Support Thread for trusting baby's timing

[KarmaChameleon]

HI mamas. *sigh*

I think I need to start a thread to get and give support for those of us who are hoping to avoid the desperation that might weaken our resolve for not trying unnecessary induction methods.

My midwife is going on a mini-vacation for 5 or 6 days, starting 2 days before my due date. The other midwife will attend the birth, but I have only met her once and she hasn't been ot my house before, hubby doesn't know her, etc.

My mw offered to strip membranes to try to get labor started before she leaves (on the full moon no less!!!!!) but I am not keen. She was just trying to be helpful -- she says she doesn't do anything unless I say so. She feels badly about this mini-trip but it is really important to her family. She is an awesome person and a wonderful mom. As she mentioned it aat my appt yesterday, it sounded like a good plan, but now I am realizing that I may just have to let the chips fall where they may. It breaks my heart to think she may not be at the birth -- my family is quite bonded to her.

I need support in this however -- and as we all know, it only gets harder as time goes on and a pregnancy draws near its end.

Anyone want to breathe deeply with me and forsake all cohoshes and stripping of membranes and nipple stimulation?!?!?!?! Alll those evil temptations that let you think you can play with fate.....

[the_lissa]

I'm with you. My favourite midwife is off call on the August long weekend (4, 5, 6, 7.) My husband's last day of work is the 4th, and my support person for my daughter has a wedding and a family reunion on the 5th and 6th. (I'm "due" on the 8th.)

Yesterday, my midwife said most babies end up staying in if the mother has a set idea of when they can come, etc. That made me feel a lot better.

[veganf]

Well, I'm all for the really "natural" inducers, ie. sex, nipple stim., walking, etc. But I'll definitely reject all herbs, membrane stripping, drugs.

the_lissa- My midwife and I have always jokingly checked her and her kids' calendars and "decided" which day would be best, LOL. And guess what...first time I delivered on the day she said would be "perfect" for her schedule, second time I delivered when she said she didn't have anything planned for a few weeks because she was having shoulder surgery (well, turned out it was too soon after her surgery for her to "catch", so she watched while the other midwife did it). This time she said anytime in the next week or two is fine because she has absolutely nothing going on, but she asked her older daughters too (who had just arrived home at the end of my appointment), and we decided on Aug 1-3 . But really I just want the baby out before my mother's condo closing here on the 4th!! I said July 27th would be good too because no one we knew had a birthday on that day....
...So I'm thinking of mowing the lawn tomorrow, LOL. That ought to be a "natural" labor inducer, right??

Karma- if I'm still pregnant after the 4th (even though I'm not "due" until the 20th!!), I'm going to need some serious support not to go horsebackriding and have sex every 6 hours to try and make the baby come. I'm just so absolutely totally completely sick and tired of being pregnant. This has been the most uncomfortable sickening 8 months of my life. I am definitely ready to be done NOW.

[Meeshi Mama]

There are only 3 midwives in a 200+ mile radius and all of them have at least a weeks vacation in August. The MW I am going with is going out of town 4 days after my due date, so that does make me a bit nervous. Especially because her assistant has never delivered a VBAC.

I am thankful that I have already lost some plug and am dilated a few cm. and have been having good contractions. I have a feeling that I will be delivering early. While I do have a bit of worry, there is a voice of calm within me that is telling me that everything will work out as it should. I am going with that.

[coop_mom]

I'll join the waiting team...

I'm not due until Aug. 21st, and yesterday I had my midwife telling me not to freak out if I go over my date by a week or two. I don't think I'll freak, but boy oh boy will I be ready to go around that time. She was just trying to encourage me not to fixate on the date...

Anyway, I'm pretty sure I'll be here for a while to support you in your time of non-induction and to pitch in with some deep breathing

--k

[magpiedee]

Yup, i'm due on the 21st but betting on the 14th. In between my will and the baby's will, I think we'll get our way. I suppose it's a combination of being ready, being excited and not wanting to have a 10-pounder with a cannonball head like DH was.

