I'll be 41 wks "overdue" tomorrow based on ultrasound dates; if I'd gone with LMP dates, I'd be 43+ weeks overdue by now. Long story short -- I feel the U/S dating is closer to the true dating, but that the truth probably lies in the middle. Going over dates of first spotting (if it was implantation bleeding) and my first few hcg draws, I feel confident I'm somewhere between 41 and 42 weeks along at present.

In the past, going "overdue" hasn't concerned me in the least. I went over 42 weeks with the last pregnancy and only survived being risked out of a homebirth due to that 20week U/S which bought me a few days' time. My MW gently steered me towards "natural" induction methods, but I just couldn't go through with any of them -- I was that confident that it wasn't necessary and all would work out in the end.

But this time it's different. I had many episodes of unexplained bleeding/spotting in the first trimester. My 16/18 wk U/S proved a complete placenta previa......which by an absolute miracle resolved waaaay beyond anyone's expectations at 22/24 weeks. (Not a miracle that it resolved, just the amount in which it "moved" in so short a time frame.)

I've been reading up on postdates/postterm because......I don't really know why. I've just always had this feeling of doom the entire pregnancy, mainly because it's been a roller coaster. I found one "paper" on I think it was the gentlebirth archives which suggested a correlation between postterm and early pregnancy bleeding (thought to be indicative of placenta problems). See where I'm going with this? If my early bleeding was, in part, caused by placenta issues........am I facing a possible undiagnosed IUGR issue and/or increased risk (2 in 1000 vs 1 in 1000) of stillbirth or something similarly horrible?

How should I proceed? Note: I've a totally different MW this time around and don't fear she's going to risk me out due to dates. She may suggest follow-up with her backup OB (who I saw for the PP stuff), and that's fine. But what sort of tests can he do that are even accurate? From what I've read, a late U/S, nonstress tests, and all that stuff aren't terribly accurate at detecting much. Lots of room for error. Still, I could always take the tests and view them with a grain of salt.

I've thought about having my MW check my cervix for dilation/effacement to see where I'm at. (I can't believe I'm even considering that, lol.) Based on those measurements and if I appear "ready" enough, I've considered that I could request my membranes be swept (or not, in the case of me being very ready). Truly, though, I'm soooooo anti-intervention, I can't believe I'm thinking along these lines.

Do I have valid concerns? If I'd not had the bleeding/previa I'd probably not be thinking the worst. On the flip side, I do have a history of going overdue and birthing a healthy, normal kiddo. I've also got a current history of tough (emotionally) pregnancy......which could always be another reason this kid doesn't want to be born.

Thoughts?

I myself am a 10 month mama X2 and I am very anti induction and I think that some women just take longer to bake their babies. That said if I were you I would definitely consider my options. I believe strongly in a mother's intuition and you clearly have felt something may not be right. Please look deep into yourself and trust your instincts. As much as I hate induction I would definitely do it if I felt in my heart that something wasn't right. I have done an insane amount of research on post dates and I would be very concerned about IUGR. Some evidence suggests that one of the main factors in the increase in post dates stillbirth rates is because of SGA (small for gestational age) babies. Here is one study:
http://www.greenjournal.org/cgi/content/abstract/94/5/758
Sometimes there is a real medical problem that causes a baby to become post term. SGA is increased in post term pregnancies.

I do feel ya though...I am very anti intervention too. I try to remind myself that interventions are there for the times that there is a real problem. I am not against interventions in those cases. I guess the hard part is figuring out if there is a problem or not. I just think that being very intune with your body is very important during pregnancy and child birth. My best advice would be to try to figure out where these feelings of doom are coming from. Are they there because some fears, a past resolved medical problem, memories of a past emotional pregnancy, etc. Or if the feelings of doom are there because your body is trying to tell you something.

I went to 42 weeks 1 day with my third pregnancy. Some mamas just cook their babies longer. Honestly I wouldn't even think about worrying right now. Hang in there, your baby will be born on time.

I think you should follow your gut. I was an overdue mama who delivered at 41w2d with #3 and we did have problems. I had a feeling we would. I am not saying you will... just that if you're uncomfortable, please get some peace of mind one way or another. Hoping your baby arrives soon for you!

i too suggest the gut following...i believe it *can* be totally normal for some mommas to take 42, 43, 44+ weeks to cook their babies and have it be completely normal...but that other times it is not...and like you said...you are having feelings that maybe everything is "not" all right.....
I would maybe try to take some time to truly relax and try to figure out where these feelings are coming from...are they fears, or genuine concerns? Is it stress from some other aspect of your life entering inot the pregnancy, you sort of allude to this...??...

Hopefuly, everything will be fine and we'll have a happy birth story to read soon1

Thanks everyone. I'm still thinking on what action to take or not to take. May call my MW later and go over what her protocol is again. Even though highly inaccurate, maybe another U/S to check on the placenta would ease my mind a bit. With the holiday (which I had forgotten about completely), the earliest I'd be able to get in would be Tuesday.....and I think that would take a miracle.

Something else I remembered: my firstborn was born with post-term appearance (whatever that's called): peeling skin, longer fingernails, different coloration.....all that stuff. He wasn't overdue (40 weeks 3 days) but his due date was determined solely by late first trimester (or was it early second trimester?) ultrasound.

Might that history put me at higher risk too?

Something else I remembered: my firstborn was born with post-term appearance (whatever that's called): peeling skin, longer fingernails, different coloration.....all that stuff. He wasn't overdue (40 weeks 3 days) but his due date was determined solely by late first trimester (or was it early second trimester?) ultrasound. Might that history put me at higher risk too?

Higher risk for post term? I have no idea on the "statistics" of such a thing.

BUT, I can tell you that my first born, DD, was 1 week past her EDD (which is very typical for first pregnancy, right?), and had the peeling skin on palms of hands and soles of feet, long fingernails, etc. My second born, DS, was 3 weeks 3 days past his EDD, and was *full* of lanugo, vernix, not overdue at all. Even though in my heart I felt I should really wait, and we were both healthy, as was confirmed by several non-stress tests and biophysical profiles, I was absolutely loosing my mind about being so past EDD. I was fine until 42 wks, then I just wanted to MEET THIS LITTLE PERSON ALREADY!

That wait was torturous, but as soon as he decided to come earthside, it was a 116 minute labor from 1st contraction to birth, and I am SOOOO glad that we did wait for him to decide when to be born. I swear he would have been waaay too early if he'd arrived "on time"

SO, follow your heart. If you feel something's not right, trust yourself. If you feel all's good, again, trust yourself. Do whatever monitoring (be that none, some, or lots) you feel that you need to stay sane, and please know I'm thinking of you and sending virtual hugs your way (and positive labor/birthing vibes, of course!) because I know it can be so emotionally and physically taxing to be waiting even longer than you anticipated to meet your little one! :hug

It might be worth a trip to the chiro if you have someone local who is good with preggo women. She/he could just make sure that you don't have any spinal alignment/baby positioning problems that might be causing your body to hold off on labor.

I have a chiro that I just love and my MWs send her patients on a regular basis. She (the chiro) actually diagnosed something being "wrong" with a friend's positioning and had enough concern that the MW send my friend for a NST and it turned out that the baby had rotated to breech between 41-42 wks.