Anyone over due and fed up???

[thebean82]

Know this must be a very common thread but I'm going slowly mad! 40 plus 3 now and no sign... They were planning to induce me early so I've now had 2 sweeps! Was 2cm a week and a half ago and Dr expected him very soon but nothing! Sweep yesterday and midwife couldn't believe he is still in there cervix is so soft and he's so far down! Tried raspberry leaf tea, acupuncture, reflexology, pineapple, curry, walks and bouncing on my ball but he's just too cosy in there! Sooooo uncomfortable having a head wedged under your pelvis! Anyone else in the same boat? Xx

How come they were planning on inducing you early if you don't mind me asking? I'm currently 39+2 but am not considering myself overdue until 42 weeks as full term by NHS terms is 37-42 weeks. Really hope I don't get to 41+5 as the hospital will want to induce me then and I really don't want that; I'm prepared to fight my corner but would prefer not to have to.
I'm really lucky though in that I still feel relatively comfortable, I was saying to my mum the other day I could happily stay pregnant for another 3 months. I've been getting tightenings every day for the last 2-3 weeks and a lot of pelvic pressure but it's not so bad for me; am sure it will be far worse once head is fully engaged, not quite there yet.
Let's hope as you're 2cm dilated your LO gets a wriggle on.

I've had a bit of a nightmare pregnancy and very severe SPD so they suggested being induced at 39 weeks... I decided not to go for the full on drugs as I want a water birth and that would rule that out. You are a braver woman than me... or lucky to be comfortable. It's been a hellish 9 months for me but know it will all be worth it in the end! Hope your little one arrives before induction time!

Oh dear, that's awful. My SIL had severe SPD, she had a sweep at 39+4 and her DS arrived bang on 40wks. Otherwise she was going to be induced. It was her second DC and she had it in first pregnancy but it started around 12wks in this one. She said she felt like she could do cartwheels after she'd given birth because thankfully it disappeared straightaway.
I think I have been extremely lucky with a troublefree pregnancy. I've had PGP before due to my weight and it I know how painful it is but in some ways I think because I've always carried a significant amount of extra weight, it's made my pregnancy easier because I'm already used to it and I've not gained any extra weight, just maintained really (but I am really, really overweight anyway).
I'm not recommending you try this as I have no knowledge of whether it works or not (or even how safe it really is) but I've read on another thread on here that evening primose oil capsules might help because they contain prostoglastins (or whatever they're called, same thing as in sperm and the pessaries they use to induce labour). Apparently some midwives recommend using them in various ways but they'll also say it's like all other old wives tales in that it'll only work if you're about there anyway. I'm going to ask my midwife about them next week but I personally wouldn't try them myself until I got to 41 weeks. Perhaps you could ask your midwife about them? As I said, I'm not recommending their use as I'm not medically trained but I did a little research and I'm going to ask about them as a back up (desperation) plan if I have to try and avoid a medical induction; I'm not against drugs but when you're my size, it makes it even harder for them to dose you correctly so I'd just prefer to remove that issue and keep everything as natural as I can. I wish I could have a water birth but my size prevents me :(

Yep, 40+5 today, absolutely no idea how i'm going to occupy myself today, this wasn't part of the plan!

I've also had quite a rough pregnancy so was really hoping not to go too far past due date. I just wish every day didn't feel like a week, it's so hard to stay distracted isn't it?

Yip I'll join! I'm now 40+6 and feeling a bit down. They tried to sweep yesterday but it was so sore I couldn't finish it and felt like such a failure. On my notes it says "not tolerated" like I should have been fine but was just being a massive wimp. Induction booked for Christmas eve but I am thinking about refusing it after reading so many horror stories. I really want a natural labour if I can.

Lots of walking for me today! Come on babies down you come!

I'm not quite there yet, 39+3 but have been booked in for an induction on the 2nd Jan and would really like to meet my little one this week please. Totally selfish, but have a whole day of lovely cheese and pate planned for Christmas day!!!!

The registrar at the hospital yesterday said I should continue to see the community MW until then and get them to do a sweep at term. Which is fine in theory but I haven't seen the same person twice yet, and the antenatal clinic I've been going to is a Tuesday so will be too early this coming week and not happening at all Chrsitmas week. Ho hum, not going to get too worked up about it just yet...

Off to clean the kitchen floor and eat some pineapple......

My DD was yesterday, so can;t really justify grumbling yet (much as I want to!!)

Sweep booked for Friday, so if it works, no doubt Ill end up in hospital on Christmas Day. Tried curry last night, bounced like zebedee on my ball, now just feeling too lazy to try anything else.

