Reached due date & no signs of labour

[Shannon02]

So iv reached my due date today & im fed up with pregnancy 🤦🏻‍♀️ Iv had to children before, both early no complications at all but this one will not budge I’ve tried EVERYTHING! Trust me it’s not been fun😒 can I ask my midwife for a sweep to check me I just want to meet my little girl now !

[roxannacar]

Midwife will normally offer you a sweep if you're due. Sadly,

there is nothing you can do it make babies come before ... And even a sweep might not work, but worth a try. Mine were 6 days 6 days and 11 days overdue (had an induction, failed sweep). Hang on in there it's frustrating but only a blip in real terms.

[Shannon02 in reply to roxannacar]

When would she offer me one? Or could I call up and maybe ask for one?

[roxannacar in reply to Shannon02]

Are you not seeing her anytime this week? I've was been offered on my appointments. Could try calling her if not.

[Shannon02 in reply to roxannacar]

I don’t have an appointment until next Tuesday.

[MissSaoPaulo]

My Pilates teacher reckons dancing Salsa helped her get labour started!

I had a sweep at 40 weeks and it didn't do anything, but it seems to work for some. Good luck, hope babba makes a move soon xxx

[Shannon02 in reply to MissSaoPaulo]

Oh really?! Well I’ve been doing just dance on my Nintendo switch and it hasn’t done much but maybe a different kind of dance would work so I’ll give it a go!! Thankyou xxx

[Hidden]

All 3 of mine were induced as they refused to come out of their own accord. I tried all the old wives tales but nothing did the trick - eating pineapple curries, raspberry leaf tea, bouncing on a yoga ball, going up and down the stairs, losds of sex, hot baths, crawling around on all fours... all made no difference at all. Also had two sweeps from the community midwives for each child... still nothing. My personal experience is that nothing encourages labour to start until your body is ready in it's own time, except induction. Unless there are any concerns re your or your baby's health they won't offer this until you are about a week over the due date, then it will be booked for a couple of days after that.

[Shannon02 in reply to Hidden]

Might but tmi but I’ve been having loads of thick stringy mucus coming out for over a week but no blood show so I don’t know what that means if anyone knows! I’ve no problems in my other 2 pregnancies and both was early so I’m not sure what’s going on with this one! Xx

[Hidden in reply to Shannon02]

Sounds like the mucus plug has been breaking down and coming out. It isn't always bloody- the two of my three that came out were both clear/white. It is a sign of your body getting ready for birth but unfortunately it can be anywhere between a day or over a week before labour.

[MiaJosie]

4 days until my due date and no sign of labour yet so can relate. It might be helpful to remember you are not even "late" at this point as only 4% of babies are born on their due date but about 80% are born 7 days of either side of that date. Still, I'm confused about induction .and risks/benefits at week 40 .. different studies about this seem to have different results??

[Shannon02 in reply to MiaJosie]

Yeah I read that to I’m just confused as my other 2 were both early so thought it maybe the same but how wrong was I! So I’m abit scared about being induced if I need to be as I e never had any problems before ever. Might but tmi but I’ve been having loads of thick stringy mucus coming out but no blood show so I don’t know what that means if anyone knows! Xx

[MiaJosie in reply to Shannon02]

Oh, exciting! Maybe the mucus plug? Mucus plug isn't always accompanied by a "bloody show" so it can be transparent, this article says: medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

[Hidden]

I had three very different inductions.

One was a dream birth - pessary in, kicked off 4 hrs later, did 4 hrs pacing the antenatal ward corridor on 2 paracetamol, examination showed i was 8cm, went down to labour ward, got on the gas and air and pushed for literally 10 contractions if that. All over less than 5½ hrs from first cramp.

The second time I was in hospital for 3 days trying to get labour to start - 2 24hr pessaries, a 6 hr pessary, the hormone gel then eventually the drip as my waters had broken but nothing else, no cramps, no contractions, no dilation. The drip was very fast and intense, I just sucked on the gas and air like my life depended on it and hung on for the ride. All over in 3¼ hrs from turning the drip on.

The third was a bit more complicated. Pessary in, labour started a few hours after but contractions were coming very fast, very short and no time between them so they weren't doing anything in the way of softening or dilating the cervix, they were just painful and tiring. After 6 hrs the monitor showed baby was getting distressed. So they gave me an injection to slow the contractions but it didnt work so they removed the pessary and left me to see if my body would take over and carry on more normal labour. It didnt. So we gave up for the night and got some rest then broke my waters the next morning to start labour that way instead. This time the contractions were much more normal, sensible timing, sensible length, slowly building in intensity, it all felt like it was going well... but after 3 hrs we had got to the point that my body was involuntarily pushing and i could.jo longer stop it, but I was only 6 cm dilated. Again the baby was distressed as it was being pushed down but had no exit route so we rushed off to theatre for a c section. Even so, at no point during any of this experience, the two labours or the surgery or the stay on postnatal ward afterward (all mostly on my own due, did I feel at all worried, stressed, upset - It was still a good birthing experience, which is testimony to the amazing hospital teams.

So yeah, having had 3 inductions I can't tell you what it would be like 😂

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Oh, and worth saying, all 3 babies came out happy and healthy and I am now 3½weeks into my recovery from the c section and doing really well, considering I'm 40 this year so no spring chicken and expected to be a slow healer. Im not taking any medication since 9 days after surgery and can do everything I could before, just not too much in any given day.

[Shannon02]

You are one strong lady!