Overdue and miserable :-( what worked for you?

[Teatimecakes]

40+4 wks today. I know it's only a little bit over but this pregnancy has been stressful and due to a previous section my options are natural labour or elcs - which I'm desperate to avoid. Consultant is great and isn't imposing any hard and fast section date - yet. But Mondays appointment is likely to change that. So what got your dc on the move? Willing to try anything! Thanks.

[Teatimecakes]

Having had a long chat with the mw today, it seems that my dates are probably wrong and I'm not actually due til Monday! Grrrrr!!!

[Hoggle246]

Urgh how annoying! Although at least that gives you more time for the little one to come out naturally. Good luck with it all!

[Mrscog]

Right, you need to plan something nice/fun/enjoyable for every day until you're 42 weeks. Ths is what I did and I was mightly pissed off when DS arrived at 39+6 so I didn't get to do any of it.

Ideas -

Active - shopping, going for a coffee/cake in a favourite place, walking somewhere you love (slowly), nice morning swimming etc, arrange to meet up with friends/family

More passive - planning books you want to get read, box sets you'd like to watch, rewatching favourite films/DVDs etc, getting Christmas cards sent, doing any hobbies - play any instruments? draw? sew?

It will honestly help and make you feel like you don't have time for the baby to arrive!!

[Mrscog]

And yes, sex every day - look up positions most likely to bring on labour :)

[Teatimecakes]

Thank you. Right. Have made a positive start already and just got home from a morning pottering round the shops :-) am about to make plans to catch up with a friend who recently had a baby (I've heard newborn cuddles can get the hormones going?) then some fun things for my little boy later in the week. Have made a list of favourite films to watch too...

[Teatimecakes]

Really can't persuade DH into sex. He's very squeamish about sex when heavily pregnant. His theory is that he'll poke the baby's head! Ha! Poor deluded man! no chance!

[batmanandrobin]

any luck yet? been thinking about you all weekend!

[Teatimecakes]

Ahh, thanks. No luck :-( she just won't budge

[Showy]

How's things?

Nothing works. It's all been tried and tested. You can't bring on labour except for chemical induction. Honestly, 'I had sex and 48 hours labour started' doesn't mean it was the sex 2 whole days beforehand. It likewise wasn't any of the other things you did in those 2 days like eating a fig or scratching your right ear with a knitting needle. It was merely that you were pregnant and due a baby. A normal pregnancy is 37-42 weeks and the baby decides when it's time, usually some time within that.

I know it's frustrating and I really hope you've had your baby now. But it's so much more frustrating to think you could or should be bringing things on and demoralising when you can't. We put so much pressure on heavily pregnant women with the constant 'any sign' or 'have you had it yet?' questions. Feeling like it's your fault you aren't in labour really doesn't need to be added in to the mix.

Have sex or eat curry or mainline pineapple if you want to and you really have nothing to lose. But so many of these 'methods' involve eating food you don't want, having sex you can't face or doing exercise which makes you knackered and grumpy. I really want the rumour that Jaffa cakes start labour to take hold.

[Showy]

Ooooh x-posts.

Have you tried Jaffa cakes? They really work. If you eat several, you'll definitely have a baby this month.

How are you feeling?

Does your hospital not offer any form of induction with a VBAC? Mine would break your waters and then put you on a drip if successful. I attempted a VBAC 3yrs ago.

[PrincessTheresaofLiechtenstein]

There's a little bit of evidence that two sweeps over a few days can help, and also prolonged nipple stimulation (I am talking hours of it!). Nothing else works, sorry. The lovely stuff you have planned will help the time go faster and get you rested and relaxed though

[Muchtoomuchtodo]

Only induction for me I'm afraid (at 42 +4)

I tried raspberry leaf tea, pineapple, curries, sex, walking, bouncing on a gym ball.

He wasn't ready to shift until he was evicted!

[mckenzie]

Spinning class.

[PrincessTheresaofLiechtenstein]

If you don't mind my asking why do you want to avoid elcs? Might there be something that can help you feel better about the possibility?

