41-weekers (and up) UNITE!

[youngsoul]

Okay, so I'm officially 41 + 1 today and I'd love to hear from others about how they're coping! What things are you trying? What seems to work and what doesn't? What are your plans regarding how long you'll wait? What are your midwives/doctors saying? How are you feeling? Is this your first/second/third baby?

I'm in low intervention land over here and have had no cervical checks. I have no plans to do anything other than see my (homebirth) midwife next week at 41 + 6. She says she will do a check at that point and probably sweep membranes. I have to admit that I'm kind of against the whole membrane sweep idea. I'm not sure why. Does anyone have any thoughts on membrane sweeping? She is also going to do a NST of some sort.

I am excited because I've really not had one indication of anything at all happening until last night - I actually had some noticeable cramping after DTD (and a small amount of nipple stimulation). Way cool.

Anyway, I'm tempted to try that awful castor oil stuff before getting membranes swept. Is that silly?

[Charmie981]

Originally Posted by youngsoul

Anyway, I'm tempted to try that awful castor oil stuff before getting membranes swept. Is that silly?

I would definitely prefer a sweep to a castor oil labor, but that's just my opinion.

[J2]

Originally Posted by Charmie981

I would definitely prefer a sweep to a castor oil labor, but that's just my opinion.

I agree. Castor oil can make it more likely to end up with meconium in your water. Wouldn't want that! And with having a post term baby, that can sometimes be more likely anyway. I would personally to the sweep first too.

[Montse]

I'll be 41 weeks tomorrow. Yesterday I thought for sure it was it! I had more than 12 hours worth of contractions about a minute apart! My husband and I were so excited. Today, hardly a thing. I slept a lot today but haven't lost my plug yet. ARGH! I want to birth my baby already!

[dimibella]

Originally Posted by Montse

I'll be 41 weeks tomorrow. Yesterday I thought for sure it was it! I had more than 12 hours worth of contractions about a minute apart! My husband and I were so excited. Today, hardly a thing. I slept a lot today but haven't lost my plug yet. ARGH! I want to birth my baby already!

Our EDD were the same mama and I have soo been praying for you. I am finally feeling like you are, I just want my baby already. I want to see him and hold him and know he's healthy and perfect. I am gonna hit the last few cleaning things I need to do really hard tomorrow, take a really long walk, and make DH do all of his end of the duties. I think I'm just a little moody right now so that's making it worse, but I WANT MY BABY!!!

[Montse]

Originally Posted by dimibella

Our EDD were the same mama and I have soo been praying for you. I am finally feeling like you are, I just want my baby already. I want to see him and hold him and know he's healthy and perfect. I am gonna hit the last few cleaning things I need to do really hard tomorrow, take a really long walk, and make DH do all of his end of the duties. I think I'm just a little moody right now so that's making it worse, but I WANT MY BABY!!!

Hehehe! I'm so moody right now too! I've spent my day just brooding away. Have you had any of these false starts or whatever the heck they are? I had twelve hours of contractions that just fizzled away to nothing. It's sooo annoying. I decided not to tell anyone about being in early or false labor anymore until I know for sure. My family gets so excited and it's such a let down to say it's stopped. I suppose it's common based on what many others have shared but I'm on the clock. I'm quite certain my HCPs won't let me go over 42 weeks and I'm not sure how comfortable I am either. I don't want a c-section and am concerned when I do go into labor naturally, my midwife's lack of confidence in my ability to birth is going to effect the outcome.
I greatly appreciate your prayers and I've been praying too. I just want my baby already and am eager to put all this behind me.
Are you having a homebirth? How do you feel about going over?

[PassionateWriter]

hang in there everyone. im not 41 weeks (will be 40 on Monday) but just remember 42 weeks is common and really, until you are past 42, you really arent considered "past due".

just want to offer some encouragement. ive been having contrax for 3 solid days and its driving me a bit mad now. im trying to ignore it and willingly hang until 42 w/o getting concerned.

happy labor vibes!!!

