calling all unicorns - how long will you go?

kaking78 · February 2014

At my 37 week appointment yesterday my OB said that she would let me go to 42 weeks before worrying about induction. As much as I don't love the idea of being enormously pregnant for that much longer, it seemed like a reasonable time frame to me.

Has anyone else's doctor discussed this with them yet? Any STM+ moms have experience going that long or longer?

theluckiest9 · February 2014

kirotea said:
My OB's office typically doesn't let anyone go past 41 weeks (or 41 & a couple days). So we'd be talking about it at week 40 if necessary.

Pretty much this.

jbelle · February 2014

My doc said we'd start talking induction when I hit 41 weeks, so I won't hit 42 weeks.

NoelleZako · February 2014

My hospital won't let me go past 41 so they will schedule induction at my 40 week appointment for the following week. I hope that makes sense. :-/

htn1763 · February 2014

I asked this yesterday. He said they will go 10-11 days past due date but that is it.

jwls84 · February 2014

Where I live it is pretty much standard to not even discuss being induced until 41 weeks and they won't induce until at least 10+ days overdue. Unless medically necessary of course.
I am fine with this, I don't want to be induced unless I have to be so I love living somewhere that doesn't pressure or even give the option to induce before you're due.

hisbeautyalways · February 2014

I'm having a home birth with midwives, but I can go as long as necessary, as long as baby is OK. Appointments will get closer, and we've even talked about up to ~43 weeks, as long as I agree to see them every day at that point.

Basically, I'm going to be pregnant forever.

pepperedmoth · February 2014

Not until 42 weeks.

BrideNamedMeg · February 2014

I'm having a home birth with midwives, but I can go as long as necessary, as long as baby is OK. Appointments will get closer, and we've even talked about up to ~43 weeks, as long as I agree to see them every day at that point.

Basically, I'm going to be pregnant forever.

Same here. After 42 weeks I think you go for daily NST's as well. I don't think I'll make it to that point, but knowing it's possible is a little freaky!

ProudMommy030614 · February 2014

When my mom was pregnant with me they let her go until 43 weeks. By that time she was begging them to induce! I am going to 40w 1 day and that's it. My doctor wants me to be induced at 37w due to blood clot but I am declining as long as everything is ok with LO and myself.

Pinecone21 · February 2014

I already have a 41 week appointment scheduled. If I make it that far, we will discuss the options at that appointment.

aLsMay24 · February 2014

My MW group with not let me schedule an elective induction until I reach 41w. If I choose not to and still don't have a baby a day or so before 42 they will require one.

myfriendscallmemeg · February 2014

I'm jealous. My hospital is super induction happy. Everyone I know gets induced between 38-39 weeks.

LaurenAsh23 · February 2014

I'm jealous. My hospital is super induction happy. Everyone I know gets induced between 38-39 weeks.

That's insane and would make me uncomfortable!! I have high BP and am still not being induced until 39-40 weeks as long as everything is okay.

MeggsM · February 2014

My MW won't let me go much past 40 weeks as the rates of still birth rise after 40. I think they'll start the stretch and sweep next week at 39 weeks and go from there.

BabiesFTW · February 2014

With DD#1 induction was scheduled for 9 days after my due date. She came before that though.
We haven't discussed it this time around yet.

CruiseGirl28 · February 2014

I don't know yet. I'll be 37 weeks on Monday, so maybe I'll ask at my next appt. I feel like I'm going to go late, so I should find this out.

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CactusGirl · February 2014

I was told yesterday that they don't think I will make it to my due date. I haven't talked induction yet, but I would want to do it at 41 weeks.

Natty13umppo · February 2014

DD was 11 days past due. We had scheduled the induction for 12 days past due but DD decided to start the process herself. I don't think 12 days was the magic number but I think that was the day my OB would have been the OB on call so that's how we ended up with that day. I think I had one or two NSTs after my due date and maybe one (maybe two?) BPP?

I'm really hoping to go a lot earlier this time as I'm hoping for a VBAC. My doctor has said that the earlier I labor, the better chances I have of a successful VBAC. That said, I'd rather have my labor start on its own than get induced early (FWIW, he hasn't talked about inducing early, just said that statistically, VBACs are more successful if they happen earlier rather than later. We'll see...).

KariB509 · February 2014

No experience with this but I think it's fairly common not to induce until you've gone past 42 weeks. There's no harm is going past 40 weeks but there is no benefits to going beyond 42 weeks and studies have even though that the baby stops thriving at that point and should be delivered.

kaking78 · February 2014

Thanks for the feedback! The reason I brought this up was that I hadn't thought about it until my OB mentioned it. I don't have a 41 week appointment scheduled yet, but if I make it that far I will probably ask to have my membranes stripped then. My mom was induced with both my brother and I at 42-43 weeks, so I'm hoping we can get the process going naturally before then.

farmrose · February 2014

My MW group is super low intervention. They'll induce if you reach 42w. But they give everyone a printout at your 36w appointment with their recommendations for natural methods, teas, supplements, etc to limit the number of inductions they have to do. They are the go to practice in the area for natural birth/ low interventions so it's nice that they do what they can to avoid inducing.

farmrose · February 2014

My MW group is super low intervention. They'll induce if you reach 42w. But they give everyone a printout at your 36w appointment with their recommendations for natural methods, teas, supplements, etc to limit the number of inductions they have to do. They are the go to practice in the area for natural birth/ low interventions so it's nice that they do what they can to avoid inducing.

