I'm 40 weeks & 3 days overdue No signs.. TIPS NEEDED

[jlou2015]

I have no signs at all. No pain. No plug loss. No mucus. It's actually stressful waiting without nothing happening. I've had a sweep and I am clamped tight and no dilation (another tomo which I hate ) and I do not want an induction with pessary meds. It's scares me as it sounds like it hurts so much!!!! I've drink Raspberry tea, Ieat fresh pineapple daily ( a whole one) I have sex, I clean and scrub the house, Hot curries, very warm.baths daily, tonight Im trying the Primrose Pil capsules (will insert maybe as I've heard that helps)...no signs is scary HELP NEEDED...What to do now..

Walking helped me, I’d do some long walks for as long as I could comfortably do it. Also bounced on the huge gym balls.

I tried everything. Walks, raspberry red leaf tea, hot curries (I'm talking ordering from the Indian for breakfast!), pineapple, gym ball.. nothing helped, she pooed in me on night 7 of being over due so was sent to hospital to be induced and she came on the morning of day 8. So maybe the curries did help??

I took some castor oil and a hot bath.
Went into labour 5 hours later.
It was probably coincidence and I did keep doing , greasy, sicky burbs for a week after 😀

Hi OP, I'm 40+2 and also sod all signs of anything happening soon! Just to share what I've picked up from various sources- unless you really love pineapple don't bother as you'd need to eat the equivalent of 8 whole fresh ones to get enough of the chemical thought to help labour start 🙈 I was also very tempted by the castor oil "trick" as I've heard it apparently worked for some people but there are increased risks to baby of doing this as it can cause them to also poop early, and meconium pre-birth isn't great.

I'm beyond impatient but trying to tell myself that staying as calm as possible is more likely to get things going as oxytocin is one of the key hormones needed for labour to start (our feel-good/love hormone). It's not easy though is it, I'm scared a little of labour but so desperate to meet our little one. Hope things move for you soon x

Go for a long walk. If you go as far away from home as you can manage, and dont take your phone or any money with you, I guarantee instant labour

Seriously though, keep on your feet and moving as much as you can.

Funny thing is I am so active I have walked daily sometimes 7 hour days out. Funnily enough at 36 and 37 weeks pregnant I had these electric twinges but since week 37 nowt has happened. Castor oil scares me (try a Google search) though I have heard it does work. Anyone tried inserting a primrose oil capsule he finally (gross I know) Tomo a sweep again and hopefully I have opened or riles or whatever. But imagine Midwife sees the remains of a capsule gross...

The only thing with research evidence is nipple stimulating. Have you got a breast pump?

No I haven't done nipple stimulation so I will try that and get a pump this week after all the baby is due any day now. Oh it's scary I really worry the baby will have.problems in there but an emergency CS scares me. I also want some control.

Oh OP - the wait is so hard. Not sure if this'll help or not but DD went 10 days overdue. On the day she was born I had a second sweep and the MW said it looked like things were moving. She popped out pretty quickly after mild to moderate early labour and it was all over by 11pm. Good luck and I hope it all goes smoothly.

I just walked and walked and walked this last few days. For hours.

Honestly I tried everything including weeks of acupuncture to & even climbed a massive hill at 41+11. I ended up induced at 42 weeks and had a great short(ish) labour, pool birth & home when DS was 12hrs old. I was terrified going into hospital and was fully prepared to have c section and be in for ages but it couldn't have gone better.

My best advice would be to relax & savour your last babyfree days because life is never going to be the same again.

UPDATE IMPORTANT: I had the baby today at 6am and had the pecessary 2 days ago and it worked after 20 hours I had the one with the string so you can pull it out. Let me tell you. I has a natural.labour before and it was painful BUT NOTHING LIKE the synthetic induction the pain was excruitiating and unbearable beginning with contractions 6 mins apart and then 6 and then 3 and then 2 and each time was more painful I couldn't breathe and starting crying my body went crazy. I could not even have any pain meds no epidural or pethidine as there was no dilation at all until the contractions were 3 mins apart and then I was 3 and it was a bout 3 hours after that I got an atheistictist to give me.an epidural. WOW. It saves my.life. I was going crazy waiting and beginning as it took over an hour to allow me.to do an internal examination to see if the co travtions had opened my cervix as it was to sore and painful to check. I couldn't speak and was in tears. I don't want to put people off. But this was what it was like for me. I want others to be aware at 40 weeks and 5 days I had no signs of labour I never had Braxton Hicks or any contractions or pain. I never dilated naturally and I tries it all. In hindsight I would've opted for a C section before a pessary as a necessary can over stimulate the cervix like in my case. It wasn't pain it was torture. Like my uterus was being cracked and my stomach being kicked and immense cramping and the baby was distressed and I couldn't talk. I just cried and tried breathing. I was once scared by the fear of an epidural. The thought it could paralyze me well I was in so much pain anything was worth the risk..I am traumatised and it was only today I have birth but it was the delay in giving me.pain meds but of course no dilation means no nothing..ITs fake contractions but if you had dilation a bit you would be coped and.probably given birth quickly but that wasn't the case for me. I will not be having no.3 but I am.happy with my 2..Good luck and always research about birth as knowledge is power. But remember natural birthing is what nature intended and we have natural pain receptors that kick in so you can get through it even with meds or an epidural don't be afraid of that. But for me a pecessary was agony and you'll get the contractions and immense pain far worse as its synthetic and the body can't cope. I would hate for anyone to have my experience.

I'm really sorry you had this experience @jlou2015, hope you're recovering now with your little one. Have to say though that your post has slightly put the fear of God into me as I'm 40+5, have had a stretch and sweep today (which was painless) but have been told that baby needs to come within the next 6 days or I have to have an induction (which I've always wanted to avoid).

Mummabubs you have the right to refuse treatment. Ask lots of questions about alternatives. I hope the sweep works for you.

Hi OP. I get that this was your experience and it’s totally valid that you feel the way you do. BUT it is only your experience and not necessarily representative of how it will be for everyone who experiences induction.

I have been induced three times and had huge babies and yes it was very painful but I honestly think that anyone who doesn’t expect childbirth to be painful is naive.

Whichever way it happens it hurts, but it is manageable and women feeling afraid of the birthing process, particular through reading horror stories on the internet is massively unhelpful.

Induction is a very normal way to give birth and ultimately, we are lucky to live in a country where we have free medical care and the majority of babies are delivered safely. I hope you recover soon and enjoy your baby.