I have soo been in your shoes. My last baby actually went past due. My OB refused to give me anything as she really felt that any intervention medically would result in unfavorable conditions leading to a c-section. So we waited. When I was 5 days over due she told me to try everything I could, including, nip stimulation, castor oil, walking blah blah blah go for it, because she did not want to see me at our next appt. Which would have put me almost 2 weeks over due.
I brought out the breast pump and read very carefully how to stimulate labor by gently but pumping 1 side at a time. I never did get to use the castor oil, the next morning while I couldn't sleep, I got up at 5ish and started to pump. 15 minutes later, pop and woosh. My water had a gross eruption. I waited for the hard contractions to start. Really light ones did, but not the hard ones. Finally, 3 hours later, we drove down to the hospital (1 hour away from our house). Got there and I was still leaking massive amounts of fluid, (soaked through 3 chucks pads right away).
We waited and waited for the contractions to start. They did and by that evening I was going full force. I am beyond slow to dilate for the first 4 centimeters. By 11pm we thought it was time to push (I never did get checked as we wanted to go as natural as possible). Was checked and informed I was maybe a 1cm? CRUSHED!!!
I almost gave up, and thought my body was not even capable of contracting to 10 on its own (I was induced with my first ending in a csection, 2nd was given pit. when labor stalled out and then was able to Vbac. 3rd was a crash c-section when her heart rate dropped so low).
They gave me a shot of demeral to knock me out, figuring I was too tense. The next morning my contractions were going slow, so they told me the only thing I could do was simply rolling my nipples. (They did not want to give me Pit. afraid after 2 sections I would tear my uterus). They kept supplying me with warm wash clothes and 5 minutes at a time, I would simply pull on oneside.
IT TOTALLY WORKED!
By that after noon I was beyond miserable. They checked me and I was a 3-4cm. But baby was in the wrong position and wasn't able to come down. They had me do the leopold maneuver for 30 minutes and then afterwards, had me lay on my back, while the ob manually turned baby with her finger tips.
IT WORKED AGAIN!
30 minutes later I was 5 cm. and then within a few minutes I was asking for pain releif. They checked me again and I was complete.
Wham Bam.
Because we had basicaly pushed the baby up high in my uterus so we could turn her, it did take an hour to push her back down and out. But there she was a successful vbac in my arms (39.5 hours after my water broke).
YOU CAN DO IT!!!! Keep the faith. Your body DOES know what to do, just relax and let it happen, push all the thoughts of doubt OUT.
{{{HUGS}}}}
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-Beth
Momma to Alexiia, Aryia, Ava, Allura and Junebug #2
