# Want Natural Birth, Need Support Pleeeease!



## LockandKey

I am currently pregnant with my first, and I really really want an all natural birth, but I am now overdue at 40 weeks and 1 day :(

I understand I still have plenty of time to let things happen, and it seems like my body is doing what it should to get prepared, I.E. irregular cramping, effacing and 2cm dilated, but I'm seriously starting to worry that induction might be inevitable :cry:

I'm aware of all the natural ways to help jump start labor, and I've tried nipple stimulation, intercourse, walking, and even eating pineapple multiple times since I hit full term, none of which has worked yet, but I still plan on trying then regardless.

I am just so fearful all of a sudden, can anyone share some advice or shed some positive light please? I could really use it right about now


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## chuck

Hun you arent over due yet!

Remember a pregnancy is still normal at 42 weeks, its only after then that you are really over due, your EDD is an estimate not an expiry date so don't fret about it.

You can refuse an induction until you are ready, try not to feel pressured by family/friends (haven't you had that baby yet??!!) or medical professional (its dangerous to go over 42 weeks!!)

IF and IF you go over 42 weeks you can be monitored to check baby is ok, but it is highly likely you will pop soon, it sounds like everything is moving in the right direction! 

Hold tight and baby will make their entrance when they are ready! 

Fear is normal, but try to relax your body wont labour until baby is ready and you are ready. All will be well - believe in yourself to be able to be strong enough to wait.

If all else fails request a stretch and sweep!


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## LockandKey

thank you, I did have both a stretch and sweep, and that hasn't worked so I was considering asking for another soon


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## chuck

They'll only work if things are ready, and they can take around 48 hours to kick in. Best thing to do is rest, eat and drink well and enjoy the final few days of having baby all to yourself!


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## Mervs Mum

You are far from overdue honey! My advice to you is relax. All the adrenalin running round your body because you are anxious about induction is probably EXACTLY what it stopping your labour from starting! Your hormones are telling your body it's not 'safe' to give birth just yet because adrenalin is the fear and stress hormone. It will cancel out the labour hormone oxytocin just as it would in an animal who was worried about being attacked while giving birth. It's instinctive. Once you relax and let the happy chilled hormones flow your primitive brain will say 'ah! Now it's safe to give birth because she doesn't feel threatened.'.

The minute you surrender and stop trying you will labour. I mean TRULY surrender. Induction is NOT inevitable but having your baby is! No one was ever pregnant forever so trust that your baby knows when to be born.

X


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## bobbyrabbit

My friend just had a baby in France and over there they consider that pregnancy is 41 weeks! It just goes to show that the EDD really is just an estimate and you have plenty of time before you need to consider induction, in all likelihood the baby will make its appearance of its own accord before that becomes necessary :flower:


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## Guppy051708

The OP is in the USA...and even though a pregnancy isnt considered postdated until 42 weeks, docs are rediculous with inductions here and start pushing an induction the day your "overdue"...maybe even the few days before :wacko:

I just want you to know that i went 41 weeks and 5 days overdue with my son. They wanted to induce and they were not happy with my declining, but i did opt for fetal monitoring and non stress test. Like you, i did EVERYTHING under the sun to induce labor naturally and it never happened :nope: not even the sweep! 

You have rights! you are allowed to refuse an induction. Do NOT do it if you dont want to! Docs will often throw scare tactics your way, but dont give in. My stance was, if there is a medical reason (and being "overdue" is NOT a medical reason no matter how much they scare you), but anyways, if they could prove somethign was wrong with my baby (that my placenta was detoriating, that i had low fluid levels) then i would agree to be induced, but every time i had scans and fetal monitoring, everything was perfect! I had no problems and my baby was fine and dandy! i am so glad i waited!!!

Docs are just way too pushy and impatient. No one stays pregnant forever!


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## Guppy051708

Also, just so you know, the average first time mother goes one week and one day over her EDD!


