almost 40 weeks, and still no progress! what now?

Question

i will be officially due this friday, and at my last appointment i had absolutely no progress. i haven't felt much different this week than last, so i believe i still have not made any. if i go in on wednesday and i still have made no progress, will i get an ultrasound or anything? i am miserable and it hurts just to walk. i am hoping for an induction at this point, but if i have made no progress, they can't even do that, can they? i know everyone is going to say "you're not even past your due date" and "you just have to wait"...i don't want those answers...i just want to know what everyone else has experienced as far as being 40 weeks with no progress. like, what the doc said and what happened afterwards, etc. thanks!!!

Answer 1

My baby was due on the 2nd November and was born on the 19th. Naturally, at home, without induction or interference.

The best way to stop worrying about your 'progress' is to stop people sticking their fingers in there. Noone can tell you when you're going into labour regardless of how many facts, figures and centimetres they accumulate. When I was 41 weeks they wanted to do a membrane sweep, but I refused. When I was 42 weeks they wanted to induce, but I refused.

I never had an internal examination through pregnancy and labour because it can have these results - you're discouraged from the outset because of meaningless numbers.

The fact is that the average gestation for a healthy pregnancy for a first time mum is 41 weeks and one day. That is if it's not been mucked around with by doctors. The average for second babies and further babies is 40 weeks plus four days.

Read this before wishing for induction:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/08/23/ep.csection/index.html

I know it's hard at this point....I've been there. Take your mind off it. Book to go out for dinner next week. Reorganise your cupboards. Anything.

We went out for a chinese banquet on my due date, had it booked for months prior.

Why not start a diary for your newborn? Take the last belly pics. Enjoy every kick because you'll miss them when they're gone. Rest, sleep, read, eat.

Cook and freeze meals for when the baby arrives. Just keep busy. Being upright will help position your baby, keeping active is better for your fitness levels for labour. Having things to look forward to will keep your mind focsued and let your body do what it needs to do. Plus, itf you've got something booked, you're guaranteed to go into labour ;)

Good luck, I feel for you. I hope I've avoided saying what you didn't want to hear....

Answer 2

*sigh* These kinds of questions are getting so common ... it's not you, it's the induction-happy doctors out there! I don't know the exact figures, but sometimes babies don't drop until you're in labor! Mine never did, and I had a VBAC rather than a repeat c/s. Don't let your doctor talk you into (more like scare you) anything just yet. The average pregnancy is from 38-42 weeks. A LOT can happen in one week, so don't be too discouraged that you're not dilated yet. Even if you were, this really wouldn't be much of an indication, because you can be dilated for weeks before delivery. With my last baby, I wasn't effaced or dilated at all and then a week later, gave birth. So don't give up hope. It seems like when you're 40w and 2 minutes overdue, doctors want to induce. This can have complications and risks, and you need to know about them beforehand so you can make an informed decision. It can lead to longer, harder labor, which often necessitates the need for an epidural, which can, in turn, slow labor and make a c/s necessary. I'd suggest you tell your doctor to leave you alone for awhile and when you get to 42 weeks, then consider doing something. But if the baby isn't ready, no amount of coaxing and prodding will make it come out - even inductions can fail. And in some cases where they don't but the baby's not really ready, it can be an awful experience for mom.

Answer 3

My first baby came at 40 weeks but I had been slowly dilating and effacing a couple of weeks before she came. I'm pretty sure that after 40 weeks you can still be induced whether you've made any progress or not. If your progress during labor is slow after they've induced you, then a c-section may be considered if there is too much stress on the baby, so I would suggest reading up on that just in case. Hopefully you won't have to worry about that. My friend was induced and had slow progress so she had a c-section. Both her and baby were just fine. :o)

I can sympathize with you and I know how miserable you are and how anxious you are for it to be over...I've had three babies! At your next appointment I would definitely ask when induction can be done. Unfortunately, they are probably going to tell you that they won't do it until after your due date has passed. I know it's hard but try to hang in there! No pregnant woman stayed pregnant forever...you will have your baby soon! Best of luck to you!

Answer 4

You are correct that without dilation and effacement induction will fail, however some doctors will still try if you whine at them. This is NOT good for mom or baby.

Honestly I didn't have any signs of labour until 41 weeks, and gave birth at 41w3d. That is perfectly normal, I didn't have any extra tests or monitoring. I didn't try to induce labour. The 41st week of pregnancy was pretty much the same as the 40th, 39th, etc.

If it hurts to walk you need to treat that, there are many things you can do at home and through doctors. There are lots of great exercises, and chiropractors, massage therapists, and physiotherapists can all be of great help. I'd recommend some but there are different causes of pain and different exercises that work for each.

