Due Date Tuesday

[miguelsmom]

So like I said I'm due Tuesday and I have stopped having contractions and any sign of labor. I really REALLY don't want to be induced at the hospital like last time and I would prefer to not induce at all (naturally speaking) but I am concerned that if I don't try the natural inductions first I will end up with petocin again. So ladies any suggestions for ways of inducing naturally and if possibly not adding additional stress on my body- I have a bottle of castor oil but I'm a little concerned it would be a stressful way to start labor. I also think maybe I'm stressing out prematurally but if I have another person ask me when my baby is going to be born I'll scream!! I am as far as I know atleast 90% effaced and almost 2 cm dilated as of last week. Anything I try wouldn't be until after my due date and I'm not sure if even then because I don't want to force her out when she's not ready. Oh goodness I do feel like a confused mess right now. any suggestions would be so much appreciated.

[meggles]

You're really not technically "overdue" until 42 weeks. I won't even be thinking about induction (other than walking, spicy foods, sex, etc.) until I get really close to 42 weeks. I know OBs get pushy once you near and go past your EDD, but you're not considered overdue at 40 weeks.

[Fay]

Nipple stim or breast pumping, Evening Primrose Oil (orally or vaginally), lots of exercise, frequent orgasms, sitting on a heating pad, taking warm baths, prune juice have all been recommended to me, but I haven't tried them yet. Meditation, yoga and visualization exercises may also help. I do not recommend castor oil, as it will cause your baby to release meconium into the amniotic fluid, so you'll become automatically "high-risk" when your water breaks and the meconium is seen.

Good luck!

[jilly]

I went 41 weeks with my ds, and it was frustrating, but we didn't have to get induced. I think most docs will let you hold out to 41 weeks if you're adamant. By 42 weeks they're worried about the placenta, but there's no need to get discouraged yet. I just hid out for two weeks around my due date because I was tired of talking to people about it. Just try to relax and get lots of excersise and let your body let it happen, and be firm with your doc.

[Shenandoah]

Right there with you on the annoying people asking when the baby is coming. MIL just called and let's just say it was not a positive interaction. :

My unofficial edd is 1/3. OB is working with 1/8 because of u/s at 6 weeks, but everything else including ovulation, sex, and 10 wk u/s all line up with 1/3. I'm not going to start doing much until 41 weeks. If you are really wanting to do something you could try sex, walking, ankle massage and lots of rrl tea.

[MacKinnon]

I went 11 days over with DD and I swear, if I go that far again, I don't know what I'll do! This time though, dates are based off an early u/s, so I am hoping they are closer to on target. I am already taking EPO and drinking RRL. DH is looking foward to induction sex but other than that, I'll be hanging in there for the long haul. I suppose it's fun to try the other things too... Like eggplant parm, pineapple (enzymes, supposedly), walking, bumpy roads, etc. I would stear clear of the "hard core" induction things though, unless medically indicated-- like castor oil, blue/black cohosh, etc.

I have to remind myself that with DD, I obsessed about going into labor for oh, three weeks, and then the night that I said "Screw this! I am done waiting ! She'll come when she is ready..." drank a glass of wine and went to bed... I woke up in labor! I needed to let go of control, let go of the stress/worry and just let it happen. I need to remember that!

[Shenandoah]

Originally Posted by ilovemyavery

I have to remind myself that with DD, I obsessed about going into labor for oh, three weeks, and then the night that I said "Screw this! I am done waiting ! She'll come when she is ready..." drank a glass of wine and went to bed... I woke up in labor! I needed to let go of control, let go of the stress/worry and just let it happen. I need to remember that!

So what you are saying is my current dispondent state could be completely remedied with a glass of wine before bed that might just 1) relax me enough to allow the baby to turn and 2) send me into labor? Alrighty then. Off I go.

[MacKinnon]

Originally Posted by Shenandoah

So what you are saying is my current dispondent state could be completely remedied with a glass of wine before bed that might just 1) relax me enough to allow the baby to turn and 2) send me into labor? Alrighty then. Off I go.