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## LockandKey

Thanks everyone, I feel better :D

I will remain hopeful that everything will go my way


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## Nikki_d72

Mervs Mum said:


> You are far from overdue honey! My advice to you is relax. All the adrenalin running round your body because you are anxious about induction is probably EXACTLY what it stopping your labour from starting! Your hormones are telling your body it's not 'safe' to give birth just yet because adrenalin is the fear and stress hormone. It will cancel out the labour hormone oxytocin just as it would in an animal who was worried about being attacked while giving birth. It's instinctive. Once you relax and let the happy chilled hormones flow your primitive brain will say 'ah! Now it's safe to give birth because she doesn't feel threatened.'.
> 
> The minute you surrender and stop trying you will labour. I mean TRULY surrender. Induction is NOT inevitable but having your baby is! No one was ever pregnant forever so trust that your baby knows when to be born.
> 
> X

I totally agree - I was going to say the same thing. Don't be pressured, maybe try some kind of relaxation technique, maybe get a massage or accupuncture? Stay strong and don't let the buggers get you down!


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## Guppy051708

I totally understand lockandkey :hugs: i really do. USA docs are make this a VERY stressfull time...as do so many other people asking about "why havn't you had that baby yet" because they expect ya to get induced because to american women "its normal" for as sad as that is, its true...it is very hard to relax in those circumstance.

labor dust to you hun :dust: xxx


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## LockandKey

Yea, I know, but my doctor had been bringing up induction at week 39, that doesn't help at all. Like Guppy said, here in the USA they doctors are way pushy and more ready to get the baby out than the mothers, and when you hear things like that from a professional, it becomes a bit overwhelming.

I've been trying my best to relax, which I guess helped to get me to 2cms


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## LockandKey

haha, oh yea, the comments don't help either, I've been getting those since week 37. I'm about to go into hiding until I have her


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## Guppy051708

Yeah thats how i was too! I have decided that my next pregnancy, i will not be telling anyone besides dh, medical providers, BnB friends, and my mom (she lives far away) what my EDD is. Anyone else, I will tell them the baby will be here by X month. That way i dont get bothered. I cried a lot because of the induction talk. Its never ending :(

If you ever need to talk about your rights and all as a patient, let me know! i am a wealth of resource being that i was in the situation of refusing an induction and that i am a doula as well as a natural child birth educator :D you can do it hun :hugs:


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## LockandKey

Good idea Guppy not telling anyone. It's mostly my DH's family hounding me, I am seriously wishing I had done that now, oh well live and learn. If I have a second one I will keep that in mind. I took a couple lamaze classes so I feel prepared, just waiting for it to start is all. 

Thank you for all the advice ladies :) I think as long as there is nothing wrong with my LO I will be refusing an induction for as long as possible and just tell everyone "she will get here when she gets here."


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## LockandKey

Thanks again for the support, it really makes me feel 100 times better :happydance:


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## Guppy051708

So glad to help!Always here for ya hun!

Let us see pictures of that sweet baby when she does arrive :cloud9: i can't wait to hear all about it and i am sure everything will go smoothly :friends:


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## LockandKey

don't worry, I am so ready to gab about it all :laugh2:


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## Guppy051708

:haha:


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## oaklvr

Don't worry about being overdue. Your baby will come out when it's ready! Yes, you can decline an induction. I don't know why the U.S. pushes inductions so much, that really will be a hindrance to a natural labor. I've been asked several times by different people if I was 'going to be induced'. I'm only 38 weeks now. Wtf? I'm like I'm not even made it to my due date and people are rushing me.


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## Guppy051708

Maternity "care" in the US is in MAJOR danger!
Yall should watch "The Business of Being Born" (its on NetFlix) and "Born in America" (which is also on Netflix). You may be able to find it on youtube also.

We have no reverence in the birth process...women are petrified of birth. And its all because of the lack of reverence and respect. :( Women are amzing, as is the baby and birth. I hope tht the US adopts the midwifery model....i cn dream....the medical model is terrible...


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## LockandKey

Actually I have watched both of those vids, the statistics in US Birth are really embarrassing if I do say so myself. It was those videos which really pushed me to go for an all natural birth. 

I really did want a MW, but my hospital failed to put me into the MW program that I had wanted, but apparently, the nurses here are trained to be no different than all the midwives running around.

I think education is to blame as well though. If the mother to be doesn't know her options, she is less likely know about and choose an all natural birth, that and fear of pain


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## Guppy051708

I couldn't agree more about the education!!!! (guess i have to say that since im a childbirth educator :blush:) but it boggles my mind that woman refuse to learn about everything. It takes 9 months (well nearly 10 months) for a baby to bake, there is a reason for that! 

We research the computer we buy, the cell phone we talk on, the car we will drive, but when it comes to our birth most women could care less....this just baffles me...and its sad!


