Anyone else past due date and want to join the club?

[DimpleHands]

I am 40+2 today...

Quite surprised as DS1 came bang on his due date and I thought second babies were likely to come earlier! Absolutely no signs of anything happening so far...

Consultant wants to book me in for an induction next Monday but I think I'd rather wait it out until I get to 42 weeks (please God don't let me get to 42 weeks!).

Anyone else want to join the thread and keep me company?!

[acquiescence]

Yes please! 40+3 today with my first. Had a sweep on Monday, no signs at all. I will be booked for an induction next Friday if nothing by then. I'm planning a home birth so really hoping baby arrives before too long!

Hope you are managing to pass the time X

[DimpleHands]

Still nothing here :-( - not even managing to pass the time productively, can't seem to summon up any energy or motivation to do anything useful such as nesting!

Got an appointment with the midwives tomorrow so will see what they say...

Did start getting some light cramps yesterday afternoon which I thought must be it but they went after an hour or so so must have been Braxton Hicks I guess.

[austengirl]

40+5 today (first pregnancy) and nothing doing. I'm booked for a membrane sweep on Monday with the MW and I think I can have another later in the week if nothing happens. They don't induce before 42 weeks in low risk pregnancies here, which I'm glad about, but if I go over 42 weeks I won't be allowed to use the birth centre which I'd been hoping for. So it would be easier all around if baby showed up sooner rather than later! It doesn't help that I know about six other women due the same week as me and virtually all of them have had their babies. I'm just tired of feeling uncomfortable all the time and I want to meet LO already.

Good luck DimpleHands and acquiescence, hope yours arrive soon.

[TakesTwoToTango]

Hi all, I'll join you provisionally I'm 39+5 and not feeling like I'm going to be on time (hope I'm tempting the law of sod here ). Nice to meet you all!

[CoffeeAndOranges]

I'm 39 weeks tomorrow and I am fairly sure that I will be joining you here if this thread is still going next weekend. Hopefully you lot will have had your babies by then!

[CoffeeAndOranges]

Oh and my osteopath (been seeing for pelvic pain) has recommended acupuncture for getting labour going, so give it a week or so and I might be desperate enough to be tempted to have a stranger stick needles into me (only what happens at the hospital anyway!)

[DimpleHands]

Hey everyone! Still going here - 40+5 now! Midwife offered a sweep yesterday but I declined - she gave me a pot of aromatherapy oil to sniff instead which has had about as much effect as you might imagine it would !

She also suggested acupuncture or reflexology - I'm normally pretty sceptical about things like that but I think I might give it a go if no progress in the next few days.

I'm going in again on Monday for a CGT check on the baby's heart rate and to discuss options - I've decided to ask for a C-section if the baby hasn't arrived by 42 weeks. Austengirl my hospital (Chelsea and Westminster) also has the same policy about not being able to use the birth centre if you're past 42 weeks. Really want to avoid an induction with pictocin or whatever it is!

[acquiescence]

Hey all,

40+6 now here. Really starting to feel a bit fed up. I wish my hospital policy was not to induce until 42 weeks, those extra 2 days could help. I'm dreading having to be induced or have a c section. I had some minor abdo surgery last year (laparoscopy) and found the recovery from that much longer than I expected and that was keyhole surgery! So I would definitely have the syntocin rather than a c section if possible. I'm getting myself into a bit of a state at the idea of not being able to have my planned birth, so am trying to read positive induction birth stories.

The awful weather forecast this weekend doesn't help, I feel like there is no option but to sit inside and wait! I have spent all week cleaning and sorting. Any suggestions of how to pass the time productively?

Hope all of your babies come out soon.

[DimpleHands]

Acquiescence I think you can request what you like, regardless of your hospital's policy? Or have they said you absolutely can't have a home birth past a certain date?

I'll be annoyed if I can't have my planned birth in the birth centre - I've spent ages reading all the books about natural childbirth, listening to the natal hypnotherapy CD, buying TENS machine and aromatherapy oils, etc!

I've been sorting old photos to keep me busy - I am trying to psyche myself up to go for a long walk to try to get things going (worked with DS1) but don't really fancy it in the pouring rain !

[TakesTwoToTango]

Hi dimple and acquiescence, sorry to hear you are both still going. I think aromatherapy/acupuncture etc can be very helpful, not necessarily because it works itself but because anything that relaxes you and helps you feel like you are/ might be doing something productive to help yourself helps to get you into the right frame of mind to go into labour. I'd also suggest walking, a little faster than comfortable, and apparently things that stimulate happy hormones - cuddling, sex, orgasm etc are all good!

[DimpleHands]

Thanks Tango! Think I might try to book a reflexology session for Monday.

(And if all else fails we can get a spell off okpa11 !)

[TakesTwoToTango]

Yes indeed dimple! There seems to be a lot of spam around today.

I've booked a massage for weds when I'll be 40+3

[Dachshund]

Hiya! 40+1 here and also planning a home birth so I really don't want to go past 42 weeks and be induced

It's my first baby and I just don't know what to expect! I don't think I've felt any Braxton Hicks but I don't know what I'm looking out for...

[acquiescence]

Thanks tango and dimple hands. You are right I think, I can request to not be induced and opt for extra monitoring, but I really don't fancy having to go in for monitoring, I feel like I'd rather get on with it- but we will see!

Have managed a walk this morning and now feels ok to be back in the house.

[acquiescence]

Ps hi dashchund! I know what you mean re not knowing what to look out for. Fingers crossed for lovely home births!

[Dachshund]

Good luck acquiescence I'm going to force myself out for a walk too if this rain ever stops!

[austengirl]

40+6 today as well. Have done spicy curry, pineapple (admittedly only in the rice) and sex. Will consider acupuncture in the next few days if the sweep doesn't trigger anything. Might help me get over my dislike of needles if nothing else.

Dachsund I've felt various things like cramps/period pains but they have been irregular and don't last long. I know those are sort of pre-labour symptoms but they haven't turned into anything more.

I've been knitting to pass the time--if baby is holding out for me to finish this blanket I better get cracking!

[DimpleHands]

Any news anyone? Nothing doing here... 40+6 today.

Getting panicky about when to agree to an induction - was originally planning to hold out until 42 weeks but have been scaring myself googling about placenta deteriorating before then.

Went for a long walk today which seems only to have given me back ache! And have booked a reflexology session for Thursday.

What's everyone else's plan?

[TakesTwoToTango]

Due date today but no signs!!

Dimple, can you ask for a scan to check fluid levels (a good indicator of placenta function I believe??).

I'm currently planning on waiting (and walking!) until 42 weeks and deciding from there.

[Melmam]

Hi Ladies,

I'm currently 40 plus 2 feel like I've been pregnant forever now just want to meet our baby. I've tried a spicy curry sex walking cleaning nothing seems to be working hopefully things have got along the way for some of you

[Dachshund]

Long walk for me too Dimple and same story... just a back ache!

[acquiescence]

Hi ladies
Sounds like you are having similar concerns to me regarding induction. Where I am policy is to induce at 41+5, which would be Friday for me. However they have no spaces on Friday so I am booked in for Thursday. Not feeling very happy about it as I will be 11 days over at that point and so wondering whether to request to change it to Monday instead? But then I don't knowing I can stand another weekend waiting! So difficult to know what to do.

[DimpleHands]

Acquiesence same problem here! I will be 11 days over on Friday and would rather wait until at least day 12 or 13 - will your hospital book you in on a weekend day? I'm about to go and see the midwives now and am going to ask.

I think today they're going to do a CGT thing and I'm also going to ask if they can do a scan to check amniotic fluid levels.