Patience

[saffrondaisy]

I know, I know, baby will come when she's ready, but I'm now five days past my due date and am having trouble being patient. Any words of encouragement? Or tips for enticing her to come out? Unfortunately we have a stacked washer and dryer, or I'd totally try the tennis shoe trick!!

[Aries1985]

You're far more patient than I am. I'm 38+3 and I'm sooo impatient to meet this little one. I just keep telling myself that she'll come. I mean babies can't stay in forever, right?

[Halfasianmomma]

Just spoke to my MIL and she told me that she went to 43 weeks with DH...aieee, that's WAY too long for me. I'm cranky as it is and I'm just past 38 weeks.

Ah well, at least it'll give me time to work on more diapers...

[BirthFree]

Lol! I think tips are usually useless to bring babies out, but maybe you could tell her you'll bake her a cake.

If I get to 5 days past my due date I think I'll resort to begging.

[saffrondaisy]

BirthFree, that's so funny you said that—yesterday was my husband's birthday, so I made cupcakes. Last night he was talking to the baby, saying, "No cupcakes until you come out of there!" Apparently she doesn't have much appetite for cupcakes—it's just the sort of bribery that works wonders on her big brother!

[sunmamma]

ummmm, what's the tennis shoe trick? Somebody clue me in...just out of curiousity!

[BlueMoonBean]

Originally Posted by sunmamma

ummmm, what's the tennis shoe trick? Somebody clue me in...just out of curiousity!

A mama posted a thread yesterday about how somebody suggested a weird method to urge the baby out... IIRC, her boss suggested she sit on a dryer full of tennis shoes. Presumably to bounce the babe out!

[tonia_jo]

It sounds like I felt the same way as you! I tried (really hard) to relax and have a good day without sitting around and waiting - it did the trick - I kept busy all day with out of the house activities and the next night baby came! But, my mom had been saying for days that she needed to wash the kitchen floor, then the baby would come - the night she washed the floor - the baby came - so maybe it was that?! I know it's SO hard to wait during those last days... I was driving myself crazy saying I'd grow a toddler in me.

[RainRaven]

Originally Posted by saffrondaisy

BirthFree, that's so funny you said that—yesterday was my husband's birthday, so I made cupcakes. Last night he was talking to the baby, saying, "No cupcakes until you come out of there!" Apparently she doesn't have much appetite for cupcakes—it's just the sort of bribery that works wonders on her big brother!

Try offering her a hot fudge sunday, my mom swears that was what convinced me to come out.

[~*~MamaJava~*~]

saffrondaisy, I am over every time, and I'm just one day ahead of you now...it is hard to be patient.

I guess I just tell myself that the baby wants a little more time to be ready (easy for me to deal with because mine are always small so I figure a few extra days might earn us a fat roll). Also, I just pick a project to work on, or a book to read, or something fun to do if I get really down. I took myself shopping last Thursday night.
Being "overdue" is pretty lame...remember we're not REALLY over until 42 wks...and remember my suggestion from the update thread: not overdue, but SUPERdue (Imagine my cape flying in the wind here)

[at_the_hip]

I'm with you, girls...my due date was the 12th. My other 3 have been late so it's really not surprising but I'd be lying if I said that i always hold out with an inkling of hope that one of them might decide to be early/on time...LOL

Dh is feeling a lot better today though (he had gall bladder surgery on Fri) so I think the worst is over in his recovery. I'm thinking that will go a long way toward my body feeling safe enough to deliver...so it's more of when she decides to make her appearance! My first two little ones were born on the exact same day 2 years apart...this one has an opportunity to be born on dd#3's birthday on the 21st. So maybe she's holding out for that!

Nothing has ever worked for me personally to bring them before they decided it was time. But I do know that every time I actually did give birth, I was glad I had let them choose their own birthdays, and wondering why I was so impatient! I wish knowing that helped now, but I just feel reallllly tired at the moment! But I do keep in mind that each day passed is one less day until she's here! The last few days I've been sewing up some more diapers so at least I'm more productive.

[BirthFree]

Originally Posted by at_the_hip

But I do know that every time I actually did give birth, I was glad I had let them choose their own birthdays, and wondering why I was so impatient! I wish knowing that helped now...

Could not agree more.

I say it's God design to inspire you to go through labor and birth without being afraid. At this point I get EXCITED about BH's that take my breath away and make me stop talking and last more than a minute. A month ago I would not have said so emphatically, "Bring it ON!".

