Support Thread for trusting baby's timing - Page 3

[gabry]

Just found this thread, good to read how all of you are coping. I'm torn actually. Ds1 was 10 days early, so I really have to try hard not to count on that again, even though I'd enjoy an early arrival (due the 24th). On the other hand, I will be working until 13 days before due date or so, and it would be nice to actually have a bit of time off to rest and prepare before the little one gets here..
At least I'm happy my former breech baby turned around and I'm over 37 weeks now, so good to go for the homebirth I soo wanted

[BirthFree]

Needing to spend some time in the baby-picks-their-due-date-for-a-reason club for a bit...

My sister (due on the 26th with her first) reallllly wants to have her baby this weekend, and I want to hang onto mine for a good several weeks (though why I'm saying that I don't know... though I'd rather have a virgo than a leo (I'm a leo and while I don't super believe in star signs, I do a bit)... and then there's the fact that I'd like to be my sister's doula (I'm due the 28th) and we just moved and so much still needs unpacking and I would barely be creeping in at 37w if I started labor Sunday...).

Baby is so low, I'm measuring 3w ahead (I have consistently) and I keep getting ctx. every night - but I don't think we're ready at all so I keep just trying to ignore them and not get hopes up for anything in particular.

[selena_ski]

so here i still am... wishing and hoping for baby. i now only have 13 more days to have the birth center birth i have been hoping for. --- from 29 weeks to 37 i thought i might have a pre-term labor and not be eligible, now i am approaching that day again. ick.

i am going to let MW strip membranes and try some herbs next wednesday if baby hasn't come yet. but i would really like to avoid that. come on little ski baby

[portlandmama]

I wish you all luck. It is difficult to not give in and submit to induction. I have a cartilage tear in my hip which has been painful and I am not due until the 15th although I have the suspicion that he will come soon (or perhaps wishful thinking). I went to see my OB yesterday and she greeted me by informing me that I have an induction date on Weds if I wanted it. She states that she wanted to have it available for me as it was going to be difficult to schedule as time went on...all I know that I felt like the vulnerable being preyed upon. I am not really sure why she felt the need to schedule one to begin with as it is far from medically necessary. I was a bit frustrated with the whole situation. Fortunately, I have the where-with-all to turn it down despite the desperation to be done.

[KarmaChameleon]

Originally Posted by portlandmama

It is difficult to not give in and submit to induction. Fortunately, I have the where-with-all to turn it down despite the desperation to be done.

I am glad you are strong! With my 2nd birth, my midwife (medwife) caught me at a very vulnerable moment and offered " a nice induction", where I could labor freely on pit and still have a natural (epi-free) waterbirth....which I did ultimately do -- but it was rough and it did not feel very natural at all. And the free labor line was bull -- i was strapped to the bed until the final moment where they unhooked me to get in the tub.

So this birth will be at home, with no chance of inductions...which is comforting and terrifying all at once.

[ambotchka]

It's 2:30am and I am five days away from my due date. Why am I so tired of being pregnant? Yesterday I thought the baby might come, and tonight, well, I just got depressed and went to bed early -- hence being awake at 2am. I don't want to induce or do anything crazy to get the baby out, but why oh why can't s/he come out now? I'm a little annoyed with myself for being so impatient. After all, the baby isn't due until Thursday. I've nearly resigned myself to being pregnant and uncomfortable forever. I just said to DH that it's pointless to keep cleaning. I clean up, get contractions, the baby doesn't come, and the house gets dirty again. It's a seemingly endless battle.

I visited a friend today who had a baby on the 23rd of July, which made it worse (I thought it'd get me in the mood). Her daughter is now 8lb7oz, and looking at her size, I thought -- "mine is about that big. How does it come out???" I shouldn't have gone over there. Not only is she no longer pregnant, she's already skinny again. Her baby, Stella, is beautiful, though.

[Robynee]

I am now on day 3 past my EDD. My midwife will not induce me because I'm trying for a VBAC. I really wanted to let my body do its thing but now I've started taking evening primrose and I'm considering having my membranes swept at my next appt.(Wednesday) Dh told me this morning to just be patient, the babe will come when he/she is ready, but man, this is hard. With ds, I had a scheduled c-section(breech) the day before my due date, so I had none of this waiting around.

[BirthFree]

Robyn,
I can guarantee you that if you wait and have your VBAC you will be happier that you did so than you will be if you do something like strip/sweep your membranes. I think evening primrose oil is pretty benign as for interventions go, but sweeping your membranes can be a lot more... um... in your face kind of intervention. I don't know how your body works but doing this threw my body into labor with my first - but it was not a gentle start like it should have been - just hard labor the whole time. I swore I'd never do it again (hence why I probably feel a bit stronger about this intervention than most) b/c it was so difficult.

How is your baby positioned? Do you know? Sometimes it's baby positioning that stalls labor from starting (if they are kind of cockeyed in there). Spend some time on your hands and knees and do some pelvic rocks and talk to baby... emotions (their OR ours) can be really tied to what happens... if you are anxious about your VBAC or nervous about adding another or whatever (not trying to put words into your mouth or situation!!) it can be partly responsible too. We're a *whole* being and our bodies are not seperate from our minds...

