40 Weeks and Still No Baby! Help (UPDATE)

[JoshChristineplus3]

Climb lots and lots of stairs! Squats with a exercise ball oh and sex. You need to get that baby down though for the rest to start falling into place. I had twins that didn't want to arrive on their own and a military hospital who would not let multiples go past 38 weeks...so I ended up with the induction I didnt want after DS #1 was born via induction. Membrane stripping did nothing for me 3 or 4 times I had to done between the two pregnancies either.
Good luck...when it comes down to it baby will come when baby is ready!

 

[Disnewbie76]

My wife and I had 3 of our 4 kids with a midwife and when things were not progressing, our midwife would literally tell us to go and "spend some time together"...lol...the reason being, the mans "contribution" to that situation is filled with pitocine....the same pitocine that the doctors use to induce.

 

[Tiffany_PartyOf7]

Haven't read the replies but wanted to say I'm 40 weeks TODAY with my 5th baby and no signs of him coming yet...

My first was 39w2d
Second was 35w5d (preemie - spent a week in NICU with problems)
Third was 40w3d
Fourth was 40w5d

So with the exception of my preemie, it seems my pregnancies are getting longer. I'm off to try the breastpump. We are on a short deadline haha - Hubby is going to begin a new job and training away from home so this baby needs to come out this week. Although if he doesn't, we still won't be inducing. I refuse to induce unless stress tests are showing signs of a problem on the inside. We homebirth though....

So yeah, I'm having a hard time with patience but at least its giving me extra time to get our homeschool room ready (we are beginning a more strict homeschooling schedule this year now that I have 2 school-aged)

But yeah, I'm totally ready to pop. I live in FL and I'm hot and tired and fat and I can totally relate to being ready to hold the new babe.

 

[JerseyMamaBear]

So we had another doctors appt today and still no progress. We are set for an inductions tommorow morning at 6am where they are going to break my water and give me pitocin (sp?)
Thanks for all of the well wishes and advise everyone has shared this past week or so. We had A LOT of fun trying a few of them out! I will let everyone know how it all works out when I get back from the hospital either Sat or Sunday!

 

[lindsmom]

So we had another doctors appt today and still no progress. We are set for an inductions tommorow morning at 6am where they are going to break my water and give me pitocin (sp?)
Thanks for all of the well wishes and advise everyone has shared this past week or so. We had A LOT of fun trying a few of them out! I will let everyone know how it all works out when I get back from the hospital either Sat or Sunday!

Good Luck and Best Wishes!

 

[Zeebs]

So we had another doctors appt today and still no progress. We are set for an inductions tommorow morning at 6am where they are going to break my water and give me pitocin (sp?)
Thanks for all of the well wishes and advise everyone has shared this past week or so. We had A LOT of fun trying a few of them out! I will let everyone know how it all works out when I get back from the hospital either Sat or Sunday!

I was induced with Seth my second, it was decided to it at 38 weeks due to gestational diabetis and that he was looking big. (he was too 9lb 8.5 and he got stuck twice)

They broke my waters and then left me to it. I wanted to give it a go just with breaking the waters before taking any meds. They checked 2 hours later and said I wasn't coming on. However, while poking around in there, I had a massive contraction so I said could they just give me another hour before giving me the meds to get things going. 40 mins later he was born. The midwife was so convinced nothing was going to happen she had left us to it in the room, poor hubby didn't know what to do, I was pushing and screaming at him to get someone in.

Good luck with it all I look forward to hearing the news.


Kirsten

 

[delmar411]

I was induced with Seth my second, it was decided to it at 38 weeks due to gestational diabetis and that he was looking big. (he was too 9lb 8.5 and he got stuck twice)

They broke my waters and then left me to it. I wanted to give it a go just with breaking the waters before taking any meds. They checked 2 hours later and said I wasn't coming on. However, while poking around in there, I had a massive contraction so I said could they just give me another hour before giving me the meds to get things going. 40 mins later he was born. The midwife was so convinced nothing was going to happen she had left us to it in the room, poor hubby didn't know what to do, I was pushing and screaming at him to get someone in.

Good luck with it all I look forward to hearing the news.


Kirsten

With my last that's all they needed to do to start labor as well. 90mins later I was holding him.

If this isn't your first your body might just go with the flow as soon as your water breaks.

Many OBs don't like that but it might be worth a shot to avoid pit.

