Beyond 42 weeks, your experience?

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I am coming to the end of my 3rd pregnancy and the anxiety begins!! Let me explain: my pregnancies go super smoothly with few complaints (very healthy, some tiredness but I sleep well). Until the dreaded due date comes along and I am hounded by medical staff to induce birth I have been sexually assaulted and have been forced to sign a paper saying that I was leaving the hospital against medical advice (despite gynaecologic exam, ultrasound and CTG being perfectly fine). Both DDs were induced just before 42 weeks.

My original due date was the 10th October, now it has been changed for the 4th! Don't know why. That's 6 days difference! It's huge with my tendency for overdue pregnancies! Basically I would like to wait at least until 2 weeks after the 10th.

What is your experience? How did the conversations go? Extra monitoring offered?

Thank you

Do you mean you were sexually assaulted in the hospital??

All 5 of my pregnancies went over. I decided to be induced with number 1 and 5. With 3, I went 21 days over, with extra monitoring, we were fine. Lots of pressure from staff though which I took on board but made my own decision. Number 2 was 14 days over and number 4 19 days over. I allowed induction for number 5 because SPD was making me miserable, and actually the birth went smoothly.

I'm sure you know this but the placenta degrades rapidly after 42 weeks and can cause serious issues for you and baby. That's why they hound you to induce as they're looking after you. They know the risks. If you want to go against their advice, then of course you must sign to take responsibility for your own decisions and that takes the onus off of them. They have explained the risks, you have chosen to trust your body and that's fine.

When and why was your due date changed? You probably need to ask that. You need to be fully informed before making a decision like this.

Do you have a regular cycle normally OP? If so what length is it? If it’s in the longer side that can make a difference - the 28 day edd is a bit of a blunt tool for women with long cycles.

Have they said why they changed your due date by almost a week? That's loads. Surely a conversation with you should have happened? They must be going off either LMP or your earliest scan, right? Both of which are quite a while ago now...

If I were you I would grab a pen and paper and write down all your questions, with the aim in your head being that at the end of it all you thank them for answering the questions and go home and decide what you are going to do.

The first question on that list should be why they have changed your due date...

Also want to add, the placenta was fine with all the babies, by baby number 3 I kinda knew I had a longer gestation period than normal

@SenorPeabodyEsq it was in a different country. I was being followed by a gynaecologist. A day before DD1 was due had a consultation and she checked my cervix. With her hand still up my vagina she decided to start asking whether I wanted to induce the baby (no!), I'll do a sweep to hurry things up (is there really a need? [hanging to the bed in pain]) it'll be fine (it's hurting stop) it's almost over! (It's really painful!)...
If I posted on MN that it was my husband there would be loud calls for divorce! Because it was a doctor, to be honest, I was polite and wtv and actually came back to be seen by her. The more I think about it the more it feels like it was wrong. At the time I did start crying when I got to my car....

@jomaIone I know there are risks, however it seems that my pregnancies do run longer. I was born late and so was my cousin, maybe it runs in the family. Kids were in the 50th percentile (so not big), their skin was normal with some vernix, placenta was clear and my body just didn't feel ready. It seems like there is a precedent to allow for a little overdue-ness :p

OP I had similar in my first pregnancy. I had also been moved ahead 6 days but knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that their due date was wrong because I had ovulation induction with a trigger shot, which included a scan of my ovaries before administering the trigger, and in the days leading up to it. At the time they said I had conceived I had only a few tiny follicles and hadn’t had sex for weeks as DH was away!

Anyway, the official line is that the risk of stillbirth doubles after 42 weeks. This is true - it goes from 0.06% to 0.12%, so still TINY. And that’s assuming your due date is correct which it may well not be.

It’s your decision to make. Don’t let them pressure you. You can opt for additional monitoring and they can check the condition of the placenta via a scan if you are concerned (I was part of a study which looked at this), though in my experience they would much rather induce you than monitor you so you’d have to push for this.

However, I did agree to an induction in the end (at 40+12) and it went really well, so it doesn’t have to be a terrible experience.

That experience with the gynaecologist sounds truly horrible, I'm sorry! I can understand why you are wary.

All 4 of mine were induced

41
42+3
40
42

The 42+3 and 42 were speedy in terms of one/two pessaries to get into established labour. Active labour very quick indeed.

After waiting to 42+3 and still not going into labour and there being grade 3 meconium etc I stuck to 42 weeks with the last one!
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