Labour at 37 weeks.

[Lindsey90]

Ok ladies!,

Soooo, i am 36 weeks +5 days! Im sooooooo done! Im tired, sore, uncomfortable, irratable, and ready to have my little girl. Now all i want is for my due date to arrive quick! But the doctor at my last appointment was soo happy with my sugars ( i have gestational diabetis) that he said hes happy for me to go over the 6 days. Now my DD was weighed last week and was 6lb 4oz. To me this was soo fucking cruel! There was a female doctor offering sweeps out like it was xmas! I really want to go myself but early. Is 37 weeks ok to start trying to bring labour on myself? Because if i get that doctor again at my 38 weeks i think i will cry and go proper hormonal on him! 😂😭😭 help me please.

[Mybobowler]

I had my daughter at 36+4 weeks. If I were you, I'd sit tight and wait for things to happen on their own. There is evidence of a higher risk to babies born at 37 weeks. Certainly, my DD was severely jaundiced and needed several days of phototherapy. I know it's uncomfortable, but your baby still has growing to do and, unless one of you is at risk, she's better off where she is.

[Cardboard33]

Another echo for not trying to bring labour on even if it is uncomfortable, although 37 weeks is technically classed as full term. I spontaneously delivered my baby at 36+6 and he was thankfully fine, other than slight jaundice and he had some fur on him as they shed that around the end of the 36th/early 37th week but I know other people are not as lucky.

Scans can be notoriously inaccurate, particularly with bigger gestations. I had my 36 week scan 24 hours before I gave birth. This put him 1.5lbs lighter than he ended up so you might actually have anything from a 5lb to 8lb baby inside you.

[Lindsey90]

Because i have gestagional diabetis they check me every 3 weeks. So when im being scanned and they check her weight they do double checks. Even for my size you can tell shes a big baby. Im just sooo tired and exhausted. Of course i dont want anything to happen to my baby and i get scared at the thought of bringing my labour on before shes due. But shes very very low now and i can feel her head in position. I feel shes ready to go. Shes pushing so hard on me i have been getting slight pains. Im just hoping she doesnt leave me until the 21st lol 🙈🙈

[jellybe]

Please don't try and start labour yourself at this stage. Sorry to hear you are uncomfortable ( been there) but your baby is safest at the moment inside. Trying to bring on early labour can be dangerous.

A sweep at this stage probably wouldn't do anything other than make you more uncomfortable. Sweeps only really work if you are close to going into labour naturally.

[Cardboard33]

I also had scans every 3 weeks but for a completely different non pregnancy related issue. I know a lot of people who did have GD in pregnancy and they're measurements still weren't spot on.

If you feel like you're getting close then maybe you will deliver early anyway, and that's completely fine, but deliberately trying to start labour is a different ball game unless you're on an induction suite and it's medically necessary. As I delivered early I never got to the stage of feeling like I was ready - I hadn't finished work and had zero plans for a baby for the next month so I won't pretend I know how you feel, but by the same token this could be you for another few weeks yet.

[Lindsey90]

Awk no i totally get it. I was soo impatient with my son as well lol. But i had GD with him and i got started on my due date with him and had him on my Due Date so its the second pregnancy and im done 🙈. I havnt actully tried to start labour tho. I just needed advice. Thank yous for all ur advice. ❤❤

[FoxtrotSkarloey]

I'm about a week behind you and also done! Know how you feel.

But I had GD in my last pregnancy and all sorts of concerns about how off the scale DS was. Well he wasn't at all in the end. Bang on 50th centile.

[Lindsey90]

Shes on scale not any bigger or smaller bang on the percentile. I have an appointment on thr 10th and i will be 38 weeks by then so hopefully they offer to start me lol. I just want my DD in my arms soo bad. 🙈

[Daisy95]

I gave birth at 36+4 a couple of weeks ago and we have only just been discharged from NICU, as she’s dropped over 15% of her birth weight and couldn’t feed properly meaning she’s been on a feeding tube ever since and is still on it now we’re home. She was also jaundice and needed phototherapy. Ultimately she’ll be fine but it’s been really tough for all of us 🤦‍♀️ Definitely try and sit tight!

[canihaveacoffeeplease]

I'm lying in bed watching bad telly with my lovely 2.5 week old, and it's my due date today! I had her at 37+3 after my waters went naturally, I was fed up and miserable too, and expecting to be pregnant a LOT longer as I went 12 days over with my second baby. She was a little jaundiced and sleeps a lot, but I'd otherwise totally healthy and took to bf really well. So it can happen. Good luck!

[Mammyofasuperbaby]

I'm currently sat in hospital tube feeding my one week old who was born at 37+3 via planned c section and trust me you should weight. I was told everything would likely be OK but my son has no strength and I haven't seen my older child and partner in a week because my baby can't feed properly