Then again, everyone who sees me looks me up and down and says it will be soon. I'm not at all interested in any sort of induction, I just have a feeling. Like the feeling I had that I would get pregnant quickly after quitting BC pills and that I would really enjoy being pregnant and that it would be a girl.

Baby's in position... i'm drinking my tea... we'll start GIO every night... why not?

[3_angels]

I'm not "due" until the 29th!! Plus, my mother had a history of going over (almost a MONTH over with me) so with my luck I probably will too. I don't want to use any other methods, but I probably will be demanding so much sex from DF that he's icing his crotch by the time I go into labor! I'm am ready to get this little bean out!!

[LillyGrace'sMommy]

I'll join....I'm not "due" until the 8, but who knows if that's right or not! I have a feeling it's two weeks off, either two weeks late, or two weeks early, but that's just me....I'm ready to have this little bugger though, just because I am TIRED (And I am having a hard time toting around my 13 month old and my watermelon belly!) Plus, my dh is just being a jerk, and some time away sounds GREAT right now.....and I feel like I am just waiting for this baby to get here before I can start getting things taken care of.....ok, that's my rant for the morning....

[zimmee]

Hang in there everyone! Your babies know when to come. Trust them!

Having said that, I am soooo ready. LOL! I know Im not "due" till the 16th, but Im 37 weeks and the most uncomfortable I have ever been in my life. Uggh. We will try natural things to encourage labor. Sex, walking, things like that. But we wont be doing stripping membranes, or herbs or anything.

LillyGrace'sMommy- I dont remember if I told you, but if this baby is a girl, her name will be Lillian Grace, and we will call her Lilly!

[SummerTwilight]

I am totally up for trusting the baby's timing. Of course, I am ready any time. But I have just under 3 weeks to go so really the next five weeks are fair game. My mother and sister are both rushing it or hoping it will go late cause my mom is away on vacation the week before my due date and my sister is away the week OF my due date. But that is their problem. I want baby to come when she is ready. I really had a great pregnancy and though I am ready for my kiddo now, I know I will also miss pregnancy and can hold out till she is ready.
As was mentioned, I wouldn't be opposed to increasing my walking and GIO to see if anything happens but I am not really fixated either way. Everyone says they will be shocked if I go to full term since I am so little but I am trying not to think about it. I don't want to be disappointed if I go late.
Also Magpie: baby's size is determined by the mom and her family, not the dad's. I know this because my fertility doctor made me see a high risk doctor to determine if it would be a problem for someone as small as me to get pregnant with twins (which I didn't anyways) especially since my dh is so large. She said his size and and family history of big babies has no relevance to the size of the baby at birth. That is all controlled by MY genetics. So I wouldn't stress it too much- unless your maternal grandma had 10 lb'ers.

[carla72]

I am all for waiting. I was a week overdue with #1. Only scary thing is here where I live midwives are governed by the colleg e og midwifery. If a women reaches 42 weeks we have to forgo a homebirth and have a hospital birth. I am having a homebirth so I hope baby feels the time is right before that is in jepordy. I am sure all will work out.

[KarmaChameleon]

Originally Posted by magpiedee

... we'll start GIO every night... why not?

You are a better woman than I. I would rather shove icepicks under my fingernails.

Okay mamas -- glad to hear we are in this together!!!! Thanks for responding everyone; I feel like I am in good company.

And BTW, my due date is Fri the 11th but I am shooting for the full moon on the 9th so everyone can win and my mw can have her vacation If it doesn't happen, I will just have a conversation with the baby and tell her to stay put til the mw returns. Simple, right?!

[mamamilkers]

I was just thinking that is probably the bad thing about having summer babies, our mws all go on vacation at some point!

