Home Birth Planned - Overdue

[LuckySalem]

Hi all,

I'm currently 41 + 1 and hoping to have a home water birth.

According to my hospital they will only allow you to go Term + 12 which will take me to Tuesday.

I've had a sweep yesterday and apparently the "Presenting part (head) is still high" my notes say 3 above spine. Also in my notes on my 20wk scan (was 20+1) it was reading I was 19+6 and 19+2 depending on different measurements.

I'm absolutely petrified of having to go into hospital to be induced. What rights do I have to refuse the induction and still have a homebirth? Can I use the fact that at 20 weeks I was possibly only 19 and therefore now only actually 6 days over?

Thanks all

Lucky - 3/5 or 4/5 generally means 3 or 4/5ths above (or not in)the brim of the pelvis. The head can still move up or down a little, but when you get contractions it should start to move down a bit.

-3 above spines is 3 cms above a point in the pelvis called the ischial spines, again a little high but not anything I would really worry about at this stage.

If you had been labouring for a while and cervix dilating and still head high, then theres more cause for concern.

Remember too that if different people have done the palp and VEs there is often a slight difference of opinion about station and descent (and dilatation for that matter)

I would suggest doing some squatting and sideways stairs to encourage the baby to descend, but dont exhaust yourself as the change will not be huge, but it may help a little. You can still have expectant management for a while longer, with daily CTGs and doppler scans if the hospital is concerned, but you will probably start to get the scare tactics come T+12, so be ready for that.

Good luck, hope your m/w tells you something good today

Of course you can have candles, but be prepared for M/W shining a torch at your bits and making funny faces with the torch!!

Jen, there is nothing to say you will end up in hospital yet, and just because the hospital has strict 'rules' doesn't mean all the m/w will be dragons.

If you make the plan, just make sure you keep it with you, I left mine at home (was rushed into hospital from the doc's didn't have anything at all with me) and things didn't all go as I wanted them, was only that I didn't want the injection to make the placenta come out, which they just did without asking, and I wanted DH to pass the baby to me when he was born, but M/W did it. Not the end of the world, but still would have wanted to have my plan there! (DH got there too late to make sure any of this happened, and he was half asleep, though how through all that noise I don't know!)

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And all the nipple tweaking gets your nipples a bit tougher ready for the BF

mintpurple.... Lucky has already been told that at term + 12 her cord and placenta will fail and she has to be induced, and her DH is scared of anything bad happening... so the scare tactics already started !

marslady always recommends watching a good comedy, as laughing helps open you up.. or doing something like sorting photo albums to take your mind off it

Managed to persuade DP (with the help of the internet) that cords can survive longer so i've got him to allow it till Thursday. Although he's convinced i'll give birth on Monday as it's his sisters birthday. lol

Bless him

The baby will come when s/he is ready. You don't get the chicken out of the oven before it's cooked

Yes, I think she must have met a real jobsworth there Lulu- that m/w should be ashamed of herself

For what its worth, Lucky, your placenta and cord are extremely unlikely to fail on the dot of T+12, and there are dozens of mn-ers who can testify to that. Your DH needs to develop selective hearing when dealing with this hospital. Im so sorry that you are being subjected to the crap that they are telling you

good to hear that lucky !!

well said , NJ! !!

thanks mp

Oooo thanks Lulu, I feel all doula-ish LOL

anything to report?

good luck Salemn

I had all 4 of mine at home.

2nd and 3rd were 40 + 12!!!

Best mate had heer second at home 40 + 15

She was checked daily at the hospital (actually only once it turned out) once she had go to 42 weeks.

Right ok,

Had a different midwife today, she was the supervisor of midwives and SO good and supportive.

MW came and did another sweep and she could reach the head. Cervix is still long and hard (she's written 2cm in my book) She's also said that she thinks the babys neck is flexed so I need to do more about optimum positioning (which could be why head not all the way down) she says it was definately more favourable this time.

They've booked me in for an induction on Weds night (have to go in for 9pm) but they're sending a MW out again on Monday for another sweep.

However, since she's done it i've had some old blood (quite abit) everytime I've been to the loo so things are starting. Also i'm getting some definate either contractions or BH I'm not sure. It's not really hurting it's just uncomfortable so i'm guessing it's BH's.

I explained I really don't want an induction but if they want me to birth naturally in hospital then I can put up with that as long as they can respect I don't want to be interefered with and want an early discharge which she agreed with but said she can't promise anything as it may not be her that night.

OK that sounds better !! shame she didn;t write in your notes what you wanted, and sign it off, but hopefully you will ahve had the baby by then!!

pains and a bit of blood is positive ... do you know about OFP stuff ?

She has written that I don't want to be induced and desperate for my homebirth and signed off

She's explained that if I lean over my birthing ball (on all fours) it should hopefully make babys head move onto it's chest (IYKWIM)

Right.... get the comedy DVD set out. Oh I see Lulu has already told you that.

Sort your photo..... oh and that!

lol

Honey.... how do I describe this? I'm doing the action I think you should try.... um.... um.........

Open your legs out (one at a time) at a 90 degree angle to your other leg. Oooh I know... like you're doing the Hey Hey we're the Monkeys walk... but wider!

aaah ! i see . yay !!

www.homebirth.org.uk/ofp.htm more OFP stuff here

and all fours is good

not slumping back on your chair

birth ball is now your best friend and the only place you will be sitting until this baby appears!

ML - I kinda understand what you mean.

DP wants to do a sweep i've had to explain he can't in case he hurts me. LOL

sweep yourself

your cervix !

sex, you have to , have to , have to have sex

the semen ripens and softens the cervix, it really does

i know it is difficult and more comedic than sexy ,but as Ina May says ' it is that sexy energy that got the baby in there, and will help get it out "

He's settling for sex instead~!

I don't think you need to detail the [ahem] sex... just get on with it. Lot of nipple stimulation (oh and NJ... you do not need tough nipples for feeding. Babies breast not nipple feed )