Although all reputable doctors and information publications list the normal length of pregnancy as anywhere from 37 to 42 weeks (that’s a 5 week range!), there is huge pressure for mothers to deliver even before their due dates. Doctors, relatives, midwives, strangers and mothers themselves seem incredibly fearful if a mother reaches her due date without delivery. God forbid she still carries a baby at 41 weeks. And a 42 week pregnancy is almost unthinkable these days. Caregivers are faced with introducing a million policies, mostly based on “what ifs” and liability rather than real medical issues.
My last two children were born a few days after 42 weeks. I was under tremendous pressure to induce labor from 40 weeks, and I was going to fight to avoid it. I don’t want to induce labor for non-medical reasons because of the dangers it carries, but my staff are reviewing any fatal cases they can think of. They could, even though all the babies know and myself are healthy, the risks of a post-quad pregnancy are minimal, and their “concerns” are legitimate reasons. At 41 weeks with the most recent pregnancy, the doctor just tried to convince me and said that he would get a legal status in the hospital to waive all the burdenssign.
But she warned me that I was going to have a huge baby (over 11 pounds), that it would probably stick to the shoulders (shoulder dystocia) and die, and that there was a big risk of me tearing “from trunk to rump” and repeated surgical repair. all the skills and nothing that could be received in the investigation, and I knew from experience and experience of others that such risks were minimal. Two post-dates of the uterus were completed. Labor was hard both times, no shoulder dystocia, and babies and thin.The only thing that really bothered me was the size of my babies, 9 lb 15 oz and 10 lb 8 oz respectively, and their sizes didn’t affect me or the delivery.
It is not to say that it should be neglected, that it should not be watched. First of all, pay attention to the care of your body, and especially in the later weeks pay attention to the movements of your baby. If anything seems wrong, seek medical help: for sometimes the baby must be born immediately. But if you pass 40 weeks, you are healthy, the baby is healthy, there is no reason to induce if you don’t want to. Look at the risks versus the benefits for you and your babies, and make up your mind.
A great book would start with A Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer. If you want to be sure that your baby remains healthy and the placenta is working well, the caregiver will be asked to perform non-stress tests and ultrasounds on a weekly or even bi-weekly basis until you parture. Just remember that the NST’s induction may suggest even more pressure if the baby is not cooperating, or if the baby is measuring too wide. Because you will most likely deliver an older baby after 41 weeks, read up on what you can do to prevent shoulder dystocia and minimize tearing (certain positions for labor and pushing will be incredibly helpful here). Sometimes an induction is necessary, but if you want a natural birth and the only reason for the induction is the recommendation “post. is happy” or “great baby”, do not despair. You cannot be forced to induce and when you do some research, you find that there is no reason for labor because your pregnancy has only passed 41 weeks .
Report:
- Detailed paper on prolonged pregnancy: www.gentlebirth.org/archives/datesppr. html