[minmoto2]

41w today! I really can't believe I am this far past my due date. My other 2 girls were 3d & 10d b4 their edd...so I really didn't think I was even going to make it to my edd So...here I am! My last mw appt was right b4 my edd & they wanted to schedule my next for the 30th. Ha! I laughed at them thinking there is no way I would still be pregnant. hahaha...I just may be.

My midwives are very comfy with me being over thus far...baby & I are healthy. I haven't & won't (unless indicated) have any cervical checks, etc. Right now I am comfortable just letting things unfold, although I am very very anxious to meet my baby.
I have been more emotional the last couple days & just feel 'weepy'. I am soo ready to be done!

[lwuertz]

I wasn't brave enough to try the castor oil induction after I posted about it in the "I'm Pregnant" folder. There was just no way I wanted to go through puking and diarhea on purpose (I'd had enough of that this pregnancy). My OB stripped my membranes Tuesday and I'm pretty sure that's what sent me into labor. It was a little painful, and totally rude of him to do it without asking, but worth it in the end to be able to have my home birth.

[spanica]

I'm 41w today. I was at the hospital all morning warming the waiting room chairs. The real reason I was there was a NST and amniotic fluid check, both of which went fine. The u/s tech gave me some free pictures of the baby since I had to wait so long before they could get me in. That was nice. She said the baby has fat cheeks. I want to see those fat cheeks in person, not on a u/s monitor, dang it!!

I had my membranes stripped at my dr appt yesterday. I'm hoping that that will kick start my labor and I'll have this baby out before the next round of tests and appointments and induction fights start on Monday.

The fact that the tests went well today put me in a better mood. Not that I thought they'd go poorly, but it makes me feel a little more confident that everything is fine. It was also nice to be treated like a normal person — there were tons of other post-dates ladies in the waiting room with me — and not like some kind of medical emergency because I'm past my due date. I'm going to try to keep this positive energy flowing as long as I can. Like some of the rest of you, I've been depressed and weepy lately, and that's no fun!

[spiderdust]

According to my midwife's charts, I'm 41w tomorrow... can I jump in?

[youngsoul]

By all means, jump in!

Something is going on over here - definitely having major crampiness on and off since 3:30am...and am leaking quite a bit of stuff (mucousy, pink-tinged fluid, nasty clumps, etc. )...crossing fingers this is it and I'll be done by the end of the weekend. Oh please, please, PLEASE!!

Last night I took a few teaspoons of psyllium seed powder and made sure my SO and I DTD...so maybe that brought some of this on...?

[alyssatuininga]

Just wanted to offer some love to you all. I was so there. I went to 42 weeks exactly. The one thing I can say is my labor was fast and I wouldn't have changed it for anything. Good luck. Your babies will come...

[SkyMomma]

Hi everyone, haven't posted for a while...lost my internet connection for about a week! I think I had the same EDD as dimibella & Montse...as of today 41weeks +1. Lots of cramping, losing my mucas plug, baby's at about station -1. Things are 'happening', just so damn slowly!

My midwife is awesome & has been discouraging us from any inducation/pushing, natural or otherwise. We had an amazing conversation yesterday about how the baby chooses his birthday, & that we can't know what he's busy doing in these last few weeks. Why would we interrupt his last minute instructions from the divine, or that last bit of growth, or the last bit of protection of the womb? Even tho' I'm feeling kind of depressed & tired of waiting, & tired of telling everyone that we're still waiting, I'm really thinking about what she's said. What's helped is meditating every night, just welcoming him, letting him know that we're ready when he is & then visualizing myself & baby being held in the arms of the goddess, the divine mother--giving myself over to a wisdom greater than my own. This has been such a lesson in trusting the process, my body & my baby.