 

[LWatson]

I was induced w/ my youngest. I went it for it and they were like "Oh you are already 4cm." But, I got the pitocin anyway since they had already ordered it. It was so easy...long but easy. I didnt need the epidural for contractions, but got it because he was positioned wrong and killing my leg (he was turned diagonally and pounding down on my leg area)...If it werent for that I would have gone drug free. My midwife checked at 6:05 and I was like 8.5cm. and he was still high. I told my mom at 6:15 that I thought my epi worn off since I was having some back pain, which was fine w/ me i just thought it was funny because I had just gotten it. She goes to get the midwife and she comes in and checks and goes "OMG HIS HEAD IS ON ITS WAY OUT." LOL I loved my last birth it was sooooooo easy. Dont get worried about inductions.

 

[annagirl]

I was induced at 7 days past my due date.

Did nothing for me. Spent all day at the hospital connected to the machines with that pitocin in me and at 5 they sent me home.

Went back 3 days later - 10 days past - and did it all again. At 1 they broke my water. The pain was terrible. At 4 they finally allowed me to have my epi - even though they didn't want to because I was only at 2 cm. I think they figured I was going to have a c-section anyway.

I slept until 6 - daughter was born just 50 minutes later. I went from 2cm to 10cm in less than 3 hours.

Because they didn't expect that, my epi had not worn off by the time I was ready to push. It took 3 sets of 3 pushes - she was out within 15 minutes.

I loved my epi.

 

[JerseyMamaBear]

I have a strong feeling that even if they were not going to induce me tommorow he would be here very soon. Even since my exam this morning I have been having so big contractions and a yucky bloody show a little bit ago. But we did just have an ultrasound an hour ago and they are putting him at 9 lbs 5 oz! So baby is well done and its time for him to pop!

 

[Anonomom]

Good luck!

Oh, and I wouldn't put too much stock in ultrasounds for sizing. When I was 37 weeks, and ultrasound estimated my daughter at 8 lbs, 12oz. From there, they assumed she'd weigh at or close to 10 lbs. at 40 weeks, and started trying to scare me into a c-section. She came at 40w3d, weighing in at exactly 8 lbs.

 

[ladyv]

I just wanted to say good luck.

And thank you. I was also on bed rest from 25-36 weeks. Went into premature labor at 31 weeks. Took the anti contraction drug for 3 weeks. The doctors told me I'd be lucky to make it to 35 weeks. And I made it to 35 weeks. Then 36, 37, 38, 39, 40....All that bed rest and my child was 7 days late. I thought I was nuts. Or the doctors were wrong. It's nice to hear a similar story to mine to know I wasn't alone.

 

[maddiesmom0116]

Good Luck!
My Dad was driving out of my doctors parking lot behind me and thought I pulled out and started to go and tapped me just hard enough to put a little crack in my bumber. I went into labor a few hours later, she was 5 weeks early but healthy and over 5lbs. My earlier visit to the doctor that day the baby had not dropped or turned, nothing, so I blame it on the bumber tap.

It was my dad's b-day too, so we tease him all the time and say he did it on purpose so they would share a B-day.

 

[CLR4321]

Good luck and don't worry! Just tell the Drs what your wishes are and stick to them. Those motherly instincts are awesome!

 

[ksjayhawkfan]

Just wanted to say good luck! And dont freak out too much about induction. I was induced with all 4 of mine for various reasons and was fine, no extra long labor, no c sections and 3 of those were with no pain meds.

 

[MarriedToAPrince]

Good Luck!! Don't put to much stock in ultrasounds for size. My Dr thought Chaeli would be big. They did and ultraound and estimated that she would be around 9lbs if I went to full term. She was born at 39 weeks exactly weighing 6lbs 8oz. She was completely healthy with apgars of 9 and 9. My cousin's wife had and ultrasound that estimated her DD to be between 5 and 6lbs. She delivered her a week later (4 weeks early) and she was a little over 4lbs. So ultrasounds for weight can be WAY off.

 

[emh1129]

Please don't offer your personal opinion as medical advice. Full term is 37-42 weeks. You are right that the baby can stay in there a little longer (although it sounds like she's not being induced until she's about 41 weeks). The placenta begins to deteriorate after 42 weeks. I'm totally against early inductions for no reason, but come on! The woman is term. Just because nature sometimes makes babies stay in longer, doesn't mean nature is always right. If you want to be totally natural in childbirth (I don't mean drugs in labor or anything like that), you have to accept the bad odds that go along with it.

