First Time Pregnancy 1 Week over Due with Baby Who Won't Drop

Oh my I went two weeks my first time. I just know when the time is right it will happen or the Dr will decide if the baby becomes distressed. I actually moped floors and did windows and that did not work. They induced...be patient and express concerns to the Dr. Stay on him..

Don't be too scared. I went into spontaneous labor with my daughter and she never did drop. She was head down but face up and was not coming out now matter how bad the contractions got. I was in labor for ever, well it seemed like forever, my water broke i was fully dialated and there she was up under my rib cage and not coming down. The doc was about to call a c/s after we tried actual pushing to see if she would move down but right after he picked up his phone i looked at him and said "i'm gonna puke" at this point she came flying out, nose first, and he almost missed her. I guess the previous nine months of hyperemesis finally paid off!

The moral of the story, don't be scared. she will come out when she's ready and if you have to, vomit, it worked for me.

I hesitated to respond because I don't want to scare you, but my story does show that everyone's experience is different...you just don't know what will happen, but you will be able to deal with whatever comes. My baby didn't drop either. I delivered (10 days after my due date)on a Sunday night after 65 hours of labor (I started very early on Friday morning). My contractions never got regular which made me progress very slowly even though my labor was hard. Even after I finally got an epidural sometime on Sunday at 5-6 cm(it's all a blur) and they let me rest, my little darling never dropped, so I pushed for 2.5 hours. But the great part was the doc let me pull the baby out and onto my chest...I didn't even realize that I could do that. I avoided any narcotics to deal with the labor (other than epidural), and my little sweetie latched on like a champ in the delivery room and we never had a latch problem, so I never regretted not getting the drugs (which can make the baby groggy). And I avoided being induced (against everyone's advice) and I stand by that decision...I really think I would have ended up with a c-section. All that being said, I have never found anyone else with a birth story like mine, and believe me I've tried, so don't worry about a 3 day labor yourself. I would suggest, like others have, the exercise ball and yoga moves including circling your hips and any squatting poses (that are safe for pregnancy). Also, our childbirth instructor suggested that you spend a lot of time on the toilet during labor because it opens up your pelvis. It might not hurt to try that now...get a good magazine :) My doc didn't tell me I hadn't dropped, or I might have worked on yoga etc before labor started. You might have a little "heart to heart" talk with baby too...I had talked to "cupcake" around our due date and asked her to stay inside a little longer so mommy and daddy could get some last minute nursery stuff done, and boy did she listen.
Here's a link for yoga poses/stretches
http://www.babycenter.com/0_great-pregnancy-exercise-yoga...
:) Good luck! C.

I know this sounds weird, but if you have a breast pump, go ahead and use it for like 20 minutes every hour. The stimulation will start contractions. It worked for me! I started it at 8pm, and at 3am, went in to the hospital to have the baby!

Ooh, I'm going to warn you now, I can get on a pretty wild rant when it comes to induction! I'll try to keep it brief, so here goes:

Why, specifically, is your doctor concerned about the fact that your baby hasn't engaged yet? Often, first babies DON'T engage until the mother is in active labor. It is actually very rare that a woman is too small to pass a baby through her pelvis, so that is probably not the reason she hasn't dropped yet. Also, are you and your doctor certain that your due date is correct? Keep in mind that there is often a 2-week window in either direction of a due date.

The fact that she's head-down is also a good thing. As long as both of you are healthy, the fact that she hasn't dropped yet shouldn't really be that much of a concern. My big concern for you is that you will end up having a c-section if they start the induction process. This so often happens when induction is not necessary. Baby is not ready to come, hospital staff starts pulling out every intervention then have to force baby out and the next thing you know your natural childbirth has turned into major surgery. Even a less-invasive strategy like the cervical ripening would be best left alone for a few more days.

My advice to you is this, continue to seek out strategies to get things going naturally. Talk to your doctor about holding off on the induction for a little longer, and starting with the cervical ripening first but not immediatly leaping into induction the next day. Give that baby a little more time! Good luck.

Check out Spinningbabies.com
That site might have some ideas.....I hope your little one engages soon!! Have a wonderful birth and babymoon!!!

