Friend was due on Dec 23rd - still no baby and no plans to induce? Thoughts?

S+J+G+1

Just wondering how long people would feel comfortable waiting. DS#1 was 10 days early, so I never had to wait the first time, but a friend of mine is 10 days late with no apparent plans to do anything but just wait.(its her first, which I know are often late, but...) At a week (or even less) I would start to get worried, and definitely would have done something by  10 days later. -- Just wondering what other people's thoughts were?? 

honkytonk_kid

Assuming she's being monitored and both LO and placenta are still looking good, I wouldn't worry about going even to 42 weeks. After 42 I might get a little antsy...

AshasaurusRex

I wouldn't induce until it was medically indicated.

kesrya

Post term is not until 42 weeks.  The average first time pregnancy that is not forced into labor by medical induction lasts 41 weeks 3 days - so your friend is right on schedule.  In fact, the "40 weeks" estimated due date was crated by a doctor about 100 years ago and despite much medical research showing that it is actually a poor calculation, has not been revised since.

Honestly, I would not induce based on date alone ever.  My husband was an entire month late, and so was another friend of mine - both quite healthy babies and now adults.  But that was during a time when we didn't jump to force babies out for no good reason.  A friend of mine gave birth to her daughter over a year ago at 43 weeks - the child is thriving, and the mother was/is an ER nurse and made the decision based on her medical knowledge.

At 42 weeks in a healthy pregnancy, the placenta starts to break down and no longer provides adequate nutrition to the baby.  But that can be seen by u/s technology - so if that were the case, or the baby was in some sort of distress, I would induce but otherwise, lacking any medical reason, I'd wait (very uncomfortably) as long as the baby wanted.   

Nyki06Wed43530

My mom was 16 days late when she was pregnant with me and then they finally induced. I would feel very comfortable going over at least 2 weeks. 

allobosc

I'd be antsy but that is me, impatient  

I know of someone know that was due the 19th and isn't getting induced until this Thursday and she is miserable. If I was feeling ok, I'd handle it better than if I was miserable.

seastar77

One other thing to consider is if she knows how accurate her due date is. I ovulate really late in my cycle, but with my first, the Dr didn't really buy into "how I could possibly know this" and gave me a due date I know was over a week early based on LMP. So maybe she's not as late as it seems? My Dr induces at 41 wks and I would've been upset if he'd automatically gone ahead and done it when I was really not even 40 wks yet. This pregnancy I insisted I be dated from when I ovulated for this reason.

kesrya

Advancements in u/s technology have nothing to do with due date calculation.  The number of days past LMP or ovulation that is used to calculate EDD is the same as it has always been (approximately 280 for LMP or 266 from conception, which is still the "40 week" faulty standard).  The only thing advancements in u/s tech have done is to more accurately define when conception was - and this really is only accurate during the first trimester when the fetus grows at a standard rate.  So it doesn't matter if you have a machine that now tells you when conception took place if you are still using a faulty numbering of days to then calculate when the due date is. 

U/s technology 25 - 30 years ago was just as accurate in determining date of conception as it is today - my mother had monthly u/s with me b/c of previous pregnancy complications and the scans are almost identical to what we have today in terms of determining EDD. The advancements we have gained over the last 30 years in u/s radiology have to do with seeing other risk factors such as placenta deterioration as I previously mentioned.  And in such a case, inducing is completely appropriate and warranted.

I'm a licensed medical practitioner, my patients bring me their xrays, MRIs and sonograms every day to read and add to their charts/treatment plans.  I'm not clinging to outdated standards - I'm basing my opinion on the fact that the standard for inducing *without the presence of a medical problem* is related to the liability insurance contract most providers have signed that gives specific guidelines for continued coverage, and not related to a documented medical need.  Those such types of stringent liability contracts didn't exist for the medical practitioners of 30 years ago, so they could actually practice their learned art of medicine and make their own decisions without their legal representation telling them how they must practice.

flowerchild77

AshfieldMay:

I wouldn't induce until it was medically indicated.

This. Unless theres a medication indication to induce, Id keep baking.

Jackswife123

I think it's really a personal thing between you and your doctor to decide.  I think after you reach 40 weeks, there really is nothing wrong with wanting to be induced.  It f-ing sucks to be over due (look at my ticker...).

That being said, I`m giving myself until 41 weeks and then I`m choosing to be induced.  This plan is fine with my doctor.  He's willing to let me go up to 12 days over due.  I don't see a huge issue with being induced at 8 days over due instead of 12.

