8 days overdue and I just want to meet my baby!

[Ree101]

As the subject says, baby is now 8 days overdue and I'm beginning to feel fed up.

I'm healthy and enjoying a low risk pregnancy, my frustration is caused purely by the fact that I really want to meet my baby!

I'm also keen to do things naturally and don't like the idea of a sweep or induction. However, if nothing has happened by Friday afternoon I'll have to have a sweep, and if that doesn't work they'll induce me on Sunday.

I keep feeling like things are progressing naturally but it's so stop/start. My bump keeps going really hard and tight before easing up, I'm getting a lot of lightning crotch and I'm pretty certain I've even had contractions. They haven't been frequent or strong enough to warrant a call to hospital though.

Anyone else been in this position before?

My understanding is that you don't have to have a sweep or be induced or have anything else if you don't want to. Due dates are not an exact science and from your description it sounds like things are starting to happen on their own anyway. You could ask to go in for daily monitoring instead so they can make sure you and your baby are healthy while you wait a bit longer to see if you go in to labour naturally? I'm no expert but am pregnant myself and this is what my NCT and hypnobirthing teachers have told me. Good luck!

I went 12 days over recently (baby now 11 weeks) - longest 12 days of my life! Sweeps didn't work as I wasn't dilated at all. I was eventually given the first stage of the induction (gel) and labour kicked off really quickly and he was born 3 hours after first contraction.

I'm so pleased now that he was overdue as he was so healthy - great weight (4 kg), really alert, great latch and strong suck so very good feeder from the start, good head control - I put it all down to his extra time in the womb and would hope for the same next time.

You don't have to agree to an induction or anything at all - read up on it and what it involves. My hospital doesn't let you use the birth centre after 42 weeks and I really wanted to so that's why I agreed to it in the end. Oh and I tried all the natural ways to get things going - made no difference. Just relax and try to enjoy the next few days.