46 weeks pregnant. Seriously?

saralee

I almost posted a long, drawn out explanation for my question but all I really want to know is the likelihood of a midwife permitting and encouraging or, as it was put to me, "routinely" delivering babies at 46 weeks. I thought for sure that beyond 42 weeks a midwife would be recommending an induction and removing herself from the pregnancy due to liability if patient didn't take advice.

Or, maybe the better question is, can a baby be delivered healthy at 46 weeks? I thought placentas started to breakdown at a certain point and wouldn't nourish baby sufficiently. I was told today I needed to get my head out of my behind and that women needed to allow their bodies to "do what they do naturally" and that midwives are active participants in 46 week pregnancies!

I am a proponent of no to low intervention but not at risk of mom or baby's life! So am I really mistaken?

TheMFamily

As much as I don't like inducing early for no reason, I would not let myself stay pregnant for that long for health and birth concerns. The odds are slim you'd even go that far, but if you got to that point you could make the decision to switch to a doctor then? Otherwise I'd continue to shop around and find somebody who says they're open to the idea. A girl I went to high school with gave birth just after graduation at 43 weeks. I had never heard of such a thing!

kstarr

i was under the impression that if it was beyond 43 weeks that the woman was wrong about when conception occurred. but that's only from what i read. i could be wrong.

wasnervouswreck

I don't know.I know my daughter was delivered at 42 weeks and all her skin was sloughed off and flakey. I can't imagine how gross she would look with another couple weeks in the oven.

HopingForBFP

There was a womeon on fertilityfriend years ago who went that long. She wouldn't get the the doctor induce and just wanted to wait it out. I was so scared for the baby as that can increase stillbirth with the placenta not working good anymore and the baby having a bowl movement in there increases.

yfnr

I have a friend who has 7 children and is as natural as can be. Most of her pregnancies hit the 44 week mark. I think she's crazy but all her babies have been born (many at home) healthy.

I have read studies though that say risks to baby after 42 weeks gestation are similar to those who are born before 37 weeks gestation.

I am so miserable and impatient, I have never gone past 39 weeks

cocobay

I am going to limit myself to 43 weeks and once I hit 41.5 weeks I'm going to have stress test daily.

2moms

We don't use a midwife so my opinion is probably a little different but there is no way in HELL that I'd feel comfortable with DP going that far overdue. It's just an unnecessary risk in my opinion. Especially because people in OUR situations know down to almost the exact minute they got pregnant. I get that people want to have a perfect labor and delivery but at the end of the day is your life and your child's life what's important or is your birth experience what's the most important? I'm not saying to go out and get induced at 40 weeks either though.

mel

I think that people who say they go to 46 weeks are mistaken about the time of conception or just outright lying.

Imagine that! Someone lying online!

Jen727BF

Our New midwives will not let us go over 42 weeks. If we reach 42 we are to be induced by the back up Ob. They said its rare in their practice for moms to make it to 42 weeks.

jenoglv

I think most midwives won't let people go past 43 weeks. I wouldn't go past 43 for sure. I almost hit 42 and I was miserable.

Goobie

Boog was born at 42w5d and I did every other day stress tests from 41 weeks on

palegreen

I absolutely would not go past 42 weeks. A friend of the family delivered around 46 weeks and her son suffered brain damage because he wasn't getting the oxygen and nutrients he needed toward the end of the pregnancy. Their son is a few years older than me, so this was back in the mid-late 70's.

TheMysticalOne

I also would never go past 42 weeks. The placenta starts to deteriorate after that long and it's just not safe for the baby anymore. There could definately be a medical reason as to why labor has not started yet, hormone issues, etc. Sometimes I think women want to "wait it out", but it may not be in baby's best interest. I'd rather be induced, as much as I'd HATE to be induced, and know that my baby is safe and getting the nutrients she needs.

It is possible that she could have had her due date off, but even if she did you'd think it wouldn't be more than 2 weeks off. I can't BELIEVE anyone would go that long. I'd NEVER go that long!! If she was telling the truth about 46 weeks and wasn't actually lying, then there was something wrong somewhere!

JayJay

Yes our bodies are designed for labor, and yes birth is a very natural process. But there is a reason moms and babies used to die in childbirth so often and I am sure this is one of the reasons! Some people DO need a little intervention. I would never ever let myself go that long, and honestly if you have a midwife that is so rigid ahe won't honor your wishes if inducing when you are past your due date, it's time to find a new one!

LucyGoosey

My mother claims I was 6 weeks overdue. I don't know if she got her dates wrong, is exaggerating, or I was. However, I do know that I spent time in the NICU because my skin was cracked and I was bleeding because I was over cooked.

My sister in laws midwife induced at 42 weeks. He told her that there were greater risks in going past 42 weeks than getting induced. My sister-in-law went to 42 weeks and was lucky enough that her water broke less than 2 hours before she was scheduled to be induced.

JessicaHolte

My mom SWEARS I was a 44 weeker, I dunno but seems to risky these days to me...that was 36 years ago!

jcstjean

My youngest brother was due in October of 1970. Thanksgiving rolled around & mom was still pregnant. The next day, Nov 27, she went to the hospital to be induced. It didn’t work so they sent her home. She gave birth on Dec 6! The doctor said, “ He wasn’t going to last too much longer. The cord was gangrene!” She always said she carried him 11 months whereas she probably just entered her 11 month. True story!