What's the longest anyone's gone OD?

[kittycat37]

Hi - I'm 40+5 today. Due to EMCS with DD1 have been told that can have no induction (which I'm actually happy about) but am facing prospect of ELCS on 16th if nothing's happened by then. I have asked my consultant if I can make this later, all being well, as I've read that 42wks is perfectly normal (I would only be 11 days over on 16th). So far I haven't had an answer except 'let's wait and see what happens'.

Anyway, just wondering, out of interest what's the longest any of you lovely ladies have gone OD - either through refusing induction or ELCS?

Gosh Stewie - did they put pressure on you to have more interventions? I think they will give me a sweep next week - but that's not counted as induction is it? Do you think the fact that you waited made the birth so quick? Sorry - too many questions.

My Sil went 12-16 days with 3 of hers, all came naturally.

You can ask them to do regular scans of the placenta with blood flow to make sure it isnt breaking down for reassurance - as far as I am aware that is the main risk and the reason they say 2 weeks (apart from the risk to your patience and stress levels of course)

thanks Fabhead - I'll bring that up when I go for appointment next week.

Stewie - it's a very good thing you didn't give up the bed by the sounds of it. Unbelievable.

I get the feeling my hosp would like me to just agree to an early ELCS so that I'm one less to worry about, but it really doesn't feel right to me to have an ELCS before 42weeks if there's a chance the baby could come naturally a few days later.

My SIL was induced after 14 days with both her DS but one of my friends refused and said she didn't want to be induced and first baby was around 18 days late, others (she had 4 DC) all slightly less but all over 14 days. She did have daily monitoring though and scans of placenta every 2nd day.

I'd take their advice on board tho - you do hear of terribly sad cases at the very end . I do know what you mean tho about not wanting to be "intervended at" unless absolutely necessary. I think I would probably start thinking about letting them induce at around 10 days as after that I'd start worrying about all the dire warnings they give you - that's just me though - it's whatever you feel comfortable with if no medical reasons I guess.

It did annoy me with ds1 though that they were hassling me to induce from 37 weeks! (I had bit of high blood pressure at the end) - and they even booked me an induction at 40+2 even though I said no thanks, then they phoned me on the day asking where I was! I was all geared up for digging my heals in for a week or so with ds2 but "unfortunately" he came on his due date ....

good luck

18 days MumNWLondon?? Wow - that is the longest I've heard of.

Yes I know what you're saying fabhead - I don't want to take any foolish risks.

Was induced at 41+5, had DS at 42. Wasn't particularly happy at being induced but by then didn't have the fight in me, just cried a lot at the midwife who was monitoring me before induction

There are additional risks with going overdue but from all the stuff I read there doesn't appear to be a magic cut off date... and as others have pointed out it depends on the condition of the placenta and how much fluid there is.

My friend who went 18 days over was in good health and had a doctor who was supportive. Once she got to number 4 the (same) doctor just said that she had longer pregnancies just like some women had longer cycles. But you do need to listen to the doctors and a previous CS might increase the risks of being late.

At the same time, from lots of stuff I have been reading an average pregnancy is actually 41 weeks (ie more women later than early) and in France for example pregnancy is considered to be 41 rather than 40 weeks. Although I would of course agree to monitoring if I was overdue I'd want them to have a good reason for induction (or ELCS in your case) before 42 weeks - specific to me because there are additional risks of ELCS/induction which been to be balanced agains the postmaturity risk.

Worth having a sweep - also sex, making sure sperm gets into cervix plus nipple stimulation.

kitty, what fabhead's talking about is called 'expectant management' - i.e. if all the vitals are fine (amnio fluid levels, baby's heartbeat, placenta, your overall health) there's no need to induce/ go for CS. So you can ask the hospital (speak to the chief mw) to use 'exp mgmt', which means that they monitor all these vitals every few days rather than just cutting you open with no idea of whether it's necessary.

I went 13 days overdue then had a sweep - apparently these only work if your cervix is already 'ripe', which it seems mine was.

I've known of women to go 45 days over with 'exp mgmt' and go into spontaneous labour.

Perhaps contact your local NCT group for advice first (if they have a homebirth contact they may be a good starting point for information on not following hospital protocols but doing what's right for you), as they're always full of useful info and often have direct contact with hospitals as well.

Good luck!

Sorry, I meant 47 days over due.

Aaaargh! Am so tired and should be working...

