8 days over with DC2, being induced on Friday. Any stories to stop me getting despondent?

[megonthemoon]

That's basically it. I'm 8 days overdue with DC2 and will be induced on Friday if nothing happens. There is absolutely nothing going on that makes me think that I will go into labour any time soon. Physically I actually feel really well - no major aches and pains - and have had no twinges that suggests labour is in any way likely to happen naturally at any point in the next 6 months :)

Mentally however I am struggling. I went into labour at 2 days over with DS so this is almost a week longer. Plus we had a scare at 36 weeks with this one when the baby suddenly partially engaged and I had a show, so I've actually been waiting for this for 5 weeks. But I now feel further away from giving birth than I did then, especially as at my 40 week check the baby had disengaged completely!

Nothing is giving me even the slightest twinge - hot food, bouncing on gym ball, sex, reflexology, long country walks all tried multple times over. Midwife attempted a sweep but my cervix isn't at all ready. It feels like there is nothing I can do to encourage this baby, and I'm starting to worry that a long, complicated induction is now a done deal.

Anyone gone this far over without any pre-labour or any signs at all and then suddenly given birth without any warning? I need something to keep me optimistic and encourage me that it could still happen naturally for me!!!

LOts of women have totally closed and inactive cervixes and then find themselves in full scream and push mode 12 hours later.
Keep trying the sex and the walking - will distract you
I never had any signs I was going in to labour at all apart from a show - with dd2 this was when I was already contracting and with dd3 it was about 6 hours before contracting. Being overdue sucks - but hang in there.

(Having been 15 days overdue with dd1 (induced) and then 7 with dd2 and 8 with dd3)

I went over due with ds2 and was booked in for induction. My waters finally started leaking at 40+8. I had a few contractions, but then they stopped. Hospital booked me in for induction the next day as that was their policy if you didn't go into labour properly within 24 hours of waters breaking. Started having a couple of contractions on the way to the induction but really didn't feel like anything was happening and was very despondant at the thought of a really long, force labour (terrified of ending up having a c-section).

Anyway when we got to the hospital I was already 5cms dialated (was really shocked at that!) So they just broke the remaining waters and I had ds2 within an hour of that! So all my worries were unfounded.

I had no signs of imminent labour before my waters started leaking. I had had a show several days before, but other than that didn't feel like anything was really happening until they told me I was 5cms.

Good Luck. I think that even if they do have to induce you when it's your 2nd because your body has done it before once it's had that push it can do it on it's own - quickly.

Thanks - it's helping knowing I'm not the only one :) I've never known any of my friends go this far over with DC2, and only one friend who went longer with DC2 than DC1, so I had just not expected this in any way!

A friend of mine went into spontaneous labour with her first two children on the day she was to be induced, having gone 10 days over with both of them, so it does happen :)

I've had two early inductions and the second was so fast I barely had time to think. Best of luck!

Bear in mind as well that you don't have to be induced if you don't want to - the hospital will have a policy that says they should offer induction at a given gestation, but that's not the same as saying you must be induced or the world will end.

If you're not entirely happy at the thought of induction you're at perfect liberty to ask a lot of questions about why they think they need to induce, what specific risks they're concerned about, how those risks will change over time and what published research or data they are using to assess those risks. You can then choose whether or not to accept their offer of induction or to opt for expectant management instead (scans an monitoring every couple of days to check everything's OK).

This isn't a "turn down induction, there's no need" post, by any stretch - its a very personal decision based on numerous individual factors - more a "you do have a choice if you want it" post.

All that said, fingers crossed DC2 realises its time to make a nice entrance under their own steam this week and you don't have the worry either way :)

Just to add to what everyone has said, don't be too nervous if you do decide to let them induce you, it might be quicker or more intense than natural labour, but hopefully won't require any extra intervention. Having said that, I unexpectedly got pregnant with dc2 when dc1 was about 4.5 months old and had not had a period so didn't have a clue about dates. Got a date at the scan, but ended up going 12 days overdue before going into labour naturally. My first baby was 8 days over the scan dates but only 1 day over my dates. I concluded that because they date based on baby's length at 12 weeks, my dc2 came so much later (according to scan date) because he was much longer so they thought he was older than he really was at the 12 week scan, if you see what I mean. Scan dates are notoriously unreliable, and it is by no means impossible that a second child will be later than a first (my third child was 10 days over the scan dates, btw, not induced either). A friend very recently had a baby 16 days overdue (she was not induced) and the baby was barely over 7lbs, so I'm convinced they dated her wrong. Perhaps one of the reasons that some inductions end in a C-section is because the baby is genuinely not ready? You can always opt to have scans of the blood flow in the cord and use that to help you judge whether baby is safer staying put or needs to be encouraged to come out... =) Hope you start off soon!

I know I don't have to, but I will let them induce me on Friday even though I'm a bit scared of medical intervention given a somewhat rubbish labour with DS. I had a mc before this pregnancy and I think part of my mental struggle at the moment is the fact that I have got so far but am really nervous that my body will just fail me and the baby again (DH knows someone who had a full term stillbirth too, so that is also on my mind). So I want to deliver this baby asap so that its health is no longer down to my body, which I don't really trust after the miscarriage IYSWIM.

Heading off to bounce on gym ball and get on all 4s just for something to do :)