Can I get her out before induction day?!

[Mae34]

Hello fount of wisdom and experience that is MNers! I am 40 plus 9 and thoroughly miserable at still being pregnant! Went to the midwife yesterday and had a sweep and I am "1-2 cm dilated, 2cm thick, soft, central and pp @ -2 station, membranes intact". She said she did a good stretch and sweep and could feel baby's head. Had quite a bit of cramping after which then subsided. Up at 5 am stressing about lack of action and had kind of resigned myself to the induction and not going to the nice Midwife led birth centre...

But just had my plug go -lots of streaky jelly like stuff so I assume thats what it is (sorry!)....soo...what do you reckon? Does it sound positive?! Its my first so am a bit stressed about it all!

A show is a good sign

Can you bear to have sex? If so, then try it

lol at rubyslippers - 'can you bear to have sex'! Don't tell poor partner that it's a chore!

I tried pineapple (I ate almost a whole one, but I do love them so wasn't a big problem) & lots of walking yesterday but not even a Braxton Hicks at the end. Do any of the old wives tales work?

In my opinion, the old wives tales do not work. I tried EVERYTHING: pinapple, curry, long walks, a floatation tank, sex, bouncing on a swiss ball, clary sage, rasberry leaf tea, reflexology, accupunture.. Was almost considering going to Alton Towers as I heard roller coasters can bring on labour.

My DD came when she wanted to - 9 days overdue, with Grandparents waiting who had to fly back to Australia for my brothers wedding.

However all of the above gave me something to do while I was waiting

And I really really feel your pain - I HATED people who said "Babies come when they are ready"

heh-heh. Saturation Approach. That's our plan this weekend.

Sound positive, but your baby can come before induction if you agree to an induction only if the baby hasn't come by, say Christmas!

As you have had a show, things may be underway now.
Acupuncture and 2 sweeps got my DS2 on the way.

My show came at 11am, contractions started at 6pm, so is a good sign. (I then took 80 hours to actually have the baby though, but that's a different story).

Feel free to hate me, but babies come when they are ready. You wouldn't want it another way really. None of the old wives' tales work. None of them. You'll get lots of people saying oh I had sex and 10hrs later a baby but you'd find more who were sitting on the sofa a lot and eating chocolate and then had a baby.

A normal pregnancy is 37-42 weeks so you're technically not late if that helps. They can't force induction on you. You are entitled to expectant management if all is well and you want to wait.

How are you feeling today?

Lots of brisk walking if you can bear it. All three times have gone into labour doing exercise - DD attempting to jog (!), DS1 brisk walking on Hampstead Heath (hilly) and DS2 swimming front crawl as fast as possible to keep up with other swimmers in fast lane!

If you are 40+9 you should be able to put of induction for a few more days and if sounds like you are close anyway. I had in my birth plan that I didn't want induction until 40+15 because by then wasn't going to be allowed in MLU anyway.

For me the RLT did cause strong braxton hicks but I bought the leaves and made up a strong essense in a cafitiere and drank gallons of it.

... see any trampolines near by?

worked for me...

I agree with the others, you dont have to be induced if its safe not to ...

When I had my show, I started to contract regularly about 3 hours later, and DD was born that DD.

I'd go and have a sleep if I was you... and dont worry about it too much. You cant really do much about it, so enjoy the rest when you can, it was all change very soon...

Thankyou all for the advice - I'm sure they do come when they want to a great extent - and I have thought about putting the induction off a few days too...no action since yesterday sadly, guess she's just too cosy...am planning a swim later and will be making eyes at my DH ....

reflexology I'm sure worked for me, I know how you feel, I desperately wanted a homebirth and got booked in for an induction when I was a week overdue...cue many tears down the phone to the midwife who got the hospital to agree to induction at 43+3...had DS 10 days overdue in the end

I'd say having a show is a very good sign (maybe you're in labour right now?!)

Hi. I left it too late but I think reflexology worked for me (I only had it on the morning of the day I was induced, but my waters broke themselves)! Good Luck x

Well I hardly dare hope but I've had what feel like period pains since about 11 am - initially every 10 minutes or so, since about 4 pm every 5 minutes or so and now uncomfortable enough for me to have to stop what I'm doing for about 20-30 seconds...have had these before continuously for an hour or so at a time over last few weeks but never at these regular intervals...so its slow but maybe something is happening?! Come on baby!

Ooh! How long are the contractions? Just the 20-30 seconds or is that the length of time that they're very bad? Good luck!

sounds like it to me

get some rest!!

come on mae - live labour updates please!

any news?

Hope you are ok

Sorry! Rubbish disappearance act - excuse being birth of my lovely girl Eleanor-May, 8 lb 7 on Sunday morning the 6th June - dad arrived home from a long bike ride not a minute before time as the pains began to get more intense (around 7 pm)...went into St Thomas' around 10 pm and was thankfully 5cm (as the taxi ride there was not one I wanted to repeat later!)...used TENS for an hour or so then went in the pool (got admitted to the midwife led bit as I had hoped).All went well on gas and air til about 4 am and I seemed to get stuck at 9 cm for ages getting more and more tired...but a change of midwife at 8 am seemed to get me there and she arrived at 10.40 after 2 hours of me shouting that I couldnt do it and the midwife saying calmly that I was! That and the prospect of my husband having to go home after the birth if I transferred to the labour ward for an epidural got me hanging on in there! I was persuaded to get on the bars and squat down and baby arrived pretty fast within about half an hour: head then body after two pushes,so quick the midwife didnt have time to get her gloves on!
Anyway - all was well with both of us and we have just been trying to adjust to life at home which is hard work but she is lovely...When I have figured out how to type one handed I will be back on MN more regularly!

Mae x

Lovely, lovely news Mae. Well done and congrats!

Hooray! Well done!!

Following your progress keenly as I'm (hopefully!) hot on your heels, had sweep, show, cramps etc but no baby to show for it as yet...

Well dont give up - mine arrived just in the nick of time! Maybe they know!