Is it okay to try and get baby out from 37 weeks?

[Ros2023]

So I am 37 weeks pregnant and had a midwife appointment the other day. She was so lovely, one of the best I’ve seen. She told me that I can start trying to get things moving now if I want to.
I know sometimes you can try everything possible and baby only comes when they’re ready!
But I was just wondering if you all have been or will be trying from 37 weeks to get baby out? Is that okay to do? The midwife said it’s fine because they’re full term from 37 weeks.
I have definitely had enough and am so ready for this baby so it would be wonderful if she was here soon but don’t know if it’s okay to start trying things!

I think it’s more that you don’t need to avoid certain things anymore, like expressing colostrum.

For most of it, I think the evidence that it actually starts labour is pretty slim anyway.

It won't necessarily work as you say. As long as you don't mean anything dangerous, such as castor oil, go for it.

I wonder why you'd ask people on a forum that aren't necessarily medically qualified when your midwife has told you it's fine?

I was interested to see what other people thought on it as I know some people that don’t like to intervene and just let things happen when they happen.

Are you sure this was exactly what your midwife told you? Just because a 37 week pregnancy is viable doesn't mean the baby is totally ready.

Slightly different circumstances but I had a similar conversation with my midwife. I was always having a planned c-section and my midwife had said that I would likely be able to request it happen as early as 38 weeks. She had said that baby is fully developed and is only putting on fat from this point onwards.
However, when it came to agreeing the c-section date with my Consultant, she was very surprised I had been told this information and said that unless there was a medical reason to bring baby early that the absolute earliest would be week 39. This was because baby’s lungs are still developing and the difference of having an extra week in utero can mean lower rates of needing extra support in the NICU.
I have to say I was surprised that two different health professionals can give such conflicting advice but obviously the decision was out of my hands as it was down to the Consultant.

I imagine it’s probably best for you to keep that little baby tucked up safely for as long as possible rather than trying to take steps for his or her exit! 37 weeks is still quite early compared to when a lot of women go into labour, quite possibly up to a month which is a long time in the grand scheme of things!

Thank you. I was wondering the same thing! I was surprised that she said that I can start trying things to get her out. I thought that midwives would advise them to stay in there a bit longer and not really recommend it so I was feeling conflicted.
I have been doing hypnobirth training and really trying to focus on that and I’m terrified of going over my due date and risking being induced (it’s my worst nightmare) so at first I thought maybe starting things a bit earlier would help. But I think I know inside I need to just listen to and go with my body and what happens, happens.

Yes absolutely, she said if I want to I can start using some clary sage etc. I do have 2 other children and never been advised this before so I was surprised!

I’m also surprised that the midwife said yes get it out at 37 weeks without a medical reason. At 37 weeks you’re theoretically out of the woods but I know lots of babies (twins who couldn’t be born later because twins) end up in the special care nursery (not sure what they call it in UK) because they need help with feeding. The sucking reflex often only just kicking in at that point.

You could start with things like raspberry leaf tea and eating dates every day (supposed to make labour or a stage of Labour shorter/easier?)......expressing colostrum etc.

Why is being induced your worst nightmare? I was induced using the gel - 6 hours later and with no pain relief out he popped! But I appreciate it can be different. I was near my due date and he was ready to meet the world.

Just to echo a what a PP said that for my planned CS they absolutely would not do it until after the 39 week mark. Because of how the days fell I had to wait until 39+3 and was scared I wouldn't last until then but when I asked if they could do it the previous day planned CS were booked in for it was a hard no as I would have been 38+6!
So I'd wait a couple of weeks yet.

Sometimes I think midwives tell women this just to give them something to do, or make them feel like they have some sort of control over the process.

I tried just about everything except castor oil, because that sounds nasty and potentially dangerous. I don't think anything barring the sweep I had at 40 weeks made much difference. I suspect that many women have a natural gestation period and you don't know whether yours is 37 weeks or 42+ weeks or something in between.

The received wisdom in the medical profession seems to be that after 39 weeks your baby is ready to come out and there's no longer any benefit to staying on the inside. So at 37 weeks I'd probably want to keep the baby in there a little longer but it's no big deal if they decide to come now.

Oxytocin plays a big part in labour so if I were you I'd watch your favourite films and series (anything that makes you cry with laughter might do the trick), see friends, eat nice food, get massaged, basically do whatever makes you feel good.

I did drink a lot of red raspberry leaf tea and had a very quick labour the second time round, so if I ever had another baby I would probably do that again.

It’s nice to hear a positive induction story!
most stories I hear of being induced are all negative or traumatic etc and it’s scared me!

With the stuff this midwife is coming out with I wouldn’t be taking her advice and I certainly wouldn’t want her anywhere near me during birth.

Baby is still growing. Those last 2-3 weeks are incredibly important for baby’s full growth.

You’re completely right, thank you. I think the last few weeks or pregnancy are always difficult because you are all ready and just waiting for your little baby to arrive.
but 3 weeks or however long to wait is nothing when we have waited this long already.
It’s just the final stretch 💪🏻

I know that nothing I say is likely to make any difference because you're having your first baby and late pregnancy is uncomfortable and you just want it to happen now.

But here goes.

