Stretching the Cervix

[cunniamcat]

Hi everyone

I am 40 weeks and 2 days today and went to my hospital appointment yesterday and she did an internal and stretched my cervix to get labour started.

Since then I have lost a browninsh mucus discharge and am still waiting for something to happen.

Was wondering if anyone has had this done and how long it took for labour to begin afterwards.

[Jamily]

Hello

I had 2 x sweeps. The first about 4 days past my EDD and apart from a bit of brown discharge nothing happened. I was 0.5cm dilated. The second sweep I had was 9 days past my EDD when I was 2 - 3 cm dilated. I went into labour about 12 hours later.

Good luck!:D

[cunniamcat]

she said I was 2 cm dilated and could feel the head right down there and said it was good news and would be surprised if I needed my induction date and would probably start in the next couple of days.

I am being a bit impatient cause I have only given it a day.

So what did you feel when you first knew you were going into labour?

[Notchalk]

Anything like this doesn't put you into labour until your body is ready anyway, and carries risks of both infection and rupturing the membranes (not to mention maternal anxiety!). Next time politely decline and just wait like the rest of us ;)

Enjoy your last few days of no night time feeds/nappy changes!

Jo

[cunniamcat]

ooh really, i didnt think that there was a risk if I am overdue, i thought they were doing a good thing.:confused:

[reAllytee]

Try not to stress things will happen :hugs:

[MamaSage]

I don't want to worry you or start a catfight, but you are not overdue until you have past the 42 week mark, theoretically. What notchalk said is right, BUT what is done is done, the hospital staff obviously did it for a reason. Your baby will come when it is ready, and a stretch will not help things along unless things are ready to happen anyway. :kiss: Hope it all goes well.

[cunniamcat]

Thanks for your replys, most appreciated. I have an induction booked for next Wednesday anyway but I didn't really want it to come to that but have heard of most people being induced and said it was fine.

I dont know the whole thing is so confusing isn't it, i just have to learn to relax and just let things happen, I have def leared sooo much this pregnancy though, from how I used to think it would happen to how it really happens is sooo different! I know it sounds naive but I thought you go 40 weeks to your due date and then on that date labour usually begins with a few pains, the pains get worse until you are doubled over and off you go to the hospital to have the baby a couple of pushes later hehehe WRONG :laughing:

[Jamily]

Personally I would rather have a sweep than an induction which was what I was facing - my hospital would not let me go more than 11 days past EDD due to their policy. I was having 100% midwifery care. Whether it was co-incidence or the sweep that kicked things off I don't know.

I was slightly paranoid about getting my baby out as unfortunately I was extremely ill as a result of being overdue (by overdue I mean 3 weeks) and the doctors would not listen to my Mum and her dates....unbelievably they thought they knew better than her as to when I was concieved :confused:

I am not sure whether my sweep helped, but co-incidence or otherwise I went into labour. I started feeling crampy (period pains) for the rest of the day and then at about 3am I had a pain that lasted about a minute. It went away and 10 mins later I had another pain. 10 mins after that I had another and after an hour of this I realised I was in labour. The 'pain' didn't exactly hurt but it was more a discomfort. 13 hours later I gave birth to my beautiful DD.

Good luck! I know its frustrating but its worth the wait I promise :) As Notchalk said, enjoy your last few days without night feeds and nappies.

[cunniamcat]

Wow 3 weeks overdue! you must have been so miserable!


It certainly looks worth it though your DD is absolutley gorgeous!!!!

By the way what did you mean about them not listening to your Mum as to when you were conceived?? what does that affect??

[Lunar]

I had a s/s on my due date and it did NOTHING! only had my show.
I was induced 8 days later but didn't give birth for another 2 days!
I know alot of people say that you will give birth when your body and baby are ready, but in my case that was never going to happen! My cervix refused to thin and dialate by itself and there for NEEDED help. But once the cervidal tape (what they used to induce me) started to do it's job everything happened. Mind you the last couple of weeks of my pregnancy I was going in and out of false labour and all the doctors said that the only thing that was stopping labour continuing was my stupid cervix that refused to do anything. I'd like to mention that my baby was more than ready to come out too, she was 9lb 2oz (4130grams):eek:
and was born with blisters inside her bottom lip from sucking so much in utero.

Try not to stress too much and enjoy the next week. Keep in mind that you will meet your baby VERY soon. You can't stay pregnant forever;)

GOOD LUCK!

[Jamily]

:o Sorry, I should have made that clear! My Mum was 3 weeks overdue with me (as in I was born 3 weeks past my due date!). She had one of the first ultrasounds in the 70's and they re-adjusted her EDD as a result. Mum tried to tell them that they were wrong as Dad had been away but they didn't listen!!