I am always glad I am blessed enough to be healthy and happy and have my baby as I believe - a lot of people don't have that option and I'm grateful. I focus on that when I get discouraged. I just think it's funny that last time when I was waiting to be my sister's doula (she was due 2 days before me) and we had just barely moved into our house and had almost nothing unpacked, I had my son on the earlier side and this time with nothing to "do", I have my longest pg. That's irony!

Again, I'm grateful and for the most part enjoying the minutes that go by and s/he cooks... I just get uncomfortable and annoyed at times during the day too.

Looking forward to the perfect timing sweet one! You just let me know!

[lmonter]

Just keep plugging along. Hopefully you won't beat my current gestation (41w6d today), how about that?

So we've been trying a whole variety of things to prevent risking out to a hospital birth in the last week, week and a half. As for the cupcake bribery - maybe it means you won't have to share your cupcakes with her when she gets older!

What worked with my 2yo was the night before he was born I was taking a shower after a long day (I'm pretty sure I'd been gardening a bit that day) and just had a heart-to-heart with him that we were ready when he was and all that. And I truly was at peace with him coming whenever - that would've been 40w2d. He was born the next morning. I've heard other folks say that this has worked for them as well.

This one, well, I'm never going to get my to-do list done between the kids running around screeching in the living room or trying to climb the neighbor's fence and the one still in-utero. I only have so many hands and so much time/daylight in a day. So any talks I've had with babe haven't been exactly as at peace as they were with last kiddo. Right now it's more of a survival-type thing house and project-wise...

[kltroy]

Originally Posted by saffrondaisy

BirthFree, that's so funny you said that—yesterday was my husband's birthday, so I made cupcakes. Last night he was talking to the baby, saying, "No cupcakes until you come out of there!" Apparently she doesn't have much appetite for cupcakes—it's just the sort of bribery that works wonders on her big brother!

Yeah we've tried this scheme with our LO too (I was due the 12th). We made brownies for the baby (and ostensibly for the L&D nurses) a day before the due date but they've all been eaten now. I've been saving my bar of Vosges chocolate for when I go into labor, but I may have to break into that soon too. Either way, a baby needs a birthday cake, right?

Imonter - that sucks that you're still pregnant! What is your plan if you don't go into labor in the next day or two? Maybe try the castor oil again? How long is your MW willing to wait?

[lmonter]

Originally Posted by kltroy

Imonter - that sucks that you're still pregnant! What is your plan if you don't go into labor in the next day or two? Maybe try the castor oil again? How long is your MW willing to wait?

Yeah, tell me about it. We've had people calling/emailing wanting to know where the baby is for the last entire month. Luckily hubby usually gets the phone so I didn't get to say "Why, my uterus of course!"

Had a midwife appt today (totally not a regular office day/visit, they just know how desperate I am now), swept my membranes, put something on my cervix (not evening primrose oil, but it has the same initials), and I'm going to try blue and black cohosh and false unicorn later this afternoon after the other midwife gets a nap (she was up all night at a labor/delivery). And we'll see what happens from there.

But apparently not only do I have the uterus of steel and cervix of Ft. Knox, but nipples of steel as well. Because the count of stuff we've already tried? DTD, eggplant parmesan, gardening/weeding until my hips barely move and I hobble hunch-backed into the house (got about 4-5 hours of contractions out of those), castor oil (contractions that led nowhere, but didn't even really get diarrhea until the next day - just had a *really* smooth bm during that 4-hour contraction session), walking (well, waddling), nipple stimulation via nursing the 2yo every other morning and my ever-handy breast pump, and something else. *sigh*

[saffrondaisy]

Okay, lmonter, I promise—no more complaints out of me!! I'm going to divert all my evacuation vibes from my baby to yours. Come on, baby, make your entrance already!! I hope the herbs work for you today!

[lmonter]

Originally Posted by saffrondaisy

Okay, lmonter, I promise—no more complaints out of me!! I'm going to divert all my evacuation vibes from my baby to yours. Come on, baby, make your entrance already!! I hope the herbs work for you today!

Okay, you can have the labor vibes back, I'm done.

[BodhiMom]

41 weeks today. I'm trying to be patient, I really am. At least I'm not alone. My midwife is so positive. She called tonight to "check my spirits". I'm feeling fabulous, but would be even better if I had this baby out of my stomach and into my arms. Maybe tonight.