What is overdue and WHY the hassle when it happens?

[StarlightMaJesty]

Okay, I've seen and researched the arguments but, until now, it hasn't been something that has happened to me.

Now that it has, and I am experiencing it first hand, I'm wondering WHY it is such an area for battle.

I mean, I KNOW my rights etc. that no-one can force intervention or refuse hb etc etc. but I also know that this kind of pressure isn't conducive to getting the baby out spontaneosly.

5 days

The nice guidelines don't say anything about c/s, which I woukd choose if anyone made a good case for the baby coming out.

I went to 40+19 with DS!

I'll have a rummage for my thread from the time, it was a loooooooooooong 19 days.

SIL went 21 days over EDD to get her home birth. Just went on for extra monitoring in the meantime. Baby had flaky skin and zero vernix but otherwise completely fine. She went over with the second as well - she cooks em longer as did her mother. Whereas my health authority book a spot on the labour ward for EDD +10 or 11 for induction. Ha! MW was horrified when I declined that appointment. I too wasn't much over by my own dates. 4 days in the end but I think 9 or 10 by scan dates.

which is enough to make a difference between you going into labour fine or an inducement not working tbh, it was in my case with dd, sure had i waited 4 days i wouldnt have had the drip, my body just wasnt quite ready.

as i said go with your gut, as long as you feel fine, baby is moving etc, get the extra monitering or scan if you want to and dont let them pressure you, that stress alone could stop you going into labour!

well you are allowed to request a c section now for maternal preference, did i read in another thread that you have had a previous section (or maybe i am thinking of someone else) anyway you are totally allowed to request one and i am pretty sure they cant refuse?

and i know someone that went 21 days over to get her home birth and they actualy came round to her house as she refused to go in and be induced, she ignored the door! not sure they would do that nowaday, her boys are in their late teens now tho :) all was fine.

No circumstances in which you would agree to an induction?

I'm expecting first DC and trying to get my head round everything. Can I ask (most genuinely) why you wouldn't accept an induction if the medical advice was that it was in the baby's best interests?

Would you accept an emergency section (my friend had to have one) after she went to the hospital due to lack of foetal movement?

Ok - so that's your bottom line then. When you get to 40 +14 by their dates, you'll be 40 + 9 by yours - so well within the two weeks. If you don't want to be induced I would ask them to check baby's wellbeing on the basis that you will agree to a c-section if the baby is distressed. You will need to be clear that you understand the risk of stilbirth increases slightly as you go further past term and that any scan etc only assures you that the baby is fine just then at that point and cannot be a guarantee of anything in the future few days. Some women go in for monitoring every day.

As I said earlier - it's a question of balancing risks and anybody who's had a pregnancy go wrong - or seen a pregnancy go wrong - which would be all the HCPs for example - might well urge you to 'play safe'. But that might not be 'safe' for you and if you're the OP I think you are (who moved recently and wants a home birth?) then you have pressing reasons from your own experience to say no to induction.

I thought weeks of pregnancy was from ovulation rather than from date of conception?

Sorry - I cross posted. I didn't see your later postvre the c section.

You do realise starlight that now you've written this thread you are going to go into labour?

mumble - me too re the ovulation calculation. I am now totally

i went in every other day with ds3, that was a compromise, yes be very clear that you know the risks, they will write it on your notes, you can have the scan or expectant management (my hospital tried to refuse that with ds3! they cant so dont let them if you want it!)

the thing is induction itself carries its own risks, and if you want to totally avoid that they you are will within your rights to refuse and wait or to have a c section, good luck and hope it doesnt get to that point! :)

sineyblackgrape, Northern is right. I have a history that makes induction wholly unacceptable to me. The rationale is quite circumstances-specific so please don't be alarmed - although there are good reasons for refusing or delaying induction, as there are for accepting. The basic information is quite easy to find.

Thanks starlight - I really appreciate you taking the time to reply. I'm seeing the midwife tomorrow so was wondering if there was anything general that needed to be checking/discussing.

I've never had. C/s

Mumble you are absolutely right. I am 'assuming' conception was on the day I ovulated. That means I could have got my dates wrong.

But if I conceived a number of days after I ovulated (which is where I have been measuring MY dates from) then I might not even be at my due date yet. It only widens the discrepancy.

No real comment on main discussion point but pregancy starts counting from the date of LMP. I.E. you are actually 2 weeks pregnant at the point of conception.

Induction only works 50% of the time, so that's why I held off having it for as long as poss. By not working I mean it fails to get labour started at all, as happened with me. But once you have had your waters broken you then 'have' to have a CS if you have not birthed in 24 hours. So u are committed once induction started. Think that is due to infection risk.

Thanks Northern - As usual, very sensible.

Well in that case Haunted I'm 33 weeks pg as my cycles are 45 days.

Lots of excellent information on here which I won't add to . Just sending some positive vibes your way and hope you'll let us know when you are tucked up in bed with a cuppa and your baby.

ok so no previous section that would a reason they would be happier to give you one but ultimately if you have your own personal reasons to refuse induction and a section is waht you want, then they cant refuse.

when you see the midwife i would ask about expectant management, a scan if you want one and any monitering again if you want it, other than that its continue as normal and fingers crossed baby decides to put in an appearance.

yes they take the date of your last period as the start of pregnancy but it can and does mean being classed as overdue when you arent always, particularly if you ovulate late etc and if you are sure of your dates then its worth sticking with tme, dating scans are notoriously wrong anyway i think they say they are only ever correct to about a week? and it depends on when they do it as its much easier to date a fetus at some stages in the 12wk window than at others.

Hopefully it'll be as dontlaugh says and it'll be tonight coz I started this thread. Perhaps it's offloading the burden etc.

I just went to 43 weeks. My previous child was an EMCS so I didn't submit to any induction type intervention and eventually had a 2nd CS although I had planned a home birth. The reason for the CS in the end was not how overdue I was or any distress for the baby but that I'd been in early labour for you any days than I felt comfortable with given my prior scar.

In the final 10 days I was monitored at the hospital nearly every other day. I had no issue with the monitoring itself but I was regularly kept there (pretty much under dress) for 4 - 6 hours at a time while they discussed me with doctors and pressured be to be induced, swept, waters broken etc. All my monitoring (scans / BP/ urine / CTG) were perfect, I was just 'late'.

When DS was born his apgars were 9/10 with no placental issues. I really believe that the stress and bullying at the appointments did not help me to relax and labour well. It seemed that I was a novelty being as 'late' as I was as they admitted most women are not 'let' go this overdue. I don't think the risks are that significant even at 43 weeks. When I investigated CS risks I noticed the cardiac arrest risk for me during the procedure was the same as stillbirth for the same gestation, but nobody was discussing that.