# Asking for a Home birth after 42 weeks *update was induced*



## Weezie123

Just wanted to post to give confidence to those who are concerned about asking to go over 42 weeks and labour at home. I asked my midwife today to delay my induction and she wrote on my notes that I had asked for a delay as I wanted a home birth! 

I was originally booked in for 42 weeks on the dot and had been so stressed with the though of missing this "deadline" my baby and my body needed to perform to.

We decided on an hour of monitoring at 42 weeks and then to have two extra days over before thinking about booking an induction with the option to extend again if all is well. I was all ready for confrontation but she agreed with me that if all is healthy with me and the baby that delaying intervention is still a good option and well within my rights to do! I can't tell you what a weight has been lifted off me being given more time to do things naturally!

Please come soon little one!:baby:


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## irish_cob

That's fab news :) Pleased to hear your MW was so supportive.


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## Samantha675

That is wonderful. Support makes such a difference.


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## Weezie123

Thanks guys, I was so anxious about asking that I didn't sleep a wink, now I feel free to trust my body again!:happydance:


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## lesbianlove

aw thats gr8 news hunny, i hope u get ur well awaited healthy homebirth xx


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## Mervs Mum

Fabulous!! It's nice when your wishes are respected isn't it! :D


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## fides

wow, that is wonderful!


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## Fruitymeli

thats good news :)


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## Nikki_d72

Good stuff!


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## Weezie123

Thanks guys, just makes a change to be able to report on a midwife who looked at me as an individual not a patient!


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## indigo_fairy

Weezie123 said:


> Thanks guys, just makes a change to be able to report on a midwife who looked at me as an individual not a patient!

Amen to that! :thumbup:


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## Weezie123

Just a little update. I was booked to go in for monitoring of the baby yesterday with the midwife. All was well, baby was very happy. The head midwife said that the protocol was to go to the hospital to speak to a consultant as I was wanting to go beyond the 42 weeks and this was out of the their jurisdiction, which I understand. Also that they would want to scan the baby to look at the fluid levels.

They were lovely and supportive of me though and were kind of appologising that I had to go (obviously I didn't HAVE to but I wanted to be monitored).

I waited at the hospital for 3 hours as they were so busy. I had no monitoring . I told them I wanted to go on waiting until Monday which would mean I was 42+3 according to their ultrasound but only 41+6 according to my dates. They gave me a talk about how my placenta was in danger of shutting down due to calcification and that I was taking a high risk strategy! While I was in there it confirmed why I don't want to go to hospital or "this hell hole" as my husband affectionately called it! I could hear all the womens intimate problems and also the curtain was nudged by a nurse that meant I could actually see the woman next doors feet as she was being internally examined!

The studies they were talking about supporting their claims were done in 1956 when infant mortality was much higher! They did admit they didn't have that much info as not many women are allowed to go over. 

I compromised and said I would go in on Sunday, they were so anxious that I didn't go against "guide lines" that they booked me in at 7.30 am and moved another poor woman's appointment to get me in (hopefully she will get more of a chance to go naturally now!) 

Basically I have been scare mongered at the hospital and given 1 extra day in the end! They said they like to induce at 41+12 so in their minds I'm way over that but the printed leaflet they gave me said 42 weeks was ok and then monitoring twice a week. The consultant tried to tell me I needed to go in every day I was over 42 weeks! I'm in on Friday to check the fluid levels now as I said that every day was a bit ott as the monitoring of the heartbeat only tells you the baby is ok for the 20 mins you're being monitored as they also pointed out to scare me!

I felt like a freak, she said to me "you are unusual, most women can't wait to see their babies". I want to see mine as much as the next person!


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## Mum2b_Claire

Weezie123 said:


> I felt like a freak, she said to me "you are unusual, most women can't wait to see their babies". I want to see mine as much as the next person!

Oh my god! That makes me reallllly mad! As if you are declining induction because you don't want to see your baby! That has to be one of the most idiotic lines I have heard from a HCP. Just....no.


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## Weezie123

Yeah after being this "overdue" I couldn't be anymore desperate to see my baby! :dohh:


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## indigo_fairy

We're in the same situation, and I have an appointment for monitoring tomorrow (I delayed it), by their dates 40+14, by mine 40+6. I'm not looking forward to it for all the things you've posted about your visit. I can't imagine what I will say to anyone who upsets me tomorrow, I'm on the edge of going insane with people and their stupidity and ignorance, and I've no longer got any witty remarks, I will SAY what I MEAN. I will not be considering anyones feelings, or what crap they say, I'm so done with being made to feel 'unusual' 'in the minority' 'foolish' 'stupid' and whatever else they want to presume I am because I want my body to labour naturally and have a VBAC homebirth.

