've expected that would happen this time and she agreed.  We both think once it starts, it will fly.  It's a good thing she's only 15 minutes away!  Sadly, she is heading out for vacation (milestone anniversary) one week from tomorrow, so I'm feeling the crunch to get him here soon.  She is more than willing to stay, but I don't want her to.  She's an incredible woman and so is her husband, and I really want them to have this.  We're going to go unassisted (without telling family ahead, though) if it comes to it, with our doula, but I'm hoping he's born before she leaves. I want her there but don't feel right asking her to stay.  Neither of us expected me to go over with so many pre-labor signs for so long plus never having gone so over before, in fact a history of going early. 

So, the clock is ticking, and I'm hoping the partial strip is enough to motivate my body to switch over soon!  Blessings tonight to all still pg.  Anxious to hear from Andaluza on how her night and day have gone!
 

[Thandiwe]

Originally Posted by Arcanefamily 

I suspect we are accomodating for personal reasons.  It is odd to be having a homebirth but working with a practioner that somewhat reminds me of ob/gyn practioners that tend to schedule inductions and c-sections to accomodate their scheduling.  This is our 5th child so with everyone's schedules it would be nice to just help continue to move things along.  So my husband and I have decided we are just going ahead with what feels right and either she makes it or she doesn't.  My idea of a homebirth was that it would be an empowering experience not one of limited options.  So I'm there with the rest of you, ready to have baby and on to the next chapter.  Hang in there, we are not alone.

That is very, very difficult.  Is this your first time working with this midwife?  My first homebirth (second baby) was a different midwife, and the birth itself was much more negative than I was prepared for due to personal drama between her and I and scheduling issues.  I was disappointed, too.  My next birth, I ended up with a much different midwife (we had moved) and it was incredibly healing.  She is helping me again this time.  I really hope you are able to find peace amidst her personal "requests."  As an overdue mama, I think you should come first in the line of mamas in her care. 

[1stTimeMama4-4-10]

Originally Posted by Arcanefamily 

my midwife doesn't want me to try any induction methods until her schedule is clear again which would be starting Saturday afternoon she says even though she has only a few prenatals scheduled for Friday morning.  I suspect we are accomodating for personal reasons.  It is odd to be having a homebirth but working with a practioner that somewhat reminds me of ob/gyn practioners that tend to schedule inductions and c-sections to accomodate their scheduling.  This is our 5th child so with everyone's schedules it would be nice to just help continue to move things along.  So my husband and I have decided we are just going ahead with what feels right and either she makes it or she doesn't.  My idea of a homebirth was that it would be an empowering experience not one of limited options.  So I'm there with the rest of you, ready to have baby and on to the next chapter.  Hang in there, we are not alone.

This doesn't sound so unreasonable to me.  Did your midwife say she absolutely can't make it until Saturday?  Because that's not okay, but if she said she doesn't want to try to push the baby to come before Saturday, it sounds like she just has a busy schedule and would rather not unnecessarily squeeze other clients by pushing labor to happen for you. That being said, I totally get that being told NOT to try to get baby out soon is really hard to hear under any circumstances!

AFM, I'm currently 41 weeks acc. to conception, 40+4 acc. to midwives.  Soooo glad I have those extra three days to cushion me!  I have a feeling baby might be making an appearance early next week, but who knows!  I would rather not get risked out of the birth center, but if I do, at least the hospital I will go to is really really great - which I know because I transferred there in labor last time.  I think I will have my membranes stripped at the next appointment on Monday if I'm still pregnant.  I've been having contractions every 12 minutes every single night this week until bed, then I wake up and they are gone.  No idea when labor might actually start for real and I'm trying soooo hard not to stress about it.  I know as I get closer to my hard deadline (42 weeks acc. to midwives) I will have a harder and harder time staying relaxed.

[Arcanefamily]

For all of us still pregnant I found this quote to be helpful from time to time......"Patience is also a form of action." -Auguste Rodin 
 

Edited by Arcanefamily - 8/28/12 at 11:33am

[1stTimeMama4-4-10]

Originally Posted by Arcanefamily 

Thandiwe, this is the first time we have used this midwife.  It is good to hear that I'm not the only one that feels that it is more important to be assisting, supporting, and helping a mother in a prolonged early phase of labor than making sure she doesn't have to reschedule some prenatals.  I've already had to reschedule some prenatals with her because of laboring mommas and I totally understand.  Because it has been about 5 days of this and my intestines have slowed down even though I'm eating fruits and veggies and drinking lots of water, I am now so backed up and uncomfortable I had to actually use a technique to remove some of the impaction manually.  I'm sure this is too much information for some but wanted to convey that I'm not just being a "whiner baby" about being overdue.  In fact, I think this may be why labor is taking so long to effectively kick in since it could be impeding the head from entering further down in and assisting with stimulation of the cervix and contractions.  Luckily, my husband is an RN so he is going to administer an enema and see if that makes me at least comfortable.  I don't want to start labor swollen down there and suffering from inflamed hemorrhoids. So to me it does seem she is not making it a priority to make sure a woman is in an optimal state of being for birth and assisting that process by telling me even though labor is occurring that I shouldn't try to encourage it anymore or move it along any faster because of her schedule.  Her request so far is making things more uncomfortable than necessary in my opinion which is why we are just going ahead and ignoring the request.  In fact, at my appointment on Wednesday, several day before her prenatal appointments, she suggested Raspberry Leaf tea as a method to use to get the contractions more effective but then requested we not use it until Saturday.   So it isn't like I was trying to take Blue and Black Cohosh or begging for castor oil.  I just wish I had listened to myself then.

I'm so glad to hear you have found a midwife that you have a good relationship with.  I've found it so key to the process to have a good relationship with the practitioner to have a good birth experience.  Unfortunately, some of the time you don't know what you really need and what they have to offer till you are fully in the process.  I'm just so thankful for a supportive, loving, and assisting husband because this would be far more difficult to go through without him.

For all of us still pregnant I found this quote to be helpful from time to time......"Patience is also a form of action." -Auguste Rodin 

 

Is your midwife clear that you are having such a hard time physically? That didn't come through in your first post and changes things somewhat. Going late is progressively more difficult emotionally for most women, but if prodromal labor is having such a severe physical impact on you, that is an excellent reason to star induction methods. Have you talked to your midwife about this? If not, you need to, and if you have and she is unconcerned that would be a big issue for me.