The baby who waits

[Claki]

Did your baby wait to come after you wrapped up work/projects? I have several stressful projects that will take me right up until my due date. Part of me wishes the baby would come now so I don't have to deal with it, and the other part hopes the baby waits so I can see it all through to the end. I have known several people, teachers, and others where their child came right after they finished what they needed to do. Almost like their body knew to hold off.

I'm 37 weeks and wondering if I will be one to go early. Last time I was induced 10 days early, but I hope not to go through that again.

[BDKmom]

My water broke at 4 PM two days before my due date. That day I had wrapped up my last bit at work and finished all the thank you notes from showers. My maternity leave coverage person was scheduled to start on my due date, so my work was only without coverage for one day. Also, we finished up the remodel on our master suite two days before that.

[daisymommy]

This is not really answering your question, but I wanted to caution you about working long hours, and being stressed out right up until the time your baby makes their appearance. Thats going from the the frying pan into the fire so to speak--one stressful experience into another, full of emotion and no sleep. That's a prime risk factor for post-partum depression.

Mothers really need--whenever possible--to gear down and get some emotional/mental/physical rest before they give birth for their health and that of their baby (maternal stress almost always equals fetal stress).

I would try if possible to start that process now, winding things down, not just chugging ahead at full throttle, thinking the only way to stop is to go into labor.

[Mommy_Mea]

I worked a week past my due date with DS, had a nice relaxing weekend, spent Monday running errands, and woke up Tuesday morning wondering what I would do with my day, as I was totally prepared for the baby. My water broke that morning.

I am curious to see what happens with DC2! My last working day is supposed to be Friday (my due date).

[Claki]

This is not really answering your question, but I wanted to caution you about working long hours, and being stressed out right up until the time your baby makes their appearance. Thats going from the the frying pan into the fire so to speak--one stressful experience into another, full of emotion and no sleep. That's a prime risk factor for post-partum depression.

Mothers really need--whenever possible--to gear down and get some emotional/mental/physical rest before they give birth for their health and that of their baby (maternal stress almost always equals fetal stress).

I would try if possible to start that process now, winding things down, not just chugging ahead at full throttle, thinking the only way to stop is to go into labor.

I would if I had job security... But I don't. Just very bad timing that my maternity leave happens during a restructure at work and everyone has to reapply. And various other reasons that are beyond my control. It's also extremely important to me that every bit of my unpaid FMLA go to spending time with the new baby and not at home. I needed every minute of it with DS1 to figure out breastfeeding and everything else before I went back to work.

But once I get home from work everyone night it's "hello couch!" I am not doing a thing around the house.

[kep]

My baby waited.

I don't know if this is quite what you were looking for, but...

I had been 1.5-2 cm at my last OB apt. I came down with full-blown influenza at 39w4d, and ended up in the ER two days before my due date with bronchitis. I had been coughing up small amounts of blood. They sent me up to L&D after I was done in the ER, and when they checked me I was completely closed. Not even finger-tip. (They only checked because I had been having light contractions.) I think my body (and the baby!) knew that I was too sick to make it through labor and delivery at the time, and closed up shop. 2 days after I had recovered, I went into labor all on my own, which was a first for me, and had her later that day. I think I was 4.5 cm when I went into the hospital. I still think it was so cool how my body knew to wait.

[Kitten007]

My DD (the new addition) waited for me to finish with her brother. DS1 was hospitalized with severe pneumonia, fluid in his lungs, and severe dehydration. He was in the hospital while I was 38 1/2 - 39 1/2 weeks. We were released on a Friday and he had a check up on Monday. My check up was the next day (Tuesday) and my water broke in the Dr.'s office. So she did good and took care of me and her brother and waited. I was so done being pregnant and sleeping in a hospital "chair/bed", but God knew when he would release my little angel. No matter what happens, things happen for a reason.

[Claki]

I think it's fascinating, but it seems like most people I know the baby "waits" until the mom is in the best place. I know that isn't always the case, but I think it's interesting. A family member had twins and she was expecting to have them a month early just b/c twins often don't go full term. She is a professor and ended up finishing up the semester and her water broke that night!

[sariana]

Not me. My first (DS) showed up at 32 weeks, long before we were ready. And he almost was earlier (29 1/2 weeks).

DD arrived just shy of 36 weeks. We were prepared that time, but still I wish she had waited longer.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Mine both took their sweet time. With ds2 it was handy bc we did have projects to wrap up. Stress can supposedly hinder labor hormones so who knows!

Beth