I will send good, healthy and peaceful labor vibes your way, waiting post due date is really hard. Your body will do it!
~Julie

[Robynee]

Thanks Julie, that is just what I need to hear right now.
The baby is head down but posterior and keeps moving to the right side and then back to posterior. I think he/she won't come out until settling into the right position. Having my membranes swept would probably just force me into laboring with a posterior baby. I spend a lot of time on all fours, doing pelvic tilts, and in child's pose. I think maybe I'll try some imagery/meditation type thoughts to help babe calm down and settle into position.

[JenMidwife]

hugs to you all... today's my EDB & while I'm doing really well coping (at the moment!), I can't think of much I can do to help things along... baby's position is excellent (LOA), engaged... I did a lot of crying last week & now just feel really peaceful & welcoming. I'm doing EPO orally & vag & am having sex about every other day (TMI?!).

So I guess I'm just going to chill & trust my baby & my body (or at least try!)

[Ary99]

I did a lot of crying last week & now just feel really peaceful & welcoming. I'm doing EPO orally & vag & am having sex about every other day (TMI?!).

So I guess I'm just going to chill & trust my baby & my body (or at least try!)

I'm also on the EPO and sex plan to try to get things moving. You know, even though I don't know if it's helping get labor moving, I had fun connecting with my Dh last night. I have been sooooo preocccupied with the baby, there hasn't been much time for us to just be together. There was a blessing in there. I'm due Wednesday on my son's fourth birthday. He will be so confused if the baby doesn't come on his birthday, even though we've tried to explain to him that that baby may not come on that exact day.

I'm just ready to meet this little guy.

[BirthFree]

Ary, Wed. is my twin and I's birthday...
Wishing everyone healthy labor vibes at *just* the right time.

[kattinadoula]

inductions

I had two of my children 2 weeks later the the "due date" and they were just fine. As a doula, I know babies come when the time is right. I know that statement is not profound, lol, but it is true and the best thing I can say from the expereinces I have seen.

[Katiemare]

Originally Posted by ambotchka

I
I shouldn't have gone over there. Not only is she no longer pregnant, she's already skinny again.

39w appr tomorrow--hoping that they don't give me a "talk" like some of you have described.

[magpiedee]

We try to talk her out every night, like coaxing a cat down from a tree.

Baby, don't you want to come out into the world? You'll have lots of room and new things to see, and we bought you a new outfit today with monkeys on it, and everyone is anxious to meet you. Aren't you sick of not being able to stretch out? Don't you want to meet the nice cat that you hear purring on my belly all the time? It's very fun out here, baby!

Thus far, she does not appear to be convinced.

[Ary99]

Originally Posted by magpiedee

We try to talk her out every night, like coaxing a cat down from a tree.

.

This cracks me up. My poor babe has heard all kinds of coaxing and seem unphased

[ktbug]

We try to talk her out every night, like coaxing a cat down from a tree.

We do too!! (And it's not working!)
A couple of nights ago dh said "Wouldn't it be nice if, instead of all this hospital stuff, and the pain and anticipation, if he just sort of ... crawled on out, like a kitty from underneath a bed? 'Where's the kitty? Oh, THERE he is!"

Yeah, it would be nice.

38+3 today ... irritatable, constipated, sore, and impatient. (tmi?) We finished "nesting" this weekend - it looks like a completely new apartment. I'm back on a downswing, just feeling really through with pregnancy and ready to meet baby. It CAN'T be that much longer ... that's what I keep telling myself. Every time I feel a twinge, cramp, BH, or other ctx-ish feeling, I just tell myself "No, ya hypochondriac, this isn't it yet. Go take a walk."

SIGH.
But it's ok. He'll come when he's ready. 38+3 is no time to be anxious.

[portlandmama]

I cancelled the induction that the Doctor scheduled on Wed. It was a hard call to make...I know they realize that it sounds like a might nice proposition. I know how it feels to read into the pre-labor symptoms...as though I can will myself into early labor. If that were the case, I would have had the baby already. I know that these prelabor signs are not energy wasted and that what progress I make know means less for later but that does not seem to temper my whining. If my baby had any sense of humanity, he would have presented itself during this past heat wave so that I could have been in air conditioning...alas, that was not to be.

[Robynee]

I'm in the process of losing my plug. That's some pretty gross stuff. I'm 40+5 today. I'm having a lot of contractions but I've been having them for so long now that I'll be shocked when I actually go into labor.

[ColoradoMama]

Originally Posted by Robynee

That's some pretty gross stuff.

For as beautiful and miraculous as birth is - there's really a lot of gross stuff that goes along with it!!! I know some people don't see it that way, but I do! I'm really okay with this baby coming out in a couple of weeks, but I have never experienced days of "pre-labor" stuff. It's weird. With dd, I had pre-labor cramps, back pain, etc. all night - but this has been a few days. I kind of wish Little Bean would either decide to come out, or not, KWIM? Give me some peace or get your tiny butt out!!!