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Childbirth

anyone had a natural birth after 42 weeks?

23 replies

luckycat2 · 17/08/2017 10:21

Hi everyone,
I'm currently 41 + 4 and booked in for a homebirth. Baby feels like he is in no hurry to arrive - had no Braxton Hicks or any other signs.
I have tried almost every old wives tale and had acupuncture but he doesn't want to shift.
I'm healthy and midwives are satisfied that baby is too, and they have said that if we carry on being healthy I can have a homebirth even after 42 weeks.
I'd really like to hear some (positive!) stories from anyone who has laboured naturally after being very overdue to keep my confidence up and to make me feel more 'normal'!
The constant questioning from well meaning friends, family, colleagues and total strangers is starting to get me down a bit :(
Thanks x

OP posts:

Report

Callamia · 17/08/2017 10:25

It's not my own experience, but I have two friends who have (one with both of her children). In both cases, it looks like they just have longer pregnancies - placenta was healthy looking, babies were good weights and healthy, births were without complications.

Sometimes there's a concerning reasons for prolonged pregnancy, and that's important to know about; but other times - there are no obvious reasons, and it's just what's happening.

bakingcupcakes · 17/08/2017 10:28

I did. I was meant to be induced at 40+10 but it was delayed to 40+12 and they still seemed really busy/loads of women with started and then delayed inductions. I stayed for the afternoon (cried) had a sweep and then left. I went into labour at home myself at 42 weeks. DS was born vaginally 4 hours after getting to the hospital at 42+1. I don't regret not being induced at all. We were monitered daily. My cycles are longer anyway and I don't know if there's any truth in it but I read somewhere longer cycles = longer pregnancy. It was true for me.

luckycat2 · 17/08/2017 11:31

Thank you :)
I'm going in for monitoring tomorrow and obviously if there is any cause for concern I will be induced, but if not I'm keen to let nature take it's course.
I'm going to ask my midwife if I can have a sweep when I see her on Saturday - I don't really like the thought of having one but it might be worth a try.
My bump measured on the small side for a while so maybe he just had a bit of extra growing to do?

OP posts:

KentMum2008 · 17/08/2017 11:35

I gave birth to a lovely, healthy 7lb 3oz boy at 42+2. I was booked to be induced the day after I went into natural labour. He'd have been dinky if he'd been born at 40 weeks so sometimes they're just comfy and have bit more growing to do. And while I had him in hospital, I had no interventions or pain relief. Good luck OP!

luckycat2 · 17/08/2017 11:55

Thank you Mangomay - good to know he wasn't really huge at 42+2! Sounds like sometimes they just take their time and don't come until they are ready.
x

OP posts:

heyhosilverballs · 17/08/2017 12:46

Yep I had ds at home at 42 3. Wasn't even allowed gas and air as I was in the States.

heyhosilverballs · 17/08/2017 12:47

I sent an email/text to everyone to stop calling or messaging me. It was driving me fucking insane.

YerTiz · 17/08/2017 12:49

42 weeks exactly! Was booked in for induction the next day but that evening my waters went and six hours later he was here. I did go into hospital (wanted a water birth but they wanted to strap me to the machines - they didn't have time before I was pushing).

The waiting drives you mad doesn't it!

FuckingHateRats · 17/08/2017 12:50

I had my third at 42+1. I was induced at 42wks because my second was 10lb at 40wks and I was concerned I wouldn't get it out! Very easy water birth, best of the three.

bakingcupcakes · 17/08/2017 15:59

DS was only 7lb2 at 42+1 so he would've been tiny at 40 weeks.

wineusuallyhelps · 18/08/2017 06:23

I've had 3 babies at over 42 weeks.

The first was induced so let's not count that one!

The 2nd and 3rd times I refused induction. 2nd baby came naturally at 42+3. 9lb 9oz.

3rd baby also came naturally at 42+1. 7lb 13oz.

