Please tell me your overdue with happy ending stories!

[water]

Hi all, I am now 41w 2days, and have totally lost my cool. My ds was only 5 days over, and this baby is now pushing ten days. I have been crying all morning just because I am so overwhelmed by thoughts of induction, stress to the baby, me, interventions that I didn't want, and the fact that I am now convinced I will be pregnant FOREVER.

I don't want to be pregnant anymore! I am not a happy pregnant goddess, I want my body back, I want to meet this baby, I don't want any freakin' interventions, I did my therapy and Birthing from Within and educating myself even more and resolving of my crappy first birth and I don't want to deal with more shit this time!

I'm not sure what I need, this is mostly just a rant, but if anyone has stories of way overdue babies that ended up with natural non-interventionist births I would appreciate it.

I'm going to go get the blue/black cohosh homeopathics that pamamidwife recommends and start doing them. I'm not ready for castor oil yet, it still scares me, maybe at 42 weeks...on the bright side, at my last check 5 days ago I was 3 cm dilated and 80% effaced so something is obviously happening slowwwwwwwly...and I had her sweep my membranes, but nothing, nada, zilch since then...

[homebirthing]

I was 42w3d when I gave birth at home to a beatiful little girl born in the water. I know how hard this is right now, the waiting and waiting...just take it one day at a time. Every baby is different, and every pregnancy is different.


good luck and happy birthing!!

[2+twins]

I wasn't super overdue, but was 10 days late with my first & 5 with my second. I remember feeling that maybe the baby didn't like me and didn't want to meet me (you know how rational very pregnant women can be :LOL). Anyway, I was planning a homebirth with my first and we had set a date to do castor oil induction if labor hadn't already begun b/c the midwifes could only attend a homebirth that did not go past 42 weeks. I was stressing me out big time, but alas she came when she was good & ready and it was a wonderful birth. I'm not sure what to tell you except that, of course, you will not be pregnant forever. Your baby has his/her own plan for the birth and I think it's great if you can respect that. Please rant some more if that helps. We're all here for you!

[plantmommy]

I had a fabulous home waterbirth at 41 weeks 4 days. It went so well that I didn't call the midwife to come until I was in transition, and when she got there it was time to push!

This wasn't my most recent birth, but bebe #3.

[kavamamakava]

My son was 5 days past dates and my daughter 10 days. I really thought she was going to be early. haha big joke. She was not only 10 days past dates, she was 10 days past her latest date. Her first due date was June 5th, then June 13, then June 21st. She was born July 1st.
I finally just ignored it all. FUGGEDABOUDIT! I tried to pretend I wasn't even pregnant. I went for long walks with my kids, cooked big elaborate meals, ignored any contractions I was having every evening for 2 hours and acted pregnancy was my eternal state.
I, too, was 3 cm dilated for a while. In fact, I was 3 cm dilated at 38 weeks. That just means you have less work to do when labor really kicks into gear. Induction? No big deal. Your body has already done a bunch of the work anyway. So there's nothing to worry about.
I woke up at 4 am on the morning of day 10 with contractions. I was going to sleep through them but got out of bed to time them. They were 10 mins apart. After an hour, I went back to sleep. In the morning, I called my midwife and updated her but said I wasn't having my baby that day. I went to my mom's house and labored in her garden and up and down the stairs following my son but told anyone who asked that I wasn't in labor. I finally had to admit I was in labor around noon and I made my mom drive me home. When the midwife arrived, she started following me around and laying chux pads everywhere. She thought the baby was going to come out any minute. LOL. But I was waiting on my husband to fill the birthing tub.
So anyway, from the point when I finally acknowledged my labor to the time she was born was only 3 hours. It went by so quickly. And I really think it helped that I just let it go that my baby was overdue and told myself to just stop worrying. Because the baby will come.

[watermamma]

My 2nd was born at 42wks, 2 days (and we were more than sure on dates!), after castor oil induction. We had a wonderful waterbirth, and her daddy caught all 10lbs of her. My labor was pretty melow, with only 3 1/2hours or so of really intense labor.

I too was dialated (4cm? i think) for weeks leading up to birth. Tried the black/blue cohosh homeopathics, they did not work at all for me, nor did cervical massage, sweeping membranes, sex, walking, breast pump, you name it, I tried it!!!! The castor oil did do the trick. I really didn't want to do it, but I was ready and had some other things going on that made it more appealing to me than continuing the wait. I like to say if I could do it again I wouldn't do the castor oil, but who knows. Such a strange place to be in when you are post-dates.

I remember feelling like I was in a bubble, everything was so cloudy, nothing in the entire world mattered but when labor would start and our babe would be born. I did turn off the phone, and pretty much hibernated from 41 weeks on. My girlfriends were too scared to even call me, I was so grouchy (and that is putting it nicely). Family even stopped calling.

If we have more, I would rather NOT know even when I conceived, just so I don't get so hung up on the date thing. And I will be lying to everyone about our dates, pushing due date out 3 weeks or so, maybe even 4, just to avoid all the pressure and questions.

Here's some birthing vibes........
labor labor labor labor labor labor labor labor

I had a wonderful post-dates birth and wish the same to you!

[BusyMommy]

Sorry to be brief, but running late. Ds1 came at 10pm on day 14. 2 hours from having to go to hosp for his birth. :
ds2 came at 4am on day 14.

Both boys were big, 9 & 10#. NOOOO problems staying home in the water.

oh w/#1, I did hook up the breastpump on day 14. Started contractions like 10 mins later.