What I mean is I've heard of women who've gone to 40 wks + 17 days. There. Got there at last!

Another consideration I guess is the size of the baby if you are hoping to have a vaginal birth, tho I don't think you are. If the baby is on the large size the longer you go over the larger it will be in theory so I have heard of them being against people going too far over for that reason - esp women with gestational diabetes where the babies tend to be large. You would know all that in advance from growth scans though I suppose. Not sure whether that would be relevant for a CS.

I know in France as already mentioned you are not considered OD to 41+1. Does that mean they let them go to 43 before recomending induction I wonder?

I am also tired so probably being a bit thick but as I understand it you are having an elective ceserian? But you want to wait until you go into labour spontaneously before having it is that right?

fab - re size of baby, it's worth noting that the amazing Ina May Gaskin says she's almost never met a woman whose body could not accommodate the size of her baby in labour. The 'almost' bit refers to a very few women who are truly teeny-tiny.

Speedy: I have just read Ina May Gaskin's book too - am totally inspired it.

She's amazing, isn't she? crap hairdo but I guess nobody's perfect!

almost always true i'm sure and generally I am very anti-induction - just seems wrong (unless perticular medical reason) and I have seen so many friends induced (at 37 weeks sometimes) for spurious reasons when their babies were clearly not ready to come and thier bodies weren't ready - cue days of pain and stress at the hospital with nothing really hapenning and usually ending in an EMCS.

Playing devil's advocate though my first ds, the one who was 8 days overdue, I really did have trouble giving birth to him (though only at the end) and had a shoulder dystocia which was very scary. He was 9st 4 which I guess is fairly chunky and I am only 5ft. Saying that I did get him out, eventually, but it was an emergency situation and it took them a while to resusitate. My ds2 who came on time was 8st 13 and came out no bother. I do wonder if he would have been a bit less likely to get stuck if he had been less OD. Mind you, I think the labour was badly mis-managed by a rubbish MW so maybe it was more to do with that.

I guess each birth/baby/mother combination is fairly unique and you have to go with what feels right at the time.

fabhead - just curious did they get you onto hands and knees to deliver? As I just said I just read Ina May Gaskin's book and she describes the Gaskin manuovere named after her for shoulder dystocia, saying that almost all cases come out quickly if mother moved into this position - was just wonder if this was mainstream practise?

You gave birth to a 9st 4lb baby, fabhead?

No they didn't! - don't get me started, I will start to rant. And not sure we should be talking about this here - don't want to freak out the op! Worth bearing in mind that this was 5y ago in a busy London Hospital at Xmas and was, I hope, not normal practice!

I was kneeling up over bedhead - very high, she never moved it down. By the time the dopey mw realised it was shoulder dystocia after about 30mins of me pushing with nothing happenning - (she hadn't even looked or examined me by this stage since she came in at previous shift change), ds1's head was out and he was really in a bad way (cord compression), she just called the crash team and I think it was too late for anything like the Gaskin position (if that is hands and knees?) - they just flipped me over on my back, knees to chest and did something called the McRobertson manoeuvure which is a midwife leaning on each knee and pushing down like crazy, one also elbowing my stomach. They were also prepping for emerg CS to push him back up and out but luckily he came free when they pushed down the second time.

Anyway, all's well that ends well, thankfully, and I am not (very) bitter anymore ...

Ds2 I read up on positions for optimum pelvic space and gave birth standing up, squatting, with DP holding me up under the arms and he popped out easily.

9 pounds 4 doh!! I always do that! Imagine giving birth to your own body weight...

Thanks for all the info - sorry bit behind now and haven't had time to read it all yet - will have to wait til tomorrow - but Fabhead, I should have made it clear that I really want VBAC and they're only offering me ELCS as alternative to induction (as not possible after EMCS first time). So really want to go into labour myself and not be advised to have ELCS at all.

aaaahhh I seee. I didnt quite undertand the reason for waiting after 40 weeks if you were def having a CS. Good luck - I really hope you get the VBAC. I would have thought that going into labour naturally is much more likely to favour that than induction so sounds like a good strategy for now.

Just remember the all fours and squatting positions

As an aside, am also pg again and I was just looking at my notes (bored, insomnia) and they have put "induction at 38 weeks due to previous shoulder dystocia" at the booking in appt! cheeky &&&'s. Why would I want to do something that is more likely to make it happen again!