[Nevercan]

Go for a gentle swim - at least you feel light in the water :-)

[Teatimecakes]

My ds was elcs due to transverse lie. I was deverstated. I had planned a homebirth. I'm certainly not so naive to assume that it all would have gone smoothly and a I would have got everything I wanted, but to experience nothing was crushing. It left a huge hole that I can't get over, feeling like I've missed out on a major life experience. When ds was handed to me I felt nothing. I was numb and in shock. Add to that the terrible reaction I had to the cocktail of drugs given in theatre, appalling post natal ward care and being given a morphine overdose., it's a wonder I even got pregnant again. The though of going through any of that again is unimaginable. This time around, if things end in emcs, then do be it, that's out of my hands and obviously baby's well being comes first in that situation, but if I'm able to have a natural birth, then that's my first choice.

[batmanandrobin]

have you read up on clary sage oil? my friend claims to be able to control when labour starts. she's had 3 babies and all came the day she used the oil on her bump. i didn't try it- was too scared lol

[Teatimecakes]

yup. Haven't rubbed it on the bump but have had it in the bath 3 days running

[Showy]

I wanted a homebirth with my first and ended up with an emergency caesarean. The gap between what I wanted and what I ended up with was so immense. I felt like a passive observer in my baby's birth. I was numb and then angry and then upset and it cost me months, if not years of grief. I too had a bad reaction to drugs and appalling postnatal care. It was awful and I swore no more babies.

When I finally had dc2 years later, I knew there was always a chance of another caesarean and was determined that it would be a positive experience whatever happened. I know that how you give birth is something you can't control, it's luck and as far as possible, I wanted power and control and choice in it. So I had a plan for another cs. I knew what I wanted. And of course, I ended up with another emcs after a 38hr labour. However, I went in laughing and came out laughing. I had a calm cs, DH was allowed to watch the procedure from start to finish. I had music on, ds was handed straight to me and we had skin to skin immediately. It was the day I met my baby and I would have loved a natural delivery but I am also a great advocate of a cs not being the poor cousin of a vaginal birth. It's a reality but it doesn't have to be a negative experience. It is your labour and delivery, you day with your baby and the beginning of the next chapter.

I think atm there's no reason to think you won't have a natural delivery. You've a while until you're actually 'overdue' and chances are it won't come to elcs. But have you any kind of a plan for if it does happen again? You can feel so much more involved and in control if you've actively planned for something instead of hoping against it iyswim.

[BathshebaDarkstone]

I went in to be induced but the sweep worked for me. He's a lazy Leo through and through, 2 hours later and he would have been a Virgo!

[Teatimecakes]

Thanks for sharing your experience. A passive observer is a very accurate description for how I felt too. I have an independent midwife who will be with DH and I throughout whatever happens. I have stipulated skin to skin in theatre (all being well with dc) I've had a full review of all the meds I was given to try to ensure I don't have another awful reaction, and I have special permission for DH to stay overnight if a cs is needed. I'm as prepared as I can be for another Cs, IF. It comes to that. But it's my last resort and not something I'm consenting to electively.

[Teatimecakes]

Consultant will attempt induction, but reluctantly and under such tight controls that emcs is almost envitable

[Teatimecakes]

While unable to sleep (again) tonight, I cm's across this article; www.drmomma.org/2009/06/lie-of-estimated-due-date-edd-why-your.html?m=1

Interestingly, when I calculated my edd using this, it matches perfectly to my edd when calculated by ovulation date.

[PrincessTheresaofLiechtenstein]

That sounds so hard for you, no wonder you want things to be different this time. I agree with Showy, there is no reason to think you won't have a natural onset of labour and natural delivery. Rates of VBAC are up to nearly 90% in some hospitals.

Also, with induction, it can be that all you need is the prostaglandin gel and then everything can kick off from there and proceed without further intervention. The caution comes from the fact you haven't been in labour before so it's hard for them to predict how you'll react.

It's great that you have an independent midwife who will be with you.