first babies, and due dates

[SianandTony]

Hi, im 38 weeks now and feeling uncomfortable! just wondering how many other mums had there first babies early or late?

im drinking raspberry leaf tea and trying all the other old tricks .......

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

I tried everything, nothing worked. My son was two weeks late, I ended up being induced after a failed sweep.

[iaineasy]

Anna is due on january the 9th and we have so much to prepare aaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!!! I need to get a grip, apparently lots of first children are late, ours will be early no doubt just because I have so much left to do like paint the baby room get the emergency bag together get a cot and a buggy and a bottle of champers for when its over and get a birthing pool and new bedclothes and....and....and...

EEK!!

hugs as ever.xx

[sian09]

Best piece of advice someone told me was not to worry the shops wont shut when the baby arrives x bet this one will show up on christmas day!

[Sanne Panne]

I lived on red raspberry leaf tea too and she DID come early, at 37w6d with no prior warning (I was even included in the King's research about risk for early delivery and they said there wasn't the slightest indication she'd be early).

My waters broke 3 hours after the fire alarm went off at home (worse actually, I was holding the alarm in my hands as I was changing the batteries in the middle of the night and did something wrong) so maybe the adrenaline rush had something to do with it. Just a suggestion ;-)

I had a great labour that was so quick (maybe thanks to the RRL tea? I don't think it made her come early but it may have improved the experience) that I ended up with an unplanned homebirth (with the great Oakwood midwives there). Couldn't have been better!

Edited for typos...

[hanstands]

My first came nine days past EDD and was born with no probs...came in his own time. I have a friend who was 3 weeks past hers EDD and all happened naturally - though not sure I could've been so brave. Try not to worry too much and trust it'll happen when it does...in the meantime fill your life with things you enjoy doing with friends, shopping, reading, short trips out - treat yourself as much as you can from now until birth - it can be a fun time and full of good memories of your last days of independence...

[Mellors]

Tried the lot, both 14 days past their due date.

[SianandTony]

hanstands: gosh 3 weeks past due date....she must have been really patient!? welldone for her to hang on so long.....feel like im being held hostage do i keep going out or put my feet up and enjoy the quiet....

[snowboarder]

Put your feet up...seriously!

[alieh]

Sleep, woman! Sleep! Hard when you have pregnancy related insomnia, I know.

I wasted so much time trying to get the baby to come, when really I should have just been sleeping and enjoying the last couple of weeks of peace and quiet.

[Princess]

I am 1 day overdue today. Still pretty mobile all be it at snail's pace so lots of walking, raspberry leaf tea, fresh pineapple and curries on the agenda for me in the next couple of weeks.

[crystal7]

Sleep, have long baths and shop (if you have the energy!)

Not done much of any of the above for nearly 10 months.

DD was 8 days overdue and I tried everything! RLT may have contributed to my quick labour though so definitely worth drinking...

[Fuschia]

RLT strengthens the muscles in the uterus/contractions. So soften the cervix you need either sperm (oor-er) or evening primrose oil

First babies are typically 8 days late I believe.

[Crokes]

Agree with the sleep advice...

My own tip would be to go get your hair cut! - at 5 days overdue I felt huge and uncomfortable so I decided to treat myself and try to take my mind off the waiting game; later that day post-haircut, I felt wonderful and relaxed (almost forgot I was pregnant!)....It may be a coincidence but contractions started later that night!

Good luck!

[SianandTony]

sounds like the RLT is a bit of a winner then ill keep knocking those back. had the hair cut done. bikini wax done :-$

okay 8 days over the average with firsts.....looking at christmas day/ boxing day....I really do time these things well!!

[lorraineliyanage]

15 days late with my first, arrrrrgh!

A Christmas / Boxing day baby means you can combine bday and xmas pressies thus save yourself some pennies - that's quite handy seeing how expensive babies are in the long run!

[Pickle]

My family is full of Xmas and New Year babies - as an adult having a birthday near to Christmas is brilliant in terms of being able to ask for really expensive gifts ;-)

I remember my Mum used to get really annoyed with people when me and my brother (a Xmas eve baby) were given joint presents, as when you're a child is the quantity of gifts that matter, not the quality! But these days she also jumps on the combined present bandwagon (her birthday is early December).

Good luck! I couldn't stand the raspberry leaf tea, so well done if you're actually managing to drink it. I agree with other people telling you to have long baths, put your feet up, read some good books - you'll be amazed at how you miss the ability to do those things once the little one arrives (long baths aren't the same when it's Johnson's baby bubble bath, and you're sharing it with two small children and hundreds of bath toys!)

