ladies who went "overdue"...(41+wks.)

[wwinorth]

I'm working on a theory. If you went more than 41 weeks (for my purposes ) How was your labor? Was it long? Painful? Also, how far along were you?

My theory is that "late" births are quite a bit faster and less painful than "on time" births. (this is probably to make me feel better I'm 42 wks. + 3 days and have been having contraxs for over a week) Mainly because both mom's and baby's bodies are so ready.

thoughts?
thanks!
Mel

[Village Mama]

I went to 42 weeks with my first son. My labor was 4 hours long! What I loved was how "done" he seemed. He was strong and nursed like a champ. I hope you have a fantatic labor. Give your little beauty a snuggle for me!!!

[crazy_eights]

Would be true for me. Not so sure about less painful though. My easiest was the only one that was early - 2 lbs. smaller than the others, slightly longer labor. My first was 10 days overdue and a 4 hr labor.

[annakiss]

15 days "past due" w/DS1. 10 hours from 1st contrx to baby out, 6 hrs active labor. Pretty good, I'd say. DS2 was one day early according to ovulation (6 days past due according to LMP) and labor was 4 1/2 hours from first contrx, 2 1/2 hours active labor.

[dkenagy]

I'm sure someone will eventually post and kill our buzz here, but I've had this theory for awhile. My first was 40w6d and actually induced because my BP was topping out. Scary, but the labor was only 6 hours from first drip of pit to delivered... painful because of the double and triple peak ctx (thank you pit), but not intolerable... no epi. My second was 41w1d and completely natural... just under 3.5 hours from first ctx to delivered! Woohoo!

Darci

[Stephanie L.]

My 2nd baby was born at 41 weeks. The labor and birth were amazing, graceful, uncomplicated, ahhhh! A truly devine experience.

I labored for a few hours walking around the neighborhood in early labor w/ my toddler & DH. Then had about 3 hours of fairly intense contractions-not too bad really! The birth happened quite quickly and calmly.

I feel like it had more to do with memory of the last experience. First baby was "on-time", but I had so much pain from fear of the unknown. The second birth was a breeze because I taught myself to relax and meditate on Opening up.

I didn't feel like going past my EDD was a factor on my happy and serene 2nd birth experience. It was all about concentration, focus, and peace.

[Trishy]

My ds2, third baby, was 1 1/2 weeks late. Active labor was less than 4 hours.

[Amylcd]

15 days over due - 12 hours of hard, horrible back labor.. ended up with an emergency csection.

[pageta]

According to the US, ds was due 6/28. According to my charting, 7/5. He was born 7/10 after 24 hours of painful back labor including 5 hours of pushing.

Just because there are exceptions, though, doesn't mean that the premise is incorrect. There is an exception for everything. So even though my birth doesn't fit with the original premise, I still say I rather agree with it.

[katja]

DD was 12 days late, labor was 14 hours and super intense. After 5 hours of painful contrax, I was only dilated to 1 cm. Despite being late, I don't think my body had done any preparation. However, dd was a pretty advanced baby!

[Devida]

DD was 10 days overdue when my waters broke - had a 12 hour labour - all managed without drugs, so I guess my body was well prepared and ready! She is my first (expecting again in 7 weeks) and was a big girl - 9lb 1oz

Dee
x

[crayon]

With my first I was 2 weeks late, and my labor was "humm..." I will spare you ... It was long, started at Sat night at 6pm and went until monday at 12:01 pm when DD was born, I will say my "Hard" labor was only about 12 hours and most of that I personaly feel was my fear of trying an UC never having a baby before.

My second was born on her due date and she was mabye 4 hours, and 1 hour of hard labor- but that was very easy compaired to my first baby!

ETA: both of my births were also drug free!

[proudmamanow]

I'll support your theory
Dd was born at 41 weeks and labour was great...16 hours long, w/about 8 intense hours, natural, empowering, even ecstatic homebirth! (still painful, but pretty great! )

[cuqui]

#1 was 39wks 1 day, 17 hrs labor & push total, all natural at a free standing BC w/ MW. 7lbs 3ozs. Bradley.

#2 was 38wks 1 day, 3 hrs total labor & push, all natural at same BC with same MW. 8 lbs 2 ozs.

#3 was 5 yrs later 41wks 1 day! 6 hrs labor and 3 pushes, all natural at same BC with same MW. 9lbs 5 ozs.

I musy say #2 was easiest, she also had the biggest head. #3 i squatted out, most empowering! I will also add that a well cooked baby is by far the best, I'm glad he stayed in as long as he did, not that i had problems with the others, he just seems more sturdy somehow, more mellow too, can't really put it into words.

[Hayes]

Baby #2 was +12 days. My fastest labor, from water breaking to baby was less than 5 hours.
Baby #3 was +8 days. My easiest labor, but not the shortest. I didn't push at all. Once my water bag fully broke, I had a babe in less than an hour
Baby #4 was +8 days, my biggest babe by a full pound and my toughest labor. I pushed for over 2 hours, shoulder sytocia, etc. If he had weighed what my #3 babe did, maybe a whole different story.

Dates are post due date not post 41 weeks.

[thismama]

41 weeks 6 days (13 days overdue), I had 48 hours of labour, stalled at 6cm, but with a lot of support from my midwife and birth helpers, I had a natural birth. My daughters Apgars were 9 and 9. I remember it as a wild and very cool experience.

[flyingspaghettimama]

nak
har...i was hoping for the same theory...

i went 18 days overdue with my second, still had a 14 hour labor. it was just right for me though, it was perfect in fact. homebirth, birthtub, very chill atmosphere. i felt much less stressed during labor because i felt like, thank goodness it's FINALLY happening!

[Marlet]

Depending on which due date I used (yes I had many...three actually....idiot doctors! ) I was anywhere from 41 weeks to 43 weeks when I had DD. Based off of my calculations it was closer to 42 (I'm not sure how I figured my due date but it was the exact same one on the second ultrasound we had...the one AFTER I figured it out, yeah. I'm good ).

My labour was fast I think. 14 hours from start to finish. I did take castor oil though. We were planning a UC and the pressure was mounting. DH was threatening to take me in to see a doctor and knowing they would strap me to a bed and keep me there I drank the stuff! As a result I'm betting it was more painful than it would have been had I waited. To top it off DD was face up (which I think it because I used the castor oil. Had I waited she would have had time to spin kwim?) so my pain level was a bit high.

Interesting theory you have though.

[alegna]

41 weeks 2 days Labor was 31 hours. Not super painful, but I didn't sleep at all so I was TIRED.

-Angela

[momto l&a]

All my labors where short IMO and easy.
First dd was on time and 5 hours
Second was one week late and around 5 hours
Third was 3 weeks late and about an hour.