Need advice!

CaraLynn91 · June 2013

Alright, I'm 36 and 4 today, and I'm dilated to a 6 and 80%. I have an incompetent cervix, and don't feel my contractions. So I've gone this far without noticing my body doing anything...

My OB mentioned at my appointment this morning that if I haven't had DD2 by next appt (Tuesday) she would discuss stripping my membranes, or if I'm at 7 cm admitting me. She (and I agree to some extent) doesn't feel comfortable sending me home dilated at or past a 7 since I don't feel my contractions. I'm afraid I wouldn't have time to make it to the hospital since I'm already so far along.

If you were in my shoes would you allow her to strip your membranes at 37 weeks? I guess I just don't see the hurry to get things started when I'll just be 37 and 4 by that appointment.

And would you feel okay with being admitted at a 7? SO is absolutely terrified of having this baby at home, so making it to the hospital is a big goal of his. Lol

tokenhoser · June 2013

I might try to put off the stripping (which seems pretty likely to accidentally break your waters) until 38 weeks. I can see not wanting to send you home if you're past 7 cm, though. It's very likely that if they do rupture your membranes, you'll be holding your baby within a few hours.

AmyRI · June 2013

I wouldn't strip membranes. You don't need to help labor along if you dilate so easily.

How long was your first labor? I'm assuming admitting you means an induction goes with that? How far are you from the hospital?

CaraLynn91 · June 2013

AmyRI:
I wouldn't strip membranes. You don't need to help labor along if you dilate so easily.

How long was your first labor? I'm assuming admitting you means an induction goes with that? How far are you from the hospital?

I assume she would want to break my water or something along those lines. That's about as much of an induction I would allow. I don't want pitocin, etc. We live only about 30 minutes away.

honkytonk_kid · June 2013

How long was your first labor?

I would try to stick it out as long as possible- late preterm babies frequently have issues that I would not want to risk unnecessarily. 37 and 4 is just too early, IMO, for any induction-like moves. Maaaybe 38 and 4...

Would everyone involved be comfortable with increasing the frequency of your appointments after next week? ie every 2-3 days just for a check, and having you take it easy at home? I definitely don't think stripping your membranes and sending you home so far along is a good idea, that sounds like a recipe for an accidental home birth. I mean, admit and induce you or let you go into labor on your own, but don't jumpstart your labor out of the hospital when you're already worried about making it in time, kwim?

But how lucky are you to make so much progress without actually being in labor? Most women have to work hard to get to 6cm!

abell77 · June 2013

I can understand them not wanting to send you home if you are already at a 7, but I don't understand at all the idea of stripping membranes when you are not at all past your due date. Good Luck.

CaraLynn91 · June 2013

honkytonk_kid:
How long was your first labor?
3 hours from breaking my water until she was in my arms.
I would try to stick it out as long as possible- late preterm babies frequently have issues that I would not want to risk unnecessarily. 37 and 4 is just too early, IMO, for any induction-like moves. Maaaybe 38 and 4...
DD1 was born at exactly 37 weeks and still had a ittle fluid on the lungs, and extremely jaundice. Which is what I'm worried about if I go into labor anytime soon. I was joking around saying "after all of this (being on bed rest since 27 weeks, admitted at 33 weeks dilated to a 4) she'll probably stick it out until my due date..." OB sort of gave me a smirk and said she wouldn't "do that to me"...like going to my due date would be a bad thing. As far as I'm concerned...that was the point of all of the precautions we were taking...
Would everyone involved be comfortable with increasing the frequency of your appointments after next week? ie every 2-3 days just for a check, and having you take it easy at home? I definitely don't think stripping your membranes and sending you home so far along is a good idea, that sounds like a recipe for an accidental home birth. I mean, admit and induce you or let you go into labor on your own, but don't jumpstart your labor out of the hospital when you're already worried about making it in time, kwim?
I think I may have worded it oddly, but what she meant was if I'm still at a 6 Tuesday she will want to strip my membranes. If I'm at a 7 or beyond I will be admitted to L & D.
But how lucky are you to make so much progress without actually being in labor? Most women have to work hard to get to 6cm!
It's something else! In a way I know I'm lucky, but I would LOVE to feel my contractions so I'm not so in the dark about what my own body is doing, you know? I also feel like a cheater at this whole labor thing. Ha.

halfthetree · June 2013

I don't quite understand the rush to induce at 37 weeks, if your waters haven't broken and you aren't in active labor, I wouldn't let her strip membranes until I was overdue and threatened with a chemical induction

oliversmommy32912 · June 2013

A good friend of mine was 7cm at 37 weeks. At 41 weeks she was still pregnant and her midwife convinced her to let her break her water. Contractions started 15 minutes later and she had the baby a half hour after that. If her water had broken at home she probably would have had the baby in the car. Of course someone else's experience probably isn't going to be the same as yours but I can definitely understand your fears.

If I were in your situation (and I very well might be next time...I suspect I was 4 or 5cm when labor started with my first because I started in active labor and hit transition only 1 1/2 hours after the first contraction with absolutely no lead-up or contractions prior to that day) I wouldn't have the doctor strip my membranes. That makes no sense to me. Obviously your body doesn't need any interventions to get the baby to come. Unless she plans on admitting you and stripping them there so that you are already in the hospital when labor starts I don't see a point.

If I were in your situation I would try to hold out until 38 weeks and then ask them to break my water. I would ask for cervical checks at least twice a week from now until then and if I hit 7cm I would ask to be admitted until the baby came. I wouldn't let them do anything to augment labor until I was 38 weeks.I had a 37 weeker that was very healthy but a friend of mine just had a 37 weeker with a 2 week NICU stay because he had trouble breathing, eating, and keeping his temps up.

I am terrified of having an unplanned unassisted birth, though. At the very least at the first sign of labor I would leave for the hospital immediately. In my opinion it's better to sit in the hospital parking lot and have nothing happen than to have the baby on the freeway.

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