Answer 5

It happened to me too, 40 weeks no progress. It was hard because all you want to do is hold your baby and feel more comfortable. Did the doctor give you any ways to help stimulate labor? Mine gave me a few suggestions: take walks, have sex, some people go to acupuncturist and a friend of mine actually used her chiropractor to align her and she went into labor that evening. I don't know if that has worked for anyone else, but there is a big following out there for that. In my experience sex was the most productive. I would actually have contractions afterward. They will induce you eventually, but how long before they do depends on the doctor, your history and how many kids you have.

Answer 6

They can try and induce you even if your body has made no attempt to start labor itself, but your body might not be as receptive to it as it would if it was already starting to dilate on its own.


We all get uncomfortable at the end of our pregnancy - even the best of us feel the pain, pressure, the aches and other annoyances need to just come to an end. But try and be patient - the prize is not far off now.

Here are some tips to help your body go into natural labor (or maybe just get you started enough that you will feel some progress - if you do get induced these will help with that as well)


1. Have a warm bath to help you relax - the more tense you are the longer your body will fight off going into labor

2 Have sex - your husband needs to ejaculate inside of you and he needs to spend a lot of time playing with your nipples - nipple stimulation and a hormone in semen both help induce labor.

3. Lots and lots of walking - no more than an hour at a time (maybe 3 times a day) make sure you take water with you keep hydrated.

4. Eat some good food (thick soup, or a stew), and drink plenty of water - your body will refuse to labor if you are dehydrated.

Lastly do some deep breathing and meditating - your own mental state (being so anxious) can be a cause for your bodies lack of labor.

Good luck

Answer 7

My Dr would not let me go more than 2 weeks past my due date. I was dialated to 2 up until I actually went in to labor which was 2 weeks past my due date. I was scheduled to be induced 1 week after my due date but ended up with the stomach flu and it was cancelled...ended up going on my own. They can induce you have not progressed.....I had an ultrasound the week before my scheduled induction to see the baby's position. You will be fine.....hang in there and good luck!!

Answer 8

I am not telling you to do this at all, this is just my personal story. With my first child, I went to 42 wks and had become preeclamsic. I was so leary of that with my second pregnancy that at 38 wks, I started taking Evening Primrose oil.I had seen my OB that day and was checked and had no dialation at all. That night,for the first time, I took 2 by mouth and inserted one oil tablet vaginally after I had intercourse as semen has prostoglandins which soften the cervix as does Primrose oil. I expected it to only aid in the softening of the cervix to help me dialate easier in the next few wks. Less than 9 hrs later, my water broke. We drove to the hospital and I was dialated to a 6 already! A few hrs later, I had my son. I am not telling you what to do at all , but I am a nurse who worked in OB and I used to hear midwives tell women to do this. There have been studies done on primrose and I checked it out and asked my OB. He said it couldn't hurt. I was so amazed at how easily and quickly I dialated and thinned and I know the primrose helped alot.
Things that are clinically proven to work are :
Intercourse for the prostaglandins in the semen
Walking, which can be very uncomfortable when your hips hurt from loosened ligaments and extra weight.
Nipple stimulation as it releases oxytocin that can start uterine contractions. ( 15 min each nipple every hour . Whew !)
Good luck to you. I hope your labor is easy

Answer 9

My due date was May 2nd and they had it set for me to come in on May 5th because when I went in on the 2nd I was like you nohting I had not dialated or anything. I went in that morning and they put some jelly stuff in me to see if that helped and it did not. Then they put me on patosium (not sure of spelling) well that night they told me I could either stop the IV shower eat all that and start back up at midnight then come morning if still nothing they would do a c-section, I could go home and come back in a week, (which I was not about to do I was already there and ready to get this kid out of me) or I could do a c-section right there. I said I could shower and eat and start it back up. Well morning came and still nothing so they said they would have to do a c-section they got me all preped up and then a little later my beautiful baby boy was in my arms. May 6th. I am not sure if this is your first pregnancy or not but everyone always says c-sections are so bad they hope no one has to do it. I am not saying you are going to have to have one but if you do have to have one don't worry I would pick a c-section over vaginal anyday. It hurts bad after for the next two days when you try to bend over or get up fromt he bed but they give you meds for that and after about a week you are good as knew. I hope that helped any. Good Luck and congrats. Being a mom is the best.

Answer 10

Don't be down..at my 36 week check I was sealed, baby high up, no sign whatsoever of having the baby any time soon which we thought was fanatastic because my 2 before that were born at 35 and 37 weeks. Well 2 days later I not only went into labor but fully dilated in under 90 minutes.

They can induce with no sign of impending labor though. It may take longer and be a little rougher on you but it can be done. Good luck!!