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Officially Overdue

4K views 44 replies 23 participants last post by  quinbearzmama 
#1 ·
I feel like a library book! I'm only 40w1d today, but I'm just soooooo ready to meet and hold this baby!! Luckily, I have until 41w6d to have this baby before my RCS (or induction, since my cervix is already favorable). I feel lucky to have an OB willing to let me go until basically 42 weeks. Here's hoping baby girl doesn't make me wait that long!
 
#2 ·
That's great that you get to go til 41+6 to try for your VBAC. :) But yeah hopefully you won't have to go too much longer.

I'm feeling really done. According to my doctor due date - I'm 40 weeks tomorrow. Come on baby!

This is the longest pregnancy I've had.
 
#4 ·
40 weeks, 3 days, here.

Bloody show/mucus plug (?) all day yesterday, and a ton of irregular contractions/cramping yesterday and today. OB doesn't wanna see me till contractions are 2-3 min apart, 1 min long, for an hour. Is this normal?

I'm ready!
 
#5 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by melon View Post

OB doesn't wanna see me till contractions are 2-3 min apart, 1 min long, for an hour. Is this normal?

I'm ready!
I wouldn't wanna be at the hospital any sooner. If you live close to the hospital, that's normal; unless things seem to be progressing really fast. As soon as your at the hospital, you are put on the clock.

The only thing that can be dumb though, is some women never get to contractions that are 2-3 mins apart. So, I kinda think go with your instincts. If the contractions are impossible to talk through, I think that is one of the key indicators.
 
#6 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by dayiscoming2006 View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by melon View Post

OB doesn't wanna see me till contractions are 2-3 min apart, 1 min long, for an hour. Is this normal?

I'm ready!
I wouldn't wanna be at the hospital any sooner. If you live close to the hospital, that's normal; unless things seem to be progressing really fast. As soon as your at the hospital, you are put on the clock.

The only thing that can be dumb though, is some women never get to contractions that are 2-3 mins apart. So, I kinda think go with your instincts. If the contractions are impossible to talk through, I think that is one of the key indicators.
I say go with your instinct as well. If I had waited for those criteria with my 2nd he would've been born at home as my contractions never lasted a minute and they ranged from 2-5 minutes apart the whole time.

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#7 ·
I'm in the overdue club as well. Now 40 wks 3 days. I was 9 days late with DD1 but DD2 was one day early so I was expecting this baby to arrive closer to the due date. I had a NST yesterday that was fine. Now I am just in the waiting game. I bought some EPO and told DH that we need to DTD again tomorrow. If the weather is nice tomorrow I'm going to try and take a really long walk. I've been feeling a lot more lower back pain and pressure today so hopefully that is a good sign.
 
#8 ·
40+4 here! This is torture after having two 38 weekers! I had my last final of spring semester tonight, though, so I'm hoping that's what little man was waiting for and he'll come soon! I have an NST and BPP at my midwife appt. tomorrow morning. I've been 3-4cm dilated for 2 freaking weeks now!
 
#12 ·
40w5d here. Some contractions this morning. I'm really hopeful to see her today. I am SO so done. Going ahead and scheduling an induction on Monday if I haven't had her by then. I figure it'll be tue, wed before they'd get me in.
 
#13 ·
was so sure this baby would come early, but here i am at 41w2d with no signs of labor.

kmb - you are lucky to have an OB who will let you go to 42 weeks. when i saw my doc at 40w3d, he wanted to schedule a c-section (and did for the following day). we canceled it, obviously, and i haven't spoken to him since. probably should stop avoiding him, since i have no other options.
 
#14 ·
I'll go ahead and join the overdue club. 40 weeks today and feeling way beyond done!! I've got till 42 weeks to schedule a RCS (no induction here). Feeling quite heavy, tight and tender. Thinking about a nap. I'd go walking, but a nearly 100,000 acre (or mile--can't remember which) wildfire near here is preventing that with smoke and ash all over the city. Currently sitting on the yoga ball. Seems to be the only seated position that doesn't cause me immense pressure.
 
#15 ·
I'll be 41w tomorrow, and I am sooooo ready to have this baby! No sure-fire signs of labor. I had several strong contractions yesterday, but they didn't stick around. I've had a few today as well. Not sure if my body is gearing up, or if my cervix is just dilating more. More dilation is fine by me! My OB stripped my membranes yesterday (for the 3rd time!). He said the baby's head is sitting right on my cervix (I could've told him that!) ... it's like my body tries to start contracting, but things peter out. Oh well, even if the contractions are just increasing dilation, that's fine by me - the more dilated I get by the 18th, the better.
 
#16 ·
kmb- I feel for you. I am 40wks5 days and although I have mostly switched to a HB midwife, the regular OB/GYN practice started to call and harrass me today about not having come in. I am a bundle of anxiety. They want to induce me because of my age. Baby is still healthy but they want baby out now. Right now I just want to cry because in my heart I know I will go into labor naturally and that I am very healthy, as is the baby, but on the other side I don't think I could deal with the guilt if something happened. I am SO conflicted.
 
