Your due date is set at 40 weeks but only 4% of babies arrive on their due date. It is easy to focus on this date so if you go beyond it, you may feel like the countdown to induction has begun. Some women can then feel fed up and anxious, so here’s some suggestions for you…
Find stuff to do – get your house ready for your recovery and when your baby is here, cook, fill the freezer, meet friends, go for coffee, go on dates with your partner, go to the movies, go for a massage, go swimming, go for walks, read, relax, chill. And just potter and hangout – sleep, stay in pjs, watch movies, read.
Rest as much as you can - this isn’t easy if you also have a toddler running around at home but grab a chance to recharge with naps and early nights.
Relax - especially if you are feeling anxious or worried about going over your due date. Being tense may prevent your labour from starting so you can use your relax and breathe techniques to relax as much as possible and try to remember that your baby will come when he is ready.
Going for a pregnancy massage or having reflexology can also help to make you feel relaxed.Enjoy some time together or with friends before your baby arrives - you could head to the movies, go for dinner or just hang out at home if that is where you are more comfortable.
Use positions and movement for comfort and gravity - walking, sitting on your birth ball, kneeling and leaning forwards, lying on your left side can all help to ease discomfort as well as to encourage your baby to be in a better position for labour.
Options
Your community midwife might suggest a sweep of your cervix to encourage labour to start. This may have more chance of success the closer to labour you are – you may be offered a sweep at 40 weeks and another at 41 weeks but it is a personal choice so if it feels right for you, go for it or you can opt to wait it out instead.
If it looks like induction is the next step for you, then you may feel like you might as well also have a sweep.You may be offered induction at about 41 weeks - as this is now routine in the UK. This may be welcome news to you or something you would prefer to avoid. If the induction is offered only because you have gone over your due date, you can ask to delay it for a few days to give your baby and your body more time.
Go with what feels right for you and ask questions so you feel more informed. If you decline induction at 41 weeks, your maternity unit may offer you more monitoring with a scan to check on your baby as well as the function of your placenta.
It can also help to do some induction prep so you can make an informed decision and be better prepared - an induced labour can be very different to a spontaneous labour, with different options and considerations.
Considerations
Women in the UK are routinely offered induction at about 41 weeks because of concerns around stillbirth. The NHS statistics for the risk of stillbirth are:
1 in 1000 at 40 weeks
2 in 1000 at 41 weeks
3 in 100 at 42 weeks
Being induced is a very personal decision - for some women, these statistics are low enough to continue with their pregnancy, for other women they want to reduce the risk and be induced.
Remember
Your labour will start when your baby is ready to be born – maybe he needs to grow a bit more, maybe he needs time to get into a better position.You can’t force labour to start so try to accept it and enjoy the peace and maybe a chance to rest for a few more days. Use your breathing to handle any stress or tension.
Even if you are going to be induced at around 41 weeks, it makes a difference to rest, relax and prepare.
Please do leave comments and questions below, you can access the induction guide (password: member2023) and you can also arrange a consultation with me.