Post due date grumble thread

[Willzmama]

I'm only one day past my due date, but I still want to whine. Anyone else care to join me? :

I went in for a NST this morning, it went fine. The MW offered to check my cervix. Why did I bother letting her? I've had NO ctx at all. But I've been taking EPO for 2 weeks. Ack - she said it's firm, nothing's happening. And she encouraged me to make plans this weekend and have fun. She said, "I'm not GOD - you could go into labor - but it's not too likely in the next couple of days." Sigh. I go back Tuesday for another NST. I totally don't mind these - they do them in the LDRs and it's quite pleasant. I just wish I was in labor and actually checking in, getting into that jacuzzi tub!

[Jilian]

Cervical checks can be depressing. If it makes you feel any better, I was only 1 cm dilated when I went into labor with Aiden and my labor was still only 9 hours long, uncluding 2.5 hours of pushing.

I hope labor comes for you soon. Maybe your body is just resting before the big event?

[laneysprout]

My EDD is tomorrow and I'm still here. My cervix was 2cm/50% and baby was +1 station on Monday. MW offered to do a sweep but I declined. I started losing my plug on Tuesday afternoon and had some light cramping that night and now....

NOTHING FOR THE LAST TWO DAYS !

I am SO ready for this little one to come out and play. What are you all doing to keep yourselves distracted?

[Willzmama]

Well, I've got a 4yo who wants to play Zingo and Caribou! I finished a Maeve Binchy novel. There's always laundry.

It IS good to hear about people who weren't at all dilated or barely one day and then gave birth the next day. It's hopeful.

I think we decided to go to MIL's for the weekend - she's an equal distance to the hosp as we are, probably closer even. It's just weird to think that it's Memorial Day weekend already and I haven't given birth. I just had the 23rd in my head all these months. Silly me.

[jakesmama]

Yeah, I would say that cervical dilation is totally NOT an indicator of impending labor. I'm the opposite, I've been 4-5 cm since at least Monday (first check ever in pregnancy) and there is nothing going on now in the way of ctx...zip. And yet with my son I was probably not softened or dilating at all and he came five weeks early! You just can't know these things. One of life's great mysteries, eh?

[Munchkimo]

Laneysprout, it sounds like our bodies are doing the exact same thing. I was 2cm and 50% effaced at my MW appt. on Monday and I was seeing lots of mucous, but now nothing yesterday or today. I didn't ask exactly which station baby was at, but the midwife said baby is still floating.

My baby was flipping all around yesterday, too. Is that normal at this late in the game?

Btw, today is my due date. I made myself chocolate covered strawberries to celebrate. :

[jakesmama]

Mmm...chocolate covered strawberries....
I think I need to go to the store now. Please excuse me....

[chrissy]

grumble, grumble, grumble!

i'm still here. i was due monday, so i'm "only" 3 days late. bleh. ONLY?! i think it feels like longer b/c i have been having contractions for so long- like 4 weeks probably. they mostly don't feel like labor contractions but they aren't comfortable and they do make me think that it should have happened already.

the good news is that dh isn't going to work tomorrow. i think that the hardest thing for me right now is keeping my other 2 entertained so i am soooooooooo happy that i won't be alone in that after today- at least not for a while.

tomorrow morning i am going for acupuncture and then i have a nst and u/s in the afternoon. OR baby could come tonight and i could skip both!

we were out this afternoon and more than 2 strangers stopped me to ask how many babies i'm having. JUST ONE!!! i feel like a freak show. i want to hold my baby!!! waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

[Krystal323]

wowwwww, I bet I'm the most overdue mama here right now huh?? latest possible calculation I'm 42 weeks today. sending my love and support, hopefully you guys don't get as emotionally crazy as I am!! :

<---labor vibes!

[Willzmama]

Chocolate covered strawberries are definitely in order! They are probably my FAVORITE treat. MMMM! I have some organic strawberries in the fridge but only choc sauce...might have to do...

I'm getting tired of people thinking if I don't answer the phone it means I'm having the baby. Or showing up places and having people be surprised to see me. And I love reading about other's labor stories and seeing the baby pics, but wahhhhh I want some of my own! Oh and my broken toe still friggin hurts, 11 days later. And I'm having post-nasal drip issues, big time. (What else can I complain about?!) :

[chrissy]

Originally Posted by Willzmama

I'm getting tired of people thinking if I don't answer the phone it means I'm having the baby. Or showing up places and having people be surprised to see me.

