Experiences of pregnancy going beyond 42 weeks?

[WhatIsPink]

Anyone who have gone over 42 weeks? I’m currently 41+4, while first child was born 41+6 and then second 41+4. Although very likely this one will come out in the next few days, but if not, wanted to hear anyone’s experience who actually went over 42 weeks, both how to discuss either the hospital and also research on the safety. Hospital is big on induction which I’m not too keen but 42 weeks is a mark which does get me a bit worried.

They also save a lot of lives.

So that’s one.

Thats still a child dying. Why would you ever, ever choose that for a healthy child?!

Exactly this. Social media has romanticised childbirth and as a result too many women prioritise having a birth the way they want, rather than what is actually best for their child and for themselves. And as a result, too many babies have died or been left with lifelong challenges.

The point of childbirth is to get baby out safely with as little harm to mum as possible. That’s all that matters.

I went between 42 to 43 weeks back in the 1990s (that long ago I can't remember the exact number of days I was overdue) when they were more relaxed about being induced after 42 weeks. Not going to lie I wanted to hold it off as long possible. Ended up being induced, it was a nightmare labour before ending in C section, and dd was 9lb03. Thankfully she was a fully healthy baby but nearly 30 years later (with better research) I wouldn't make that decision again, it caused unnecessary stress and risk.

Do you mean you wouldn’t have waited as long, or you wouldn’t have been induced at all?

Something I find really odd is how today, when we have all this medical support available, people hark back to "simpler" times without remembering the reality that babies and mothers DIED all the time. Childbirth was (rightly) viewed as risky and dangerous.

I'm old enough that my mom and her friends and family would NEVER give someone a baby gift before baby was born. They were all superstitious about that. It isn't a thing any more because we all assume that babies will be fine. But that's because we have amazing medical systems today.

My midwife when DD was born was from Nigeria and told me she spends 3 months a year back home teaching modern midwife techniques because unlike in the first world, mothers and babies are still dying from complications that could be easily managed.

Because some babies are harmed by the process of induction. Induction also carries the risk of HIE due to overstimulating the uterus and that isn't always correctly interpreted or visible on CTG. A baby can meet all the conditions of "normal CTG" and still be hypoxic at birth. So you could also have a healthy baby that was injured by your choice to be induced.

I saw a stat that said 600 babies have to be induced at 39 weeks for one baby to be saved by being induced at that gestation. So that's 599 babies (and mothers) who undergo the risks of induction unnecessarily.

The hospital is big on delivering live babies and nothing else. Stop believing the shit you see on social media and listen to the people who work in the hospital.

I wouldn't have waited that long to be induced, I probably would have gone for it when I hit 42 weeks.

Being someone who had an induction at 39 weeks first baby with no interventions at all, this is not always the case. I was one who was hesitant for an induction at first but once being told it was safer for baby and also myself it was a no brainer.
One key reason people are reluctant on inductions is people telling them things like this. Midwives/doctors will normally only intervene if they feel there is any risk to baby or mother. Inductions save babies and mother’s lives every day. Interventions happen is spontaneous births as much as they do inductions.

I agree. Not worth the risk

If there is a medical need maybe, baby not coming by an arbitrary date decided by a doctor 200 years ago isn't one

More babies and children die in car crashes,how many people on this thread drove their babies home from hospital

A work colleague of mine was very hippy and natural birth focused. She went well overdue and refused a c-section. Her baby was stillborn. I wouldn’t contemplate going over 42 weeks for a second.

But we mitigate risks when driving. I wouldn’t go in a car that wasn’t roadworthy and falling apart.,If there was something wrong with the car I would get it fixed. Same way I wouldn’t rely on the safety of a failing placenta and would do something about it ie get baby out. Our bodies don’t always work the way they should, nature doesn’t always get it right when timing when baby should come out, hence stillbirths happening.

Why 39 weeks? Why choose that week, also how do you know when you conceived and how can you be sure if the gestation of baby, how is there Jo benefit for baby to be born when they are ready

You are talking rubbish. It’s fine that you were happy to put your own children at risk, but suggesting waiting is safer than induction to other women is irresponsible and untrue in many cases.

Nope. Nature doesn't know best. I've worked a lot of lambing seasons, and a lot of lambs die. We're able to mitigate some of that risk by not trying to get every last bit of support out of a placenta.

I think you really need to educate yourself.
A pregnancy lasting past 42 weeks increases the risk of medical complications for both baby and mother. Placental insufficiency, low amniotic fluid, meconium aspiration, macrosomia, stillbirth, postmaturity syndrome, severe tearing, postpartum haemorrhage, c-section or an assisted delivery.
We are not living in the 1800s we now have medical professionals, scientists and a hell of a lot of studies. Why would you put your baby or yourself at risk just because you want a ‘spontaneous’ delivery, medical professionals do not suggest inductions or interventions for the fun of it, they go on saving lives medical training and science. Not what did Harold do 200 years ago.

I can't wait to see the arguments against this. I think this person knows they are very very wrong.

Actually, research pretty much shows that induction for 1st time mums is very likely to lead to caesarean via the cascade of interventions.

https://www.mdpi.com/3042-898X/1/1/2

So we definitely know that induction means you are more likely to have a complicated birth in one way or the other.

From the big study that recommended induction at 39 weeks for everyone. That's where the 600 babies induced to save one baby comes from, too.

Yes. A healthy baby is more important than a perfect birth story

By why the assumption your body isn't "roadworthy " or that the placenta is failing, if you're low risk then why would you assume your body won't work or be able to give birth, it isn't a given the placenta dies bang on 42 weeks, it's an organ your body made not a bomb set to detonate the second 42 weeks arrives

Yes. Exactly. Say if you are obese, smoke, have repeated bouts of reduced movements and have had a poor obstetric history, then probably don't hang on until 43 weeks...