Birth Overdue

[raro]

Phyathai Hospital, Sri Racha. Doctor insists on c-section after one week overdue. From what I gather from some internet research, up to two weeks overdue is no problem, then try induction first and c-section as last resort.

Need a quick decision and any input is most welcome. I have more info in the pinned thread about birth in Thailand.

[JimmyTheMook]

In USA my wife was given a C section as she was overdue - she did not want it but they Docs insisted the baby was ready.

[raro]

how long was it overdue?

[Pomthai]

My wife had a C-Section our daughter went a week to 10 days beyond full term. Only down side was kinda booking the birth just seemed a little odd to me, booked the day off work telling the boss "were going to the hospital to have a baby 8:30 next Tuesday I should be in on Wednesday."

[PeaceBlondie]

All six of mine were overdue by a week or two. First of all, if your wife has over 30 days between menstrual cycles, they count short. We had 34 days; her friend who married a twin ovulated from both sides every 56 days (she had twins). Our twins arrived a week late, and large. All were delivered vaginally; all the girls have had c-sections.

[JimmyTheMook]

It is more common now in USA as I understand it due mainly to time constraints and the medical staff not wanting to wait around while natural labor takes places.

My wife was only a week overdue and they induced labor for her and then gave her a C-Section from what I remember.

[raro]

All six of mine were overdue by a week or two. First of all, if your wife has over 30 days between menstrual cycles, they count short. We had 34 days; her friend who married a twin ovulated from both sides every 56 days (she had twins). Our twins arrived a week late, and large. All were delivered vaginally; all the girls have had c-sections.

The due date was not calculated from the last menstruation but from some parameters from the ultrasound...length of some bones etc. The computer in the ultrasound machine made this calculation. The results varied from Jan 28 (early in the pregnancy) to Feb 2nd (at a later stage). The doc said, it is more accurate at earlier stages as fetoes' develop differently the older they get. Makes some sense to me...

Anyways, looks like we will go for inducement first and if it doesn't work we can still make the c-section.

The convenience for the hospital having a c-section in addition with the extra revenue seems to be the main driving factor the way I see it. Am I mistaken or??

[PeaceBlondie]

My wife and her sisters had 12 babies vaginally. The daughters, all c-sections. Revenue and convenience. I've heard the c-section scars are very long here.

[JohnC]

Dont laugh but when my first daughter was a week overdue the doctor recommended I take the wife on a bumpy drive and it worked!!

[raro]

Dont laugh but when my first daughter was a week overdue the doctor recommended I take the wife on a bumpy drive and it worked!!

good friends of us recommended bungee jumping...guess that's what good friends are for

[g00dgirl]

I recommend reading:

The Downside of Due Dates

[Boo]

Can't have much to offer raro as I was induced 2 weeks early & it took 5 days to reach full labor but an inducement can be effective (within 24hr full labour) when overdue.

IMPO C-section should be the last resort when mum &/or baby are in distress. After talking with friends & reading the stories here in thaivisa I feel that thai doctors insist on c-section for convenience & revenue rather than for mum/baby wellbeing so if your wife is hoping for a vaginal delivery then be firm about them not demanding c-section to suit them.

Good luck to you both & remember, at the end of the day, a healthy baby & mum is all that really matters.

[raro]

I recommend reading:

The Downside of Due Dates

interesting article, at least the first half. Then it gets a bit too esoteric/religious for my taste, but the result is the same as my stance: Let the baby decide!

[raro]

Can't have much to offer raro as I was induced 2 weeks early & it took 5 days to reach full labor but an inducement can be effective (within 24hr full labour) when overdue.

IMPO C-section should be the last resort when mum &/or baby are in distress. After talking with friends & reading the stories here in thaivisa I feel that thai doctors insist on c-section for convenience & revenue rather than for mum/baby wellbeing so if your wife is hoping for a vaginal delivery then be firm about them not demanding c-section to suit them.

Good luck to you both & remember, at the end of the day, a healthy baby & mum is all that really matters.

thanks a lot, Boo! Exactly my thinking!

[JUDAS]

Our youngest daughter (almost 6 years old now) was induced when, IIRC, 1-2 weeks overdue. Wife was only in labour a few hours and everything went just fine.

Personally, I think c-section is used far to often here as a delivery option.

[raro]

update:

just spoke to the first Obs that we saw, he is no longer working at the hospital and has no interest in this process whatsoever.

We learn:

- the ultrasound due date estimate is quite accurate in early stages of the pregnancy but later on (as every fetus develops differently) the estimate gets further off the mark.

- I did not mention in here that my wife has a pregnancy diabetes as I did not consider this in any way an issue for the birthing method. Not quite. The baby might be larger than usual and cannot be vaginally delivered. This, however, can be easily checked with ultrasound.

- There is no objection to induction other than that the baby might be too large.

- c-section is so convenient, why don't you just go for it? Aha...as we suspected...

[bina]

actually, the health of the fetus and the health of the mother are the two factors that make a doctor wait or induce. here, many of my friends gave birth practically in their tenth month!!! (we usd to joke about that the kids were ready for first grade at birth)...

but pregnancy diabetes can mean problems for both mother and fetus .... therefore i think they tend to not wait til natural progression and birth....

for regualr healthy mothers, two weeks over is an expected thing actually. i was surprised to give birth on expected day, and then twice two weeks early with less developed babies.

as long as baby is surrounded by fetal fluids, the mother feels good and the baby is monitored daily (a pain in the butt for the mo ther to come in to hospital or well mother clinic for monitor) people do wait.

if the fetus is too large already (two friends gave birth to 5!!!! kilo babies!!! vaginally!!!!but sis in law did c section for her gigantic boy) or not developing anymore then inducement/c section will be performed... it seems to be 'the call of the particular doc or midwife"...

i've had freinds walking around for a week or so partially dilated.

walking up stairs helps, not sure bumby rides do, but sex does (instigates secretions of pitocin or similar )...

wierd, cause never had a nanny goat or a bitch go over her calculated due date. nor a mare. and ibexes can delay their birthing if the conditions o weather etc arnt right.... funny why humans are so problematic.........

either way,

the baby comes out and mum's belly reduces in size....

good luck

bina

israel

[zzdocxx]

Good luck, keep us posted!

[raro]

ok...the good news is, baby is born and all went well in the end. Almost well...

Disturbing is, the first doctor we talked to was all up for natural birth and breast feeding, baby immediately with the mother and so on. He quit in the middle of the pregnancy.

What we experienced in the last 24 hours was, c-section, the recommendation of milk powder instead of breast feeding and the baby stays since the birth in a glass box separated from the parents without any explanation given.

Yes, I am seriously pissed off with the hospital and won't be back.

[Boo]

shit about the hospital but great that baby & mum are ok, make some noise about the situation but trust me, once you are home & start to enjoy life with a newborn (!) it will all fade into insignificance.

Congratulations to you all:D

[raro]

don't worry about the noise part...

[sbk]

congrats, sorry to hear about the hospital but glad all turned out well