[MidnightCafe]

A link to my DD's birth story (she was 10 days past due date):

http://pages.ivillage.com/midnightcafe/birthstory.html

[4forme]

Second homebirth, born 14 days past due date after 2 days of prodormal (sp?) labor. Baby was 10 lbs. 14oz and beautiful! It was hard, I felt like a watched pot. When things really got going it went fast, my midwife arrived with 5 minutes to spare (after spending the prievious day at my house waiting). I so wanted to hurry things along, but realize that things go better when left alone. This was my 4th baby, easiest recovery.

Good luck. I pray for patience for you.

[SaraC]

DD# 1 was born 14 days past my "due date" although I was unsure of my dates. I did a little of everything to get her out since we were moving the next week and I didn't want to be a few days PP when we moved.

DD #2 was born 12 days past my "due date" and I was very sure of my dates. This time I relaxed a little and tried to wait. I did get a little antsy toward the end since my mom was needing to go back to KY and I really wanted her there. I finally just accepted that she would come on her own and she came the very next day. Just keep positive and your baby will come when it is time. Good luck.

[rubysmomjess]

DD was 10 days overdue and the drs had made schedule an induction even though my doula said it was fine if I just didn't show up...

I had a lovely massage Tuesday evening and a little white wine and a Movie wednesday evening and went into labor early Thursday morning. I labor about 6 hours went to the hospital at my doula's reccommendation and 45 minutes after we arrived at the hospital we had beautiful almost 7lb baby.

Hang in there. I felt the same way. I wanted to meet the baby, I didn't want to be nervous about the birth anymore and I developed stretch marks 2 days before the due date!

sending you good labor vibes

[TurboClaudia]

our little dude was born at home at 41 weeks 2 days after a day and half of good laboring. my midwives recommended homeopathic black and blue cohoshes on the second morning and my cervix finished dilating within a couple of hours. i did push for a few hours and he was born with some meconium, but about an hour after birth, he had a big crying session and was breathing great with no raspy sounds. he's now a happy, healthy four month old.

warmly,
claudia

[gottaknit]

My mom had six babies, all between 41-44 weeks! I guess no one was induced in the 60's and 70's... and she said c-section was never suggested to her, either.

I was the smallest at 9lb 10 oz, and the biggest was 12 lb even. We were big babies, but otherwise perfect!

Mom attributes her long pregnancies to her superior nutritious diet. She says we were so well nourished, there was no incentive to come out. Who knows?

[sevenkids]

My fifth baby was due July 29 and was born August 30. Had a homebirth, too. He was perfect.

[pamamidwife]

Ah, mama, here are alot:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ight=postdates

Read, breathe deeply and trust that your body and your baby know EXACTLY what is going on and what to do!

[Full Heart]

5 Kids - 5 times being over due. My earliest was 13 days late! I had 4 hbs and 1 hospital birth (not related to being late) and all was well with all 5. The 4 hb were quick, 3 were very easy. I had big babies too with 14 1/2 inch heads.

Michelle

[PapayaVagina]

I went to a birth of a mama last year who we thought (no sure LMP was nursing and didn't want an ultrasound) was about 3 weeks overdue. Baby was born and looked great and by estimate was somewhere around 38-39 weeks. Gives me the shivers to think about if she'd been planning a hospital birth and they'd induced her at the estimated 39-40 weeks, she would have had a 35-36 weeker!

[Ixcuina]

Babe #1 was born at 41 weeks, 1 day. No interventions, natural birth at a birthcenter.

2nd time around I was expecting an earlier arrival...nope! Babe #2 waited 42 weeks and 1 day! Not a single sign of labor coming. At 42 weeks I went for an acupuncture treatment and started taking some chinese herbs. Labor started less than 24 hours later and babe was born that next day at home without a hitch.

The hardest part for me was trusting my intuition. I knew that my babies were fine and just wanted a bit more time to hang out in the womb. With #2, I finally felt (at 42 weeks) that I was ready to try a 'mild' accupuncture treatment to nudge things along. Who knows if it worked or it was 'just time'.

I really, really believe in listening and honoring your intuition and instinct at this amazing time. Blessings for a beautiful birth

[georgia]

My third was about two weeks *over* our estimate. I'd figured I go long, since w/my other two, one was 2 wks. early, one on his "due date." I'm funny that way! Anyway, I had labor start and stop for over a full weekw w/contractions 3 minutes apart. VERY frustrating (and tiring). So, even though I believe with all my heart that babies know when they're supposed to be born; I was over being pregnant. I really wanted to meet this baby. Fortunately, I was birthing at home and my mw went 44 wks w/both of hers, so interventions weren't on my radar. When all was said and done, I had no interference w/ a long, hard labor and a gorgeous, chubby, 9 lb sweet baby girl who mw said was definitely post-dates. Uh, yep! So worth it to let her decide her birth day, which if I'd have chosen would have been perhaps a bit sooner, but who am I to decide ?

Have you thought about doing something just for you? Massage? Movie? A few hours in a book store reading? Whatever helps YOU feel at peace.....you can do this!!!!

[water]

Thanks guys for the stories, it is really helping now at 10 days over with nothing nothing happening...so my next question is, I have to go in for a NST today, and they might want to do an ultrasound too, which I didn't want, and want to check me, whcih I didn't want, and someone IRL has told me that if I am dilated beyond 3cm to like 4 or 5 now that they will just KEEP me there, but what does this mean? If I am having NO contractions of note, why would they keep me except to induce me which I am going to refuse anyway unless there is CLEAR OBVIOUS distress to the baby, who has been acting exactly the same for the last couple of months...so does this mean I'm going to have to leave AMA and refuse all these further interventions? I'm not sure I can handle this; I spend all day crying as it is...maybe I should just blow off the NST...