Can your body be kind and 'hold off' going into labour if you are ill? Or will the baby just turn up when it's ready??

[chunkypudding]

Am 39+4, started feeling ill on Boxing Day and now have full on chest and throat infection (sympathetic noises welcome at this point )

Have been prescribed antibiotics today so hopefully will be feeling better over next couple of days, but am so wiped out and haven't been sleeping as painful throat and gunky lungs keeping me awake!

I'm pretty sure that labour is baby's choice not mine, but really need to feel a bit better (and rested!) before it all kicks off...

please send my lo 'hang on for a few days' vibes! can't wait to meet him but this really isn't how I pictured it!!

have sent dp off for a couple of drinks with friends seemed only fair tho am now feeling thoroughly sorry for myself

Oh you poor thing! You have my sympathy. I started to get a heavy cold when I was a couple of days before my due date. I was really worried because I couldn't breathe through my nose, had a sore throat and had no energy to move let alone give birth. But ds held on and in fact had to be induced at 14 days by which point I was feeling much better. Good luck!

have heard that babies rarely make an appearance whilst your body is under par with temporary cold etc. a friend of mine went to 43.5 weeks because she got a throat infection on her due date, and things had already been starting to happen. last month another friend had a 48 hour severe flu and the baby had started coming and just stopped.

I have also heard that your body can suddenly get over the flu if the baby starts to arrive.

either way I'd have thought that you will be given the super human strength and focus you need to give birth with.

wishing you the best of luck.

I've heard of women going very late after having bad colds too, so wouldn't be suprised if it's possible

Lots of assumptions coming up.....

One thing to watch though, if you're on antibiotics do you normally get thrush after them? only if you've got vaginal thrush and give birth vaginally the baby can get it too. It can make breastfeeding VERY painful

If you're at all sore down there ask for some medication / cream for when you've finsihed the ABs

hope you're feeling better soon

Well w. ds1 I came down w. chest cold and my waters broke the same day, so it can happen

I had to take quite a lot of antibiotics both during and after birth (am asthmatic so can get quite nasty chest infections easily)which got rid of it quickly though - and ds was fine which was the main thing