OK, OK - time for an update - and no, I am NOT a Mum yet!

Yes - I was due on the 14th - or the 15th if you go by my dating scan. Whatever.

Either way, I'm now a week overdue - or to be more precise, the BABY is overdue. I was ok for the first week - but since yesterday - I'm getting a liiiiiittle frustrated.

I told you last week that the midwife thought I'd be at least a week away - so I knew to expect this. But still - you HOPE that after another week you'll have your baby in your arms and when it doesn't happen you get a bit down.

For most women, all this would mean is that by now their obstetrician - whether public or private - would be booking an induction. The average time a woman will go over is about 10 days, but if baby & Mum are healthy, and the woman would like to try and go into spontaneous labour, the OB may at their discretion extend this to 2 weeks.

For me, having a home birth - well the rules are slightly different. I wait as long as I want to - my midwife, providing the baby and I are well, will support my decision. But every day that baby doesn't come is a day closer to medical intervention. This is a home birther's worst nightmare!

I'm not going to give that idea much energy - I'm sure this little one will come soon - but I tell you, the pressure is on! Not only for the reasons of wanting to have my home birth and not have to go to hospital - but because Dave's idiot bosses at work have informed him that he has to start his holidays from tomorrow. He is only taking 2 weeks (despite having more owed) - which I think is the absolute MINIMUM that a new father should spend with their baby. But they say they're not willing to let him take it from when baby comes - he has to go now.

So now I have the pressure of knowing that if the worst case scenario happens, and I go over by another week to 10 days (which is possible) and THEN have to go to hospital - well by the time I get out, he'll be back at work. That is SO not what we wanted for this birth or for the baby - or for each other. I'm trying to stay focussed and positive - after all, bubby COULD come on the weekend, then we'll have a full 2 weeks together and everyone's happy! And I'm focussing on Dave and I spending the days waiting for bubby trying to relax, enjoying each other and our last few days as just a couple.

But still... *sigh*

On top of THAT - my doula is going away on Sunday - she didn't think apparently that I might be that late.
And on top of THAT - my midwife tells me yesterday that she's booked to work over the weekend, and was trying to work out what she'd do if I went into labour.

Although we all know that baby's are on nobody's timetable but their own - I feel like I'm putting EVERYONE out - not that I can do anything more than what I'm doing!

And what am I doing? Check this out - all the natural induction methods I have been trying since even before the 40 week mark:

• having cups of Raspberry Leaf Tea every day, as well as capsules (been doing this since 36 weeks to strengthen the uterus and promote a faster, more productive labour)
• taking Evening Primrose Oil and also using it internally (sorry if TMI)
• having sex! having orgasms!
• burning clary sage oil, and rubbing it on belly
• walking
• eating spicy food
• nipple stimulation
• bouncing on my fitball
• swaying & rocking my hips
• had my second session of acupuncture yesterday
• midwife performed a stretch and sweep yesterday *more on this in a bit*

So as you can see - I'm TRYING to get this baby out!!! I wish I could relax a bit more - I mean I personally don't mind if he needs to 'cook' a bit longer, that's up to him ... but if he could come in the next few days that would really be best for EVERYONE...

The only thing I haven't tried - and won't try until I'm good and desperate - is taking castor oil. While it's supposed to be pretty good at inducing labour, it can also cause bad cramping, diarrhoea and dehydration - all things that make you weak and not as effective in labour. So it's a bit of a gamble.

So anyhow... how did my ultrasound go last Friday?

Perfectly!

Baby is VERY healthy - scored 8 out of 8 on the biophysical profile which means he's happy, healthy - he's getting plenty of nutrients from my placenta which is working wonderfully - he's moving heaps, practice breathing and a good size.

And speaking of size - you know how we thought we had a small baby? Well to give you some perspective - a small - but still healthy - baby is about 5-6 pounds. Under that can be considered an issue. Over that is very average, and very normal.

Well - they have predicted that as at a week ago baby weighs about 3.3kg --- give or take 800grams. That's anywhere between 6.5 and 8 pounds! But more likely to be about 7.2 pounds. So much for my tiny, easy-to-birth baby! And he would have grown since then - and will grow more if I go another week! So yep - he's healthy and there was NO need to worry at all *sigh* Ah well - at least we know now - and that will also help in the decision on how long to let me go overdue before turning to medical intervention...

So my doula suggested that I might try acupuncture to help induction. Had my first session last Tuesday - then another one yesterday. I was surprised how relaxing it was! Hopefully it will help my body to release oxytocin into my system, which will help induce labour. I have a third session booked for next Tuesday but I am HOPING I will need to cancel as baby is already here. Fingers crossed!

Also I had a midwife appointment yesterday. We talked about things, she's still sure he'll come when he's ready. She checked me again and while my cervix is softer than last week, it's still a bit high. Baby's head is engaged further but still not fully. So she thinks it might be next week *sigh*

As I mentioned earlier, she DID perform a stretch and sweep on me --- if you haven't heard of this before, basically a finger is inserted inside the opening to the cervix, and the membranes are carefully separated from the uterine wall.

IT IS PAINFUL!

Honestly - it was so bloody uncomfortable - I really had to breathe through it. But I just kept visualising my baby, and I want to meet him SO MUCH that I just let her go with it, even though I was really struggling, in the hope that it would help induce labour.

I had really strong abdominal cramping and Braxton Hicks contractions afterwards for about 4 hours... I actually felt a bit awful during that time and really wanted to just lie in bed (but had things to do). It caused a bit of very light spotting but that stopped after a couple of hours.

Then late last night I had a bit of a 'show' (TMI warning...) ... a show, for those who don't know, is when you are coming into labour (could be hours or days away though) you start to lose the mucus plug that blocks the opening of the cervix, as the cervix softens and thins. This thinning also can cause bleeding as some of the fine blood vessels burst - so a show is usually mucusy with some dark, old blood in it.

Well - that's what I had last night BUT - I refuse to get excited and read anything into it, because it was probably stirred up by my midwife. Still a show - but might not be a sign of labour. At least something's happening though.

So that's about it from me. Dave is here with me for 2 weeks from tomorrow, and sometime during that period we will have a son. There are a number of important days coming up that he could be born on: 24th is Mum's birthday; 25th is Academy Awards day (my friends now why this is significant! LOL!); the 27th is my late Nan's birthday - and of course the 29th is leap year day! I really don't want a leap year baby! AUGH!

And then of course it's March....... and while I'll only be 15 days over by then, it's daunting to think I might have my baby in a whole other month than what we expected. Let's not even think about that...

Hopefully I will keep things up-to-date here more frequently from now on. I appreciate your feedback and support - I am just trying to stay positive, focussed on my home birth, and patiently wait for my son. It will all be worth it in the end! Nothing worth having comes without a struggle - and I believe that! :)