'Overdue' - Home birth plans at risk

[scubadiva]

Anyone else out there 'overdue' and planning a home birth? I'm 41 weeks and 2 days(Term+9)today and yesterday the midwife was really guilt tripping and scaremongering me about going over 14 days from my 'due date'. I have tried EVERY natural way of inducing labour (accupuncture, pineapple, long walks, raspberry leaf tea, hot curry, foot spa and massage, sex) but now fully believe that babies just come when they're ready and that the natural way of inducing labour only works if they baby was ready to come anyway. Midwife has said they wont be happy to deliver baby at home if I go over 14 days. Feel really fed up. Anyone found any useful sites that I can use to support my argument that this is normal and that induction isn't?!

yes, its normal and many feel pressurised into induction at 14 days overdue. gestation is 37-42 - and i have a close friend who had had all her 4 babies after 14 days late - first one full 21 days after term.

how definate is your due date? Did you have early scan (ie at 6-8 weeks) or do you know date ovulation? Perhaps there is some scope for negotiation on your due date? scans at 12-14 weeks can be up to a week out, and not everyone ovulates on day 14.

you don't mention stretch and sweep - i know not totally natural but worked for me twice... definately worth having if your homebirth is threatened? if i go over 40+7 will be asking for one every 2nd day as don't want to threaten birth in birth centre.

Don't stress too much yet- you still have a good few days to go into labour naturally. I had HB with my last baby and had a date for induction booked for the next day! (Although I wouldn't have let them induce me- just placating the MW)

Agree a sweep may help- although you might not want to have one.

Sympathies - I was overdue with both of mine.

By my dates, I was 41 +5 with both. If I had been going by the NHS dates (ie not corrected for longer cycle), then both would have been born at over 42 weeks.
I had independent midwives so wasn't pressured re induction, btu it may be worth checking dates etc to give your argument more strength.

Ask for scan as well to see how placenta is doing.

Me too!

im really wanting a homebirth this time and im now 40+4 and the MW says that they wont support me to have a homebirth after 42 weeks. im booked in for a sweep on wednesday and MW also said they will only give me 2 sweeps maximum and then its into the hospital for induction.

i feel like i have tried everything too and im just constantly hoping for something to happen so i can stay as far away from the hospital as humanly possible.

i feel your pain, hang in there.

Thanks everyone. I've looked at the homebirth.org website and it is useufl although I'd like some cold hard research facts to support my 'this is normal' argument. I've had two sweep 'attempts' - first one I didn't feel a thing and when the second one was done the midwife couldn't get a finger in (despite 5 full minutes of rummaging!), so it's clear the first one didn't actually happen although the MW put in my notes 1-2cm dilated!

As far as bringing labour on I haven't tried nipple stimulation but have read that it has to be done every two hours and that there is no evidence it works. Perhaps I should give it a try though.I feel I'm only doing all these things to placate the medical world (as you say honeyapple) not because I genuinely feel teh baby should be here by now. I think I'm going to try and remember what you'd said LadyintheRadiator, that ultimately I can't be forced into hospital. I would just prefer it if my home delivery was with the support of the MW rather than inspite of her wishes!

Oh and as far as dates go, I'm constantly being told that they go off scan dates not LMP, but it's my LMP that says I was due 28th Feb. Baby wasn't conceived (and I know exactly because we only had sex once that month and I wrote it in my diary)until 7th June. I've said this a number of times but no-one seems interested in recalculating my dates as they say the scan (had first one at 12weeks) is the thing to go from.

Hubby seems to think the consultant mentioned having anotehr scan when we saw him last week. He's actually pretty relaxed about it all, it's the MW who is putting the pressure on. She' scared of working outside medical guidelines.

And mad4mainecoons - thanks for empathising. I was told I'd only have two sweeps but since neither one has actually been a sweep, I'm allowed to have two more.

Wow. That is the most patronising and disempowering thing that I have ever read; that they go off scan dates and not your dates (especially as you sound extremely certain about it).

