Being 'late'/induction

[Eulalia]

As some of you will know I am pregnant, if not ?overly? pregnant now being over 41 weeks. I have the option of a cervical sweep tomorrow and a date for induction on the 15th when I will be 2 weeks late. (This was actually moved forward on my request from the 11th).

I wanted to hear others views on being late in general and experiences of a cervical sweep and/or induction.

Personally I feel the medical profession are somewhat obsessed with dates and seem keen to get the baby out of you as soon after the 40 week mark. This doesn?t take into account the differing lengths of ?monthly? cycles and the natural tendency for pregnancy to be longer than 40 weeks.

Also I am tired of people phoning me up asking if I?ve had the baby yet and feeling rather stupidly like a failure just because I?ve not produced. I feel that when the baby does come it will be less of a joyous occasion to others who will say things like ?at last?. Again I am sure I am being irrational here! I am starting to get a bit nervous too obviously about the birth feeling that something might be wrong (more irrationality). I?ve been very good about not dwelling on it but as time passes it is obviously ?hanging over me? and I do want to get it over with. I guess I will laugh about all of this later on.

Eulalia, good news about the baby sounding fine, I'll be thinking of you over the weekend,

good luck, eulalia! the waiting game is a real pain, isn't it? ds was born at 41wks - longest week of my life! but luckily nothing drastic required to get it going in the end.

very best wishes!

Interesting that you are booked for a 10 am start for induction (although hopefully, by then it will all have happened anyway!).

I was told to go to hospital at 5 pm, and spent two hours faffing about doing nothing but eating a v sad looking sandwich because they weren't planning to do anything until 8 pm (an hour on the monitor, then the pessary). Given that the pessary takes ages to get going, you spend a heck of a lot of time sitting around doing nothing. Do take lots of interesting things to do! I never thought I would be so pleased to see a crossword puzzle!!

Enjoy the pineapple curry in the meantime.

Eulalia, this sounds so familiar, both of my babies were overdue (2 weeks and 10 days) and second time around I had even told them that I have a long cycle and that my first baby was overdue etc etc but they still put you under stupid pressure to conform. I am sure I read somewhere (maybe even fact of the day on mumsnet?) that only 5% of babies are born on their due date!

I had a sweep both times and it certainly worked the first time, second time round it would be hard to know whether to credit the raspberry leaf tea, pinapple, curries, sex, acupuncture, apcupressure, homeopathy........ you get the picture, I was trying everything. But as someone said to me - I think the acupuncturist - these will only work if the baby is ready to come out.

As for the phone calls, I had the opposite, people wouldn't ring because they didn't want to seem as though tehy were asking 'has it come yet' but didn't know what else to talk about.

If you want to, you can go beyond 42 weeks - subject to the placenta being okay - just keep asking and keep putting your views across as firmly as possible.

BTW neither of my sweeps hurt, just uncomfortable.
Whatever happens, good luck x

They will leave you until 43 weeks here in Sweden though you can't have a home birth after 42 weeks. Midwives suggest nipple tweaking to get things going but they are not too keen on sweeps here. The German contingent around swear by castor oil. Hope you stay well meanwhile.

I've also heard nipple stimulation is a good "jump-starter" for the right hormones too! Better wake hubby up

My last tip Eulalia - ask someone (anyone!) to buy you an answering machine as an early baby gift!!! Thinking of you

I get plenty nipple stimulation from my son who is still b/feeding at nearly 33 months. Actually it is only bedtimes and the ?feed? (I have no milk) can be as quick as 1 minute. I find it quite irritating actually at the moment and I just hope he doesn?t take a renewed interest when the new baby comes, particularly when we are out at playgroup!

I have used this time really with him as I know things won?t be the same again, so we?ve been on walks, to the park, watching kid?s TV together etc. This has all been made easier by the relative quiet of the Easter holidays so no playgroups to rush out to. So I?d certainly rather be late than early but the Easter break is nearly over now ? I think everyone would be amazed if I turned up still with a bump!

I had period type pains last night from around 1.30-4am but they went away and I?ve just got vague pains today. Everyone says it is quicker 2nd time round but not for me. However at least something is happening.