J.,
Sweetie! I feel your pain! I was in the exact same situation last year in June. I went over 1 week and 3 days and they were the LONGEST week and 3 days of my life! But, I am glad to see that your back is hurting... my back started hurting, more so than normal, around mid-afternoon one day. At 1am the next morning, my water broke and I was off to the hospital! She was born at 8:41 that night. (Yes, a long labor.) My darling daughter was sunny-side-up so I guess that's why she didn't drop. I was scheduled for an induction to occur 2 days after she was born, so I guess the threat of inducing scared her out! We tried everything, too... walking, sex, walking, walking, walking, and climbing stairs... she just had to make up her mind on her own! Anyway, I have no advice on how to speed things up, but I hope that everything turns out okay and both of you are healthy. You are in my prayers because I know how badly you want that baby out!
D.

Been there! The nice thing about it was that I never got uncomfortable. The day I went to the hospital to be induced, we went to the Weenie Dog Nationals at the Woodlands, and I walked up and down stairs all day without any trouble. I was dreading getting induced as my best friend had been a month earlier and it was terrible, but when we got to the hospital and checked in, the nurse told me I was having contractions (which I couldn't feel) and when she checked how far I was dilated, my water broke, so I didn't end up having to do the cervical ripening. Hopefully the timing will all just work out for you. Since you've started having contractions, that's a good sign. Good luck!!!

Hey J.!

I'm a Doula (professional labor coach) and I encourage you to try to avoid induction at all costs. Ask the doctor about the drugs he/she plans on using for cervical ripening and google them to find out any issues. I won't waste time going on and on about inductions here, you sound informed already. If you need more info., google some or hit a natural birth website. The best way to avoid an c-section is to avoid induction.

Don't worry about baby not fitting in your pelvis - that is so rare it isn't even funny. The docs use that as an excuse all the time but it's really caused from having a woman push while on her back. That actually makes your pelvic opening smaller!!! Duh! I recommend pushing on your side or best of all hands and knees (squatting/standing good too).

Baby may not be dropping due to position (like other poster said). She may be sunny-side-up (nose facing your front)or her head mayb be at a funny angle. So, to fix this you need to spend LOTS of time on your hands and knees doing pelvic rocks. This position uses gravity to pull her away from the pelvis and give her the room she needs to position herself correctly. When on your hands and knees, hunch your back up while pulling your pelvis in (pelvic rocks are hard to describe! LOL) and then release back to having a straight back (don't let yourself get a sway back, keep it straight). Also, wiggle your hips around and anything else that feels good. All that movement gets her going too. Have a little something sweet, like juice, before you start to give her a little more energy and try it for sure when she's awake and kicking.

If you go into labor and have tons of back pain on one or both sides, you can be sure she is in the wrong position. You need to be on your hands and knees during labor to get her to change. She can be born in that position but it is a lot harder and longer labor. Many section happen because of this position.

If you would like to talk on the phone let me know - I'd be blessed to help you in any way I can.

Kind Regards,

Amanda

Hi J., I am a mother of 3 and a Doctor of Chiropractic with a special interest in treating pregnant women and children. Quite often I find that mothers with a rotated pelvis where one side goes forwarded and the other side rotates back, will have babies that are either breech or do not engage. The reason is this: Picture your pelvis like a flexible bowl coated with muscles and other tissues. Now when rotation occurs picture all the soft tissue and that 'flexible bowl' misshaping like a funnel with less room down towards the bottom. A baby does not want to put her head down in a cramped space. That makes sense. Usually by realigning the pelvis and opening up the pelvic bowl it invites the baby to drop down into position. Any questions you can reach me at ###-###-####.- Dr. C

don't worry about not dropping but I feel for u I was a week overdue with my first and they finally induced me and I had a whopper 9lb 2oz healthy baby girl naturally. I would tell your DR u want to be induced ASAP.
congrats to u guys!

J.
Walk, walk, walk walk. I had one of my 4 girls induced and it was painful. It was like having one long contraction with no break in between like you would having it naturally. At least that is how it was for me. With my first daughter they had me walk and with my last one I was overdo by a week so I got up one day and started walking the neighborhood path and around the block several times through out the day and I had her at 1:00am the following morning. It was my third that I had induced.
Good Luck

I dropped 15 minutes before my first baby was born. The nurse checked and I was at five and still high. So they gave me demerol for the pain ( which I never did again-didn't help and I got sick after delivery. I just breathed or laughed through the pain with the rest of my babies. Laughing really works. You just need someone to read jokes to you or be silly .)and then a few minutes later I felt her drop and 15 minutes later she was born. I had about a 4 hour labor that was enduced because my water broke. They all come eventually. I don't think this is anything to worry about. And congratulations on this wonderful blessing that you'll be holding any day now!
D.-mom of 9

