Am I the most overdue women ever?

[Treem90]

I’m really struggling today. This is my first pregnancy and my due date was 8th October. Based on personal preference (I have absolutely no judgements on what other people have done or prefer to do, everyone should do what’s right for them) I would rather avoid induction and let the labour start naturally so I can start labour in a better headspace however I am now on my 13th day overdue. While the nurses and midwives have been lovely, I feel like I’m being treated like a ticking time bomb. They are very ominous when discussing the risks of being overdue past my due date (which I thought was an estimated guess) but will tell me to get my waters artificially broken and hormonal drips as if they’re offering me a cup of tea without at all discussing the risks or stages of those methods. My partner had asked two different nurses at different times the most overdue people they have seen and they get very nervous and say oh usually about 6 days maximum which makes me wonder why the whole hospital isn’t in staring at me like I’m some kind of circus freak as I’m on day 13.

I have a plan in place to be induced by pessary on Sunday when I’m 16 days overdue and waters broken on Monday at 17 days overdue. In the meantime I have been getting lots of monitoring and baby is fine. I thought my waters had broken last night and went to hospital today and turns out my cervix is still posterior so I just feel so disheartened. Please do not share any horror stories or warnings with me as I already feel very vulnerable and like a bit of an outcast. I just want to not feel like such an isolated case.

I understand why nurses and midwives don’t want to applaud decisions with risks but it confuses me that induction methods are flung at you with no info or details from your due date on as if they are totally fine. I am happy to get an induction when the time comes, I am not against it and understand it’s necessary for the baby to get here safely I just wish the whole overdue thing wasn’t so taboo.

Sorry for rambling, feeling very hormonal.

Hi,

I was induced at term +13 with my second. It was very simple with no complications, they broke my waters at 3.40pm and baby was here at 6.14pm, I didn’t need the drip as breaking the membranes was enough to get labour started. I was discharged 6hours later.

My first was induced at term +9 and again was very textbook, they broke my waters at 8am and popped me on the drip and baby was born at 1.44pm.

A lot of people will tell horror stories about inductions but I just wanted to tell my experiences of very positive birth stories despite being induced.

Wishing you the best of luck, you will soon have your baby in your arms

My first was born at 15 days over, spontaneous labour, I had a section booked for 17 days over, conceived by ivf so I knew my dates were accurate. I had long cycles which I think can contribute to longer pregnancies.
Second was 7 days late
Twins a week and a half early
Fifth baby arrived on her due date, all spontaneous labours

OP, YANBU. I totally agree with you that induction has associated risks that are often ignored whereas the risks of waiting to go into labour spontaneously are highlighted.

In your position I'd be asking for extra monitoring, including scans to check blood flow to the placenta and amniotic fluid levels, etc.

There is some evidence to suggest that sex helps to kickstart labour (and it worked for me!) so why not try it, worst case scenario you have some fun while you're waiting

Do be aware that when you go significantly past your due date, there is a chance there might be meconium in the waters. This isn't always a sign of distress( it can be, but in post-dates babies it can just be a sign that the bowel has matured and they're ready to start filling nappies! However, it does mean they'll want continuous monitoring during labour as there is a risk of meconium aspiration if baby does get distressed.

I gave birth to DC1 at 41+4 after going into labour naturally. I'd had a sweep which had done nothing, acupuncture which was relaxing but no immediate effect, then sex did the trick! I did have meconium in the waters but DS was fine.

I didn't want an induction but would probably have consented to one at 42 weeks. I wanted to be in the midwife-led birth centre but they only allowed it up to 41+6 and from 42 weeks I would have been on the delivery unit anyway, so I think I would have accepted defeat at that point and tried an induction.

No judgement for women who choose to wait longer though, or indeed have an induction sooner. It's just a shame women are not trusted to make an informed choice and are often pressured by HCPs.

nurserypolitics
"I was then overstimulated by the pessary, they had to take it out, DD was very distressed but it resolved. However it was a pretty awful labour: I experienced it as one long contraction, no breaks. Then, when I finally got to 3cm, they were again concerned about her heart rate: I had an epidural, waters broken (Meconium in waters)and the drip. Her heart rate went funny again, as I reached 10cm, and had instrumental delivery to get her out fast."
After all that, do you really think it was the length of gestation that caused your baby to get ill? Nothing to do will all the interventions during labour, baby's distress, and the increased infection risk of doing VEs and other internal interventions after waters have broken?

I went 16 days and then went into labour naturallyet us know what happens I. Dyi g to know. I bet it will happen on Saturday.

My trust don't offer induction until 12 days overdue - didn't realise other areas did it sooner.

DD was born hours before my scheduled induction and had no issues at all.

My third was a homebirth at 16 days overdue. So long as you are monitored and all is ok stick to your guns. There’s a lot of pressure to induce and it’s based on statistics and you are an individual. Ultimately it’s your choice.

I was brought in to be induced at 14 days past due date with DC1. He was born 19 days after due date (so 42+5). Failed induction ending in c-section. He just didn’t want to come out!