Ok 'term' is 37-42 weeks so you are not overdue til after 42 weeks. You can choose to accept extra monitoring rather than induction if you want, ie checks on the blood flow to placenta etc to make sure the baby is ok waiting.

All you need to said is something along the lines of 'I realise your policy is not to support homebirth after 42 weeks but I have thought about it and I will still be having this baby at home thanks'

Unless either a) baby is not happy and requires induction to kick things off
or b)You are so fed up that you decide to accept induction

You can accept some things they offer without being obliged to accept them all - and I don't know if they leave a homebirth pack with you in your area? If so I would decline any offer from them to pick it up

maoningminniewhingesagain - thanks for your advice, I have already said that I am happy to be monitored. MW says that the trouble with monitoring is that it only tells you how your baby is doing for that 20-30mintues period of monitoring. Makes me feel like saying, not much point in doing it (for anything at any point during pregnancy) then?

I shall also remind her that term is 37-42 weeks so as you say I am not 'overdue' yet. Thank you.

Littlesilver - yes, it is patronising on reflection. I think I might be a bit more forceful about it next time I see her. Thanks.

oh, and no didn't get a homebirth pack, have got everything together myself so no problem there.

Am off for a swim to take my mind off things. Thanks eveyone for your supportive words and advice, really appreciate it.

Perhaps we should start a campaign to get the medical world to change the due dates to 37-42 weeks to avoid all this stress. Anyone know if there is one out there?

Sucbadiva - re: dates its worth digging your heels in over this - ask to speak to another midwife or consultant to get due date reassessed. Make point that you don't want to be induced or denied homebirth just because of their unsophisticated estimation of your due date.

Scans at 12 weeks are up to a week out - and they will not adjust due date unless its really out - there lots of stuff on internet that backs this up - scans at 6-8 weeks though are accurate to the nearest couple of days.

My official due date (per LMP) is three days out from what I think - not really an issue unless you are very late. In my last pregnancy I lied about LMP - to adjust for cycle length but I forgot to this time.

Also bear in mind that baby could have been conceived up to 3-4 days after sex but not before! Unless you know when you actually ovulated?

www.aims.org.uk may also be helpful. You may wish to point out the Harvard study of (I think) 1993, certainly early nineties anyhow, which found that pregnancy is actually longer than 40 weeks - 41 + 1 to be exact. Plus in France they let you go over by nearly a month. If it was so "dangerous" a country like France would not have that as policy.

They are far more concerned about administration and getting you off their books than any real medical concern about the baby's welfare when it comes to pushing for induction. I'm convinced that the stress of them making me book in for an induction before I was even late (albeit for a date when I would have been 13 days late) made me go over far longer than I would have done had they let me be. Incidentally, the fact that they booked me in for 13 days late rather than 14 was because 14 days late fell on a Saturday and "They don't do inductions on a Saturday." So clearly NOT a medical thing then.

Stand your ground. The more women who do so the more we can begin to challenge these attitudes.

Well said AllieW

Thanks again. I will be more forceful about reassessment of my dates as I do know exactly when we had sex and if as you say MumNWLondon that baby can be conceived 3-4 days after (and pregnancy is counted as 40 weeks from conception) then I'm definately not 'overdue' yet.

And thanks for the link AllieW, I did find that organisation on the homebirth website so I'll contact them for more support. I might get in touch with the supervisor of midwives for my area and see what her view is too. It might be just my midwife getting twitchy. I'll remind them of the French approach too, thanks.

I wish I'd known more about this - when I was 40+10 the midwife phoned to tell me she'd booked me in for an induction two days later. When I'd seen her the week before she'd said I had until +14, but no, +12 and that was that. She didn't come to see me, talk it through and she refused to do a second sweep. Tbh I was so fed up by then (I'd also done the walks/pineapple/sex/curry/acupuncture/reflexology etc) that I just gave in. Also I was pretty annoyed with my midwife, I never saw her or spoke to her again.

In the end my induction was fine, all over in about 3 hours, home the next day (DS born at night).