Fortunately I was only 10 days past EDD with Em!

Love

Claire x

[cunniamcat]

Wow it's amazing of all the different things people have been through, you just never know do you, I am gonna relax from now on and stop obsessing over it and it will come. Mind you in doesn't help when everyone I know rings me everyday asking if "I've had any pains yet" NO!!!! i haven't but Ill give you some pain in a minute!!! teehee:D

I am scared of my baby getting too big though :)

[Pixie]

I am a week over now and had a s/s on monday I had my show but all that has happened it major cramping and backache lol but hopefully it has been doing something in there :D

You do what you feel comfy with your body your baby ;)

[Notchalk]

I had a s/s on my due date and it did NOTHING! only had my show.
I was induced 8 days later but didn't give birth for another 2 days!
I know alot of people say that you will give birth when your body and baby are ready, but in my case that was never going to happen! My cervix refused to thin and dialate by itself and there for NEEDED help.

I don't want to start an argument here, but I really have to try to stop this misinformation from getting to someone who doesn't know any better...

You do give birth when your body and baby are ready - 10 days 'over due' isn't really overdue. Up to the end of 42 weeks is still 'normal'. Some take even longer. How can you say that having your baby was never going to happen without being induced? Perhaps the normal gestation for *your* body is longer than 42 weeks? The fact that it took 2 days for the induction to work clearly shows that your body just wasn't ready yet.

Jo

[Notchalk]

I am scared of my baby getting too big though :)

Arh, don't worry about that! Yes, they put on weight, but in the last few weeks of pregnancy it is pretty much just fat, and fat squishes.

Don't stress.

Trust yourself!

Jo

[reAllytee]

You do give birth when your body and baby are ready - 10 days 'over due' isn't really overdue. Up to the end of 42 weeks is still 'normal'. Some take even longer. How can you say that having your baby was never going to happen without being induced? Perhaps the normal gestation for *your* body is longer than 42 weeks? The fact that it took 2 days for the induction to work clearly shows that your body just wasn't ready yet.
Jo

I know you didnt want to start a fight but i think the fact that as Kris stated her baby was overdue which was shown once bubs was born is fact enough not just for her midwives but for her also especially being her second bub.
The same thing happened with my sister who went overdue by 2wks with everyone saying oh well you must have conceived a different date which wasnt possible due to her partner being away at sea now also with this when my nephew was born he too was very ill like clairet. My sisters body refused to give birth not even with induction due to her cervix also.

Anyways cunniamcat as i said try not to stress i know its hard :hugs: i went 6 days over but i wont go into that because you dont need to hear all that now.
Just take some time for yourself & enjoy these last moments of freedom !
As soon as you hold that bubba it will wash away all of the pg & labour & you will be wanting to do it all over again.
Take care & keep us posted :D

[emilysmumma]

For some reason which I declined, they wanted to induce me at 6 days over, WTH.
Anyway as I had been having some minor cramping I went to the appointment that morning and they did a s/s to see. I'd already dilated 1cm and was stretched to 2cm and cervix had thinned nearly all they way.
By that afternoon cramps started getting stronger and by 10 that night I went into labour, 11 hours later DD arrived.
So 1, I think bubs was ready and 2, I believed it help speed things alone a little bit.
But you hear many stories of inductions that last for 2 days and end up being c/sections anyway. Not meaning to scare you but being induce means more intreventions and most of the time bubs will come when there ready. There are times though when a little help is needed to evict the tenant.

[cunniamcat]

I just called my midwife as I went to have a pee this morning and it (excuse me) smelt different like I might have an infection, she wants me to come in this morning just in case i might have ruptured the membranes, so I don't even know what that means or how dangerous it is, does anyone know??:confused:

[Notchalk]

Some women's membranes do rupture before labour, but it is more common to happen in labour. Being full term, though, if they rupture by themselves, it is a good sign that labour will begin soon!

Good luck!

Jo

[cunniamcat]

Went to the hospital and hadn't ruptured membranes so I guess its just waiting again now either it will happen natural or I will just have her on my induction date next Wesneday which is not long at all. Just gonna enjoy time alone for now and relax and keep busy at the same time.

Thanks everyone :thumbsup:

[kyannas*mum*]

i went in for my check up 1 day past my due date and they did a s& s and found i was already 2 cm they said it wouldnt be surprising if i went in that night i didnt it wasnt till 3 days later i had me waters broken told i was 4 cm and had not felt anything as soon as my waters were broken contractions started strait away 2 hours later Kyanna was born it happened so fast she didnt have time to turn and came out with this great big bruise on side of her head so dont no how far i would of went over if i hadnt had waters broken:thumbsup: