In case you were wondering/worrying...

[oloriel]

This applies until further notice.
Found via tuxedo_elf.


I guess it's sort of amusing in hindsight, when you consider that about halfway through this pregnancy the gyn was worried that Offspring might come out too early, having gotten himself into the starting position already. And my mother-in-law has been saying "I bet he comes earlier" for about five weeks now. (Jörg was born five weeks premature, so I guess that's where she got that idea...)

- - -

Was at the hospital for yet another CTG. (Just so the insurance companies have to pay for these things, German maternity protection "highly recommends" that you should go and have these check-ups done every second day after your due date. As the gynaecologist only works Monday-Friday, that means weekend appointments at the hospital.) This time it was particularly unspectacular except for that one moment when Offspring apparently worked himself up to such excitement that he set off the CTG machine's alarms with his heartrate... but only very irregular contractions, and only few of the stronger sort. Portio still closed, too. And the bloody midwife at the hospital was rather ungentle while trying to find that out! I get that you have short fingers, woman, but you don't have to ram them up my tender nether regions to make up for the lack of length with momentum! :(


After checking with the doctor, she told us that if Offspring didn't decide to come out by Thursday night, I was to come to be induced on Friday. ("Early. As early as 8 am.") No particular reason. Which translates to: Dear patient, we want to be done before the weekend, so could you please be there on Friday morning, kthx.
Yeeeeah. Unless anything the gyn finds during the next check-ups (every other day :P) indicates a need to get the kid out of there quickly, I won't be doing them that favour. Because this time I am their meal ticket, so they can damn well wait till my body and my kid decide they're ready, whether that's at some convenient time or Saturday night at 11 pm! I mean, I do understand needing to "encourage" the child to come out if there's a problem with the placenta or umbilical cord, or not enough amniotic fluid, or if it's getting too big, or some other trouble. As long as none of that is given, however, let's let nature have its course, shall we? *grumble*

Comments

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

Right on, hon; you stand fast - inducing labor for the convenience of the medical staff is nowhere considered 'best practice'.

My daughter was a solid week past her due date, and the hospital told me I had to come in for a fetal non-stress test to make sure she was okay. The morning of the the test, I woke up at 6:00 AM, pretty sure I was having *real* contractions. The hospital had me come in for the test anyway, and she was still doing fine in there - yes, I was probably in labor so we should stay in the city, but nothing would be happening for quite some while, so yes, we could go play at Seattle Center till the contractions got too uncomfortable.

I didn't ask if it was okay to ride the giant Viking-ship swing there, because I knew what they'd say, but I figured, yeah right, what's it going to do, send me into labor? :D

Wishing you a beautiful birthing and a healthy, happy child; joy to you and Jörg and all your family!

[laurenia.livejournal.com]

Pff, you should have asked the midwife when she will be on duty next week and encourage your baby mentally to chose another time. Seriously.

And a colleague of mine once told me that the calculation of birthdays is ridiculously outdated and one should just roll a dice in the approximate timeframe instead.

But, of course I'm wondering ^^

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

*snrks* Didn't think of that at the time, alas!

Well, to be fair it isn't actually a fixed date. Medical professionals consider it more as a sort of axis, with two weeks on either side for the real birthday. So it's actually safer than dice-rolling, which will again give you one date ;)
The thing is, you need a standardised date because of course the due date is used to calculate things like maternity leave (if you're working) and the like. Which is why they don't even take things like the length/regularity of your menstrual cycle before pregnancy into consideration, but instead use the same standard 280 days for everyone - otherwise, there'd be complaints about equality and all that...

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Yeah, seriously. So far I thought that was more of a myth spread by home-birthing advocates (as in, "Hospitals are evil!"), but now I know it does happen after all. And so blatantly, too - they didn't even make up some sort of excuse!

I didn't ask if it was okay to ride the giant Viking-ship swing there, because I knew what they'd say, but I figured, yeah right, what's it going to do, send me into labor?

*laughs* When my mom-in-law called on Friday, she ended by telling me not to overtax myself (I'd told her that I was about to do the laundry). I couldn't help pointing out that um, if it sends me into labour - so what? (Obviously, it didn't anyway. I think this is a lot further out of our control than we like to think! :P)

[chili-das-schaf.livejournal.com]

That link cracked me up.

Re: Induced birth: What the hell? I mean that poor thing will have enough deadlines, dates and appointments in his life, let him at least arrive here whenever he bloody feels like it!

[lainvess.livejournal.com]

You are amazing.
I just stormed LJ in a burst of panic when I realised that since I basically disappeared of late (as I am wont to do, especially towards the end of the semester), you might have had that baby by now and I would know NOTHING about it - and the first thing I see when I call up my flist is you telling me it's still safely in your belly. Hurray? :D

Full support on not rushing the birth. Your little boy will come out when he feels like it.
(Sag Frau Doktor einfach, dass sie die Geburt nicht einleiten kann, weil die Prinzessin Klausuren hat und nicht mitkriegen wird, dass das Steinchen das Licht der Welt erblickt hat. :p)
Weiterhin alles Gute! <3

[tuxedo-elf.livejournal.com]

I definitely don't blame you for not wanting to be induced! I went to 12 days over with both my boys before they induced me - with Aedan I regret it, with Marcus I don't, due to his size. (Despite the horrible birth.) But you're quite right - if there's no problems and you're happy, let them come when they're ready. It's only after 43 weeks that the risk factor really goes up anyway. Good on you for standing your ground!

[hhimring]

Du lieber Himmel! He's not even late yet, really, is he? As long as you can stand it, what are they complaining about?

[rahja.livejournal.com]

Ich drück dir die daumen, dass das Bärchen noch selbst ohne Anstupsen seine Mama kennenlernen will. Aber hey. Kopf hoch. Das kann so schnell gehen. ich habe letztes Jahr hier morgens noch gemeckert, dass ich keine Lust mehr hab und Nils endlich kommen soll und abends lag ich mit Wehen im Kreissaal. Also das kann fix gehen. Ich denke an dich :)

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Me too, when Tux first posted it ^^

It's common practice to induce labour ten days after the due date, fourteen at the latest. So unfortunately there is a deadline eventually. But yeah, at least let him have that safety margin!

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Naja, wenn er sich jetzt irgendwann selbsttätig für's Rauskommen entscheidet, könnte die Prinzessin ja auch Klausuren haben ;)

Dankeschön!

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

My gynaecologist did another ultrasound today and confirmed that we're safe for at least another week. So I'll wait and see how things develop. I still hope Baby will decide to come out before I have to get into any arguments ;)

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Well, he is late by a few days now. They aren't complaining either - they just want to be able to plan ahead. And of course it's much handier for them to plan induction and proceeds for a Friday...

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Dankeschön, ich hoffe, die Botschaft kommt bei ihm an. Ein paar Tage hat er ja noch...

[lainvess.livejournal.com]

Ich bin eher geneigt, mich der Entscheidung des Kiesels zu beugen als der der Ärztin. ;) Natur und so. (Oh, wow, und das sag ausgerechnet ich!)
Ich hab damals wohl auch eine Weile gebraucht, bis ich bereit war, meine Mutter zu verlassen (der Akt des Verlassens selbst ging dann aber wohl recht fix). Der Kleine hat also meine volle Sympathie.