41+1 Baby Not Engaged

[EdithGrantham]

I'm a FTM, 41+1 weeks with not so much as a Braxton Hicks or bloody show and getting a bit fed up now.

The baby's head was engaged last week but have been seen by the midwife today and that's no longer the case.

Because of this she wasn't able to perform a stretch and sweep (which I was hesitant about anyway) but has booked me in for an induction this weekend. Has anyone been in a similar position and gone into spontaneous labour? I've also read that induction may not be successful if the baby isn't engaged at the start of the process but I've only come across this today after trying to read some positive induction stories.

Best of luck, hope today is the day for you! Jxx

My bloody show looked like an alien lifeform and I remember being so excited and sending a pic of it to DP who was like 😳 ermmm.. lol.
Still, he saw DD crowning I'm sure he's scarred for life now 😆
Fingers crossed labour is imminent for you now! ❤

Fingers crossed @EdithGrantham ! Have a good rest today in case things start soon, you will need your energy.

Just jumping back on to update, still no signs of baby wanting to make a move so going for a stretch and sweep shortly as a last ditch attempt to convince her out before hospital appointment tomorrow. Never thought I'd agree to one to be honest but desperate times and all that!

Hoping stretch and sweep does the trick OP

It didn't unfortunately. Went in for monitoring this morning and all looks ok so going in for daily monitoring and booked in for induction on Tuesday if nothing gets going by then.

@EdithGrantham oh how frustrating lovely. Got everything tightly crossed for you 🤞 x

Well I'm still hopefull for you. You've the full of two days and more. If that was bloody show you had, its usual that labour is imminent. Though tbf it could be spotting from a sweep, but here's hoping. A few times i've gone into labour on the days i was to be induced... arrived for induction appoints in early labour. So you have until the wire!

Thanks again both, bloody show was before sweep so was definitely not from that. I'm worrying that I've made the wrong decision and I should have just gone for induction today but knowing I'm close makes me think it could happen on its own in the two days it could potentially take after induction is started anyway. Trying to stay positive but after seeing the labour ward today it's difficult, it wasn't horrible or anything just not the lovely birth centre I was really hoping for.

@EdithGrantham are you up for any hanky panky? 😆 I swear that's what really got me going!
The labour wards are grim. Hot, smelly, and noisy. Can totally understand why you want to avoid!
Argh keeping everything crossed for you!! Xx

@EdithGrantham Apparently it is national orgasm today so ya know.. 😆

@EdithGrantham **National orgasm day I meant to say... stupid phone! 😆

A week ago I would have been up for it but not so much now, and I'm also really paranoid my waters have gone without me knowing somehow and I'll risk infection if we DTD!

@EdithGrantham good luck today if you aren't already holding a baby. You will be later anyway!

@EdithGrantham yesss, good luck!!! 🥰

Thanks both, I had contractions Sunday night which wore off by morning so went in for monitoring yesterday where they started up again. Unfortunately the baby's heart rate kept dropping with each one. They examined me and I was at 4cm but they could tell that the cord was at the side of the head so I was promptly taken to theatre for a section. So not the birth I had wanted and was absolutely terrified but the staff were amazing and calm and I had my baby in my arms within the hour. Very sore today but otherwise ok.

Women do climb everest at every birth, no matter the way it happens in the end! Happy outcome always best, well done mama. Enjoy and recover

@EdithGrantham just seen your update love! How are you feeling today? Recovering well I hope and soaking up all that newborn goodness 🥰 congratulations ❤

Congratulations on the birth of your baby

I would check YouTube videos of exercises to help baby engage I'm sure they'll be some

@pinkteapots, absolutely! Anyone who thinks a c-section is easy is so wrong, recovery in my case is going well as far as I can tell but it's bloody painful and the soreness where the incision was takes my breath away and I have to use breathing techniques to get through it, sometimes for around half an hour or more.

@MyGrassIsBrowner sore but mobile, also nighttime cluster feeds are no joke but otherwise doing ok I think and newborn cuddles are so lovely!

Thanks @joystir59

Thanks also @grey12, bit late for that now though

@EdithGrantham is there anything you'd recommend to buy for section recovery? Products etc? How are you finding the trapped wind as I hear a lot of women recommend peppermint tea for afterwards to help ease it. I'm booked in for a section but my recovery after my VB with my DD was traumatic. I couldn't sit properly for months without wincing and I came away with low grade rectocele. I just mentally cannot go through another VB and I worry my prolapse will get worse. I'm not even 30 and my body is falling apart! 😩

We were advised by a midwife to use Moxa
and the baby changed her position in 1 day in the end. We couldn’t believe it.

@MyGrassIsBrowner, I've not had any trapped wind luckily but haven't had a bowel movement since the day before she was born which is a bit worrying but not completely outside the normal for me so I'm just keeping up with taking lactulose. In terms of what to buy, just some pants big enough to go above the incision line which is much lower than I was expecting. Also, don't over buy on maternity pads, even on the first day the bleeding has only been as heavy as a medium-heavy period and by day two a normal sanitary towel would have been fine. The hospital gave me paracetamol, ibuprofen and liquid morphine to bring home but have bought more paracetamol and ibuprofen so I can keep taking those for as long as I need. Hope yours goes ok, when is it booked for?

@EdithGrantham Ahh that's great that you've escaped the trapped wind as I hear it can be quite brutal after a section. Makes sense considering they were rummaging around in your tummy. Took me a week before I went for my first PP poo with my DD (mentally stopping myself as I was scared of tearing my stitches) had to do manual removal in the end which was horrid but man the relief was something else. Hope you're not suffering too much love. How are you feeling now? Do you feel like you're improving each day?
My section is booked in for 4th October, but I've got this innate fear this one isn't going to hold out until then 🥺
I've got a tonne of maternity pads left after my DD, I think my DP bought me several packs bless him 😅 I bled fairly heavily first time round so I'm hoping this time wont be as bad after a section, seems like they can do a better job of getting rid of any placenta remnants during a section.