ME TOO!!! And I am sooooooooooooo tired of people calling to see if I've had the baby. ARGH.

Krystal

[riversmommy]

Here's my totally frustrating depressing story--Tues. all day ctx came and went, uncomfortable ones. Throughout the evening they started getting regular and since I have to take a ferry to my midwife/hospital I figured we should at least go before the last one at 9:30. Anyway, went to hospital, midwife did an exam--4 cm but not effaced. Baby still floating. She told me just spend the night, go home in the morning if nothing happens. Well, nothing happened! So, now I'm losing mucous plug, having crampy contractions, not answering the phone, and irritated that I can't tell "real" labor from prodromal...even though my midwife never even batted an eye at the whole thing. She's very chill, wasn't about to membrane sweep or anything, she didn't even do another VE the next morning. Just told me to have a great weekend. But aughhhhhh!!!! Why didn't anyone tell me that the 2nd one can be NOTHING like the first one???

[Willzmama]

Oh man, I feel for ya. Hang in there! 4cm - that's not nothing, like mine. Ha.

[jakesmama]

I've actually come to the realization that I like laboring this way (I think we are laboring even though things are not progressing toward having a baby TODAY) as it seems so natural that our bodies are doing so much prep work without us having to focus all our energy into it.
Dilation and effacement aren't the only indicators of progress. We can't really know how much 'easier' our bodies are making it for the birth. Which will come. Eventually. In time. This year. At least. For sure.

It's driving everyone around me more crazy than it is me. I really have the attitude now that this baby is not done cooking and will come when he or she is ready and not a moment before. Any natural things I do to 'move things along' are only going to work if it's time and if it's time then we don't need to use the methods anyway.

[VOBetz]

Originally Posted by jakesmama

Any natural things I do to 'move things along' are only going to work if it's time and if it's time then we don't need to use the methods anyway.

I totally agree.

I've tried several natural induction methods that work well enough to give me contrax for a couple hours then fizzle.

I've come to the conclusion that babies come when they are ready and not sooner. I now believe FULLY that inductions don't work. Whose to say that when you are 41 weeks pregnant and you have sex and start labor that you wouldn't have started labor anyway? KWIM?

[tofutti]

so i should put away this stupid breast pump, is what you're saying?

[VOBetz]

LOL! I guess so - yeah. Because how do you know its the breast pump is working vs. your body working on its own? Maybe you do. I don't know - I didn't. Everything I tried would bring on contrax, but I wouldn't keep them going once I stopped (like once I stopped using the breast pump my contrax would stop)

[Danelle78]

Originally Posted by tofutti

so i should put away this stupid breast pump, is what you're saying?

I was due the 14th, too. We're pretty sure that date was WRONG. BP has done nothing for me, nor homeo, nor acupressure, nor sex, nor bouncing on the birth ball. NADA, just some more BH. But hey, the more practice the uterus gets, the better, right? Started EPO this morning and now off to drink lots of RRL tea.

[Willzmama]

I was out doing some shopping yesterday and a woman asked when I'm due. I said, "Two days ago." She goes, "Aren't you nervous, being out?" Um, no. There is NADA going on, don't worry, my water's not going to break right here in front of you, lady.

I think it's true - if the baby isn't ready, all the induction methods probably won't really work. They might start something but whether that gets you to the finish line - ?! And that's how all these silly induction methods came to be, right? "Oh, I ate pasta puttanesca and my labor started!" Well, you were probably about to go into labor anyway. But hey, it gives us hugely pregnant women something to do, something to try. MIL suggested we go for a bike ride this weekend and I told DH I didn't think it would be a good idea for me to that. He said, "Oh but if one of your mom friends told you it would start your labor, you'd do it!" He's right. :

[JanB]

I was 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced at my final OB appt, and had the baby four days later. So I am with the "Dilation is meaningless!" crowd.

My feeling about induction methods is that if you are teetering on the edge of going into labor, they might give you that extra push that you need. But if you're not close at all, it probably won't do much. Although in the case of long walks, etc., I do tend to think that it might help baby move into a more labor-conducive position. Ya never know! I hope it happens for you soon!