I'm 41 weeks today, and I'll risk out of my BC at 42 weeks...

[akwifeandmomma]

That's next Thursday according to their chart ( a day later than my dates - I'm keeping quiet to hold onto that extra day! ) I have an appointment tomorrow for a NST and AFI to check baby's fluid levels. I haven't had any cervical checks and would prefer to avoid them, so I'll decline that this week as well. I have checked myself (I've charted and checked my cervical position for over 5 years or so) and from what I can tell, I think I'm maybe 60-70% effaced and around 2-3 cm. Thoughts on how to guage my dilation and effacement accurately would be welcome! I really don't know what I'm feeling for, I'm just looking at the chart and guesstimating based on what my cervix has felt like in the past.

I haven't done much of anything in an effort to get this babe out naturally. We've walked the mall a couple times and DTD a few, but I don't really "buy" natural induction methods anyway, and figure this baby will come when s/he is good and ready. I'm trying to trust my body and believe that I'll go into labor when the time is right. I bought some EPO today.

That said, I very much WANT my much planned for and anticipated BC birth. I do NOT want to go to the hospital (again - two prior vaginal births, both with pitocin/epidural - one scheduled, one after SROM) if I can avoid it. So I'm musing about when I will need to get serious about getting this baby moving in the right direction (Monday? Tuesday?), and what I should consider first. Cohosh? Membrane stripping? Castor Oil?

[MamaFern]

hmm..

firstly im sorry you are feeling in the position to have to think about any of these options.. its not fun. you are right, babies (mostly) come when they are ready and not before. that said, my daughter was very stubborn (and this one is following in her footsteps) and at 42 weeks 2 days i used Castor oil and lemon verbena (given by my midwife) and i was in labor and holding my baby girl about 6 hours after the "labor cocktail" as we called it.. fortunately my midwives give till 43 weeks before talking about medical induction ...but i was very ready at 42+2..

i had my membranes swept (with her) and the first time didnt do anything..the second was i think the same day as she was born, but before the castor oil. maybe together they did something?!

i also decided to have a sweep at 40 weeks 3 days this time around, since im kind of in a position where we need to get this baby coming, but it didn't do much of anything...im now 5 days "overdue" and kind of wondering the same things as you..though i don't feel super pressured..there is some there for sure.
i know a lot of people on here will say "don't" do these things..but ive never had a bad experience with it and i believe that if baby is ready it will help, if not, it wont.

i would wait till closer to 42 weeks for the Castor oil. its not much fun (really sore belly, loose stools like the worst stomach flu) but i have heard that, and experienced positive outcomes with it.

im not sure if my ramblings helped..but thats my 2 cents!

ETA: im not sure on the cohoshes.. ive never used them except in homeopathic form, which so far again, havn't done anything for me..

[akwifeandmomma]

Thanks MamaFern.
It definitely helps just to talk this stuff out, get it out of my head, y'know? I have several friends that had great success with castor oil, and I'm beginning to think it would be worth a shot if it comes to that.

I don't think my MW's would encourage an induction at 42 weeks, but I know that I won't be "allowed" to birth at the center, and the thought of going to the hospital gives me that horrible sinking stomach feeling - I just don't believe I can have the birth experience I long for in the same hospital where I delivered my other 2 DC.

[simplehome]

Well, I'm up next Thursday, too, so maybe we can comisserate. : I can go *just* past 42 weeks because I'm planning a homebirth, but they're only comfortable with about 3 days past, and only if the NST looks good (of course).

I don't really want to try castor oil, but I'm thinking that at my next appointment (Monday) I'll discuss it with my mw's. I'm also thinking about accupuncture and chiropractic before I try anything like that. The timing of it all is what I'm not sure about, though. I don't really want to bother with those things if I'm just going to go into labor tomorrow ANYWAY, yk?

On a positive note, I'm feeling INCREDIBLE amounts of downward pressure tonight, so maybe that'll lead to something. Hopefully a baby!

I cannot CANNONT imagine walking into a hospital to give birth. I've just never considered it, and don't want to EVER have to consider it. We might just be going UC if the NST on Monday looks good, and if we haven't had a baby by Thursday. I wonder if I can find a place where I can get another NST done late next week, if I feel the need?

[HypnoMama]

I know how you feel. I havent got a definate date from the midwife but Im pretty sure Wed is all I'm going to get. Ill be 42 + 3.

I've been doing chiropractic since week 20 and started acupuncture at week 38 just to stabilize my qi and blood and then after week 40 we started stimulating the labor points. Today was my 5th session with the labor points I've even done massage once a week for the last 5 weeks.

Tomorrow the midwife will strip my membranes if I'm dilated enough and I have a BPP to make sure babe is looking good. If everything is still great and the acupuncture and stripping isn't successful then the last ditch effort is castor oil this weekend. I'm soooo wanting to avoid that. But not more then I want to avoid an induction by a doctor I barely know at a hospital. Sigh.

Good luck to everyone, I hope our babies decide to cooperate soon. If not, may the castor oil go down smooth and come out as effectively but calmly as possible.

[ingutuk]

Ak Wife...
I am in Fairbanks in a similar situation- I am 42 weeks on Tuesday (90% effaced since DEc 10th, 2 cm dilated after membrane stripping 4 days ago...NO contractions lately...) and have tried pretty much everything except the castor oil to get things rolling. I, too, will time out of my BC on Tuesday and I actually called my OB backup today-- mainly because I am really really uncomfortable and am looking forward to getting this baby out!

The pressure to give birth can be ridiculous. When you are two weeks late, the phone calls alone can be really annoying... not to mention the fact that my inlaws have been sitting in my living room for the last 5 days basically staring at me. Talk to your midwives about what they recommend. In lieu of an induction tomorrow (as Sunday and Monday holidays will leave me with an uknown OB on call), I am going to ask my midwives to come in for a last ditch effort- another membrane stripping and perhaps low dose castor oil (though I am not crazy about this...).

Best of luck to you!