Whatever happens, having planned a homebirth you will be able to go into the labour with the confidence of someone who trusts their body and who felt they could do it without the support of being in a hospital. Even though I was in a large, faceless hospital, I just got on with it and did my own thing. I could have been anywhere - the only thing I missed was the cup of tea and toast in my own bed afterwards, but to be honest gazing at DS all night did make up for it.

Stick to your guns - find the right people to support you and go for it. If you change your mind at any time that's fine too - it's your body, your pregnancy. Wish I'd thought to come on MN at the time.

I think its 40 weeks from LMP or 38 weeks from conception - but that assumes that conception is on day 14 from LMP and its not always the case... but still from what you say dates might be a few days out which means you might not be at late as they think you are.

Interestingly - when I asked the midwifes to adjust my due date for my longer 31 day cycle because I might be late, and she said that she would be prepared to discuss it further and adjust the date at that point if necessary.

Hang in there!! My DD was born at 42 weeks and I too faced having to abandon a home birth. In the end labour started naturally, but I went to hospital after 30 hours of labouring at home and failure to progress, by which time I was completely exhausted and grateful for some injected pain relief... Gorgeous DD eventually born after 36 hours.

What I learned from this was that babies really DO come in their own time, not when the doctors/mws order it. BUT also that births don't always go to plan, so it's necessary to incorporate some flexibility into the birth plan- hospital was a relief in the end although I did enjoy sitting outside in the sunshine in a blow-up birthing pool (our house is very private!!). We were in America last time so the rules on home/hospital birth were a bit different.

I am now in the UK and 38 weeks pg with DS. Because of my age (40) I have been threatened (- yes, threatened) with the dire possibilities of NOT being induced on my due date! A different consultant told me to have a stretch and sweep at 38 weeks with similar dire warnings.

I am absolutely scandalised at this interventionist approach when there is absolutely nothing wrong with me or the baby. Also have doubts about the scan's EDD- I am due a good 4 days later by my estimates. I have resolved to refuse all treatment except monitoring until 41 weeks (by MY calculations) at the very least- we'll see how the baby and I are doing by then. I may hang on for longer if I can stand it.

I agree with others- we need to take a stand against what seems to be the increasingly widespread practice of intervening well before it's necessary. I have felt bullied and insulted by the medical profession and surely that's not right. Solidarity- HERE!

Another vote for further sweeps

Also agree normal pregnancy is anything to 42 weeks - you are only overdue thereafter. I had 2 pregnancies going to T+15 and T+12, my EDD is today and there is absolutely nada happening. Like you, I am in no rush, baby will come when he is good and ready .

Nobody can 'make' you have an induction and yes their policies are just that, policies, nothing more.
Get yourself armed with information, AIMS is a very good site, stay calm and non-confrontational and with a friendly smile stand your ground .

Hope you will have the delivery you want.

Thanks again everyone. Nothing has happened so far but am due to see the consultant again tomorrow and will request a sweep. I've basically got until Saturday (when I'll be Term+14) before I have to go for monitoring. As I've said before it's the midwife who is putting on the pressure, not the consultant. I'm only seeing the consultant because of my age (36)but he's at the hospital I have requested (nearest to my home) rather than at the hospital that the midwife works with (which is double the distance)so I think that isn't helping her to feel comfortable either. Still, it's her problem and chances are she might not be the one coming out to me at home anyway. Will keep you all posted with next developments but it really helps knowing others have been in this situation :-)

DD2 came at edd +16 and I had her at home. It's can be hard to stick to your guns and you get to the stage where you feel like the baby's never coming but I found a home birth absolutely fab. I had an appointment to talk about induction (which I declined) and asked the midwife then what would happen if I went over 42 weeks and she told me that the midwives had a duty of care to me if I made the choice to stay at home. As long as you are making an informed choice then it's your decision and you're not bound by the Trust's policy in the same way that hospital staff are.

As you say, chances are it won't be her that sees you anyway and I would hope that nobody will lecture you while you're in labour.

The only thing I tried to help things along was some evening primrose oil, which I think is supposed the help the cervix. I was 42 weeks by this point though so I can't really know whether it helped or not. One way or another your baby will be with you before too long - good luck and I hope it goes the way you'd like.