STILL not a Mummy and 12 days past due now...
Well here we are, 12 days past my original due date of February 15th and I am still not a Mummy. I am feeling really down now and wondering if my plans for a home birth will need to be scrapped...
I had a slightly promising appointment with my midwife yesterday afternoon. She had come on Monday, and done a second stretch & sweep (which I will refer to as a S&S from here on in...) - but she had told me that I had made little progress since the past Thursday. My cervix was still high and not soft enough inside - only 1cm dilated - and very hard for her to reach to sweep it effectively. The sweep was SUPER painful - I was in tears and Dave came in when he heard me sobbing to hold my hand, that's how awful it was. But I stuck with it, told her to keep going, so I could meet my baby...
But yesterday afternoon, only 30 hours after the last check, she found my cervix to be REALLY soft, much lower (and easier to reach) and I'm 2cm dilated. She was able to do a really long, effective S&S - which was uncomfortable, but not painful like the day before. I felt hopeful that she may say "Oh you're getting close, it could be any day now!" but still - she said it could be soon, it could be a week, who knows. Great - just what I need to hear... She did say to keep doing what I had done the previous day - so last night it was more rocking, moving, leaning forward... today I'll be doing the castor oil thing again (in a double dose) and upping my dosage of herbs.
Anyhow... I had lots of tightness/pain last night, and obviously overnight as well because I was feeling very sore in the tummy this morning. Lots of show (sorry if TMI) since the sweep yesterday but that's to be expected. It feels really different 'down there' too, all swollen and 'pushed out' which has only happened in the last day or two. So fingers crossed that progress stays steady and I got into labour spontanesously really soon.
The plan is that I will definitely wait till Friday (at 2 weeks late) and then MY plan is that as long as my midwife approves, I will wait the weekend as well. Then - if he hasn't come on Monday, or I'm not in labour by then - we have some decisions to make about whether to monitor baby and wait, or induce, or some other plan. It will all depend on how healthy I am, how healthy bubs is, and how much I progress in that time.
So please - anyone reading this - send me positive vibes and lots of home birth labour energy so I can have my dream home birth. And ANY suggestions are welcome at this point too :)
I had a slightly promising appointment with my midwife yesterday afternoon. She had come on Monday, and done a second stretch & sweep (which I will refer to as a S&S from here on in...) - but she had told me that I had made little progress since the past Thursday. My cervix was still high and not soft enough inside - only 1cm dilated - and very hard for her to reach to sweep it effectively. The sweep was SUPER painful - I was in tears and Dave came in when he heard me sobbing to hold my hand, that's how awful it was. But I stuck with it, told her to keep going, so I could meet my baby...
But yesterday afternoon, only 30 hours after the last check, she found my cervix to be REALLY soft, much lower (and easier to reach) and I'm 2cm dilated. She was able to do a really long, effective S&S - which was uncomfortable, but not painful like the day before. I felt hopeful that she may say "Oh you're getting close, it could be any day now!" but still - she said it could be soon, it could be a week, who knows. Great - just what I need to hear... She did say to keep doing what I had done the previous day - so last night it was more rocking, moving, leaning forward... today I'll be doing the castor oil thing again (in a double dose) and upping my dosage of herbs.
Anyhow... I had lots of tightness/pain last night, and obviously overnight as well because I was feeling very sore in the tummy this morning. Lots of show (sorry if TMI) since the sweep yesterday but that's to be expected. It feels really different 'down there' too, all swollen and 'pushed out' which has only happened in the last day or two. So fingers crossed that progress stays steady and I got into labour spontanesously really soon.
The plan is that I will definitely wait till Friday (at 2 weeks late) and then MY plan is that as long as my midwife approves, I will wait the weekend as well. Then - if he hasn't come on Monday, or I'm not in labour by then - we have some decisions to make about whether to monitor baby and wait, or induce, or some other plan. It will all depend on how healthy I am, how healthy bubs is, and how much I progress in that time.
So please - anyone reading this - send me positive vibes and lots of home birth labour energy so I can have my dream home birth. And ANY suggestions are welcome at this point too :)
posted by ~* Tracey *~ @ 12:01
5 Comments:
At 27 February 2008 23:15 ,
Anonymous said...