All four of my children were late, with the first three I went into spontanious labour the night before I was to be induced. Baby 4 had not read this text book though and failed to appear, I was induced when 14 days 'late'. I was desperate not to have this done and although it was not too bad, would not do it again. I agree that the medical profession are obssessed with dates, and seem so keen to fulfil their part of the deal they forget that there are two other people involved!
I bought an answer machine at 41 weeeks as I too was fed up of being asked 'you still here?'. The phone ringing was enough to have me in floods of thears, and I just stopped going out!
I hope all is going well, if you want to chat, my e.mail is [email protected]

If you have the pessary I can recommend walking up and down flights of steps! Nothing happened with me for hours, I went down to get a sandwich before they tried again, and by the time I got down there the contractions had started, 4 hours later wonderful son was born.

The cervical sweep did it for me. I had mine done on a Thursday at 11am and my contractions started Friday at 2am. However my waters didn't break although my dd head was right down and i was 6cm dilated. So they broke them at 7:30pm from then on i was in agony finally born on saturday 1:15am.
I was 9 days overdue - i can sympathise about people asking you 'if you've had it yet' - still they'll all be singing a different tune in a few days!!! Try not to worry - although i think everyone does and it doesnt stop when there born - dont mean to be patronising i'm sure you realise that!!!!
I'd def. recommend the scrape/sweep what ever they call it. although you do bleed quite a lot so you'll need some towels.also raspberry tea not castor oil - quite dodgy according to my midwife and more likely to give you the runs. Sorry for going on -make sure you rest if poss. Take care, good luck and let us know.

Yes I heard nipple tweaking was a good way to get things started but for it to be effective you need to do it for 5-6 hours a day! I wonder how they know that, surely it hasnt been tried and tested?

keeping fingers crossed that you dont have too much longer to wait, Art

Hi,
thought I would add my comments. All three of my children were late. For the first one, I managed to delay induction (hospital fortunately didn't force the matter too much)by five days and went into labour naturally the day before I was to be done - 14 days after due date.
With my third child, there were discrepancies over the due date with the doctors insisting it was approx 10 days earlier than I thought it was (I was right, by the way.) When I went 14 days past what they believed was my due date they insisted I be induced (by that time I was quite glad to get things over with - it was a very hot summer and I was seriously fed up). They tried twice with prostagandin pessaries but nothing happened. After that I was scanned and monitored and told to come back to the Fetal Assessment Unit every two days. Eight days after the failed induction attempt I went into labour naturally and my son was fine.
Apart from the pessaries, I tried everything to start labour off: cervical sweep, sex, bumpy car rides, jumping down stairs!, hot curries, pineapple juice...None of it worked. I think you just have to accept that, without severe medical intervention, the baby will come in his/her own time. Not that this makes it any easier when you're waiting though.

Still here so the sweep looks likely (tomorrow morning) Thanks for the advice re towels ames. The midwife is actually coming to the house so that makes things easier. I am trying to tell myself that the w/e is better for baby with people visiting, DH not having to use his hols etc but I'd still like it to happen today...

Good luck Eulalia, hope things get moving for you soon. I've got a reflexologist friend, so I'm going to get her on the case next week if I'm still waiting.

Still here so the sweep looks likely (tomorrow morning) Thanks for the advice re towels ames. The midwife is actually coming to the house so that makes things easier. I am trying to tell myself that the w/e is better for baby with people visiting, DH not having to use his hols etc but I'd still like it to happen today...

All the best, Eulalia. Sure something will happen this w/e. My dd was born on a Sat. Will be thinking of you x

Had the sweep at lunchtime which wasn't bad at all. No blood or mess. She said I was 1cm dilated so not in labour of course but my cervix is very soft. Will see what the next 36 hours brings. Even if I do have to go in for the induction Monday she says it won't take much to start me off. So baby is just a day or so away. Then we can end this thread - hooray, lol!

Yay! Good luck. Hope everything goes well. Congrats in advance.

Fingers crossed, Eulalia!

Good Luck Eulalia! Hope things go well for you, without the need for induction. I'm off for an elective CS on Monday, so here's to happy healthy babies!

Eulalia - well its Tuesday now and I havent seen any postings from you for a while - so hope its all going well. We re all thinking of you.

I finally did it! And it was well worth the wait! Baby girl at 04:21 am Tue 16th (8lbs 7oz). As I suspected I didn't need much inducing - was slow at first but when the contractions started everything happened very quickly and it was a very easy birth (no tears/stiches).

Got home yesterday tea-time and baby has settled in well and son is being amazingly good. Breastfeeding also is a doddle so far :-) Will be back with more news soon.

Thanks to everyone for their well wishes, support and general encouragement.

Eulalia
xx

PS How are you Honeybunny?