Never mind, itll be here when it's good and ready (I just hold a lot of store by good timekeeping)

wewishyouamerrykitmas5824 we're at exactly the same stage! The hospital said they'd offer me an induction on 2nd Jan but my current aim (so long as I'm still as comfortable as I am now) is to ask for daily monitoring instead as I really want to avoid the drugs as much as poss. I also don't want sweeps but for different reasons. I'm lucky that I've had the same community midwife all the way through, she's really nice and supports my birth preferences so hoping she'll continue in that vein.
I really don't want bubs to arrive today though, I love Strictly too much and I can't wait for the final tonight so s/he'll just have to sit tight till after that.

Hi, I'm 40 + 4 with my first baby and due to have a sweep on Monday. I'm hoping baby will put in an appearance before then as I hate any kind of internal rooting around. I've been drinking raspberry leaf tea, sniffing clary sage on a hanky, walking loads, spicy curry etc.. but nothing has shifted him! Feeling a bit fed up today. Normally I'm really active but I've been feeling feverish and had a dreadful night's sleep thanks to hubby snoring in my face all night. Had a little cry this morning while I stroked my beloved Jack Russell who always tunes in to me. I'm booked in for reflexology tomorrow afternoon so maybe that will help to get things moving before the dreaded sweep! My friend who was 10 days overdue has just had her little boy this morning after two sweeps so there is hope on the horizon!

Hi! I am 39+3 and I am fed up. No signs of labour whatsoever....... I am really afraid of being induced, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

I want my body and my mobility back. I am soooooo bored!

How's everyone doing?

2nd sweep for me today, hoping it gets things going before possible induction on wednesday, still no definite signs here though, boo!

39+5 and still no signs here. Stayed on my feet as much as possible yesterday, slept badly and am just exhausted today. So have done nothing!!

Waiting for a call back from the Community Midwife office to see which clinics are running this/next week but might resort to begging the MW running my antenatal class on Wed to see if she can sort out a sweep for me.

Please Santa, an early (i.e. next few days) delivery for me

Hi Grohlsgirl. Fingers crossed for your sweep later, keep us posted. Really hope you don't have to be induced.
I had period type dull aches all last night at varying intervals, wondered if it was it but all normal today, just a little more vaginal discharge than normal (sorry if TMI).
I'm feeling fine but finding friends and family focussing on my "estimated due date" of 40 weeks a bit irritating as I'm not doing that at all, as far as I'm concerned on Wednesday I'll just be 40 weeks pregnant.

Another one joining the waiting game - will these babies make it here before x-mas!

I am 39+3 and had a couple of periods of discomfort at the weekend but not labour. I had a sweep this morning and was told I was 2cm dilated and unfavourable : (

This is DC4 for me and DC3 arrived bang on 39 weeks so I was half expecting this one to arrive at the weekend so now very tired and not keen at the idea of sitting for another 2 weeks. Also getting a ridiculous number of people texting and asking if baby has arrived, as if we wouldn't have told my sister and sister-in-law!

Another 1 here I'm 40+10 and getting hysterical about getting the baby out asap. Can't believe how little urgency there is with my local team

figgy have they given you an appointment for 42 weeks at the very least? Knowing there's a plan makes it a little bit easier to cope with the waiting IMO?

Sweep today was awkward but more successful than the last one so fingers crossed that things get moving. After talking to the midwife in depth about induction we've decided to stick it out until 42 weeks, i really really want a home birth, and that's more important to me than making a plan for christmas. Fortunately our families are very supportive so we don't have to worry about upsetting anyone by having no set plans. The midwife was also really lovely, saying that they really enjoy homebirths at christmas (if it came to that), she said there's something a little bit magical about it - that made me feel alot better and has taken the pressure off

Hope people aren't too uncomfortable, i'm just preparing myself for the usual evening of discomfort, for some reason it kicks in about 6ish and i feel rotten until the following morning, boo!

Had my first sweep this morning which was a resounding failure. Midwife couldn't reach my cervix as too far back and behind baby's head, plus she said cervix isn't remotely ripe and I'm not remotely dilated. Great. She said no point doing a second sweep so I'm on hospital induction list to be called between 23rd and 26th Dec. Felt really fed up and disappointed so decided to take a more proactive stance and spoke to the supervisor of midwives at the hospital to talk things through. She said they will aim to call me on for induction on the 23rd but induction is likely to take up to 3 days, in which case I'll be in on Xmas Day. Not happy about this as I don't have anyone to look after my dog (kennels are closed) and worried about possible staff shortages in delivery suite. I really wanted a natural birth but a medically managed birth looks increasingly likely. I'm now thinking about an ECS and have got an appointment with the consultant tomorrow afternoon. I don't think I'll get one tbh but equally don't see the point of going through a complex induction process which may not work and end up having a CS anyway! God, I don't know...would love to go into natural labour before the 23rd and am trying every trick and potion in the book!

Ah frankie are you me??? Exactly the same story here! I've to go in on the 23rd for induction and absolutely dreading it! Desperate for a natural water birth! I too had an unsuccessful sweep and I just felt nothing was really explained to me!

Woke up at 4ish with tightenings and got my hopes up but seems to have tailed off

Come on babies!!!

hello everyone, I am not yet overdue, but due today! not feeling too bad so don't want to moan (I know some people are really suffering with SPD etc). in fact I'm happy to wait as I want to avoid Xmas day! am going to decline a sweep this Thursday and get one the week after instead!

Good on you justabigdisco for declining the sweep and delaying it. We shouldn't have to accept these things if there is no medical reason!

tenderheart - interesting that we have such similar experiences! I have now become obsessed with Bishop's scores having read up on it. I reckon I'm in the minus numbers with mine which would indicate that induction is futile, but going to chat it over with the consultant today. I don't know if it will help you but here are the questions that I've got in my mind:

• ask how long window is between call for induction and actually coming into hosp/starting induction
• ask if I can be called on 26th as opposed to 23rd - Xmas Day will be a problem for many reasons and will a few extra days really hurt?
• risks of induction vs ECS
• option of scan and monitoring if we delay? (WHO guidelines state that a woman is not overdue until 42 weeks)
• significance of Bishop?s score and likely success of induction (found a stat online that said 45% with low/minus score go on to have a CS)
• any chance of earlier induction so we are done before Xmas?!?

Will let you know how it goes with the consultant later! In the meantime, let's all hope for twinges!

Just thought I would report back on my meeting with the consultant today in case it is helpful to anyone. All in all, feeling much more positive. He did a very thorough internal examination (I yapped about sprouts the whole time which kept my mind off it!) and said that my Bishop's score (see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop_score) is 3. That's still low but it means that the entirely useless situation that the midwife painted yesterday isn't quite the case. He said my cervix was moving from posterior to middle and that it is softening - yay! He said he could have broken my waters there and then but because I am strep B, he refrained. The other useful bit of info was that just because they call you in for induction on a given day doesn't mean that you have to say yes. He said they will call every day from the 23rd to Boxing Day (which is term + 14 for me) and if I don't want to come in (for whatever reason) and assuming that the baby's movements are normal, then that is fine. Obviously things are still very much down to nature but at least it means that when it comes to it, I could say no to going in on Xmas Day. Feeling sooo much better and hoping that his very deep rooting around today might kickstart some action!

frankietwo spots thanks for your posts, I've found them both really interesting and informative. I'm 40wks tomorrow and the hospital told me I'd be offered an induction if I got to 40+12. My next appt with the MW is Thursday when I'll be 40+1 and I'm going to decline a sweep if offered one as I don't want one; I may reconsider when she see's me at 41+1 but we'll see. I'm now going to read up on bishop's score etc so that I am fully informed and pinch some of your questions. I really want to avoid as much intervention as I can because of my weight and the risks associated with it for epidurals and GA in the event of a c-section.

hi fhdl34 we are just 1 day apart and both declining sweeps on Thursday! however for me it's just trying to avoid a Christmas birthday, I'm going to have one when I see her the following Thursday when I'll be 41+2. in fact they can sweep away every day for all I care, would like to avoid 'proper' induction

Hi justabigdisco I really, really want to avoid an induction and any drugs at all; it's harder for them to dose you accurately when you're overweight. Today I've woken up with a snotty cold so am now hoping I don't go into labour until it's gone, don't fancy being all wheezy and in labour at the same time.
A sweep would be preferable to an induction but I really struggle with internals and smears, it's like the bottom half of my body disconnects and I have no control over it. I can lie there telling them I'm relaxed and my legs are open, I look down (or hear them complaining) and find they've clamped around their arm! I had bad experiences with internals and smears when I was a teenager and even though I'm a lot better than I was, I still find them very difficult.
Besides, I don't even think the head is fully engaged yet, it was starting to a fortnight ago but the pushing on my pelvis hasn't really increased very much at all since then, just had the dropping sensation in my foof increase a bit, that's it.

Oh you poor thing waking up with a stinking cold, could do without that at this point!
Maybe it's worth you trying for a sweep, you never know it might be successful and then helps to avoid drugs/induction