For those that went OVERDUE with their FIRST baby.....

[Lulu]

Can you try to avoid focussing on THE date at all? You might not even be over right now, just right on track?

Well thats what I did anyway, refused to be hooked into the DD thing, even told myself they would come around xxx WEEK, instead of day. hth

[AnyDream]

Great advice, as always, Lulu!!

Well I went to 42.5 weeks before I could no longer avoid an induction. The drs stressed to me the higher risks of intervention after a certain point overdue so I took the induction after dancing around it for a few days (it was long and hard, and as i later discovered, horribly mismanaged). BUT this scenario's pretty rare. There's a thread around here somewhere which asks when did people give birth in relation to their due date. There's a graph that I found that shows a huge spike in birth numbers around the 41 week mark. So it sounds normaller to go over than to go early, esp in first births.

Good luck, I wish you every blessing in your powerful birth journey!

[skybie]

I was 9 days over with DD1 they said that they werent ovely worried because the blood flow to my placenta was still really good, or something like that anyways!!
went into early labour at about 2am and she was born 23 hours later at 1242am, early labour is now a dirty word in our house, we went to the hospital about 3 times only to be sent home because ? was only in early labour still'. so frustrating!!
Good luck hun! hopefully you and baby_blip have ur lil bundles in the next few days

[Crystalwings]

Like thepixie I would definatly recommend acupuncture. I wasn't overdue but by the end of the 38th week bub was engaged and I had acupuncture twice. After the second treatment I went into labour that night. It can also help to relax and open the pelvis, this part didn't work for me but for induction, definatly.

[Toomanytoomany]

Because a normal pregnancy is at term anywhere between thirty eight and forty two weeks, you might not even be "overdue"! There's a lot of fixation by the medical profession on the "due date" (which is really an estimated due date) so it's understandable that we internalise that. Your baby might not be late at all but right on track for where your baby needs to be.

I went two weeks over, not with my first, but with my second. The reason for that was that her presentation was not good - she was breech, then transverse. So her head was not putting good pressure on my cervix and helping it ripen. I ended up being induced, it was gentle, and wonderful. How is your baby presenting? I believe you posted that it had dropped or were feeling that it might be engaged.

At forty one weeks you might ask for a stretch and sweep, which is a relatively low risk but often very effective way of getting things moving, and at the very least getting your cervix more favourable. You can also ask for monitoring to make sure your baby and your placenta are doing well. If all is well, baby is happy, and you can tolerate the itch (have you tried hydrocortisone cream?) then you should be able to delay a doctor's imposed limit with no medical indication.

All the best - you are a very stoic lady and I've been following your posts, not in a stalkerish way wishing you all the best!

[Yael]

I have gone 12 days over with both my children... I had an induction with my first, and went naturally (avoiding my induction book for 2 days later), with my second.

Clearly my body just needs to cook my babies a bit longer. Next time i am adding 12 days to my EDD before i even consider myself due.

It is very stressful and anxious to be overdue (trust me, 12 x 2 taught me that), but do try to enjoy the last special days you have together. Unfortunatly you don't see a trend for a least a few babies in terms of how long your pregnancies are. but just look at this experience as a knew way about learning about how your body works.

Good luck!

[suse]

I was 11 days over when labour started spontaneously. I had been booked for induction 10 days over, but had negotiated an extension after monitoring that day showed that all was progressing fine, at which point the induction was rescheduled for 12 days post dates pending further monitoring. Wasn't needed in the end.

I had had acupuncture at 9 days over, then DTD 10 days over, and was due for more acupuncture the day I went into labour, which also wasn't needed.

Good luck - it will happen soon - no two ways about that!

[MantaRay]

DS1 was too days overdue (based on my dates, but once he was born his skin was very dry and his nails long, so more than likely it was actually a bit more than that). I had no signs of pre-labour so when labour started it was very unexpected (and for the first 2 hours I thought I just had a tummy bug LOL!).

DS2 was 3 1/2 weeks early so having one late doesn't mean subsequent babies will be.

[christy]

DD1 was induced at 16 days post EDD.... She was born 17 days post EDD. I was booked in at 14 days post EDD, becuase I had avoided induction but she wasn't sitting on my cervix so they wouldn't induce anyway. I went home very confused... they then encouraged me to have a caesarean, which I refused. But a few days later when I went back to be induced, I wound up with a failure to progress. Matilda didn't look overcooked at all.


DD2 was born at 13 days post EDD. I went into my room just at the time my appointment was with an OB who was going to "encourage" me to have an induction.

[sunshine_sieben]

I didn't go over my DD at all. But I agree with others who said to try and forget about the DD. DD was due 31.05.07 and I just told everybody that she was due some time end of May or beginning on June. She was born 27.05.
This bubba is due 26.06.09 and again, I don't tell people the date, I just tell them that it's due end of June/beginning of July.

Hang in there! Try to distract yourself. BB is a good place to start. Read a book (unrelated to babies) as it might be your last chance for a while.
AND GET DH TO SPOIL YOU ROTTEN!

Saša

[Rachel]

DD was 5 days over due when I went into natural labour. I thought it was the most horrible 5 days of my life...after she was born I felt silly as it was only 5 days and hope that with this next baby I won't be so focused on the EDD (although I am more prepared for an overdue baby this time). I understand how terribly hard and frustrating it is to go overdue, I hope your baby makes their appearance very soon for you. All the best.

[Tobily]

I've never had a mum who has waited for labour go past 42 weeks...there are women that do but most of us will labour before then. I've had quite a few that have gone at 41+, but always before the 42 wk mark.

Odds are that you'll go in the next week...and if you don't you still have options

Hang in there it's such a headgame huh. x

[rhyb]

9 days over here and I didnt do anything differently ds was just slow to start I guess

[sirenz]

i don't want to scare you with my story, but here goes:

i went 13 days over, cervix wasn't ripe so i got the gels, this got things moving for 2 days i was in pre labour, no sleep cause it was soooo annoying, they broke waters and full on contractions started pretty much straight away, didn't need the synto. 13 hours later ds was in severe distress and his birth ended in emergency c/s, turned out the cord was wrapped tightly around his neck and with each contraction it was getting tighter and tighter, he couldn't decend, so therefore couldn't be born normally, i have no idea if this had anything to do with the induction, but he almost didn't make it

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

I was overdue with DS. I postponed my induction from Friday to Monday (good thing too as I wouldn't have avoided a section if I'd have gone in on Friday!), but I think I wasn't that overdue but my lying dates, which weren't true at all, said otherwise. I think DS was due the day before my induction (which didn't work because I was in labour at the time but anyway...) but the hospital said I was 13 days over.

Um. Just cancel your induction in the morning. Baby knows when baby wants to come out. Who cares about hospital dates?

ETA: I was soooo at peace I'm amazed I didn't give birth at 30w then! But next time (if there is one) I'm going glam too. Lulu, just an outfit? No body hair sequins? That's what I'm doing!

[~clover~]

Can you try to avoid focussing on THE date at all? You might not even be over right now, just right on track?

Well thats what I did anyway, refused to be hooked into the DD thing, even told myself they would come around xxx WEEK, instead of day. hth

Thats a good Idea. DD2 was due May 29, but coz I was overdue with DD1 I figured I would be with DD2 as well, so I told everyone that's my due date, but I'm expecting a June baby.
June 5 she came along!