When Will I Have This Baby?!

Hi C.,
I so understand this feeling! However, It would and could be completely natural to go 2 weeks past your due date! You didn't say if this was your first, or not (You don't usually"drop" with 2nd+ pregnancies, or if so you will probably be in labor right away). With my first I was 1 week over due and had dropped a month earlier. Statistically on a world wide level gestation is 42 weeks for first time moms and 40 for 2nd+.
Don't rush this. This is when your baby is putting on much needed weight. Many Doc's are ready to induce upon the approach of your due date - