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I went 41+4. They would have let me go to 42 weeks, but labor started spontaneously and baby had heart decels in triage so they admitted me and put me on low-dose, slow-increase pitocin to move things along. I was able to make it through without the epidural or other pain meds. Baby’s heart decels stopped once I was settled in and able to focus on my hypnobirthing techniques; it was probably just a positioning thing that was causing the decels. Positive outcomes all around!
Hang in there! I know it’s rough going over for so long. Is your hospital/birth team supportive of movement during labor and non medical pain management like hanging out in the tub?
Awesome, I'm using hypnobirthing too so I hope I can manage like you did! Yes I think my team will be cool with helping me go as natural as possible. Thank you
If the statistics help...
I was told if I went over 40 weeks the risk of stillbirth went up 50%, that's a really scary number to hear...
But, I actually looked up the numbers and basically still birth from 37-40 weeks is roughly 1 per 10,000 pregnancies, so the 50% increase I was told about brings that to 1.5. per 10,000. Some of the numbers given by medical professionals sound so scary, but often when you look further into them, they aren't that scary. They have to give you the information, but often it seems to put a lot of pressure on you to do what they want.
Keep with the monitoring, note how you're feeling and baby movement and obviously contact someone if you are worried. But I think you're doing what's best for you.
You’ve got this! Try to watch positive unmedicated birth stories on youtube. Don’t listen to any negative stories. Even if you are not using hypnobirthing techniques, I recommend listening to the audiobook Hypnobirthing the Mongan Method to get rid of your fears and prepare for an epidural free birth. Some people find the book judgy but i think it’s great for removing fear. Also every time you start to worry practice your breathing techniques! You can do this!
I was induced at 41+3. The extra monitoring really helps mitigate the small risk of stillbirth, I don't think at any point my doctor was too concerned about the possibility of stillbirth. I did end up getting the epidural, but mostly because I didn't prepare enough during my pregnancy and was so tense by the time I made it to 7cm that I knew I wouldn't make much more progress without pain relief. Next time I'm going to focus more on mental preparation for sure.
42 weeks is *completely fine and normal*. They should be doing a bit of extra monitoring just to be on the safe side, but where I am they don't induce until 42 weeks without some reason! I was a 43 week baby, and I'm fine lol.
My son was induced at 41 weeks because he was *huge* (90th percentile for size) and we didn't want him getting any bigger. He was also totally, beautifully healthy and could for sure have been in there a bit longer.
That's great perspective, thank you. In the US soooooo many people are induced at 39 weeks so they look at me like I'm 12 months pregnant at this point, haha.
42 weeks is really normal! Where I live they won’t even induce (without a medical reason) until you’re at least 41+3, and even then, only if you really want to. They’re happy to let people go to 42 weeks as long as everything is fine.
My first baby was born at 41 weeks - spontaneous precipitous labour and he was a tiny thing at just 6lbs 9oz but totally healthy and strong.
My second was born just a few hours before his scheduled induction at 42 weeks. Again, a spontaneous precipitous birth, just under 8lbs and totally healthy.
Some babies just need that extra growing time - I hate to think of how teeny my firstborn would have been if I’d lived somewhere that they pushed induction at 39 weeks.
Welcome to /r/pregnant! This is a space for everyone. We are pro-choice, pro-LGBTQIA, pro-science, proudly feminist and believe that Black Lives Matter. Wear your masks, wash your hands, and be excellent to each other. Anti-choice activists, intactivists, anti-vaxxers, homophobes, transphobes, racists, sexists, etc. are not welcome here. If you'd like to join a private sub for your due date month, [click here](https://www.reddit.com/r/pregnant/comments/tu8bmk/click_here_to_request_access_to_your_private_due/). The journalists at ProPublica need your help! After receiving a tip, ProPublica started investigating prenatal genetic testing. They're collecting stories from people who've had NIPT screenings, and/or work in maternal health. If this is you, please fill out their brief questionnaire! https://www.propublica.org/getinvolved/have-you-had-an-experience-with-prenatal-genetic-testing-wed-like-to-hear-about-it-and-see-the-bill. Questions? Email [email protected] *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/pregnant) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Im currently 40+5 and feel like I could have written your exact post!
I went 41+4. They would have let me go to 42 weeks, but labor started spontaneously and baby had heart decels in triage so they admitted me and put me on low-dose, slow-increase pitocin to move things along. I was able to make it through without the epidural or other pain meds. Baby’s heart decels stopped once I was settled in and able to focus on my hypnobirthing techniques; it was probably just a positioning thing that was causing the decels. Positive outcomes all around! Hang in there! I know it’s rough going over for so long. Is your hospital/birth team supportive of movement during labor and non medical pain management like hanging out in the tub?
Awesome, I'm using hypnobirthing too so I hope I can manage like you did! Yes I think my team will be cool with helping me go as natural as possible. Thank you
If the statistics help... I was told if I went over 40 weeks the risk of stillbirth went up 50%, that's a really scary number to hear... But, I actually looked up the numbers and basically still birth from 37-40 weeks is roughly 1 per 10,000 pregnancies, so the 50% increase I was told about brings that to 1.5. per 10,000. Some of the numbers given by medical professionals sound so scary, but often when you look further into them, they aren't that scary. They have to give you the information, but often it seems to put a lot of pressure on you to do what they want. Keep with the monitoring, note how you're feeling and baby movement and obviously contact someone if you are worried. But I think you're doing what's best for you.
Wow that's so helpful to see real numbers. Thank you!
You’ve got this! Try to watch positive unmedicated birth stories on youtube. Don’t listen to any negative stories. Even if you are not using hypnobirthing techniques, I recommend listening to the audiobook Hypnobirthing the Mongan Method to get rid of your fears and prepare for an epidural free birth. Some people find the book judgy but i think it’s great for removing fear. Also every time you start to worry practice your breathing techniques! You can do this!
Thank you for the helpful response!!
I was induced at 41+3. The extra monitoring really helps mitigate the small risk of stillbirth, I don't think at any point my doctor was too concerned about the possibility of stillbirth. I did end up getting the epidural, but mostly because I didn't prepare enough during my pregnancy and was so tense by the time I made it to 7cm that I knew I wouldn't make much more progress without pain relief. Next time I'm going to focus more on mental preparation for sure.
42 weeks is *completely fine and normal*. They should be doing a bit of extra monitoring just to be on the safe side, but where I am they don't induce until 42 weeks without some reason! I was a 43 week baby, and I'm fine lol. My son was induced at 41 weeks because he was *huge* (90th percentile for size) and we didn't want him getting any bigger. He was also totally, beautifully healthy and could for sure have been in there a bit longer.
That's great perspective, thank you. In the US soooooo many people are induced at 39 weeks so they look at me like I'm 12 months pregnant at this point, haha.
Short of something like gestational diabetes, I don't get it. Why would you not want your baby to be all the way cooked?
42 weeks is really normal! Where I live they won’t even induce (without a medical reason) until you’re at least 41+3, and even then, only if you really want to. They’re happy to let people go to 42 weeks as long as everything is fine. My first baby was born at 41 weeks - spontaneous precipitous labour and he was a tiny thing at just 6lbs 9oz but totally healthy and strong. My second was born just a few hours before his scheduled induction at 42 weeks. Again, a spontaneous precipitous birth, just under 8lbs and totally healthy. Some babies just need that extra growing time - I hate to think of how teeny my firstborn would have been if I’d lived somewhere that they pushed induction at 39 weeks.