Hi J.!! My name is S.. I had this exact same problem with my first one. I went two weeks over, and had to be induced. I am so glad that your doctor wants to try the cervical ripening first. I had a friend who had that done and by that evening she had her baby. On the other hand my doctor wanted to do pitocin (not sure on the spelling). I will warn you it does make your labor harder. I had it done twice. My lil' guy didn't want to come out at all. If I had known in advance he was not dropping I would have used the ball to rotate my hips on or I would tried to attempt doing some squats. I don't want to scare you, and your precious lil one will come out. They eventually had two nurses pushing down on my stomach while I was pushing. After about an hour and a half he came out. My husband said that everytime I pushed he could see our son's face. So I had to crawl back up the bed and lay on my side for a little bit. The only one piece of advice that I can give you is try to relax. I know it sounds easy now, but it will be hard to do in full labor. Keep us posted on how everything goes. Good luck!!

That is one funny story, Dacquiri. Wow! Hahaha

Walking, walking, and more walking. And then you might also try some downward rubbing motions on your stomach. Not hard, but just enough to stimulate.
Good luck and best wishes!

C.

I bet you'll get a MILLION responses for your question! Here's mine:

Do nipple stimulation every chance you get. It seems wierd but it works. When I say every chance, I mean, do it often throughout the day, on your bare nipple (not over a bra or shirt), and for as long as you can.

I have 4 kids, first 3 induced with pitocin, the last one I went in for cervical ripening then did the nipple stimulation and went into labor on my own.

Good luck and God BLess you and your new little one!

Have you tried rocking your pelvis? Get an exercise ball and sit on it. Rock your hips backwards and forwards and side to side. This helps get the baby into position. I did this and it made me have contractions.

Good luck to you and congratulations on your little girl. Being a mommy is the best thing ever!

Hi J.,

Have an almost 3 year old and went thru something similar. They come when they're ready. Besides the yoga poses, get on your hands & knees and crawl all over your house, 5-10 min several times a day or for as long as you can hold without getting too tired. This is kind of similar to a prior advice from a Doula Lady. It worked for me and my sister, she has 4 children and crawling around worked for her every time!

Hope this helps and good luck. Blessings to you and your baby.

L.;~)

Well....your height (and weight for that matter) have nothing to do with it but there are some things that help such a yoga, as you mentioned. If you search for Basic Pregnancy Yoga Poses you'll get a ton of info! Yoga kept me completely flexibe, even 10 days overdue! I feared being induced, I wanted it all naturally-my husband and I live a mostly "all natural" diet and lifestyle. I ended up being induced and after 26 hours of hard labor, and only dilating to a 9, I had a csection, and a 9lb 22 inches long baby. I'm 5foot 2inches :) I would stay away from castor oil and all that bologna, unless you want to be in the bathroom a lot. Good luck with the yoga-you'll feel great physically and mentally focused on the excitement awaiting you and your husband!

Even with all the technology today, pregnancy is still a guessing game. The "due date" is only a suggested date. Unless your baby starts stressing, which you shouldn't, then it will come when he/she is ready. Try walking several times a day though or swimming or walking in a swimming pool. But don't fret, when your baby is ready it will make a grand entrance.

J.,

It sounds like you are doing all the right things. My doctor had the same concerns with my pregnancy. I'm 5'10" and our daughter was not dropping either. In fact there was so much amniotic fluid around her at 39 weeks the sonogram showed her blowing bubbles. We ended up inducing, which did not work, and then having to do a C-section after 10 hours of labor. The nurses on the maternity ward called me their double whammy mommy. Our daughter was never in any distress she was just perfectly happy where she was and not in any hurry to get here. I did the same thing to my mother in 1967, so I guess it was to be expected.

My best advice is to get lots of rest, you will need it once the baby is here. Also work with your doctor and express any concern you have about what is going on. If your baby doesn't drop soon they may start talking to you about inducing or doing a c-section. Congratulations on your baby girl! Hope she decides to meet you soon.

J. N.

I heard that spicy foods or herbal tea are good.

God Bless & Good Luck!
K.