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A very different kind of due date.
- Feb 25, 2010 at 11:24 PM
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- Comments (111) Total Views (2993) Everyone can see this journal post.
I am 39 weeks and 6 days pregnant with our second son. Tomorrow is my Estimated Due Date at exactly 40 weeks.
On the morning of my due date with our now 3 1/2 year old son, I woke up in a hospital bed after a terrible night of broken sleep. I'd gone in the night before, at my doctors urging, for my scheduled induction on the morning of my due date. The night before I'd had a Cervidil suppository inserted to ripen my cervix, since I was only 20% effaced and not dilated yet. (Which of course means that mama and baby are not ready for birth yet, but I didn't learn that fact until later, unfortunately.) When I woke up I was not allowed to shower or eat breakfast, because they wanted to start my Pitocin drip as soon as possible. I had 12 hours of hard, painful, terrifying labor while lying on my back in a hospital bed, hooked up to various tubes. Eventually my labor completely stalled out, and I was rushed to the OR for a c-section.
This time around, I will be having a planned home birth whenever nature happens to take its course, because I have learned that the due date is actually more of a "guess date". The vast majority of births happen between 38 and 42 weeks, and a baby shouldn't be considered "post-date" until after 42 weeks.
So tonight, I will lie down and fall asleep in my own comfortable bed, in my own bedroom. In the morning, the morning of my due date, our son will sneak into bed and we'll snuggle for a while before getting up. We'll get up, open up the blinds and get the house ready for the day, and have breakfast together. I probably will not go into labor at any point tomorrow, and that's okay. I may not go into labor for another two weeks at that point, and that would still be okay.
I have leaned an important lesson. I've learned to trust my body, because my body knows exactly how long I need to keep this baby inside in order to have him totally ready to adjust to life outside the womb. What a huge adjustment that must be. I am charged with preparing a little human being for life on "the outside" and that seems more significant to me than whether or not I'm inconvenienced by another week or two of pregnancy.
Comments:
Can't wait to hear how it goes, whenever that may be. Good luck to you mamma!
Indeed, only your body and baby will know when your actual due date is!
I love this! I'm so glad you're gestating nice and peacefully. :)
Enjoy the birth of your baby!
While I agree your body sometimes know, what about the ones who have babies at 22 weeks like one in my area? Was her body really ready to have that child? The baby survived by the grace of God. some of us also know there are issues that arise where you need to be induced. I have a preeclampsic history so I will be induced in 15 weeks with this one, my 5th. I am 23 weeks pregnant atm. Please understand not all inductions turn into c-sections. I have been induced with 2 of my 4 so far and the inductions were far easier than the natural births for me. I do give your the utmost respect though for standing up and doing what you feel is best for you and your baby so please don't think I am criticizing. I just know there are some of us who have problems arise that don't get the decision to wait. Good luck to you and congrats.
Good Luck!! :-)
Carmadsmom, things do happen where babies come early-my friend had hers 9wks early, and some have to be induced early to problems or because they were over 2wks late-her body just wont go into labor on it own.
But there are a lot of women who just want to be induced because they are a day past their due date or may be a few weeks before their due date just cause they are "sick" of being pregnant. Being pregnant is hard, but I think her message is that for the normal healthy pregnancy just let your body do its thing unless there is a medical reason to intervene.
Luvmybaby, thank you :) That is exactly what my message was. In MOST pregnancies everything will go just fine. We are all strong women and our bodies know what to do in order to grow and birth a baby. Of course like in every situation, there are SOME times when medical intervention becomes necessary.
I just don't wnat people to feel bad that they have to be induced due to issues out of their control. I understand that women who ask to be induced should understand if they are having no problems they don't NEED to go through the harshness it CAN be but isn't always. Trust me, I get frustrated as a medical assistant when I hear women say oh I am so uncomfortable, I can't sleep, I can move, because that is part of being pregnant. It isn't the most wonderful feeling especially towards the end, but the outcome is so rewarding and beautiful.
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Good for you! I wish more mom to be had this mentality-baby will come when he/she is ready and no sooner! As I was told when I my due date came and went "relax you cant be pregnant forever". As much as I hated that phrase it was true. Nurture that baby till they are ready, I never really thought much of it till my friend had her baby 9wks early. Im sure she would have rather been 2wks overdue than deal with a baby in NICU fighting for her life.
I wish you the best and hope all goes well with the birth. I cant wait to see the pictures and hear the great news!
- luvmybaby
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