I went til 21 days overdue with DS, they forgot to book me in the week before and spontaneous labour was NOT happening (and I refused induction for personal reasons).
My mum was similarly, if not more overdue with me.
Obviously we cook babies for longer!

I had all the monitoring I was offered and they were happy that baby was still thriving right up until my CSection.

I was 16 days over last year. The pressure was immense, but I had a lovely birth experience. I got them to examine the placenta after and they said it looked completely normal. It's difficult to know what is best, hindsight is great. I hope all goes well OP

Nope I go over with all of mine, all 4 times youngest was 16 days 🙄

All the very best OP. I can't imagine how uncomfortable and frustrated you must feel and I'm sending positive thoughts. It won't help a jot except to know there's a random stranger out there who cares.

My second was 10 days 'overdue', and I really feel for you because the pressure from midwives to induce is so strong, when it's not what you planned for it feels overwhelming. I dug my heels in further the more I was pressured. Added to the stress of constant "are you STILL pregnant?!" comments from relatives/friends, I found it to be a really emotional time.
I think I would break down what it means to you to be 'induced'. In your mind it may be a total process beginning with a pessary, then drip etc, with no chance to stop and breathe until the baby arrives. In reality it doesn't need to be like this, find a midwife that you like, that has some time, and discuss what steps you feel comfortable making and on what timescale. Take it step by step, not all at once.
Also, don't forget that you have natural ways of inducing labour like movement and natural hormone production. I actually went into spontaneous labour after a few hours using my breast pump.

All 3 of my DC were overdue . 11 days , 14 days and 18 days ! They told me after the third that I must have 42 wk pregnancies.

It's taboo because statistically the risk of still birth increases after 41 weeks. Yes there are risks with induction but not an increased risk of still birth. Ultimately the choice of which risk to take is yours but the doctors and midwives will follow NICE guidelines which are induction before 42 weeks (and this is actually being reviewed and brought earlier from November for women over the age of 35 and (I think) some ethnic minorities).

I was 14 days overdue which was the cut off in my hospital (has since changed to 10days)
I happily accepted an induction! (and had a happy birth too).

I agree that as long as you are monitored you will hopefully be ok. Like you, I declined induction with my first as they couldn’t even do a sweep, my cervix was so unfavourable, so I knew that induction under those circumstances was highly likely to lead to an emergency section. I went over by more than two weeks but was scanned every other day. I was eventually induced but nothing put me into labour so he was eventually born by section on day 17 over weighing over 11 pounds. Glad I stood by my decision and I hope it all works out well for you.

Just to add OP, by asking these questions you’re doing the right thing. I remember they looked like me like I was an idiot when I asked “why?” in response to being told they had booked me in for an induction at 10 days over. I asked why they would do that if my body is showing no signs of being ready and the stats showed that around 80-90% (can’t remember exact number now - this was 10 years ago) of inductions end in emergency section if performed when cervix is not favourable. Why would they commence a course of action likely to have this outcome?
They just said “that’s what we do”.
I found this frustrating and did my own research, weighed up the risks and decided against this approach and decided to wait a bit longer. Like another poster, I did eventually agree to an induction (I was having a giant baby so there was another concern) but two gels, three pessaries and 8 hours on a drip made no difference in the end - he wasn’t ready to come out and had to be evicted by section anyway. Have confidence in yourself and enjoy the last few days of your bump ❤️

It's a massive myth the placenta magically stops working at 42 weeks +1 😂😂 Lots of evidence around this misconception if you look online.

Also you are technically not overdue until 42+1.
I was 40+12 and 40+10.

This time i know they have my due date wrong by 6 days as the date they've given me means i got pregnant before i had sex lmao
So i will be waiting patiently for baby to arrive.

If you're being monitored and baby and cord/placenta blood flow all good from scans then honestly don't worry.

Induction can often lead to a cascade of intervention if your body is not ready to deliver.

Good luck!! Noone stays pregnant forever :)

I went 16 days overdue and gave birth at home. I went in for daily monitoring and went into labour naturally on day 15.

Just to add, the stillbirth 'risk' increase is minute!! It is seriously a coercive tactic to encourage women to be induced. IMHO.

All mine were overdue - it happened every time.

At term +14 with the first I began to vomit copiously and then they induced. Difficult forceps delivery ensued with me puking at the top end. Nightmare.

My first baby was born 13 days overdue. I was induced though.

Both mine were born naturally and easily at 18 days overdue with expectant monitoring.
Fwiw my due date was calculated by the scan however I knew exactly when inconceived and the scans were wrong, so I was comfortable with my decision.
Consultant wouldn’t have it that the scan could be wrong, they ‘are never wrong and you’re being irresponsible’.
The fact my 42 week scan predicted a small 6lb baby seemed to pass them by when he was born at 10lbs!

Nobody wants you to lose your baby is all. No midwife ever wants that risk to be increased unneccesarily.

My first was 12 days over induced, third was 4 days over. All 3 were natural water births incl home so Im not for interventions, but I do think trusting your body to get it right just because it has foe others is naive.

I went 14 days overdue with my first,went into Labour and he was born 8 hours later,very straightforward.