Labor and Delivery

Getting very frustrated - I am farther progressed than at least two other women I know when they went to the hospital to have their babies recently. I don't understand why this baby doesn't fly out when I sneeze!

At 36 weeks my OB told me that my body really wants to go into labor and gave me one week, maybe two and also added that he would be completely shocked if I went to 40 weeks - and now here I sit at 39 weeks. (I think he missed his calling as a weatherman.)

Does the baby or my body "decide" whether I go into real labor? And why on earth hasn't it started? I've had tons of BH contractions (didn't have any with my first) and at times I've felt that I have started to get the real ones but they only last for a few hours and then go away completely.

My sister and my friend swear that is "normal" but I don't understand why it is normal!!

I think he missed his calling as a weatherman.  LOL!

Like your sister and your friend said, I think this is perfectly normal.  Some women's body's prepare slowly and some women's body's go into full labor quickly.  The good news is that when you do make it to the hospital to deliver your baby, hopefully things will go smoothly and quickly.  I, too, was 4cm for awhile and my DS was born within a few hours after checking into the hospital.

Hopefully some of women here with more expertise will jump in and give you some words of wisdom.  Good luck to you!

Hi Megbat, welcome to the board and congratulations on your pregnancy

At 39 weeks, you have not gone into labor because most women do not give birth before their due date.  Your doctor was very wrong to give you the impression that you should expect to give birth at 36, 37 or 38 weeks.  The average first time mom carries to 41 weeks, 1 day, and the average 2nd time mom to 40 weeks, 3 days.  It is the baby who "decides" - when the lungs reach full maturity, the baby's body starts releasing hormones which signal your body to begin labor.

Having a lot of braxton hicks doesn't indicate that you'll go into labor any sooner than a woman who doesn't have any or many.  Your effacement and dilation indicate that you have shaved some hours off of your labor time, but play no part in determining when labor starts.   Many women spend several weeks with a good amount of effacement and dilation before labor starts, it is no indicator of when labor begins and if your doctor or anyone else told you it was, they are not being truthful.  You aren't required to have any dilation at all for labor to begin, it just is as it is.  You aren't more likely to go earlier or later than anyone else, but labor will begin at just the right time for you and your baby.

Good luck, maybe we'll be seeing a birth announcement from you very soon/