40 weeks... kinda. When did your moms (and sisters, et al.) give birth? « Back to Group Discussions

[buko]

I will be 39w3d in less than 3 hours.  I have very successfully convinced myself that I will go to 41 or 42 weeks, but realistically, I could go into labor at any time now.  I know when I ovulated, which was on day 18 of my cycle, but if I didn't and were going by LMP, I'd be at 40 weeks in just a few hours. 

It only just occurred to me-- as I was having a very random contraction in the shower-- that 24 hours from this point in her pregnancy with me, my mother (who was going by LMP), was in transition.  I was born just after midnight on the day after my EDD-- and I was her first.

Did you find that you and your mother had anything in common in terms of gestation, labor, delivery?  I have heard that one's experience tends to be more aligned with her sisters than her mother, but I don't have any sisters, so all I have to go on is a mom who had Baby #1 at just barely 40w1d, and Baby #2 at 39w5d.  (My brother was induced, but came out swiftly and uneventfully, so I'm pretty sure he was more or less ready to come.)

How about you, especially those of you with kids already?  Did you spend about the same amount of time cooking your babes as your mother did?  Or was there not much correlation? 

[LightForest]

I don't feel that my experience correlates much with my mom's. My older sibling (firstborn) was born right around 40 weeks. Labor lasted about 7 hours. I (second born) was a 38 weeker, and labor (according to mom's memory) lasted 30-40 minutes. (Crazy, right?)

My first baby was born at 42 weeks, labor was about 12 hours. I'm now at 38 weeks, 1 day, with my second pregnancy and I have no expectation of going into labor anytime soon.

I feel that it's all a crap shoot, honestly. I've given up on trying to find any rhyme or reason to the timing of labor.

[scruffy too]

With me, my mom was due March 17 (my due date!) and since I was breech and "too big" for my "too small" mother, she opted for a c-section.  Her due date fell on a Monday, and in the little northern town we lived in, all the doctors lived out of town and she didn't want to risk going into labor on the weekend and not having a doctor available, so she picked the Friday, March 13th.  I don't know when I would have arrived if left alone.

With my brother, my mom went into labor in her second trimester, was put on meds to keep him inside.  Then, when he was due, labor started at 40+3, but ended with a c-section two days later.

I do not have the feeling that I'll be early. 

[firespiritmelody]

Unfortunately, my labors haven't gone anything like my moms. I'm an only child, my mom went into labor on her dd, had very little pain and actually had to argue with the nurses that she was ready to push because she'd only been at the hospital for about an hour and they hadn't checked her yet but asured her that "she had a long way to go" - at which point she started involuntarily pushing and had me a few minutes later All of my labors have been quite a bit more... involved (lol) then that! I was also only a little under 6# where was all of my babies have been 8.5 - 9.5!

[Chapsie]

My mom delivered her first a week late (he was over 8.5 lbs I believe and I seem to recall that it was a long-ish but natural labor); I was 15 days late and definitely her biggest at 10 lb 8 oz but her faster labor.  My little sister (baby #3) was induced a week early, so who knows?  My mom was on pit all day, nothing happened and she was sent home where she cried all night long, and then came in for more pit the next day.  :(      She had GDM and big babies and they didn't want her to go to her due date.

My sister doesn't have kids yet, so no comparison there. 

My first was induced at 40+4 (I had absolutely NO signs of labor and a terrible bishop's score) for oligo and then was sectioned.  My natural VBAC baby was born 41+1.  Both were 9.5 lbs.

I'm starting to feel super birthy (tons of strong BH, super soft 2cm anterior cervix) but who knows?  I don't want to get my hopes up that I "could" go early.  But.. telling my DH that I may go early has given him the push he needed to start getting stuff done around the house, lol.  

[wildmansmom]

So my mother isn't a good indication - she was 40w and a few days when she was hooked up for a NST and was found to be "in labor."  They admitted her to the hospital, let her labor for 24 hours then sectioned b/c of a low fetal HB and uncontrolled high blood pressure.  My sister was 9lb even and very healthy but deemed "too big" for my petite mother to further justify the surgery. 

I was a planned c-section due to complete placenta previa.

However, I come from a rather large family and our average gestation is longer than 40 weeks.  We also tend to hang out at 2-3 cm for a few days or a week and then jump from 2-10 in just a few hours.

Grandmother - 8 children, 1 born at 35 weeks, all others born at or after 40 (all 8lb+) longest pregnancy was 43 weeks.

Aunts - 7 children, 3 (from one mom) all born at 39 weeks (6-7lbs); remainder all born at 41 weeks or after (all 8lb+)

Sister - 1 child, born at 43 weeks (7lb 14oz)

Plus, several cousins, second cousins and great aunts who all went to at least 40 weeks.