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kmeyers0611 · February 2014

kirotea said:

My OB's office typically doesn't let anyone go past 41 weeks (or 41 & a couple days). So we'd be talking about it at week 40 if necessary.

Ditto

megs68 · February 2014

I went to pretty much 42 weeks with both kids, both ended in c/s (failed induction with DS and RCS after no progress with DD). Current doctor is very experienced and low key, I'm trying for a VBA2C and he said we would discuss next steps at 42 weeks. I think I will be willing to go to 42.5 with this one if need be. I hope it doesn't come to that but my uterus is the Four Seasons of the baby world so it won't surprise me one bit if I'm pregnant until then!

megs68 · February 2014

mommyKT310 said:

I'm jealous. My hospital is super induction happy. Everyone I know gets induced between 38-39 weeks.
I would be totally against this. You aren't even full term until 39 weeks. What's the rush?

Eek! That is terrifying! First time moms who are induced are three times more likely to end up with a c/s than those who go into labor on their own. This is very much against the ACOG policies, assuming you have no medical need to be induced. I know you're not asking for advice here, but this is very scary and if you haven't already, you may want to think about this. It is 100% your decision, not your doctor's!

kcanuck · February 2014

Natty13umppo said:

I'm really hoping to go a lot earlier this time as I'm hoping for a VBAC. My doctor has said that the earlier I labor, the better chances I have of a successful VBAC. That said, I'd rather have my labor start on its own than get induced early (FWIW, he hasn't talked about inducing early, just said that statistically, VBACs are more successful if they happen earlier rather than later. We'll see...).

Another VBAC attempter over here...My Dr said she was comfortable with me going to 42 weeks (with BPPs every few days) if things were cool. As @Natty13umppo (I hope I got that right!) said a VBAC is more likely to be successful if it happens on its own and it is earlier than 40 weeks. So I've elected to have a repeat section if I go past 41 weeks. I've also elected to not be induced as that really drops VBAC success rates. I'm hoping the fact that there is already some cervix action (that I will refrain from discussing on here LOL) at 36 weeks is a good omen!

VineyardMel · February 2014

I'm having an RCS on Monday at 39+2. I am in so much pain that I cannot fathom 2-3 more weeks of this. I am so impressed with everyone who is pregnant 41-42 weeks!!

jh&kh · February 2014

41 weeks max.

knittinlins · February 2014

My doctor is fine with me going to somewhere between 41 and 42 weeks. She says she prefers to be closer to 41 because of babies size and placenta health but is open if I wanted to wait. I have plenty of time until I am there, so hopefully I won't have to worry about induction.

Excitedmum35 · February 2014

My due date is 28 feb and I have an appointment on the 27th to set an induction date.
I am in sooo much pain and so uncomfortable I'm going to see if they will induce me on the Monday, which will be march 3, so 40w 3d.
Ds was induced on his due date due to GD and he was fine- so I would feel comfortable having an induction after my due date.
My first child was five days past my edd.

SurpriseAt39 · February 2014

Due to my age, my OB will not let me go past my EDD.

Kewii · February 2014

I was told 41 weeks as well. I'm not completely comfortable with getting an induction only a week after my due date, though. My doctor has only based my due date off of my LMP, and I still think there's a bit of an error in there.

I also really, really don't want to be induced. It's actually my big fear.

lalaith50 · February 2014

I haven't actually talked about this with my doctor, but I suspect she will let me go 10ish days past my due date. My 40 week appointment is on Wednesday, and she hasn't said a word about inducing (previously she was more worried that I would go to early!) Ten days sounds about right to me, and I would probably be comfortable inducing then, even though I'm *trying* for an intervention-free birth.

Also, I don't think anyone has yet mentioned this in this thread, but another thing to consider is how accurate do you know your due date to be? I know my due date is correct within a day (because I was charting, but also b/c I have short/average cycles,) but especially if you're someone who wasn't charting and you have longer cycles (like even longer than 30 days would make a difference,) then you might want to be more insistent on waiting, since your LO probably isn't as old as your due date says.

ETA: oh, and I just realized I have NO idea what a "unicorn" is... sorry if my answer wasn't something you were looking for!

kaking78 · February 2014

@lalaith50 - Pregnancy unicorns are those of us who are having relatively "easy" pregnancies - no complications, didn't puke for three months straight, etc. Basically I was curious about those of us whose doctors haven't already planned a c-section or early induction.

I wondered about the due date issue too. My original due date was calculated by the receptionist when she booked my first appointment! It's 40 weeks past LMP, which I know is wrong because I have 33 day cycles and I was tracking ovulation. My first doctor told me not to worry about it when I brought it up because "you'll be sick of being pregnant and ready to have this kid by March 12 anyway" (true, but not the point). My new doctor actually listened to me, I think.

After all of the babies that I have been born in the past 48 hours, maybe I shouldn't be too worried about when 42 weeks will really be!

cdnmomma · February 2014

no more than 41 weeks and a few days

Meesh1222 · February 2014

My doctor won't go past 41 she says it's a risk the baby will be still born if longer.

klp830 · February 2014

Because if my kidney disease, my OB won't let me go past my EDD. If I don't go between now and March 7th, I will be induced that day-right at 40 weeks.

BrideNamedMeg · February 2014

bearsbearsbears said:

kirotea said:

Meesh1222 said:

My doctor won't go past 41 she says it's a risk the baby will be still born if longer.

It's true that the rate of stillborns is higher at 41 weeks than it is at 40. I'm not sure how that is balanced with other risks, though.

Doesn't it technically go up at 38 weeks though? As long as you're being monitored the risks are still very low going past 41 weeks.

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