Hi Tracey,
Sending you good vibes all the way from Brazil! I'm planning a home birth myself (24 weeks now), and I hope everything goes wonderful in your home birht for you and your baby.
Ana
At 28 February 2008 09:58 ,
gold coast mum said...
Hi Tracey,
I sincerely hope your little boy arrives shortly for you. I know all too well the anticipation of waiting. My first was 8 days over and we were about to be induced. I then cleaned the showers on the Monday and went into labour very early on the Tuesday morning (maybe all the beding up and down did something). It just happens out of the blue and then before you know it you have a baby nestling in your arms. # 2 was a different story. Due 14th Feb last year and arrived early on 16th. Anyway I really believe that things happen for a reason and your son thinks he needs to grow just that little bit more before he greets you. And he must really want to be a Pisces (cant blame him - I am one he he) Anyway enjoy this anticipation period because you will never experience it again. It is a little different with #2 because you have #1 to run around after, so sit back and look after you. I hope everything goes really well for you and go the waterbirth (you'll tear less - if at all) GOLD COAST MUM
At 28 February 2008 17:56 ,
Kirsten said...
Hi,
I am a lurker on the EB homebirth forum!
I went 2 weeks early with my daughter and then nearly 2 weeks over with my son. I tried everything, including a potion of blue/black cohosh. I took it that afternoon and went into labour that night. I'm still not sure if I was just ready to go or this is what helped!
Let me know if you want the details
Kirsten
At 28 February 2008 21:01 ,
Anonymous said...
Tracey, STOP FOCUSING ON DATES!!!
Nothing is wrong. You are not 2 weeks overdue. You are 42 weeks pregnant. Your baby knows when it wants to come. Let it decide!
You need to work on your trust issues with your body, and on the fact that you are allowing other people’s shit to interfere with your trust in your body. There is no guaranteed time table to a natural birth. It is only control freak people that try to control it and give it a time table. Women deliver NORMALLY anywhere between 37-46 weeks. Some women go earlier, some go later. All is normal.
We focus far too much on the 40 week gestation, when very few women actually deliver spot on 40 weeks. So if very few women deliver spot on 40 weeks, why does after that magical number everything turn around, and become over due? Suddenly a few days pass and we panic, and we should not.
Is your baby well? Are you well? Is your baby moving lot’s, being as active as ever? I am sure it is, so stop stressing!
I would frankly stop TRYING to go into labour, stop doing things to go into labour. It’s all focusing on that there is something wrong, like you need to make it happen. Did you focus and obsess on your baby growing, at 6 months, 7 months, 8 months? Did you suddenly decide I have to do all this stuff to make baby grow? No? So why try to induce labour? Your baby is chilling out, relaxing, getting ready for the big day, and his mum is just stressing about things being wrong, when nothing is wrong.
Your home water birth will happen as long as you insist that is where you are birthing. NO ONE can force you to birth anywhere else. You need to remove yourself from every situation which undermines you, and undermines trust in your body.
Take the phone off the hook, ignore emails. Advise your midwife you will be having a home water birth when baby decides to come. No one, NO ONE, N O O N E can force you to go to hospital, to be induced.
Remember your midwife also will recommend whatever she recommends, because she is under pressure to a certain degree too. She has to advise you on ‘what is recommended’.
You need remove any responsibility from her, and own it yourself, and take ownership of your body and your birth rite.
I would also suggest, if you weaken
1) Go to www.joyousbirth.info and post in the forum, and get support there. You will find tons. You need to surround yourself with energy that believes in your body and does not consider anything wrong because you are 42 weeks
2) I know a woman that gestates normally to 43 and 44 weeks, and has homebirthed. She has 5 kids. I can find her number for you if you like and you can call her and speak to her.
3) Don’t go into hospital for monitoring!!! They will make you doubt yourself! If your baby is moving actively, why do you need to monitor anything?
4) I will pm you my number. If you need moral support, call me.
Now go have a bath and chill out!
Sue :)
At 28 February 2008 22:15 ,
missusb said...
Just followed your link here from EB. Wow, 2 weeks overdue, you must be very excited to meet your baby. All the best, sending lots of labour vibes your way :D
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