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## LockandKey

right on :thumbup:

at one point I thought about changing my career to a doula or MW because the statistics in american births were so poor, and the way they treat so many women at their appointments isn't something to brag about either. If I could make a difference in at least some women's lives, I'd be happy :flower:


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## Guppy051708

Its really easy to become either! especially a doula! You dont even need training (though i highly recommend it! I went through DONA International). Anyways, it is a very easy change to make! Most people can't make their entire living off of it, but just depends on your area! 
If you dont have a nursing degree, you can go the CPM route to become a MW (Certified Professional Midwife). Its the direct route. Obviously, this takes much longer than being a doula, but i love being a doula! it was an switch!


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## LockandKey

I have some college education, it was geared more towards massage therapy, but I'm sure all the extra years will be worth it :)

Thanks so much for giving me someone to converse with, I feel so much at ease now, and empowered :thumbup:


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## Guppy051708

No thank you :D
And you should feel empowered..After you give birth that empowerment will increase 10 fold...at least :D


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## chuck

I went through this pregnancy saying baby was due in may rather than giving a date. The little bugger arrived on his EDD!! <facepalm>


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## LockandKey

haha, good deal


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## chuck

I blame having a screaming row with my Mum the morning I went into labour..I mean full on screaming and slamming doors kind of row you can only have with your Mum then we went for a long walk.

Catharsis got the hormones going then the walk kick started things.


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## LockandKey

really? And here I thought stress only hindered labor, lol.

I went for a 4 mile walk earlier, and have been contracting irregularly since, still no pattern really, but I've started timing them anyway


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## LockandKey

and now I'm having lower back pains too. I hope this isn't the ultimate tease


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## chuck

Stress is bad but I think letting go and getting rid of a lot of pent up feelings was good I felt so much better afterwards - despite the cramps!


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## Mervs Mum

Did you know that a recent study in the UK showed the average woman pitching up at the hospital in spontaneous labour has about a 15% chance of ending up with a CS. The same woman being induced for being 'post dates' increases her risk of CS to around 40%! Now imagine what that equates to in the US....and throw induction at anything as early as 37 weeks into the mix....is it any wonder the US CS rates and birth mortality rates are outrageously (and dangerously) high....


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## aliss

Please please please... read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, written from a natural midwife perspective, and I think her 'practice' ("the Farm") is in Tennessee so it does discuss from a US perspective too. I think it will give you some good inspiration vs. the clinical OBGYN perspective that most US/Canadian women seem to get. You are not overdue and you are 100% normal to be only (_only!_) 40+a few :)


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## LockandKey

haha, thanks, and I agree, the US labor and delivery system is pretty bad.

I have absolutely no worries now as I am pretty sure I'm in early labor :happydance:


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## Guppy051708

ekk! you can do it hun!!!!
here is how to tell if its labor (my labor contractions were never text book style, they started off 4-5 min apart and would fluctuate between 1 minute to 4 minutes apart the entire 30 hours...except when i was pushing they were only coming like every 5-6 minutes because i was too tired....took me 6 hours but that just means if i can do it anyone can do it! lol

okay, so drink, eat, walk, shower, sleep. If you are still having contractions after all of that, then its labor! :dance: :dust:


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## Mervs Mum

Keep us updated!! Rest, rest, rest!! X


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## LockandKey

had my baby 4 days ago, I was definitely in labor, however, I didn't get the end result I was hoping for, actually I got everything I was hoping to avoid except for a C section :nope:

I honestly really tried for as long as I could, but my body just didnt labor the way it should have :shrug: 

I posted my birth story in the third trimester section if you're interested


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## Guppy051708

Off to read.
congrats on your little one :cloud9:


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## Bournefree

Congratulations on the birth of your baby and avoiding the c-section. Sorry you don't feel satified with your experience. Big hugs xxx


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## aliss

Hon my heart breaks for you, your labour was identical to mine (even right down to baby's broken collarbone from shoulder dystocia). 

Feel free to PM me if you want to chat later about it. 

Sorry you did not get the natural labour you had hoped for, but with such severe shoulder dystocia, I am glad to see that your baby came relatively healthy.


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## LockandKey

thanks Aliss, she's doing really well though, she's getting movement in her broken side, and we help her out a little by moving it around gently so it doesnt become stiff. it seems to be bothering her less now


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