41 weeks and counting... - Page 5

[darsmama]

I was terrified of another posterior baby, and Darci went completely posterior a few days after the first 'due date'. It made the stop and start labor. What my husband and I did was I laid on the floor on my side. We rubbed my tummy in the direction the baby needed to turn with some lavendar lotion while I popped pulsatilla. Within a half hour she turned, and she was born 10 hours after that. This was after weeks of start and stop labor, and days of light labor that would peak for a bit and then cease.

If you can feel that the babe is posterior, you may want to try the rubbing.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by turtlewomyn

The only other thing I can think of, is there anything emotionally that is holding you back? Maybe that is affecting it?
Rest while you can, because when it happens, it is going to be fast.

I've been thinking hard on the emotional part of it, because that crossed my mind, too. If there's anything, it's buried pretty deep, because I sure can't find it...a little bit of "first time labour" nerves, but that's about it...

I think when my friend gets here today, I'm going to just leave the kids with her for a half hour and go up to my room and lock the door...and maybe cry my eyes out for a while. I haven't felt this...hormonal since I was about 14!

[onlyboys]

Lisa, it's so hard to be where you are right now.

And the advice that I have to give is often hard to hear. (And, I know this because it was me hearing it two years ago).

Assume you are not in early labor yet. If your cervix is not dialating past four (which I know you can't check) then assume that labor has not yet begun and these contractions are for another, different purpose. Perhaps they are bringing your baby down low. Perhaps they are turning him or her from posterior into a better position. Who knows why our bodies do what they do, but it's clear that your body works--when it becomes time for the baby to come, he or she will.

In the meantime, act totally normally. Is your bag of waters still leaking? Has it resealed?

[turtlewomyn]

Originally Posted by Storm Bride

I think when my friend gets here today, I'm going to just leave the kids with her for a half hour and go up to my room and lock the door...and maybe cry my eyes out for a while. I haven't felt this...hormonal since I was about 14!

Anyone else think this is a good sign? Lots of hormones????

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by onlyboys

Lisa, it's so hard to be where you are right now.

And the advice that I have to give is often hard to hear. (And, I know this because it was me hearing it two years ago).

Assume you are not in early labor yet. If your cervix is not dialating past four (which I know you can't check) then assume that labor has not yet begun and these contractions are for another, different purpose. Perhaps they are bringing your baby down low. Perhaps they are turning him or her from posterior into a better position. Who knows why our bodies do what they do, but it's clear that your body works--when it becomes time for the baby to come, he or she will.

In the meantime, act totally normally. Is your bag of waters still leaking? Has it resealed?

Someone else gave me this advice a couple of days ago. I appreciate the thought, but I didn't find that it helped much. Whether I call it labour or not...it's costing me sleep and making me grumpy with the kids and...ugh. Besides, when I think of it as not being labour, then the whole "post dates" issue starts to rear its ugly head.

I know I can do this...just wish it weren't so easy to have doubt creep in...

Still leaking...but much, much less than it was...

[Ligmom]

Just a quick note to ask...how does your midwife feel about your water being broken this long? How is the baby holding up? Keep us posted...we're hoping to hear that your baby is here and healthy and everyone is resting and happy very soon

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by darsmama

I was terrified of another posterior baby, and Darci went completely posterior a few days after the first 'due date'. It made the stop and start labor. What my husband and I did was I laid on the floor on my side. We rubbed my tummy in the direction the baby needed to turn with some lavendar lotion while I popped pulsatilla. Within a half hour she turned, and she was born 10 hours after that. This was after weeks of start and stop labor, and days of light labor that would peak for a bit and then cease.

If you can feel that the babe is posterior, you may want to try the rubbing.

I missed this one. I don't think baby is posterior. I'm certainly no expert, but it doesn't feel that way.

I had two weeks or so of stop and start with ds2 - that didn't bother me (except that I had the scheduled c/s hanging over my head, so it was a bit stressful). It was obviously "warm up" of some kind. This has just been soooo different.

When people say labours are all different, they're not kidding. Up until this baby, I'd only had about 30 hours, if that, of total labour, and I've still managed to have three completely different experiences - in every way. (No labour at all with dd.)

Honestly...this would probably be somewhat easier if dh and my best friend weren't starting to get concerned. Why is it that people being worried about me always has a negative effect on my ability to cope?

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by Ligmom

Just a quick note to ask...how does your midwife feel about your water being broken this long? How is the baby holding up? Keep us posted...we're hoping to hear that your baby is here and healthy and everyone is resting and happy very soon

My midwife isn't worried about it. She's got me monitoring my temperature, and gave me the "nothing in the vagina" advice (which I'd already concluded). There's some mild mec staining, but we're keeping an eye on it. Baby seems to be holding up well. It's had a consistent heartrate for the last...three months??...and is still moving around some.

[kltroy]

From what I've read, you can safely wait up to about 4 days post water breaking before significant risk of infection. That is IF no internal exams are done. Good luck - we're all cheering for you!

[Storm Bride]

Thanks. I've been told by several people that the first 12 hours are the most dangerous, in terms of infection. I'm not really worried about that.

The weird thing is that I'm not really worried about anything...I'm just feeling like this baby isn't ever going to come out (which is crazy!).

There will definitely be no internal exams. I doubt my midwife would do one if I asked, and I'm not asking!

[onlyboys]

Originally Posted by Storm Bride

Someone else gave me this advice a couple of days ago. I appreciate the thought, but I didn't find that it helped much. Whether I call it labour or not...it's costing me sleep and making me grumpy with the kids and...ugh. Besides, when I think of it as not being labour, then the whole "post dates" issue starts to rear its ugly head.

I know I can do this...just wish it weren't so easy to have doubt creep in...

Still leaking...but much, much less than it was...

I'm sorry my advice wasn't helpful. It didn't seem helpful for me either, when I was given it, but I noted that as I relaxed into the notion that labor was still impending, I felt better about being achey and having contractions.

The postdates thing bothers you? Your midwife? How postdate are you comfy going?

I agree with a PP that when your active labor kicks in it will go fast! Mine did!

Regardless of what you call it, you will have your baby soon!

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by onlyboys

I'm sorry my advice wasn't helpful. It didn't seem helpful for me either, when I was given it, but I noted that as I relaxed into the notion that labor was still impending, I felt better about being achey and having contractions.

I'll try to keep that in mind. It may help...this has been...weird. I guess I still suffer from more of our cultural belief in "water breaks, labour starts, baby pops out (with much screaming) 8 hours later" than I thought.

The postdates thing bothers you? Your midwife? How postdate are you comfy going?

It doesn't bother my midwife at all. I wouldn't have thought it would bother me, but...I guess worry is contagious. I was totally okay with 42 weeks, and even a few days past. Tomorrow is 43, and that's starting to worm its way into my brain as a potential problem...maybe because postdates was the issue that ended up with my OB coercing me into my last section....bit of a mental block there, maybe. I'm working through it - baby is doing fine, by all signs, so there's no reason for me to freak out. Besides, dh and his brothers were all long gestations and I've always felt that dd was early at 39w, 2d.

Regardless of what you call it, you will have your baby soon!

Thanks. I need to remember that. He/she really isn't going to stay inside forever...

[mom2tillie]

Hang in there, Storm... you really are doing a wonderful job and it sounds to me like your body is being gentle which is probably the best thing. No matter what, that baby will come when ready.

I really admire your strength. As they say, wishing you more gentle labor vibes...

-Iris

[Arwyn]

You're doing fine, you're doing all the right things, and in hir own sweet time you will be holding your beautiful baby. Sorry about the worry worm and lack of sleep, but you're doing wonderfully.

[tiffani]

Originally Posted by Arwyn

You're doing fine, you're doing all the right things, and in hir own sweet time you will be holding your beautiful baby. Sorry about the worry worm and lack of sleep, but you're doing wonderfully.

:

[danotoyou2]

My tips for what worked for me...

Walk down a steep hill, and don't walk back up! I don't know how many times my husband picked me up in our car from the bottom of a hill. The downward motion gets the baby to move down onto the cervix. It really did work. But, if you walk back up, it'll have the opposite effect. You can also walk down some stairs and take an elevator up... then walk down again (if you're in the city and have a hard time finding a hill you can easily walk down).

Hands and knees, rocking back and forth.

Squatting on a birth ball. And rocking in a circular motion. Works great for contractions, and also helps get the baby down.

Walk, walk, walk.

It took so much focus for me, every day, to keep the baby on the cervix. He kept putting his hand by his face, which would shift him on the pelvis and take the pressure off the cervix.

Also, women have had their waters broken for weeks without labor starting. Same goes for mucous plug (DH calls it "music plug" ) It's totally normal.

I wish more women understood that there is a HUGE variation of "normal" when it comes to labor. They think that if it doesn't fit into a textbook, it's not normal... mostly because that's what the doctors believe too. It's nice to see someone who doesn't buy into that, and believes in her body. But, we all need a little reassurance sometimes too.

[TanyaS]

Here's what worked for me:

leave dirty dishes in the sink.

Every night, dh and I would do the dishes, pick up the house, etc so that it wouldn't be a complete disaster when the midwives came. The one night we were tired and decided to go to bed early....labor kicked in and my SIL washed those dirty dishes while I labored in my bedroom.

[Storm Bride]

If leaving dirty dishes in the sink would work, baby would have been here a month ago!
But, I like the reasoning. It may apply to my living room, which we've been trying to keep picked up so the birthtub can be set up. I looked at it last night, and thought "it'll be tonight, because there's no way she can set the tub up right now!".

Thank you all so much. This thread and another one (local tribe) and the ICAN list are saving my sanity, I'm pretty sure. It's sooo hard when your dh is being pestered by people at work ("she has to have that baby within 24 hours now!") and everybody else is just constantly convinced that it's going to happen right now, and/or that there's "something" wrong.

I'm healthy. Baby's healthy. What do people think is "wrong"?

[tiffani]

good to see your mood has changed Lisa!

[pampered_mom]

mama - you're an amazing strong mama!

I'd tell dh to ignore the people at work and definitely stop telling you about it. They're just not aware of the wide range of "normal" as danotoyou2 mentioned.

Hang in there!