Two days overdue

Lol sounds like a fabulous afternoon on the deck

No advice really, just because I know what you're going through! DS was induced at 10 days overdue.
Oh actually one thing I did - I went and got an acupressure massage. Don't think it actually did anything in terms of bringing on labour but was LOVELY, nice to have a treat like that when you're feeling awful and huge and sick of waiting! If I'm overdue again this time I think I'll go a couple of times.

Hope your wee girl decides to put in an appearance soon

Do something nice for yourself. Get out some DVDs and books, get a pedicure and manicure, get your hair cut. Bake and enjoy

A friend also made a helpful comment, that the baby needs to be in there a bit longer. It helped me shift my focus from "me me me, woe is me, life is terrible" to "OK, my baby needs to be in me a bit longer".

I am a 42 week mother - one son born at 42+1, the other at 42+2 and those weeks are LOOOONNNGGGGG. The thing I found hardest was the uncertainty. For DS2, I wanted to avoid induction till 42 weeks after a bad experience with #1s induction but I broke at 41 weeks and asked the MW to book it. She couldn't book me in till 42 weeks so it worked out, but for me just having that date was a huge thing for my mental state. I needed to know that there was a plan B - I still hoped plan A would happen, but if not, I had some certainty.

With massages, you lie on your side - you can get tables with holes for the tummy but it's not good for the tummy muscles.

BTW, your MW isn't necessarily correct about aging placentas and death. An EDD is just an estimate, some people gestate longer. They can up your monitoring once you're overdue - I had weekly visits with my MW, very strict instructions to ring her if I was worried *at all*, and I had a BPP scan at 8 days over to check my placenta, fluid levels and the baby. I also had regular CTG checks. That monitoring is pretty good at picking up issues if there are any.

That said, you need to balance what's best for you. In my case, DH couldn't have handled me going over 42 weeks as all his workmates helpfully told him stories of fetal death which scared the crap out of him. So for us, the right thing was to be induced at 42 weeks. And while the induction wasn't brilliant, we had a really good birth and a very happy healthy baby so that was all good

Good luck!

Flissty and TheKelly, thanks so much for your very helpful posts.

Flissty, thanks especially for mentioning the possibility of a BPP scan and other checks to make sure she's all right. It's nice to have things to bring up with the midwife.

TheKelly, thanks for making the point that most primigravidae go past the EDD. I'd actually forgotten! 24 days over, wow. That woman must have amazing mental strength.

Mostly, cheers all for understanding. :) Might help stop me from cracking up... and I'm only two days overdue? Still? I posted this today? Aaaaaaaargh!!

what flissty said! i am another one whose pregnancies all were 42+ and i had three of them, all induced! Unless you had a very early scan the due date is really an Estimate... and as Flissty said there are ways of checking everything is functioning as it should be. shame on your midwife for trying those scare tactics so early in the game too!

Baby will come when baby is ready! There is an end and I don't think it's nice of your mw to say those thing, she probably didn't really think about it when she said it!

Also I was told pregnancy is 42 weeks not 40, although mine came at 39 and I had planned stuff for those last 3 weeks! Grr! Can't win I say!
Enjoy the time you have until baby comes!

Oh and 10 days is the norm, mine said once you get to about 10 days OD they look at induction etc. But even though my waters broke I still had to be induced, just not fully induced.

I go over due with my babies as well, My son was born at 42 weeks, but I went into labour finally at 12 days over due, his labour was long and I had a emerg CS, but thats only to do with me!

My daughter was born at 9 days over due, I had an elective CS due to pervious CS, I was going tot ry naturally but at 7 days over due I was so fed up we got a CS booked in for 2 days later.

Its a really hard time being overdue, but try and enjoy the little time you have left to yourself like Flissty said, do something nice for yourself, get a facial or a pedicure or something.

Also, no oen can force you to be induced, a few ladies on here have waited util labour starts naturally and it usually does by 42 weeks, as long as baby is fine in there(and they can check with CTG and scans), then theres no reason why you cant wait it out. Dont let your midwife scare you too much

I'm an overdue mama too. My first was 10days over. I went into labour naturally and it progressed really slowly so I ended up basically being induced anyway. Second was 9days over and I had a sucsessful home birth third was 11days over and I had another sucsessful home birth..After my first with me being so stressed and keen to get baby out it made for a very uptight labour and delivery, consecutive pregnancies I just relaxed and told myself the baby will come when it's ready, and just wait! So second and third were born into much calmer surroundings and it was lovely. To help me relax I tried not to dwell on how many days over I was by setting my own EDD of 42weeks rather than 40 weeks. So to me all my babies were slightly early
Enjoy your time with your partner and do things to keep your mind off it.
Good luck with the upcoming birth

Normally just a lurker but I'm overdue too, 41 weeks yesterday and good to hear I'm not the only one who feels like they're cracking up. Had a big meltdown on Sunday morning after my second unsuccessful stretch and sweep, just made for a terrible night's sleep of cramps and backache. I feel like the highlight of my day is blood tests and peeing in a cup. Have a test free day so feeling better. Hope you're hanging in there too.

Edited by blueberry

I was 9 days overdue with DD and for the first few days it did my head in, as I am quite impaitent at the best of times! But then I planned things to do each day to keep myself sane and busy and looking back it was the best thing ever as it really was my last few days of freedom before bubs arrived!

I was quite relaxed about the entire induction thing as I was going to be strong about it and not let them induce me until I was 14 days overdue as I believed that DD wanted to stay inside for a bit longer for whatever reason and I was not going to be bullied into an induction (which petrified me!)

Oh and even tho I was 9 days over due I started getting contractions (mild) at 7 days so knew the end was in sight!

That stretch and sweep stuff isn't pleasant but it isn't the worst thing I've had done either. Each time for me my midwife has said everything is well and truly in the right place but nothing comes of it. Had an ongoing show for over a week now and tightenings as well. I'm not sure what's a normal amount of testing but my body decided to swell like a balloon in the last month, hence why I have to get tested so often at the moment every second day (nothing wrong with me really just look like violet from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) and I'm meant to stay at home an rest, which is boring but I know when baby is here there will be days where I will be wishing to have that time back.

I've got an apt tomorrow to plan an induction and will find out what happens from there. This is my first baby so not sure what to expect but I guess it's the unknown and not knowing what's normal for you is what makes it difficult.

PS Not doing the nipple, pineapple thing either!

Edited by blueberry