When your baby is born, which might be today or in a month's time, your life is going to change beyond recognition. It may be months before you sleep for more than three hours at a time. You may have perineal stitches or a C-section wound or postpartum piles to deal with. You may be breastfeeding and finding it difficult and painful. It may be a very long time before you feel you can go to a restaurant, or go to the pub with your friends, or just leave the house without planning it all like a military operation. (Alternatively, it might not be like this. You might have a straightforward labour and recovery, and breastfeed easily or formula feed, you might have a baby who sleeps through the night from 6 weeks and is basically a dream baby in all other respects. You might have a glorious summer catching the rays in pub gardens while your little one naps happily in the pram.)

My maternity leaves were basically a mix of the above and were wonderful and exhausting and overwhelming at the same time. Overall I loved them and wish I could do it all again.

But if I could do it all again, and in particular if I could do it all again without having two small children to look after, I would spend the end of my maternity leave not trying to get the baby out, but spending every day enjoying as much "me time" as possible, meeting friends for lunch, going swimming, taking naps, reading books, baking cakes, basically squeezing out every last drop of baby free time. I was a bit better at doing this kind of stuff the second time round, and as luck would have it my husband was between jobs and my older child was at nursery during the day. I still have fond memories of the day I hit 40 weeks, when we got the train into town for a growth scan, then walked across town to a really nice restaurant where we had a leisurely lunch, walked some more to browse in the shops, then went to a separate medical appointment in the afternoon, and then hung out with our toddler after nursery and watched a film together in the evening. It was such a lovely day, and then two days later I was holding my gorgeous girl and our lives had completely changed again.

Change comes soon enough, and unless you are going through something really terrible, try not to wish the time away.

Good luck to you when the time comes!

I read somewhere that there's a word for this time, called zwischen (which means "between"). You're not yet a mother, but you're not not a mother, and you're just waiting. I think there's something really special about this time.

By the way, my eldest is 4 today. April is a lovely time to have a baby.

Thank you 💕 I already have 2 children which are both now teenagers. So a big age gap!
I couldn’t agree with you more. I’m really trying to focus on enjoying this time and life as I know it right now. Don’t get me wrong I have some miserable days as I am not sleeping now, I ache and I’m exhausted. But I know that it’ll be over soon and instead I’ll be exhausted with a tiny little baby to look after haha.
thank you for your positive words. It definitely helps xxx

Sorry for assuming this is your first baby! How exciting to be doing it all again.

I had a baby at 37 weeks. Now healthy but a small birth weight compared to my others and had some breathing complications that meant a longer stay in hospital.

My baby came naturally at 42 weeks. If you tried to move things along now then your baby would be cooking for a month less than mine. Surely they need all the time they can get in the uterus to grow and develop immunity.

In a word no.

outcomes for babies born at 37 weeks are poorer than those born at 41 weeks. Those last few weeks are crucial for neurological development.

just wait if you can. If there’s a medical reason that’s different

I was offered an induction at 37 weeks due to antenatal depression. I declined (I’d been suffering since 9 weeks so what was a couple more weeks at that point), but I was happy for things to get moving.

There is very little or no evidence that you can help your pregnancy along with any other than induction. Even sweeps have quite patchy evidence.

going over your due date won’t mean you are induced, there will be thousands of stories on here of women going over their due date and not being induced. Like me! I didn’t do anything to try to rush the birth at the end, I just trusted the baby would come when my body was ready.

all great advice about trying to focus on you now, though I really remember what is what like waiting for this life changing thing to happen and having to try and get on with normal life.

best wishes for you and baby!

I honestly think you can hear other people's stories until you're blue in the face but you have your own thoughts and feelings and ideally all we really want is someone to confirm the ideas we already have.
My cousin had a very premature baby last year and they ended up coming out of hospital before 37 weeks and they were absolutely ready for the world and are absolutely thriving and, as of yet, have encountered no additional health problem.
I have a friend who went beyond their due date and baby needed oxygen at birth.
I lost a child at 39 weeks due to placenta issues and have since had two children ready to be induced at 38 weeks and would never get to 39 weeks again due to absolute fear. Offered a sweep at 37 weeks and induced at 38 this time around. Currently have one of those induced babies in nursery working at reception standard and with no breathing issues so far and generally very good health.
Basically, you'll hear wonderful stories and horror stories all over the shop but it is always important to go with what you're comfortable with. If you don't want this baby out yet then don't encourage it. If you do, then look for the positive stories out there. We can't see into the future but we can love our babies no matter what

I am currently 35w5days and my waters broke at 33w6days. I have managed to keep baby in for 2 weeks thankfully but I would give anything to reach another week and get to 37 weeks. So far it is looking like i will as contractions aren't getting worse and i have no sings of infection. My first came at 41w1day. She had no issues whatsoever and I would give anything to seal my waters back up and keep baby in until 39 or 40 weeks. Unfortunately I am not sure the hospital will allow me to....or infection could come before delivery, or my body could go into natural labour.
Those last 4 weeks from 37 to 41 weeks are so crucial for babies brain development more than their physical. It helps them emotionally regulate better later in life and know how to adapt a lot easier to things. Like I said, I would give anything to keep baby in just those few extra weeks longer...