Plus, I had a hard time pushing out a 5lb baby, I`m sure this little girl is bigger, considering I`m two weeks beyond when DS was born.

 

penguin-kisses

I was personally 8 days late with my son, but had induction papers sent in on 41 weeks regardless of the ultrasound I'd had earlier that day showing amniotic fluid was good and everything was good. I went with it though because I trusted that a doctor knows more than I do and had mine and my son's best interest in mind, yadda yadda, even though I didn't really want to be induced. The induction turned out not to be necessary anyway since my water broke an hour after the papers were confirmed received at the hospital... I would have been comfortable to go longer than I did because even though I was getting a little impatient mentally, I was physically not uncomfortable.

A friend of mine went 2 weeks overdue with her son and was miserable, and was not offered induction at all because her doctor at the time was "old fashioned" as I would call it, and didn't believe in such procedures. She only received one ultrasound for the entire pregnancy (the anatomy scan at 18-19 weeks) so they were going by her dates and she had irregular periods. Her son suffered meconium aspiration and was held in NICU for three days after he was born. She's due with her second baby 3 weeks before I am and will be having a csection if she doesn't deliver by 39w4d because her doctors (the same practice I am with, and different from her first pregnancy's doctor) would like to avoid the complications she went through last time with her son. -- I'm personally convinced the problems with her son could have been avoided if her doctor had been more "with the times" and ordered more tests to check on things because going later increases the risk of meconium aspiration. Ultrasounds are all covered by our health care system so it wouldn't have been a problem and my friend wished (in hindsight) more testing had been involved but was afraid to speak up because she was young (19 like I was with my first)

All of that said, I think it's entirely dependent on how comfortable you are physically, and how a BPP or other ultrasound might check out, if there haven't been any complications or concerns in the pregnancy, I think I'd be fine to wait. If I were in a situation like my friend where my dates weren't totally clear and had no other way of checking out how baby was doing in there, I'd definitely feel uneasy. In my friend's situation 10 days would be too much for me to have done nothing about it, but in my situation, like I said I would have been fine to wait.

WannaBeCrunchyMama

honkytonk_kid:

Assuming she's being monitored and both LO and placenta are still looking good, I wouldn't worry about going even to 42 weeks. After 42 I might get a little antsy...

This was my plan. My doctor lets you go as long as you want as long as you're willing to be monitored closely.

He's had women go waaay past 42 weeks.

That being said, I was getting a bit stir crazy by the time I delivered. So I may have just been done by then. 

andrea922

My son was 15 days late, and was totally fine. I wont consider a non medical induction for This one before 42 weeks

Molluskwrangler

bethy84:

I would be ok (not saying I'd be comfortable and not complaining) for two weeks past.

This.  I already spoke to my doc about it too. He said too  many docs induce for overdue women but the fact is it's more likely to lead to c section and as long as the baby is fine it's really only for the moms comfort.  He will let me go to 42 weeks before inducing, and I would want to wait that long...well I wouldn't WANT to but I don't want an induction.

swimming47

I would be comfortable up to 42 weeks.  I was induced at 41 weeks with #1 and am trying to push it as late as possible up to 42 weeks with this one (along with being monitored closely)

violetvirgo

i'd be fine.  my OB monitors the baby and mom closely and is fine going 2 weeks overdue.  i'd be much more concerned about a rushed induction just b/c i didn't go into labor by my due date.  there's no harm in babies gestating longer if amniotic fluid, heart rate, etc is good.

AJBMD915

I was induced w/ DD at 41w 3d.  I wanted to wait until 42 but my dr wasn't on call then or for the rest of my 41st wk.  She wanted to induce me while she could still deliver me.  DD and my body had other ideas.  The induction didn't take until 2 days later and DD wasn't born until 41w 6d.

I will not be induced again.  I had a horrible experience.  I was tied to the bed (except to pee) for 4 days, had my epi catheter in for 6 days.  Because of my gestational thrombocytopenia that I have this time as well, I know my fate would be the same.  I've told my dr no pit at all this time.  If I get beyond a time where she is comfortable with me still being pregnant or if the baby is in distress she can section me, but I really want to go on my own this time.

AmberNGIII

With DD I went 2 weeks past my due date and then got induced.  My doc was shocked that I wanted to wait but told my I really shouldn't go much past 2 weeks. I probably would have gave it a few more days but I was in a lot of pain (round ligament, I think).  This time I will go to 43 weeks at the very lastest, but sooooo hoping that I go into labor naturally!!!!  A few days early might be nice too!!