UPDATED!Need some insight from you mamas!

[lilgsmommy]

UPDATE!!
Her waterbroke about 45 minutes ago and she is a 5 stretchy 6! I wasnt home to get the call, but her husband said she is doing good. When he called he said they had her up walking around the room, and not hooked up to anything

Ill update more when I hear!

I posted the above update at around 7:30pm.....Baby Logan was born at 10:32pm, weighing in at a little over 7lbs and 20 inches long.









DP's cousin messaged me just now and they are threatening to section her.

She is 40 weeks. Has been in prodomal (sp?) labor for 3 weeks. Baby has been in a head down position, 0 station, 100% effaced, and 3cm dilated for the whole 3 weeks. They are telling her, that they honestly think the baby isnt going to fit through her pelvis.

They are sending her for an NST tomorow, and BPP ( some bio profile thingy I guess). They said depending on the results, they may want to section her tomorow evening.


Ive given her link after link on prodomal labor, natural induction stuff etc. They said that inducing her wouldnt be a good idea, because in thier opinion, if the baby has been this way for 3 weeks, nothing will change.

Thoughts? Ideas?? She is really freaking out about the possibility of a csection.

[blissful_maia]

What?! They are talking a C-section just because she has been slightly dilated and effaced for 3 weeks? Are mom and babe otherwise healthy? Is this her first baby? Dilation before labor is no indication of how birth will or will not go. A baby at 0 station and beginning dilation/effacement are healthy and normal. Maybe even advantageous!

Her OB needs to go back and read his William's Obstetrics one more time. Sheesh.

[lilgsmommy]

Originally Posted by blissful_maia

What?! They are talking a C-section just because she has been slightly dilated and effaced for 3 weeks? Are mom and babe otherwise healthy? Is this her first baby? Dilation before labor is no indication of how birth will or will not go. A baby at 0 station and beginning dilation/effacement are healthy and normal. Maybe even advantageous!

Her OB needs to go back and read his William's Obstetrics one more time. Sheesh.

She has had a few blood sugar issues, but was never dx'd with GD. Baby they said is perfectly healthy and are guessing it to be around 8# (yeah we all know how well thier guesses can be). Other than the fact that they said she has some serious swelling in her nether regions due to the pressure from the baby, and some varicose veins in her nether regions (actually inside there), nothing else that she has said....and she calls me about everything.

I tried telling her I was 80% and 3cm with my oldest for almost 5 weeks before my water broke and he was born 12 hours later...but she is worried. She has tried for near on 10 years to have a baby, and is scared that something is going to go wrong now.

[pamamidwife]

Prodromal labor? What does this mean in her definition?

I just don't get this. It sounds like you're unlikely to make a change in her fear or compliance with her doctor.

I just don't get it. Zero station is great. Not fitting? Um, it takes power to get there - contractions that are longer, stronger and closer together. Without that power, there's no way to diagnose anything.

Chalk it up to another case of too many vaginal exams and a love for surgery.

[lilgsmommy]

Originally Posted by pamamidwife

Prodromal labor? What does this mean in her definition?

I just don't get this. It sounds like you're unlikely to make a change in her fear or compliance with her doctor.

I just don't get it. Zero station is great. Not fitting? Um, it takes power to get there - contractions that are longer, stronger and closer together. Without that power, there's no way to diagnose anything.

Chalk it up to another case of too many vaginal exams and a love for surgery.

According to her, her Dr says its what she is in with contractions every 3-4 minutes, lasting around a minute, and has them most of the day. She was hooked up to monitors for 6 hours at L&D and was contracting every 2-3 minutes the whole time, never changed dilitation so they sent her home.

[1stimestar]

She needs to stay away from the hospital until labor starts. Tell her not to go in if she can still talk through the contractions. She can tell them to schedule her c-section for 3 weeks from now. Bleh.

[sweeetpea]

Could be baby is in a "non-optimal" position to help bring on labor. Tough to spin a baby already at 0 station, but not impossible. Have her look at www.spinningbabies.com, and do the positioning recommendations for labor there. Pelvic rocks, belly lifts, side lunges, stair climbing.

100% effaced and 3 cms is a great place to start labor, not to skip over labor. Sounds like her care providers have no clue what "normal" really is.

Also, a good piece of encouragement - most (but not all) of the mamas I have known with long prodromal labor have had fairly short and manageable active labors, provided they are left alone to let labor start when mama and baby are ready.

Good luck to her!

[babycatcher01]

Originally Posted by pamamidwife

Chalk it up to another case of too many vaginal exams and a love for surgery.

I think Pam hit the nail on the head.

[jmmsunshine]

Originally Posted by lilgsmommy

Thoughts? Ideas?? She is really freaking out about the possibility of a csection.

I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but... she has a CHOICE about the c-section. NO ONE CAN MAKE HER HAVE IT!! Many people I know bristle when I say that, but, unless her life or the life of her babe is in immediate danger, a c-section is a choice - and it's one she can refuse.

I was a VBAC with my 2nd. I had 4 weeks of prodromal labor too - and I was not effaced and not dilating at all. Once my water broke (16 days AFTER my EDD), 5 1/2 hours later my midwife checked me and I was 100% effaced and dilated to 2... stretchy to 3. 9 hours later I birthed a 9 lb, 5 oz beautiful baby girl. I can tell you this - it never would have happend with an OB in a hospital setting!

Keep us posted!!

[JamieCatheryn]

Prodromal labor doesn't necessarily dilate the cervix, it does help get things ready. I'm sure it's exhausting for her even if the contractions aren't too powerful and she gets a break to sleep, having contractions to deal with, wondering if today's the day EVERY DAY. Tell her this is productive, it really is, even if you don't see much cervical change things are happening. When real labor hits, more obvious things will happen and that baby will come. She's just now at her estimated due date, it could go another week or two easily, and she ought to be prepared for that. Due dates are give or take 3 weeks! Labor usually comes in its own perfect timing, it's what is supposed to happen and should not be messed with.

I had BH contractions and prodromal labor for weeks leading up to my son's birth, he was born at 41 weeks 1 day. The idea never crossed my mind or my doctor's that there was any problem, though the contractions were annoying and not knowing whether it was really happening yet was bothersome. I had his exact birth date in mind for half my pregnancy because I added the average 8 days for normal first births to his EDD.

These doctors are trying to control her with false conjecture, they haven't got any fact behind them in this. Is she small? Sometimes they try to tell small women they can't fit the baby out because of that, it's almost always untrue. Please forward her these people's replies, she needs to know how rediculous this is. And that she has the right to say no, and research on her own or get a second opinion from a less surgerical minded doctor. Her situation is completely normal from what I'm reading here, and there are risks in a surgical birth to baby and mom, plus the guaruntee of an uncomfortable long recovery for mom. This shouldn't be taken lightly and without cause!

[momileigh]

Originally Posted by lilgsmommy

in thier opinion, if the baby has been this way for 3 weeks, nothing will change.

Nonsense. What would they say about women who are open to 6 and walk around like that for a week? (And then have their babies quickly and easily.)

[lilgsmommy]

Her NST and BPP were good, so they sent her home

She was contracting every 2-4 minutes for the whole time she was there, and still of course nothing has changed.

Her Dr was in surgery, so the Dr who saw her told her exactly what she needed to hear! She was told, that no section is needed right now, the baby is doing good, even though the contractions are wearing her out, they are perparing her body, and to wait a few days. She was asked if she wanted her water broke on Friday, so she is debating that now, but no section today. I told her to stay away from L&D unless somethign feels different (ie: contractions change, bloody show, anything like that), so she is going home to rest, and take a bath. The Dr told her to have a glass of wine before bed, but since her hubby is a recovering alchoholic, she doesnt want to.