42 Weeks

lakreuz · January 2013

A lot of induction talk on here lately! Just wondering how long you ladies were planning on waiting? I told my dad I'd wait til 42 weeks, and he seems to think that's too long, increasing other risks. But I'm under the impression that you're pretty closely monitored after 40, and they would let you know if it was necessary to induce. Right?

Jbosarge85 · January 2013

My induction is set exactly one week after due date. My midwife says that the longest they wait is 42 weeks because the placenta starts to get old.

Blackfire12 · January 2013

I'm not allowed past 41wks. Idk if that's 41wks and 6 days or what, but according to my mom who's an ER nurse, there are bad risks when you go to 42 wks. Mostly with baby not getting nutrients or anything because the placenta starts to die basically.

Allycat11 · January 2013

It sounds like my OB office typically recommends induction at 41 weeks which is the soonest I would agree to it unless absolutely medically necessary. The longest I would go is 42 weeks.

RosekittyS · January 2013

As far as I can tell and have heard, as long as there is no medical reason to induce sooner 42 weeks is fine. You can always talk with your Dr. about the risks and benefits of waiting until 42 weeks. You can also investigate natural induction methods. Another group I'm part of, mom's got foot massages, membrane stripping, and acupuncture in various combinations and for at least 2 of them, while their births didn't go as they hoped they did avoid induction if I remember right.

ungraceful13 · January 2013

My doctors will only let me go to 41 weeks. So an induction will be scheduled for sometime between 40 and 41 weeks.

brianabrad · January 2013

My doctor suggested he doesn't like people to go past 41 weeks. We are fine with that so our induction will be Jan 16 unless she comes before that. Additionally, if we go in for a check between 40 and 41 weeks and my body is favorable my doctor said he is more than willing to induce at that point, if we are ready. We see him again when I'm 40w1d and part of me is excited that maybe my body will be more favorable and ready for an induction then but the hope is still that baby girl will come on her own before then.

ReeceFamily · January 2013

Jbosarge85:
My induction is set exactly one week after due date. My midwife says that the longest they wait is 42 weeks because the placenta starts to get old.

I asked my OB about this last week, because placentas of older moms tend to degrade earlier than with younger moms, and it worried me. And it's true that there are increased risks of still birth as time passes beyond the due date. But, according to my high-risk OB, it's the degradation of the placenta that actually triggers the hormonal process that leads to initiation of labor. So, degradation is a normal part of the birthing process. If I go over 40 weeks, they'll monitor me, but they are much more concerned about whether I'm maintaining fluid levels than anything else - so they'll test for that and do NSTs to detect problems like meconium in the fluid, etc.. If fluid levels get too low or baby gets stressed, they'll induce me.

Of course, in some people, it might be that degradation of the placenta might fail to start the appropriate hormonal triggers, but the Mayo Clinic suggests this is relatively rare.

I'm totally open to correction, but this is my best understanding of the situation.

P.S. both me and my sister were 3 weeks late and were of normal weight/healthy...but I understand that it's a numbers game.

Jo2013 · January 2013

My dr will not let me go past 41w, according to my birth class this is pretty standard these days. The placenta starts to get old.

sbevmc09 · January 2013

I'm fine with going until at least 42 weeks and then we'll evaluate what's going on at that time if I'm still pregnant. My provider will likely begin extra monitoring at 41 weeks (2x that week) and I'm okay with that. Normal human gestation goes until 42 weeks. Barring additional complication the "risks" of going past 41 weeks are lower than those of being induced, especially if you have a low Bishop's Score going into the induction.

Allison546 · January 2013

I'd be able to go 41 weeks 3 days before being induced per my OB.

runlong3 · January 2013

My MWs will let me go to 42 weeks before inducing. Yes, it's true that the placenta may start to degrade after 40 weeks, but at that point you're going to start undergoing monitoring (NSTs and BPPs) to ensure that the placenta and baby are still doing okay. Funny how the average natural labor date for FTMs is 41wk3d (or around there), yet everyone tends to flip out about going past 41 weeks.

As long as everything keeps checking out good with the placenta and baby, I plan to go the full 42 weeks if it comes to that. Keep in mind that if your due date is just based on your LMP, your actual date of ovulation/conception could be off by a week or so -- putting you +/- a week in either direction. Hence, you could be inducing your baby a full week earlier than you think.

3rdat40 · January 2013

I really want to wait and go naturally, but because of my age (I am 40), I was told that I should have the baby no later than at 41 weeks. Generally, 42 weeks is the standard "deadline" so to speak, but everything is moved up a week for me because of my age. I am hoping this is all a moot point and that my baby comes before we have to have that discussion. My first two children were born at 38.5 weeks, but here I am at 38 weeks and 6 days, so this baby is already later than my others were.

aklawrence1 · January 2013

My doctors office doesn't allow past 41 weeks, so we discussed induction possibilities today. If I don't go by Tuesday, on our EDD, we'll set up induction for late next week or weekend.

dlbrous · January 2013

runlong3:
My MWs will let me go to 42 weeks before inducing. Yes, it's true that the placenta may start to degrade after 40 weeks, but at that point you're going to start undergoing monitoring (NSTs and BPPs) to ensure that the placenta and baby are still doing okay. Funny how the average natural labor date for FTMs is 41wk3d (or around there), yet everyone tends to flip out about going past 41 weeks.
As long as everything keeps checking out good with the placenta and baby, I plan to go the full 42 weeks if it comes to that. Keep in mind that if your due date is just based on your LMP, your actual date of ovulation/conception could be off by a week or so -- putting you +/- a week in either direction. Hence, you could be inducing your baby a full week earlier than you think.

I can't stop thinking about this very thing. I was actually just talking to DH about this.... I have a feeling I'll be faced with asking my OB this very question at the end of next week. And I will so that I'm as informed as possible. But.... How is everyone sure what the right decision is?

lakreuz · January 2013

I think for me, it's a little different given that I have a very rough estimate of my due date. We couldn't date from my last period, well because that would be impossible - I'm highly irregular and always have been. So the best they could do was go by growth on u/s. So I feel more comfortable letting it go a few weeks, because my "42" weeks could actually be 40.

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