Pregnant forever club

[artyone]

I'm 39+6 today. Started getting texts and calls asking where baby is etc. no sign of baby. Feeling pretty ragey. First was 9 days late. This one is comfy. Is anyone else also feeling like they'll be pregnant FOREVER?

Congrats all!
My turn in the club 41 weeks today with my first and only, 1cm dilated and fully effaced for a good while now, and just...nothing. I feel absolutely sick at the thought of induction and having to spend days in a hospital.

I'm very emotional, between this and Paris I've spent a lot of the night crying.

Fabulous news Sophie congratulations. Sorry to hear your feeling low ST I think we all remember how tearful we felt at that point. If it's any consolation I was 1cm dilated for about 10 days with no other signs I went into labour naturally at 40+1.

Congrats Sophia, been eagerly watching for your update! Aw I feel your pain st, I was so low at your point but it feels a million years away now - hold on to how close you are, it will be over soon and your new life will begin

Yay Sophia, congratulations on the birth of Henry! Lather those boobs with Lasinoh!

Sending positive vibes your way St. Both my daughters were in my bed last night when I saw the news (I'm in France) and I got emotional too about the kind of world they are going to grow up in. We have to try and remember all the good.

Thanks so much for your kind thoughts. I must admit I'm cheering myself up with biscuits.

StAlphonsos -wow you are close then and your body is sounding a lot more ready than mine at 41 weeks. I went naturally a day before booked to be induced 12 overdue. A friend of mine WAS induced but only spent 2 nights in hospital and was thankful for it -she got a lot of help with feeding from the midwives. What are your fears exactly?

That's a very encouraging way of looking at it, thanks sophias! I've had a show last night and this morning too, which is good. Not a twinge otherwise but I guess I can get nipple-twiddling and the like.

I hate hospitals, can't bear being in them, don't want an epidural, don't want to be poked at by strangers, am incredibly fearful of the whole 'intervention spiral' thing and would basically be having a home birth with doula and midwife if my baby didn't need some important tests straight after birth. I just have to hope it'll kick off soon.

My train of thought was exactly like yours - not wanting intervention etc. but I'm high risk so had to go into hospital. I was against epidural too. Turns out in the height of contractions I WANTED to be in hospital where the midwives and medics were to help me. I even considered an epidural at one point but that's because medics weren't delivery the diamorphine quick enough, lol!

You may hate hospitals but you will not be thinking as you are now at height of contractions, you'll just be wanting hands to hold and to get to the next contraction. FEar of hospital/intervention won't be on your mind.
Intervention isn't as spiralling as you may fear either - my sister had an epidural eventually, it made her fall asleep and she woke with contractions strong enough to start pushing baby out and ta-dah!

I'd sit back, forget about the what-if's and get nipple-twiddling, haha! You'll be fine.

Hi St, for what it's worth I was exactly the same as you, nobody could be as bad as me, I faint at needles and blood and was terrified as i needed IV antibiotic drip for strep b. As it turned out I got to 5cm on my own in pain but managing then it got bad. Long labour and I had gas and air, epidural, 4 antibiotic drips and then a major epidural top up with morphine for a c section (c section was my biggest fear in life) and you know what? It wasn't THAT bad! It was scary don't get me wrong but the worst worst bit about labour was honestly not being able to eat. If I can do it, anyone can. There is a photo of me on the operating table full of tubes holding my daughter and it's the best I've ever felt! X

The waiting and not knowing really is the worst part. Thanks both, and fingers crossed now.