So I'm trying to keep busy...I keep starting projects, then losing steam & leaving them unfinished. It's hard to be in a constant state of readiness (keeping the house really clean, etc), and still stay open to the whenever of the waiting. I've also kept up making plans, loose flexible plans, but still. Swimming today, apple picking tomorrow, things that get me out of the house!

The most difficult thing is that we really wanted my mom here for the birth, she came from Florida on my EDD & is due to leave Monday. She's going to try to come back next weekend & has been super helpful with DS1 & the house this week (I'm soooooo tired now!), but needs to go back & work. So she may miss everything

Anyway, great to hear from other's in the same situation. Blessings all!

[KellyandKatie]

42 weeks here
The hardest thing is that my parents were here for three and half weeks and had to leave earlier this week- that has been really sad, I only see them once or twice a year, and really wanted my mom and dad here for baby and me
BUT I feel good and healthy- baby is moving and feels healthy
We have done it all at this point, castor oil twice, it was really not a big deal at all, but of corse it did not do anything but put me on the toliet every few minutes for a morning, so it did not get labor going, but it was not at all as bad as I had feared it would be
I have sweept my membranes- or rather had MW sweep - gesh- four times now?
primerose oil, sex, walking, nipple stimulation for hours... what else?
acupressure...
now my in-laws are here
I am not doing a thing till they leave

my MW was pushing for nonstress tests at a hospital- I am not sure how I feel about them since I will be 42 weeks plus by the start of this week...

I don't know how this will all work out
I am pissed at my DH and we are not on the same page at the last minute about what we are doing and what we want, but I am just not negotiating with him anymore, and just doing what my insticts say to do

I am crocheting like a mad lady and just ... waiting...
I think I was really anxious last week about going over, now I am just mellow about it, it is going to happen at some point

[stephanielynne]

41 and 2 days

I think having my in-laws here would send me into labor! Anyway - I am 41 weeks 2 days and ready to lose my mind. I think it has caught me by surprise to be this far past my due date since my first came right at 40 weeks.

I was 3 cm, 50 % effaced and head at -1 on Thursday. My midwives want me to go in for some routine tests (NST, Amniotic fluid ) this week so I will probably do that tomorrow. I have to remember that this baby IS going to come. They all come out sometime. And that maybe there us a lesson in all of it.

It feels good to know there are some others feeling these same emotions. Hope to hear some of these 'stubborn' babies arrived soon....

[spiderdust]

My birthday is October 12th... I really hope I have this baby before I turn 37. :

[Montse]

Originally Posted by spiderdust

My birthday is October 12th... I really hope I have this baby before I turn 37. :

Mine is October 11th! :-)
Happy birthday in advance!

[spiderdust]

Originally Posted by Montse

Mine is October 11th! :-)
Happy birthday in advance!

You too!

Now let's hope we don't receive babies as birthday presents, unless they're very early presents!!

[J2]

I'm going to go ahead and jump in here, although I am not quite 41wks. I'm 40wks 5days. I did have a cervical check by my request on Wednesday, my EDD. I was 1cm and 90% effaced, completely soft, baby engaged and would not move upward at all. So things are ready...baby just isn't coming yet. I am mostly patiently waiting. Don't want to do any interventions yet. Just waiting for baby to be ready and come strong and healthy.

Originally Posted by SkyMomma

The most difficult thing is that we really wanted my mom here for the birth, she came from Florida on my EDD & is due to leave Monday. She's going to try to come back next weekend & has been super helpful with DS1 & the house this week (I'm soooooo tired now!), but needs to go back & work. So she may miss everything

My mom also has to leave. She came 2 days before my EDD and leaves Tues night. There may not be a baby here by then. She had to fly from Vermont to Florida to visit and can't extend her stay or come back until her next planned trip here mid Nov. She's been a great help with my house, DS, and cooking freezer meals for us, but I am mourning the loss of the great help she would have been right after the birth when I know I'll need some help. So yes, this is difficult for me as it is for you too!