I firmly believe that some women are just pregnant for longer! Good luck.

scaredofthecity · 18/08/2017 06:31

I was induced but DS came at 42+2. He was 8lb8 and the midwives said the placenta looked great and he was covered in vernix, so no signs of bring overcooked.
I think i would think very seriously about refusing induction second time round if I got to 42 weeks again.
But remember they do induce for a reason, and if you are an older mum the risk increases massively. Fwiw my induction really wasn't that bad.

sycamore54321 · 19/08/2017 23:32

Hopefully you've had a safe healthy delivery by now but just in case, this part is massively worrying "I'm healthy and midwives are satisfied that baby is too, and they have said that if we carry on being healthy I can have a homebirth even after 42 weeks. "

Your midwives are correct in that legally you can have a home birth with any risk factors or complications. However they are hugely negligent if they have not explained to you the sharp increase in risk on going post-dates and the compounding impact giving birth to a compromised baby far from a NICU. It may be that you want to accept those risks but you should be properly informed of them. An ageing placenta can cause terrible problems for the baby in labour and without CEFM, how will your midwives know the baby is in the early stages of distress? Based on how you have reported their advice, they sound reckless. Wha other risks with your and your baby's health are they taking without telling you?

Crumbs1 · 19/08/2017 23:40

Yes all of mine were 42 weeks plus. The first was assisted because of a shoulder dystocia but others were SVDs. I was pressured to accept inducing with 2 and 3 but refused on grounds placental function could be measured and babies were always born eventually. Mine went as 'late' as 42 plus 6 weeks and were fine.

TriJo · 24/08/2017 21:44

30 years ago, but my younger brother was born after induction at 43+0.

SecretFreebirther · 25/08/2017 22:47

My midwife was happy to 'let' me have a home birth up to about 42+4. In the event I had a lovely easy delivery at 42+0.

puffylovett · 25/08/2017 22:56

42+3 with both mine, both natural births no pain relief, high bp with second but otherwise both completely fine. Ds2 pooped on the way out but no other excitement and was fine.
I had expectant monitoring with both mine. I recall having arguements with the consultant about dates, as I knew when I conceived and by my dates I was bang on 42 weeks with both. 'Ultrasounds don't lie' she said. 'Your 6lb baby is way overdue and you are endangering him', 3 days before I birthed a 10 Llber!

Don't forget that in France 43 weeks is considered normal term.
Anecdotal of course, but almost everyone I know who was induced ended up with some form of intervention - ventouse / forceps / sectioned.

sycamore54321 · 26/08/2017 23:13

Can anyone point me to a French medical website that says full term pregnancy is anything other than 40 weeks? I constantly see people giving these extended dates as "normal in France" and have never found a French source for it.

PacificDogwod · 26/08/2017 23:14

I had 2 deliveries after 42 weeks - DS1 and DS3.
All was well.

Gladiator2017 · 26/08/2017 23:21

I have a longer gestation, I was induced on my first, he was born at 42+2, 7lb8oz. My second, I went into labour myself at 41+3, 8lb3oz, my 3rd I went into labour myself too at 42+2, 9lb2oz. My induction was awful & my natural deliveries were unmedicated & much more straightforward.

Tean1 · 26/08/2017 23:22

I had my first baby at 42 weeks + 1, I was booked in for an induction the following day but went into labour naturally and had a quick labour. They were talking about using a ventouse, as they said the baby's heartbeat was dropping but I was able to deliver without intervention, although needed stitches. My daughter was fine, just under 8 lbs.

I was monitored several times over the 42nd week, everything seemed fine and nature eventually took its course. I think I would feel nervous about a home birth at a later date, but then in general I would prefer to be in hospital with doctors and equipment on hand in case of problems, so probably not the best person to advise on home birthing.

(My 2nd was born early, less than 30 minutes after getting to hospital, as my local hospital was full and they said I couldn't be in full labour as I could still speak on the phone, not convinced this is the best method of diagnosis, but that's a different story!)

60percentbanana · 27/08/2017 17:47

My last baby was born at 42+4, on a midwife led unit for which the criteria here is the same as for home birth. Policy is to induce at 40+10 here but I opted for monitoring instead. I had researched and understood the balance of risk in taking this approach and was happy with my decision, and I mitigated some of the risk by choosing the mlu rather than giving birth at home. There were some midwives who would not have been comfortable attending such a post-dates homebirth so the compromise felt 'right'.

In the end labour was a little over four hours, no intervention, baby was 10lbs and didn't show any signs of being overcooked.

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60percentbanana · 27/08/2017 17:55

Tean a similar method was used by a health care assistant to deduce that I wasn't in labour after being induced with dd2. Ability to talk coherently along with lack of screaming/moaning/crying/mooing is apparently an accurate diagnostic tool.

Unfortunately I gave birth in a side room in the antenatal ward after six solo hours of this unmonitored non-labour

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