#17 ·
KarenMT:

Just keep in mind there are risks to inductions and to being in the hospital. Try to stay calm and not let them freak you out. I'm sure your midwife knows her stuff. Home is safer in uncomplicated pregnancies and just because your older does not make your pregnancy complicated. You've shown yourself to be fine throughout; so don't let them bully you into an induction. Inductions commonly lead to C-sections as well and those carry a whole lot more risks to mom and baby. Inductions and C-sections should be left for emergencies.

You have every right to refuse an induction, especially with no medical need.
 
#18 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by dayiscoming2006 View Post

KarenMT:

Just keep in mind there are risks to inductions and to being in the hospital. Try to stay calm and not let them freak you out. I'm sure your midwife knows her stuff. Home is safer in uncomplicated pregnancies and just because your older does not make your pregnancy complicated. You've shown yourself to be fine throughout; so don't let them bully you into an induction. Inductions commonly lead to C-sections as well and those carry a whole lot more risks to mom and baby. Inductions and C-sections should be left for emergencies.

You have every right to refuse an induction, especially with no medical need.
Yes this! Times a thousand! Times INFINITY!! A trial of labour is safer than a repeat scheduled cesarean in nearly every imaginable situation except some pretty extreme ones. Please remember that regardless of what they "let" or "allow" you to do, science is in your favour: it is safer, healthier and better for you AND BABY to wait patiently. The stillbirth statistics that they like to use for overdue mamas are heavily inflated. Unless you're going to 44+ weeks, really you're not at a statistically relevant risk... and even then, those cases are thought to be more related to the birth defects and genetic problems that often lead to dysmaturity rather than the 'going overdue' part.

FYI: I went to 43 weeks with my VBAC and had a happy, healthy, beautiful baby boy in 3 hours and two pushes. :)
 
#19 ·
daisycoming and littleteapot- thank you, thank you, thank you. I needed to read your posts to get myself off this ledge. It's just so hard sometimes to believe that our bodies will work when everyone you speak with has a different opinion. I really need to find a group of people where I live who are more into natural parenting/birth/etc. It is pretty hard to find anyone nowadays who went into labor on their own.
 
#20 ·
Karen, believe me I know. I just had a doula client last week who went to 42+2 attempting a VBAC and the pressure she was under was UNBELIEVABLE! She was in tears on a daily basis trying to hold it together while everyone and their uncle was trying to convince her that her body just "didn't work". Her doctors are saying things like, "It's just a square peg in a round hole", or "Your body just can't do this". I mean... WHAT?! For one, they can't know that, and two... who is that kind of language helping?! UGH.

For the record? She ended up having a healthy, happy, safe birth that went by her standards and her choices. :)

And you can, too.

No matter what choice you make today, tomorrow, or two weeks from now, you are allowed to walk into your birth CHOOSING WHAT IS BEST for you and your baby. Period. When days are tough, look at yourself in the mirror and remember that your body is amazing: look at the incredible work it's doing to make this amazing child. Look at how awesome your body is for knowing exactly how long to make your baby so that s/he is happy and healthy. That's a gift, not a curse, and definitely not a flaw. You're doing perfectly.
 
#21 ·
i've been stressing all week because on monday one doctor played the "baby could have brain damage" card on me and yesterday another doctor played the "risk of stillbirth goes up after 41 weeks" card on me. i'm currently 41w4d.

my bradley instructor shared this with me and it made me feel a lot better.
 
#24 ·
Sam- I think it is so unfair what your OB is putting you through. I had two 42 weekers and I am really glad for the monitoring technology we have to make sure things are fine because not every baby who goes to 42 or especially 41 weeks is in grave danger or any danger at all. I really wish they'd back off. I have a feeling your baby will decide to come very soon.
 
#25 ·
Sam- I'm so sorry for what your OB is putting you through. With DD2 the scare tactics started at my 5 mth appt and I walked away and went with a home birth. With this pregnancy the scare tactics didn't get hard and heavy until 34 weeks when my midwife started to force a diagnosis of IUGR on me. She was basically saying that I needed to be induced by 38 weeks because I must have some complication of being 40 yrs old. When I didn't buy that she then pulled out the dead baby card and started guilting me about stillbirth. It's only in the past few days that I've been able to function without huge amounts of fear because I started trusting in my body. Whatever decision you make, know that your body is amazing and can grow this baby for the correct amount of time. If baby is active and you are healthy you should be fine to go to 42 weeks.
 
#26 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by MommyKrista View Post

I was told many similar things that you were and one doctor even said, "Your risk of remaining pregnant is fetal death and I can't be responsible for that and because your a VBAC and past 41 weeks you're risk of stillbirth goes up 100 times". I looked him straight in the eye and said, "Really? What study is that from because I'd love to read it so I can make an evidence and fact-based decision." Of course he dropped it because he just made that up :) FWIW, everything I found indicates a small increased risk AFTER 42 completed weeks (so like, you're going on 43 weeks).
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good for you mama.

thanks emily and karen. i kinda wish doc had revealed his true self sooner. perhaps i could have found different care, but what do i do at 41 weeks?
 
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