Labour vibes coming your way, although selfishly I'm halving them for me too ;)


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## Weezie123

Indigo fairy, let us know how you get on, I will be thinking of you while I'm at my monitoring and I am sending you half of my labour vibes so we have the same amount x :hugs:


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## Bournefree

Weezie did you see the post on research I put together on prolonged pregnancy?
Here is a link
https://www.babyandbump.com/pregnan...xpectant-monitoring-management-induction.html

Good luck to you both today!

and please don't feel bullied coerced or scaremungered into anything you are not happy with! xxXxx


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## ixchel

I read your first post and got all excited, your update is a bit of a downer though :(

Don't say yes to anything you don't agree with!!
They say about the risk of the placenta shutting down, can't they monitor the blood flow with an ultrasound??

If push really comes to shove, it may be worth trying to get the ball rolling naturally... Long walks, sex, castor oil (ew!), EPO.. I've heard of women inserting it vaginally to bring on labour.

Hope it all works out for you :) My 3rd was born at 42+2, at home.
:hugs:


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## Weezie123

Bournefree I did read that thank you. Thanks for your support everyone. Ixchel your experience gives me hope! Ive had a series of long walks, lots of rumpy, pumpy and a madras.

I have another update, I went for my ultrasound scan today. Initially the sonographer said "what? You're 42 weeks, they really should have done something about you by now" I explained they wanted to and that I didn't want them to and that's why I was there.

Then he looked at the baby and was saying, perfect heart beat, perfect measurements, perfect amount of fluid, baby in perfect position!

Then he exclaimed "I think this baby is coming tonight, have a vindaloo!" Then he said to my stomach, "listen here baby, you are coming tonight, don't be stubborn" 

It cheered me up as it was such a positive experience.

Then I had the heartbeat monitored by a nurse who said I would need to go in again on Saturday for another CTG tomorrow, the hospital is 20 miles from where I live and I pointed out that I had already had the two that hospital policy requires and I'm booked for induction on Sunday. She had to look at my print out of the policy as "no one really goes over the 42 weeks."

Anyway I felt better about my decision knowing the baby is more than perfectly happy.:cloud9:


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## lynnikins

well sounding good i hope baby makes their own move into this world before sunday comes and you have to argue about it more.

my mother was 4 wks overdue by her lmp ( she didnt have scans and didnt have irregular cycles ) with my brother and 12 days over with my sister


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## Weezie123

Thanks I'm tired of arguing and the last thing I want to do is spend tomorrow in the hospital all stressed, hardly the right conditions to labour!


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## Mervs Mum

You are doing an amazing job of advocating for your baby. What a fabulous mummy you already are x


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## Weezie123

Mervs mum you just made me cry, that was a very sweet thing to say :cry::hugs:


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## Mervs Mum

It's true :). The lengths that mums on this board go to to give their children the gentlest journey in to the world makes my heart sing. You're wonderful x


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## indigo_fairy

Weezie123 said:


> Thanks I'm tired of arguing and the last thing I want to do is spend tomorrow in the hospital all stressed, hardly the right conditions to labour!

That's what's going round my mind at the mo... had the monitoring yesterday, I had only wanted to go in to check the placenta and they check water levels at the same time, both perfectly fine. But when I requested a sweep the consultant would only do one if I had the CTG so felt I had no option then with it being the lesser of 2 evils and hoped it might avoid me the hospital today! No luck yet. :nope:

Daily monitoring seems a bit much, I thought it would be every other day. I'll talk to the MW today about it, as what you said, its not really good labouring conditions is it. :thumbup:


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## Weezie123

Indigo fairy, I'm not going in today for monitoring now, but my induction is booked for tomorrow at 7.30am, I'm gutted but feel resigned to it now. I'm very scared of induction, it's the complete opposite of all I planned. 

I'm so glad your baby is ok too x:hugs:


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## Mervs Mum

Weezie. If you decide to be induced tomorrow PLEASE do me one thing. If you get there and they are too busy to do anything: go home. I had a client go for induction over a weekend and basically spent 2 miserable days there doing NOTHING because they were busy and it was weekend staffing. Instead of going home she stayed. When they finally came to start inducing her THREE (miserable) DAYS after arriving, she went very quickly into hard labour but it was all a massive shock. She requested epidural before I arrived and by the time it was sited she was involuntary pushing and birthed about 30 mins later. So she was clearly VERY close to labouring spontaneously and probably would have if she weren't in the hospital which was not an environment conducive to relaxing!


