"Overdue" Mamas

[Media Mama]

What have you been doing (if anything) to try to get labor going?

[faithhopelove]

Nothing. I don't really see anything wrong with being overdue though other than being miserable. I still think baby has the perfect timing and I don't really want to mess with it

[soccermominsd]

DH & I went to the MW today, afterwhich we were supposed to go in for an NST & Biophysical profile.

We had a great meeting with the MW-she is such a wonderful person & very honest. We discussed the pressure I'll be under from the CNMs office to have the induction after Thursday. We discussed the pros/cons of induction methods and the risks that are involved. I hate feeling scared for the babe *'cause of the itching thing*...then considering the risks that interventions can pose and of course the cascade affect that an induction can lead to is disturbing. I broke down...uhg. I just feel torn-emotionally & physically. So right before DH & I left the MWs (beware TMI) I had a terrible BM-basically painful diaria but I thought 'it' was over, so we started driving to the CNMs for the NST, etc. On the way there..wow, I felt like I was going to puke. Moaning & groaning the whole 30miles back-there was NO WAY I could've sat through an NST, so I had DH call them and cancel.

So we are basically undecided about WHAT we are going to do and are going to take each day at a time. I'll probably be going in for an NST tomorrow and see how the babes doing.

[leurMaman]

Anita,

I just wanted to send you some encouragement. I got a bit close to the "cut off date" of 42 weeks last pregnancy - after which I would have had to have the baby at home or in a hospital. Anyway, I don't have much advice, but I hope you are feeling better now. Pay attention to that groaning you are feeling - maybe tonight is the night Good luck ladies! Hang in there!

[mom2owen1]

I wish I could say nothing, but with a scheduled section looming over my head (a week from today) I am trying a few things.

Evening Primrose Oil, intercourse, spicy foods, walking. Once Sunday rolls around my doula and I will be discussing homeopathics, nipple stimulation, etc.

[LionTigerBear]

I am only one day past my due date, but the last couple of days I have been trying spicy food, walking, running up and down the stairs, lots of sex , acupressure (I really thought that one might work!) and I am still taking my antenatal herbal formula which contains red raspberry leaf, blue cohosh, and some other herbs. I've also tried talking to the baby a lot and telling him things like: it's time now, we're all ready, come out to mommy, whenever you're ready sweetie, come meet your daddy, come out and try your new fleece pouch, you're going to love it! Hasn't worked yet. I don't really expect anything will work until this baby is ready to come out anyway, but it's fun to try!

Sending lots of labor vibes to you ladies who are really needing to go into labor soon! <------ Here's some labor-fairy dust for you!

[LionTigerBear]

Oh and I forgot, I've been letting my two-year-old nurse some more too for that nipple stimulation! But I have to be careful with that because it gives me really strong, painful contractions-- he has a strong suck. Hasn't kick-started labor yet though.

[TheDivineMissE]

I'm at 41/1 and I've tried pineapple, spicy food (this one doesn't work so well when you already eat spicy food ALL the time ), RRL Tea and EPO for the last few weeks - but I did do a very strong cup of RRL tea last night - I just birthed a BM OH TMI!, Borage Oil, walking, sex, and my OB managed to strip my membranes a teensy little bit yesterday.

That is all though - I won't try castor oil, I had to have barium x-rays once as a kid and castor oil was required to clean me out. To this day, 21 years later, I can still recall the taste of it and taste it every time I drink apple juice (what my grandma put it in to make it taste better). Yuck.

[Avani]

Anita,my good friend just delivered with your midwife the other day and said she is so wonderful~i hope you have your sweet lil one in your arms soon!

I have been using EPO for about 6 weeks now,i drink about 4 cups of RRL a day,sex once a day if i can handle it ,walking and i alternate homeopathic cimicufuga and caulophyllum during the day.

[Tori Gollihugh]

The only thing I did before 42 weeks was as much sex as DH and I could get in (not terribly much though). On the 42 week mark I allowed evening primrose suppositories and did a total of 7 hours worth of black and blue kohash (sp?) homeopathics. I was already in VERY light labor before all that (barely noticeable), but those helps definitely worked. Of course, I was also in labor for 2 days, which could totally be because I didn't let it progress on its own! UGH Who knows, though.

Good luck to you "late" mamas. I know how much like a Chinese torture it can feel to be "overdue"!! hahaha

[faithhopelove]

That's one main reason why i don't really want to do much to help it along. I really don't want to end up with a longer labor that turns out differently than if I just left well enough alone. I know its so hard to wait... I mean I had Chloe 20dys late. I am just trying to be as patient as I can lol

[Media Mama]

I think I could take the waiting if 1) My mom weren't here from Texas also waiting for the baby (she's essentially put her life on hold for us and has been here for three weeks - a week longer than planned); 2) The three week deadline - at three weeks overdue I have to go to the hospital for the birth; and 3) baby's increasing size!