To the OP. If you and your partner are up for it, doing something "private" is supposed to help. I won't go into the gross details, but look it up

Sorry to jump in here, but I just wanted to touch on a few of your points. The previous poster was on to something there.. and it was not just personal advice, there, as you said, because a good midwife or doctor would mention the risks of an induction as well.
(So there are not just 'bad odds' with letting nature take its course as you implied- it's a bit ironic, though, that you mentioned that.)

And slight correction- The placenta *can* begin to deteriorate after 42 weeks..most of the time, it's fine. Amniotic fluid levels are generally fine, as well, as long as the mother keeps well hydrated.

About the part I underlined- I think that's what the pp was saying. There are more 'bad odds' (to use your words) choosing an induction for the simple fact that you are past a random 'deadline' versus letting your body/baby choose when it is ready. There are risks with anything, of course (even crossing the street) but more here associated with induction.
And "post dates" are after 42 weeks.

Inductions often don't work because the woman's body just isn't ready to go into labor (they work best when they are least needed- as in, when the woman was close to labor anyway!)

Often it becomes 'failure to progess' which leads to c-section.

Or baby is not in a favorable position, and it can become a 'CPD' (cephalopelvic disproportion) when in actuality baby just didn't have time to move into place yet. So.. c-section. (side note, many women with this label have gone on to ******lly birth larger babies, so this "CPD" label is often not reality)

Or after the induction begins, baby begins to have decelerations in heart rate (pitocin causes unnatural contractions), so this leads to c-section.

Plus, with induction comes IV, then comes pitocin with unnatural & more painful contractions comes epidural (most of the time), so mom is now immobile. So flat on back= less help from our friend, gravity. And mom is not able to listen to her body to feel what positions are effective when pushing, etc. So then we have vacuums, episiotomies, etc. and that's if she even gets to the pushing phase.

So if you look at the research, inductions are not a walk in the park with no risks, either.
And again- sometimes everything goes just fine!
But it's definitely something that should take some research and careful consideration.

Many times this 40 week due date is also not quite accurate, either, which puts another spin on it all.. some women do not ovulate exactly on schedule, sometimes a woman can ovulate a second time.. etc. Some women have longer than 28 day cycles..

And ultrasounds can be +/- 2 lbs. So.. not too reliable.

I understand how hard it can be to wait.
But sometimes babies are truly not ready at 40 weeks. If both mom and baby are healthy, why rush things?

I think the previous poster (bumber?) was just trying to offer support if the mom wanted to let nature take its course. That the baby really will come, she really will go into labor. Often the people around us are anxious and want to meet baby, and our society is so prone to being impatient, that it can make us start to lose faith and become impatient as well (and make us say things like "40 weeks and still no baby! Help!" - when really that's not even post dates, so nothing to be concerned about.

Both of my girls were 10 days past their due dates.
It was hard waiting, but baby and I were fine, so it was just a waiting game.. especially hard when friends & family members couldn't understand why I didn't just go in for an induction so I could "hurry up and get the show on the road!"

OP- none of this was directed at you, just wanted to add a bit more info because the previous poster left me scratching my head a bit.. and I am sure that everything went beautifully for you! I just couldn't resist adding a bit more info to this.

Can't wait to hear about your beautiful baby

 

[LWatson]

Plus, with induction comes IV, then comes pitocin with unnatural & more painful contractions comes epidural (most of the time), so mom is now immobile. So flat on back= less help from our friend, gravity. And mom is not able to listen to her body to feel what positions are effective when pushing, etc. So then we have vacuums, episiotomies, etc. and that's if she even gets to the pushing phase.

I didnt find that the contractions with the pitocin were worse at all. They were actually the same if nto easier than my normal contractions in my prior births. I was not flat on my back either. I was able to sit up, rotate to the hands and knee position, use a bar, walk around with my drip/iv...etc. Things I would have been able to do w/o it.

 

[Ciciwoowoo]

Good luck to you! I look forward to reading your happy news shortly! I will keep you and baby in my prayers!!!

 

[Aryn]

I was induced with both of my kids. The first DD10 was 1 week early, the Dr. asked me "do you want to have a baby today" I wasnt doing anything (LOL) so I agreed. The Pitocin made me violently ill. I threw up untill I got my epidural, after that it was a breeze. The second DS7 was 3 weeks early and my blood pressure was so high that they tried to put me on bed rest, but I said that was not going to happen with a 3 year old, so they put me in the hospital and gave me pitocin again. He was born within 30 minutes, in fact the Dr. who gave me my epidural had not even left the room before the head had crowned and the OB was freaking out! He had a few problems (they said he was a cold baby). Both turned out perfect and I wish you luck. I'm sure everything will turn out whatever you decide.