And strangely enough, my MIL carried DH for almost 42 weeks and was induced and he was born 9lb 6 oz (via c-section because she "never dilated" beyond 3-4 cm).  DS was born at 41+1 (closer to 41 +5 based on known ovulation) and was 9lb 5oz. (I also "never dilated" beyond 2cm but they sent me home for a few days and then induced)

I'm 38 +5 today and DH is desperate for me to go into labor but I'm feeling pretty content right now.  I'm hoping to make it to March 1st (39+1) and then I'm ok with the "anytime" mentality.  I'm trying to remind myself of our lengthy pregnancies and not get too worked up if I'm not holding a baby in 2 weeks.

[sunshinelove]

My mother has 3 kids-- my oldest brother, my middle brother and myself (the youngest). My oldest brother came about 3 weeks early because her doctor induced her for no other reason than he was old and didnt want to be called in the middle of the night to come deliver a baby. He wanted control over it and my mom didnt know better so there you have it.

My middle brother came exactly on his due date and i came about 2 weeks early on my own. All of us weighed between 7 and a half and 8 pounds and were between 19 and 21 inches long (i was the heaviest and my oldest brother was the longest).

I dont know how much her births are indicative of mine--DD came at 41 weeks so thats not similar. It makes me wonder, though, if this baby will come early or on his due date.

[akind1]

My mom had me (her first) at around 43 weeks - she finally went into labor on her own and was augmented with pit, I was like 6 lbs something. Her other pregnancies were full term, but the first 2 after me were both induced, one because of decreased fetal movement (that baby was born still) and the other was stubbornly breech and induced after a 2nd external version. All 3 were rather long labors - 18 hours+. The last baby should have been a planned section for complete previa, but instead the placenta came away from the uterine wall, and she had an emergency c-section, which still ended badly as the baby was deprived of oxygen for too long and he died in a NICU 16 days later due to brain damage.  

My first was induced at 41+5, born at 41+6 by c-section - stalled labor, fetal decels not recovering, he had a nuchal cord. Bad positioning, completely OP. 6 lbs 14 oz.

My second was born at 41+6, as natural a hospital VBAC as you could hope for, about 10 hours of labor, maybe 45 minutes of pushing, 7 lbs 12 oz.

This is my 3rd baby, and the ultrasound guess last week (38+1) has him at 8lbs 6. I feel that's probably about right. I don't know how long he'll cook, but I am really hoping to not go as far as the other 2. I'm doing what I can to encourage labor naturally - walking, the miles circuit for good positioning, sex, etc. I have no doubt I can push him out despite his being bigger than his siblings, even though the OB and my mother are skeptical (I had 4th degree tear with #2 - which I feel has to do more with the rushed, purple pushing, than her size)

So we'll see.

[babytoes]

Originally Posted by akind1 

I had 4th degree tear with #2 - which I feel has to do more with the rushed, purple pushing, than her size.

I completely agree with this. DS2 Was 9lbs 8oz (also had an enormous head!!) had a slow pushing phase, and I only had a tiny skid mark, but DS3 was smaller at 8lbs 12oz yet I pushed him out so fast I tore really bad, right up to (but not including, thank God!) my clitoris. Healing from that was a nightmare! I am going to breath this baby down...

I am going to talk to my mom later about my siblings labors. I do know that she had the Twilight Sleep with my sister and was left completely alone for hours, strapped to a bed (#1), and she was very adamant to never go through that hell again, and had my brother (#2) and myself (#3) all natural and on her terms. I know that she went into labor with me at 38 weeks after her water broke in the middle of the night. But I will get more in depth details later when I talk to her. I also am curious about my sister now. She has four kiddos, and I have no idea how her labors went them, not sure why I haven't gotten this info yet, as her youngest is 12! I think I may call her, it'll make her day to talk about her labors for a couple hours!! 

[ancoda]

My mom was always at least a week early with her children.  Both of my natural births were at 42+ weeks, but I have also been told that sometimes you will go early or late with one sex and the opposite with the other. My mom had all girls and I have so far had boys, so I am hoping this girl comes early.

[spughy]

My mom and MIL both had 3 kids and they were ALL late.  My sister has had 2 and they were both late - 42 weeksish.  My youngest sister and I were induced at 42 weeks and my middle sister (thanks to a hands-off OB) emerged on her own... just prior to 44 weeks.  She was only 8 lbs, my youngest sister and I were both 6 something... and I am suspicious of my mom's dates - I may be a naturally small person but my sisters sure aren't.   Especially since MY first came at 40 +6 and weighed nearly 9 lbs.  My MIL's kids were all over 8 lbs (DH was nearly 10), all posterior, all born without medication with MIL lying on her back.  That woman really knows how to suffer, LOL.  Not that we try to one-up each other with birthing horror stories or anything (because I am WAY too mature for that, LOL). 

Sooooo...my best guess for this one is MAYBE slightly before 40 weeks, but probably not significantly after, and hefty.  (My sister's 2 were both around 8 lbs... but her partner is much more slight-boned and a bit shorter than mine.)