Well, all that and the fact that it's just not my nature to be this patient!

All this is really starting to get to me emotionally. I've had terrible insomnia for the last 5 days, which isn't helping at all. When I finally do go into labor I'll already be exhausted! :

We've only tried walking, spicy food, acupuncture, sex and nipple stimulation. So far not one contraction as a result!

[faithhopelove]

Sounds like your body just isn't ready get

I hope this doesn't sound bad but don't worry about anyone else's life being put on hold. You are putting pressure on yourself to have baby soon and you shouldn't have to. Baby isn't on the same schedule we are and if mom misses it... well isn't much you can do about it really. Much better than stressing your body and your mind out trying to get baby out before he/she is ready.

hugs

[babymakesthree]

Well, I am only "overdue" one day and am telling myself repeatedly that baby comes when baby is ready.. not doing much other than staying active and walking and having sex with dh when we both aren't exhausted/cranky. haha Ate a bunch of pineapple but I love fresh pineapple so that wasn't a hardship. Had been drinking raspberry leaf tea but ran out and haven't bought more. Have a mw appt tomorrow that I was hoping not to make it to, but I will have her check progress.. hopefully something soon.. *sigh*

[Media Mama]

Originally Posted by faithhopelove

hugs

Thanks. Logically I know you're right - even my mom tells me that herself! (She is, afterall, a grown woman and can leave at will anytime.) It's just SO hardwired in me to please people (yikes! I hope I don't pass THAT on to my kids!) that I'm struggling with it right now... I think pregnancy, labor, and birth bring out our most basic elements, instincts, traits, etc. It's a time to really examine who we are and how we relate to the world - for good and bad!

[LionTigerBear]

Media Mama, I kind of know how you feel. I feel a little guilty when I tell people it's not time yet, or we haven't had the baby yet. I know it's crazy, but I do kind of feel this pressure to perform, yk? I know people are waiting on me. I know my hubby is so excited to meet this baby and I feel like I'm letting him down every day I don't have this baby already! Of course, this is all coming form me since my hubby is so sweet and supportive.

Hmmm . . . maybe these feelings are holding me back . . . maybe I should go do some emotional release exercises and maybe then I'll go into labor!

[faithhopelove]

This is why I hate when people on other boards feel this great need to stalk you. If you don't post for like 6hrs all of sudden there are posts wondering where you are and insisting that you must be holding your new baby. Then you go and see these posts and you feel bad. Bad cause you are already emotional from wanting to have the baby anyway, and now you feel like everyone is waiting on you and you are putting on a show. It's horrible. Then when you tell people how you are feeling they just laugh and say "We just love you!". And then keep stalking. Sigh.

[dex_millie]

Overdue also...

Three days past due date (Was due Oct. 16). The only thing I have done is to walk, continue "entertaining my husband" and not answering the phones. Everyone is ringing off the hook it is so ridiculous. Wondering if I'm going to induce, how long will i go over the date, ect... - I am just 3 days over: and this is my first baby. I hear that sometimes firsttimers go over, just like my mother was 2 weeks late with me. I am feeling fine and thinking when the baby comes it comes (wants baby to come soon though ).

[Chicky2]

I am not overdue yet, but will likely be soon. I tend to carry a long time. My last was born 20 days after the edd, and I was SURE of my dates. I did have some emotional stuff going on, though (my dad was waiting to die til I birthed). I do carry all my babies 'over', though. W/my last I did end up really trying everything under the sun because his environment was starting to deteriorate a bit. What finally worked was a regimen of Master Gland by Nature's Sunshine (produces the same glandular activity a normally laboring woman goes thru if almost all Baby's ducks are in a row, and recommended by Shonda Parker. Dosage is 2 capsules every 30 minutes, starting in the morning after a good night's sleep and good meal. Stop if you get a headache. Stop at your regular bedtime (don't stay up late taking it), and resume the next morning if you don't wake up in labor. Can be done for up to 3 days. It works very well for alot of women. I've used it and have had several friends use it who were being threatened w/induction at a hospital. It can be continued thru labor and tends to make for an easier labor, unlike so many other natural induction methods.

[Media Mama]

That's interesting - one I hadn't heard of! I wonder if it's one of the tricks up my midwives' sleeves that they aren't willing to reveal yet... I'm 42 weeks tomorrow but they don't want to talk about what I can do beyond acupuncture until my next appointment (Monday night). I'm not really clear on why they want to wait b/c if I don't go into labor by the 26th, I have to be transferred to an OB for chemical induction. Why not get started now?

Off to get friendly with the breastpump!