Advice needed re possible sweep and differing due dates

[Pannacotta]

My due date is 17 May working from my last period and my cycle was v regular. Afer my 12 week scan the EDD was brought forward to 12 May.
At last MW appt she told me at my next appt, a week tom when I will be 40+6 6 by scan date but only +1 by my dates, she would do a sweep.
I don't want any interntions if poss. Am booked for a home birth and feel confident the baby will come when ready. DS was in fact 2 days early so may be worrying for nothing. But can anyone advise me how to put my case forward if nothing has happened by next week?

Summerfruit whatever date the baby is due it will come when it wants to which might be anytime. Probably not looking particularly good for today though! Babies almost never come on their due dates.

Can I tell you of my experiences?

DS was born 3 days early from lmp edd.

DD's lmp, knowing that we were ttc and always marking calendar when AF arrives as matter of course, was 27/05. Scan at 12 weeks changed it to 18/05 - 9 days! Considering I have a 24 day cycle that means I'm supposed to have conceived on day 2 of AF... WTF! I digress, sorry.

Anyway, they ignore our protestations of dates, afterall we weren't there at conception, were we?

I allow myself to work to 18/05 and even assume dd will be early because of ds being 3 days early (probably caused by falling and suffering a greenstick fracture in wrist 7 days previously, therefore shock to system).

When we get to 41wks scan I am fighting them off, they want to induce and on a scarred uterus too!

I continue to fight them off and have two unsuccessful sweeps at 41 and 41+5 scan. Cervix no where near ready!

Cancel induction booked for 42wks scan and bargain for more time using MY LMP dates. Agree to daily Expectant Management thereafter, agree to another sweep in desperation for VBAC and it is successful, a, 2cm, thinning etc, Bishop's Score of 8.

Deliver dd next day. 42+1 scan or 40+6 lmp

Cutting long story short: scans for dating and sizing are notoriously inaccurate! Trust yourself, especially if you know your cycle and when you had sex!

Also with hindsight I won't bother having sweeps in future, as they can cause infection, can accidently break waters, can demoralise if unsuccessful and don't actually tell you anything except what your cervix is doing at that exact time and at best will indicate that labour may be immininet but not when.

So that's my experience and my opinions!

I suggest you enjoy the twilight of your pg and the special bond you alone share with baby before it is born.

Sending happy, calm labour vibes to the ladies in waiting!

Yep at the teaching hospital across the water from you.... Had to refuse the cmw from booking one at least twice and then one was booked for 42wk scan which I cancelled and then negotiated more time. I have learned so much more since then and it shocks me even more!

What about all those who blindly trust the HCP and accept induction? I know I go on and on like Ariston but how many women are warned of the dangers of induction whether for VBAC or not? I'm not sure if those who found the experience to be fairly good know just how lucky they are? Personally I don't know of anyone who didn't find it traumatic...

There may be a justifiable place for induction to save lives but just being a bit overdue is not one of them! (Really must move closer to Hyde Park and Speakers' Corner )

btw MuminFife, are you going to Doula meet on 19th? Want to but not sure about childcare or transport... if you going, can I blag a lift? then it's just childcare to sort...

cheeky me!

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So Summerfruit, it might be hard work but stick to your guns if you don't want induction or a CS booked, tell them that you are working to YOUR dates, end of! They can jump up and down all they like but they merely have a duty of care to you and need to do reasonable checks on your health and that of baby's, you could agree to scans to check on fluid levels and placenta, all the Expectant Management stuff but other than that all you need to do is take it as easy as possible and enjoy spending quality time with dd. Plan something for every day, trip to park, trip to cinema, lunch with friend, foot massage, etc. ....

Try not to stess about dh, but I know what that's like, my dp was more concerned about work at the end of my pg too. It's a man thing, they want to get everything sorted in advance...

I agree with MuminFife, try not to get too involved in induction methods, the only ones I consider 'safe' are sex, nipple stimulation and walking. Because they use your own body hormones. That's my opinion. You have to eat a ridiculous amount of pineapple to get any effect from the enzymes, a hot curry can only make you uncomfortable and who needs that?

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this is going to make you laugh Summerfruit... well it's going to make you choke on your lunch at the very least....

TMI warning: There is a theory that dh's prostaglandin is more effective as induction if ingested orally.

No, don't shoot the messenger, I'm only telling what I've heard!

hi All - you know what they say about opinions - they are like assholes, everyone has one - well, my due date is 13th June and I have already booked an appointment with the lady who did acupuncture on me to help me fall pregnant to help me induce the pregnancy on Sat 16th June if there is no sign of Bambino by then.

