The looks I get when I tell people that is awesome.
People try to figure it out. They'll ask,
"Are they sure about your dates?"
"Who's your doctor?"
"Why didn't they induce you?"
We based my "due dates" off of early ultrasound so everybody's in agreement that the dates were pretty accurate. I'm pretty sure I made my doctor very nervous because he had never had a mom go to or past 42 weeks. In truth, he had probably induced moms before they could get there. But I was convinced that, for me, induction was not the way to go.
When a mom is induced, the ideal scenario would be that she was showing signs of being labor ready. Dilation and effacement are the most detectable signs but even they mean very little in regards to when a mom may go into labor.
My body was showing zero signs of readiness. ZERO.
Big, fat, pregnant ZERO.
This set me firmly against induction as I knew it would probably be a rough induction. Long and arduous and potentially dangerous.
So I wanted to wait.
People would ask, "When are you due?"
I'd say, "Two weeks ago."
They would show signs of shock (I think one person nearly had a stroke) and slowly step away like I was a leper.
One woman in the mall starting looking for warm blankets and boiling water.
Was it hard to wait so long?
Yes!
Did I like the long wait?
No!
So why did I want to wait?
Well, there were a few reasons.
First and most importantly, nothing was wrong. Through monitoring and tests, both me and my babies were perfectly healthy. The placenta wasn't "dying" (which is a common excuse for induction post dates), the baby wasn't in danger, my fluid levels were perfect. There was nothing my doctor could have come up with to convince me of the legitimacy of induction.
Both of my babies were born healthy. They weren't "expired" or "old". They weren't even big. My son was one pound heavier and an inch longer than my daughter and was born in two easy pushes. That's a full million pushes less than with my daughter. (wink) Bigger baby does not always mean unbirthable baby. I don't know how many times a woman is asked, "How big do you think the baby is?" Really, all this question does is put the idea in a mom's head that her baby might be "too big" to birth. Let me assure you, it is totally okay to birth a "bigger" baby.
Anyway...
As hard as it was to say "no" to the suggestion of induction, the evidence for its necessity just wasn't there.
Finally, at 41 weeks and 4 days with my first, I agreed to come in at 42 weeks and 1 day (though my earliest ultrasound put me at 42 weeks and 6 days...eek) and start a more natural induction process. It was a Monday and my induction was scheduled for 7am. Early that Monday morning, at 1 am, I woke up with contractions. No cramping or "hey I think that was a contraction" contractions. I woke up with full blown contractions. 6 minutes apart and consistent. Then 5 minutes. Then 4...
My sweet little baby girl was born at 7:47am, all on her own. Forty-seven minutes after the induction was supposed to begin.
She continues to push boundaries at the ripe young age of 3 1/2. I have a love/hate relationship with this quality. (I have no idea where she gets it).
With my second, at 42 weeks I agreed to come in at 42 weeks 3 days and start a more natural induction process. It was a Monday...
You can see where this is headed.
The Friday before, I was desperate to avoid this Monday induction. I got a pedicure and a sweet friend of mine sent out a massage therapist to stimulate my pressure points. The next morning I used castor oil on my skin (feet and belly) and prayed that things would get going.
They did. My squishy sweet man was born at 6:47am on the Sunday morning. 24 hrs before his scheduled eviction. To this day, he doesn't like to be told what to do... (I have no idea where he gets it).
So with baby #3, I am fully prepared to see the days following my due date of September 28th. I really hope that I don't have to see them, but I'm prepared. The patience and stamina it took to see my due date come and go...and basically evaporate...was surprisingly difficult. It took a great deal of endurance. But as they say, "Good things come to those who wait."
So I encourage all of you pregnant mamas to trust your instincts. Be educated and informed about all of your options. Due dates are arbitrary and your baby is more important than a number or day we determine. Only 5-10% of babies come on their due dates.
The medical community still does not understand what brings on labor. There are suspicions about hormones, baby development, size of uterus, etc, but the true catalyst of labor is still unknown. Even induced babies won't necessarily be born on the day of induction. Often times they are born days later. After all these years of women giving birth and the advances in medical technology, we still can't predict the arrival day of a baby.
Let me repeat that...
We still can't predict the arrival day of a baby.
I love helping moms with their pregnancies, labors, deliveries, and postpartum experiences. I love being a doula and seeing moms give birth to their babies. It's a truly miraculous thing. Babies all come into the world with uniqueness and individuality. I want to fully embrace this and encourage other moms to do the same.
Embrace the uniqueness of your baby and your body and remember that, though guesses can be made, your baby's arrival date cannot be predicted.
Wishing all the pregnant mamas out there Due Date Peace and...Hair Peace!
(Disclaimer: There are necessary reasons for the use of induction, I just want to encourage pregnant mamas to not let "impatience" be one of them)
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