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## Weezie123

Thanks for the advise, I'll bear it in mind. Although I think they're pretty desperate to induce me as inductions start at 8.30 but I'm booked in at 7.30 as they think I'm high priority! She moved someone else to get me in too!


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## Nikki_d72

Good luck Weezie!


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## indigo_fairy

Aww good luck, hope everything goes how you want it too, I do agree with MM, don't feel pressurised by them and make sure you're happy with everything. Lets hope today/tonight is what our babies had planned all along :hugs:


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## Lunaty

Wishing you loads of luck! 
Im definitely not in a hurry to get bubba out (though I would be very pleased if she decides to come on time!) and luckily my midwife is a great advocate for home birth and avoiding induction :)


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## Leahmasie

Please post an update when you're able, I'm wishing you good thoughts. We were in almost the exact situation last year. My first baby, wanted a home birth, but at 42w5d fluid was borderline low, but I did not trust the tech, I got the impression she wanted me to fail the test so I would be induced. In any case I had no other person to perform the test, and I was not confident enough to keep declining the induction. 

So at 42w6d we went to the hospital and got a dose of cervical ripened. Nothing much happened that day, I rested overnight, then we started Pitocin the next morning (43w). I don't remember a lot of details because I was out of my head with doubled contractions. If you have someone advocating for you please insist they back off the Pit if this happens to you. It is not good for the baby, and if I had realized this I would've insisted, or had my midwife insist. But I was not prepared for a hospital induction, we planned on a home birth!

Short labor because DS was already quite low, and the Pit-induced contractions were furious. Then they turned it down so I could push, and after 2.5hrs of pushing where I thought each push would be the last (talk about discouraging! But I'm told 2hrs is average for a first birth), he was born, very healthy. 8lb14oz, 21.5in, and wrinkly hands that told me he definitely was in there over 42 weeks. But he was not as chubby as I was when I was born at 43weeks, so I can't tell if he wanted longer, or had already lost some weight.

I did not have an epidural as they were not offered, I did have one dose of Stadol when my uterus was not relaxing between contractions. That was truly awful. I recommend not having any drugs if you can manage it, because whatever you're going through the baby is too. So if you can't handle it instead insist they turn down the Pit so you don't have a hypoxic baby and an emergency C-sect.


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## Weezie123

MY BIRTH EXPERIENCE!!!

The homebirth I wanted was no longer recommended due to my delaying induction against the "recommendations" of the doctors at Princess Anne's, Southampton (I did this as I had a feeling my dates were out by 4 days and that I wanted to do things naturally.) I had ultrasounds and CTGs regularly to check the water around my baby and his positions and the sonographer said all was perfect with him and that all I needed was a Chicken Vindaloo to get him out!!!

Devastatingly, at the time, on the 17th at 7.30 am I went to Princess Anne's to be induced!

Two pessarys and seven hours later at about 3.30pm mild contractions escalated into full blown labour. I was told I would go into labour that night but it all started pretty fast after the second dose, much to the amusement of the other ladies in the room who were fascinated that my waters had broken and that I was contracting with no pain and were discussing it and the fact it was "dangerous how overdue I was" as if I couldn't hear them. (Trust me I was uncomfortable just not making any fuss!!!!!)

I then moved to the patients resting room to get away from my audience, one of whom who even said "this is fascinating, I can't stop staring, I'm waiting to see the baby come now", to start labouring in peace, as although the monitor showed regular contractions they didn't believe me that I was in full blown labour yet!!!! At first we were alone but then a man came and sat in with us as it was a public room which was a bit distracting but still better than the ward.

I was determined to have a water birth in the hospital but although I had no indications of anything wrong, Broadlands were too scared to accept me after I was transfered down, as I was now seen as "high risk" due to refusing an induction on Weds 13th which was their "recommended date". Another upset which was not needed and completely stopped my contractions dead for a worryingly long time. The midwife on Broadlands totally killed my contractions when I was transferred there first as I was told that I had dilated 3 1/2 to 4 on Burley before I went down and when she looked she said only 3 and I said "Are you sure" as I was desperate for the pool and she said "look lovey I've been doing this for 17 years, and any way you shouldn't even be here as you're high risk" in a really spiteful way. My mum said to me that it's easy to miss judge the dilation slightly. I was so upset that my contractions died from being very intense. If I had been put in the pool at that point and left with my mum and husband I swear I would have birthed within a couple of hours, instead of having to desperately try to encourage my contractions to intensify under intense time pressures!