My reasons are as follows (from books I am reading and midwife's advise)

• the longer you go overdue the older the placenta gets and is therefore no longer able to supply sufficient food and oxygen to baby in uterus - not saying it isn't supplying these vital stuff, but the placenta does get old after 40 weeks

• according to a book I am reading 'What to Expect - the first year' by Heidi Murkoff I will quote (page 96): Because a newborn's skin is thin, it usually has a pale pinkish cast from the blood vessels just beneath it. Right after delivery, it's most often covered with the remains of the vernix caseosa, a cheesy coating that protects foetuses during the time spent soaking in the amniotic fluid (the earlier a baby arrives, the more vernix is left on the skin). Babies born late may have skin that's wrinkled or peeling (because they had little or no vernix left to protect it).

The vernix caseosa makes delivery easier as it makes baby slippery when baby comes out.

etc

But these are just my concerns and reasons for wanting it done. With acupuncture and reflexology a qualified practitioner can safely, and non-intrusively assist with the induction and it is safe. Not 100% guaranteed to work though, but if it does labour will be brought on within 24 - 48 hours from the treatment.

I am also totally against sweeping as when another midwife explained the procedure and the inconvenience and risks I thought - nope, not for me thanks!

hope I don't sound like a wise nose, hence me starting the post with 'everybody has their own opinion' on this matter as this is just my opinion!

hugs

I think Accupuncture and reflexology may be useful too, as it is in tune with the body, and at the very least you will have had some soothing, pampering time, especially for you at a time when you really deserve it.

However, I've never had any of these kinds of treatments so can't comment from experience. Maybe next time..

I think the biggest issue on this thread is the dates one and having your dates altered by another person using a machine, which is notoriously inaccurate, can be a recipe for disaster. Especilly if you keep good records of your AF and know your cycle. If you do not know when you likely conceived then scans can give a rough gestimate. But for those of us who are fairly/totally sure of our cycle and conception it can be insulting to be told our dates are wrong and plants the first seed of doubt about our bodies which then self-perpetuates doubts about our abilites to birth our babies.

Having dates brought forward means that induction will be offered at what turns out to be earlier than baby's natural gestation, and chemical induction when baby is not ready all too often leads to traumatic labour (for mum and baby) and instrumental or CS delivery.

Which is why I suggest listening to your instincts, waiting for labour to start spontaneously but also accepting Expectant Management if need be so that you can be sure that baby is still cooking nicely and happy in there, just waiting to make a grand entrance! It's about finding the right balance for the individual at that time, not about fitting into cons schedules of Mon to Thursday 9-5.

Rabbitbreath, I think you've made a very good choice for you, am looking forward to your labour thread now!!

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thanks Klaw and Summerfruit

Well, the problem with my due date is similar to the ones discussed in this thread - one midwife told me it is 5th June and the scan said it was 13th June - so i am also not 100% sure. I had PCOS and therefore my menstrual cycle was never regular.

Anyway - a lot of people have also suggested Raspberry Leaf tea or tablets - but not advised to start drinking these before I think 38 weeks of pregnancy as it softens the servics, making labour easier - and the reason for not starting to drink it before 38 weeks or consulting your doctor / midwife is because it might bring on labour - or so I have heard. I have bought a tub of tablets and will start drinking these after 38 weeks.

Re acupuncture - if you are not scared of needles then acupuncture is not bad at all as it is totally natural - the lady who did it on me put it on my ovaries, bladder, kidneys etc to get things moving and after 3 treatments I started ovulating and fell pregnant - so I believe it can work if the person who does it has enough knowledge.

Reflexology is incredibly relaxing and actually works miracles with all the parts of your body - amazing to think that your feet are so important when it comes to the functioning of your organs. She can even feel baby when she touches the insides of my feet next to the heels as this part of your skin swells lightly as baby grows. Just amazing!

hahaha - Summerfruit - you must have been too relaxed when you took that test - hahaahahaahaha - 'OH I COULD NOT BE ARSED' or how do you say it here in the UK?

hahahahaha - now you made me laugh - thanks for that

HI Pannacotta, my advice (as a non-assertive person who wanted to refuse induction and hospitals) is to practice what you want to say when offered or advised something you don't want. Something along the lines of "At the moment I'm going to refuse your offer of xyz. Of course I am open to the idea of reconsidering if there is evidence of danger to me or my baby to carry on waiting."

Orgasms are good too - the hormones stimulated by orgasm can help get things moving, so if you go down on him you can at least get him to return the favour

Thanks all and esp Klaw for the input and advice.
I do find it very odd that women are not listened to when it comes to their cycles and conception dates. I am pretty adamant my dates are correct (had made a note of my periods and they were every 28 days so cycle v regular) and was rather surprised my MW considered it ok to do a sweep on what would in effect be the day after my due date.
I will decline it, if no baby by then, as I am keen to let nature take its course and have a natural home birth like last time.
One post mentioned the problems with having a sweep, can someone pls enlighten me what they are?
(Had no interventions at all with DS, he was born 2 days before my due date (based on LMP).)

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