We will definitely be waiting for nature to take her course. DD #1 came two days early, so of course I'm hoping for the next one to come a bit early, but I wouldn't mess with it. Luckily I equally love my two mws and would be thrilled no matter who was on call (okay, I might, maybe, secretly, want the one who wasn't at DD #1's birth to attend this birth a tiny bit more, but I would be happy with both!)

Good Luck ladies! I'm anxiously awaiting the safe arrival of all of our August babes

[chumani]

I am so ready to have this baby! I don't have a firm "due" date. My early u/s gave a variable date anywhere from July 27 to Aug 19. I went with the later date but am now thinking there is no way i will make it! I am so frustrated! I am measuring 40cm. The few times I have had my sister/midwife measure me I have always measured 4cm ahead of the Aug 19 date. My other babes came at such varying gestations that I have no idea. My other babies came at 41.5w, 37w, 38.3w, 42.1w, 38.6w. My 40+w babies I finally caved and took Castor Oil. In a way I think it is good that I don't have a specific date in mind to base a Castor Oil decision on. My patience is paper thin! My only solace is that our pool is finally done! I am wearing my kids out with swimming. I am happy to just sit in a shady spot of the pool and watch the kids go down the slide and cool out! Our temps here have not gone below 107 for weeks! Usually 110-112.

My kids have started coming up at random and talking to the baby saying "Baby come out! We will give you a kiss/hug/etc.". Can you tell we have been reading "Baby, Come Out"? It is very sweet.

Peaceful end of pregnancy vibes to everyone!!
Sarah

[SharonAnne]

Hi everyone, I'm not in your DDC, but I've got two friends who are due around the same time as you, who are also facing induction pressure. May I give them a link to this thread? Even if they don't post, perhaps you guys will inspire them to keep keepin' on

I remember the final stretch with my dd last year and it was SO hard, and that was hte BEGINNING of hte summer. I can't imagine how you guys are doing in August! Y'all have my utmost admiration.

[2 in August]

This is interesting because since I've made it this far (37 wks), I was really gearing myself up for going all the way to 40 and letting him come when he is ready. But yesterday when the dr said she'd like to induce me at 38 wks due to the pre-e, I really started to freak out about being induced and now I'm trying to figure out if I should try natural induction by myself before a drug one at the hosp.

[SummerTwilight]

SharonAnne: Send 'em on over! We'll do our best!

[ColoradoMama]

Originally Posted by SharonAnne

Hi everyone, I'm not in your DDC, but I've got two friends who are due around the same time as you, who are also facing induction pressure. May I give them a link to this thread? Even if they don't post, perhaps you guys will inspire them to keep keepin' on

Absolutely - maybe they'll join us! Okay, dd2 was a week overdue. My parents were here - kind of just waiting for her to be born (first two were early, we were SHOCKED when she was late). I tried black and blue cohosh, acupuncture, uh - other stuff - pg brain won't let me remember right now. What I found out (because she came on a day when I did NOTHING) is that she knew when she needed to come - and that was the day she came. She had some meconium, and I am completely convinced that all the things I did to try and "make" her come out caused her the distress which led to the meconium. GUILT. So, trust your bodies and trust your babies! (And remember to tell me all this if I'm still pg on Labor Day, okay?)

And Jen, in your situation, I'd ignore what I said because you have to listen to what your heart tells you is right. I don't know what I'd do in your situation! {{hugs}}

[Ursula Rose]

i'm needing support cause i'm due 8/1 -- that's next tuesday.

i can't focus on anything right now. i'm excited, tired, hot, done with chores, not working, etc.

i am doing silly things like pickling green beans. (csa is going wild on green beans right now.)

i just need support because i'm ready. obviously, the babe isn't -- just yet.

[2 in August]

Originally Posted by ColoradoMama

And Jen, in your situation, I'd ignore what I said because you have to listen to what your heart tells you is right. I don't know what I'd do in your situation! {{hugs}}

I don't know either. I keep changing my mind. I sooo don't want to have pit and all that again. But I also want to be safe and do what's best and heathiest for baby and me. There just doesn't seem to be any good answers.