I was then moved to the labour ward. I had an amazing midwife who allowed me more time than they allow for each stage, left me to labour and let me refuse all other intervention although she kept recommending I had a drip to bring on stronger more regular contractions. I was petrified of this as didn't want to be stuck on the bed being monitored. I begged for more time and just kept it in my mind that I could do it and with my Mum coaching me and encouraging me and my husband supporting me I managed to push out my baby with no pain relief at all and it was wonderful. I watched him come into the world through a mirror that the head midwife brought in to show me how I was progressing with every push, I highly recommend this if you struggle towards the end as you can see the progress you are making and to was amazing to watch his little head turn as he rotated out!

I battled for what I wanted against the odds. I read my midwifes notes quickly when I had My babies check up and it said that I wouldn't be able to birth without extra intervention on a number of occasions, but that I refused it. It also said that I said the hospital regulations and the presence of the midwife were making me anxious and that every time she left the room I made progress! We felt we wanted to deliver him without her when she popped out! The thing was my midwife obviously had to go by the hospital regulations which don't seem to me to trust a woman to trust in her own judgement but instead work by a "normal average" of birth within a clinical environment, whatever that is! 

She was all in all very understanding of my feelings and that my anxiety was heightened by the fact I was aware I had 1 hour for pushing, in the end she let me do it for 2hrs 45 minutes. The stress of the environment and the "guidelines" meant that my contractions completely stopped at the pushing stage so I pushed without any contractions easing him out while watching him in the mirror. I didn't tear!

The midwife was stunned and we have her on the video saying she learnt a lot from my labour.

My mum was the real star as she believed in me (she was a midwife years ago) and when they told me I wasn't in labour, wasn't dilated enough, was making no progress her knowledge as a midwife allowed her to tell me they were wrong and that I was progressing beautifully and coached me gently but firmly through every contraction! Luckily they were incredibly busy so no doctors were available to come when they wanted one to talk to me.

I had the exact birth I hoped for under unexpected circumstances, I wouldn't change it for the world. The lady in the room with me when i was recovering told me her story, she went in the birth pool, her contractions died when she excepted entinox, they tried with forceps and then she then had an epidural as she was exhausted, it only worked on one side and she ended up with an emergency cesarian! I'm so glad I ended up with my midwife on the higher risk ward, that could have been me! It makes you wonder how much intervention with pain relief is actually the cause of the need for further interventions.

I am in love.


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## lynnikins

congrats hunni you did a great job dispite the circumstances


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## Weezie123

lynnikins said:


> congrats hunni you did a great job dispite the circumstances

Thank you and thanks so much for the support x :hugs:

Leahmasie, I'm so glad I refused the pitocin after your experience.


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## indigo_fairy

Congrats :flower: so glad you had such a good experience, you did so well :hugs:


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## wigglywoo

Congratulations. How brilliant that the midwife gave you more time and didn't just work to the schedule.


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## Samantha675

Fantastic! Congratulations on your birth, your baby and sticking to your guns!!!


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## Leahmasie

Yay!!! Congratulations!

So glad it went so well. Yes, the Pitocin is hard to get right, they usually increase it too fast, much better if you don't have to have it. Actually from all I've read I would not be worried for a subsequent birth, but for first births it has so much potential to go wrong. Too many EMCS. I was lucky it didn't end that way, so then I don't have to argue for a VBAC (but still will for a home birth).


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## SyllyPoohBear

Congrats. I have chills!! I am so happy for you. :) I wish more women were just like you!! Who fight for there baby's right of passage the way your baby wants to come. That is just AMAZING. No doubt here in the US you would of been set for a C -section with fail to progress. *sigh* Really is sad... Anyways you are an amazing women who did a beautiful thing for there baby. I am proud of you and I don't even know you. Good job momma!


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## fides

oh, wow!!! congratulations!!!! thanks so much for posing your birth story - sounds quite amazing - so happy for you!


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## Weezie123

All your kind words have made me warm and snuggly inside! X


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## canadabear

Congrats on your baby!! :hugs:
I am amazed at how strong and brave you were! You have given me the strength to do what I want/need when I go to hospital. It was very empowering to read! :flower:


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