4 days overdue and cervix still unfavourable

[buzzgirly]

Hi

I was wondering anyone could me advice/reassurance. I am 4 days overdue, had a sweep yesterday and midwife told me that my cervix is still very long and behind baby's head. I am going back on Tuesday for another sweep and if that doesn't work, I will have a section in Friday. Has anyone been told thy had unfavourable cervix this late on and managed to give birth naturally?

My dd was a emcs over 3 years ago, this was mainly due to her heart rate dropping as she was born with severe health problems and I also seemed to be taking a long time to dilate. Is there anything I can do to encourage cervix to soften? Planning a long walk later. Obviously I will have section if really needed, but dd's birth was traumatic and they whisked her away, due to her poor health, I would like to avoid it. This baby looks really healthy from scans, but don't think I can 100% believe until I see baby.

Sorry if this is a real ramble!

Patience :-) baby will come when ready. According to NICE guidelines a sweep will only work if baby is about to come anyway...

I have no idea of the condition of my cervix as I refused VEs, but I went 11 days overdue and had a lovely easy natural birth, G+A only and a waterbirth.

Hope that reassures you a bit :-)

Ps why are you booked in for a section? Isnt induction more usual?

yes this was me a couple of years ago, was induced at 10 days over, took a while to get going but only needed the pessary and gel, not a drip and was about 5 hours total from very early labour to birth. midwife told me the only thing to help bring on an unfavourable cervix was sex, something in sperm to help it along. Everything else such as pineapple only helps when the cervix is favourable. Sex at 9 months not very appealing I know but worth a go a couple of times maybe?

Thanks for the. Re.plies, good to hear some positive stories!

Sorry should have said if at 2nd sweep cervix is more favourable, they will take me in to break waters and put me on a small drip. Due to my previous s.ection they are not keen to give me a full induction with pessaries etc, but will give me a small dose of drip.

If you don't actually want the induction, you can refuse and ask for expectant monitoring instead. Then they do scans to check the placenta is working OK and baby is still healthy in there, rather than assuming it isn't and inducing automatically.
I know a lot of mums are happy to go for inductions, and that's your call, but often maternity units give the impression you have no choice.

I had a sweep at 41 weeks - cervix was far back etc. That was a Wednesday - labour started lunchtime Friday and I was in established labour by 8pm Friday. DS was born at 4am on the saturday.

Another one here who had an unfavourably positioned cervix. I had three useless sweeps. I dug my heels in and took expectant monitoring. I went overdue to 40+19 going into labour the night before my proposed induction.

Poor DH may have felt very "used" in that last week or so as we tried to get things going. Still, it made up slightly for the drought that followed.

I went 16 days overdue (15 overdue when labour started, and DD was born at midnight, taking us into the 16th day)

I had the monitoring from 12 days over, when I made it clear I wouldn't accept any intervention until at least 14 days over (quoting research from NICE), and at 14 days I went for a sweep. Don't know if she did one, because she said I was 3cm then.
I have no idea what my bits looked like before that VE, because i'd previously refused one.

I understand why they would look to do a planned c-section and be reluctant for an induction given you have previously had a c-section, just surprised that they are planning this earlier than 14 days overdue (if I worked it out correctly!). Would you be able to wait another couple of days, or are there concerns re the baby?

Sex is meant to help as (I think) because the hormone used for an induction is found naturally in semen.