[The Nappy Lady]

Yep - my first was 7 days late, second was 8 days late. I actually wish they wouldn't give an exact EDD, but rather a 'likely due period' so you didn't fixate on a date (at least the first time around...2nd time I was sure I'd be late anyway). I actually told people I was due 'in early October' and wouldn't give an exact date for that very reason!

I have a theory that you can't say pregnancy is 40 weeks, each woman is different, I'm sure for me 41 weeks is normal, for another woman 39 weeks might be, but having only had two I guess I haven't tested the theory fully!

I reckon they come when they are ready and there isn't much you can do to help that, except lots of walking, which generally helps to get the head down, and increase pressure on the cervix. Walking sideways up a hill, or up and down stairs is said to help open the hips in a different way. I walked around Nunhead Cemetary for 3 hours the day I gave birth to my 2nd! Very happy memories, chatting with my sister and getting excited as the early indications seemed to progress.

I do have a bottle of Castor Oil here, still sealed with a late in 2011 expiry date if anyone gets desperate. I was prepared to take that rather than go in for induction if it came to it, but thankfully never got that far.....having read up on it on the internet it does seem to work, but isn't very pleasant I don't think. Can also be used for constipation though! Would be good to find a home for it!

Molly

[embo71]

My advice is to take a very long walk....... have a large meal and then go to bed.....

I drank RLT, ate pineapple, curries and other recommended 'actions',(including reflexology), nothing much happened... but the minute I stopped worrying and decided to chill out and eat something nice (it was a very big Italian meal at Si Mangia), my labour started at 5am the following morning.

I agree that sleeping as much as you can and enjoying a bit of time for yourself before your ray of sunshine arrives is the best advice at the moment... (I am only 9 weeks in, but already it feels like years....!)

All the best...

[snowboarder]

Yes - actually - as soon as you relax and think the baby is nice and cosy and NOT coming out - they come along!! I was booked for a c-section at the last minute and told cervix was tightly shut etc so finally relaxed, no bag packed etc - then 3 days before supposed to babySB decided the time was NOW. Annoying - not organised/no bag etc....!

[trinity]

All mine (including the first ) were 4 or 5 days early so you may be in luck and have yours arrive when expected. By the time number 4 was born I was able to predict exactly when she would turn up.

[ClareC]

I am due in just over 5 weeks....... feels ages away!! Think I have been pretty lucky so far with my pregnancy, no sickness at all, the only negative side effect being the darn back ache - although v irritating and quite painful at times hasn't stopped me doing anything, just makes me more concious of how not to do things to prevent it hurting!

Like Molly mentioned, I too am quite focussed on the due date! I am really excited about meeting my daughter after all this time, can't wait for the labour part to be over and the back ache to go!! I know I will get impatient when she doesn't turn up on time which is what I am expecting!! I was 5 days late and her dad was about the same.

In about 3 weeks time am planning on drinking copious amounts of RLT, hoovering (although hoovering stairs wear me out at the mo!!), lots of walking with the dogs, eating pineapple and curry and the other methods - think I will give the caster oil a miss though given its other side effect ;-) A week or 2 early would be lovely!

[ClareC]

forgot to say, I do feel rather uncomfortable now!! I feel sooooo stretched! It would be lovely to get a full night's sleep but I guess that's not going to happen for a long time now!!!

[ryedalema]

I'd suggest you book pampering stuff - then he/she is bound to turn up just before it and scupper your plans. I'm 36.5 weeks now and my 2 year old daughter turned up at 37.5 weeks - on the first day of my maternity leave and the day before my 'all over wax' and mum-to-be pampering beauty package - grrr. It might have had something to do with the work's independence day party i organised for my last day and my line dancing late into the evening. Goodness knows what would've happened if i'd have tried the bucking bronco!

If i'm 36.5 weeks now and it works like last time i only have a week to go (some hope) but I'm not due to leave work for a fortnight and have booked my pampering package for the 21st - so all the 's*d's law' is there.

Plus I've done noooo christmas shopping.

My husband could have his hands full - hahaha.

[craigy]

i did nothing to try and start things off and delivered on my due date (to be honest, the one day when i least expected that i would be having a baby) and that was my first baby...

i say take it easy, relax, sleep, enjoy the quiet time and be patient as there is one guarentee in this world and that is that that baby has to come out at some point and then peace and quiet is a rare thing....