I swear!!! I was 10 days late with DD and ready to cry : Well, I had cried, several times. My midwives were going to let me go 14 days past my u/s indicated EDD, which was actually about 19 days over my EDD by LMP. I was sure I would be pregnant that long! : Finally I just said, "Screw this!! I am done waiting!!" DH opened a nice red wine, I had a glass and went to bed. Slept through the night (well, got up once, but only once, to pee) and woke up with cx about 5 minutes apart! I wish you luck Shenandoah May your baby turn soon!

[miguelsmom]

I have no desire to try anything hard core. I did however buy a pinneapple today So I'll let you know how that goes. I wish relaxing wasn't so hard to do.

[Shenandoah]

Originally Posted by ilovemyavery

I swear!!! I was 10 days late with DD and ready to cry : Well, I had cried, several times. My midwives were going to let me go 14 days past my u/s indicated EDD, which was actually about 19 days over my EDD by LMP. I was sure I would be pregnant that long! : Finally I just said, "Screw this!! I am done waiting!!" DH opened a nice red wine, I had a glass and went to bed. Slept through the night (well, got up once, but only once, to pee) and woke up with cx about 5 minutes apart! I wish you luck Shenandoah May your baby turn soon!

I'm past my edd as far as lmp goes (12/30) but I know when I ovulated and had sex so that would put me at 1/3. I'm not considering myself past 40 wks yet.

So I tried you theory last night. Notice how not like a woman in labor I'm typing right now? That's because I'm not in labor. ::sigh::

[The Firebird]

Originally Posted by miguelsmom

I wish relaxing wasn't so hard to do.

: This is my problem right now too!! I am due on Jan 3 as well and I am getting anxious and kind of just want things to start ... plus the ever building family pressure hasn't been helping! And this being my first I have no idea what I am really waiting for or expecting either. So here I am trying to convince myself of the logic of just trying to relax but it is really hard ... especially what with my *minor* control freak tendancies

This whole thing is kind of like when you so desperately want to fall in love and everyone keeps telling you that it will happen "when you least expect it" or "when you aren't looking it will happen" ... which was always so frustrating ... and so you would walk around saying "I'm not looking, I'm not looking" but deep down it is really hard to not be looking. Ugh. That's how I feel with this baby ... except I feel like I am spending too much time "trying to not look" ... you know?

[miguelsmom]

yeah, I know just what your talking about. I tried some pineapple but my fear of acid reflux got the better of me. Oh well. Patience...Right? I guess we'll see. I have a hard time believing I will actually go into labor on my due date, but maybe if I don't think it will happen, it will . It's our month now ladies- let's have us some babies!

[janerose]

Well, I did do a castor oil induction (on the recommendation of my midwife) with DD and wouldn't hesitate to do it again this time if it becomes necessary. I was 41 wks exactly. I did it around 12p, my water broke around 1:30a, and DD was born around 4p the next day. I'd tried it a week earlier at 40 wks though and NOTHING, so I really feel it's yet another one of those things that will work if you're body is already on the cusp of going into labor, but not necessarily push you into labor if you're not ready.

Honestly though, I think you're better off trying pretty much all the other stuff first. My labor certainly wasn't hard, but my water did break right at the start of it. I immediatly went into contractions that were about 1 min long & 3-5 min apart. They stayed that way all 13 hours of labor until I went into transition. Getting more intense of course, but still I've always wondered what labor would have been like without the castor oil. All in all though I was very happy with my birth experience & ended up with the natural birth we'd planned.

It was *highly* preferrable to a pit induction, IMHO. Also, I liked that it really....ahem...cleaned me out before labor, IYKWIM. I didn't find the side effects of the castor oil that bad either honestly. Slight cramps & a bit of diarrhea. Although I know some people try enemas as an even more natural way to get the same effect.

Either way I feel your pain. I'm not even due until mid-Jan and I'm SOOO ready to just have her already! I'm going to start pumping regularly tonight (after a nice hot bath). I had supply problems last time so I need to do this anyway, but I'm really crossing my fingers that it will help things along.

Good luck!

Holly

[Shazer]

I'm due in three weeks and my body has started preparing for labor which has me starting to obsess over when I'll officially go. Every day since last Thursday I've had some irregular strong contractions. Plus I'm feeling lots of stretching and pulling down under, which makes me think I'm opening up.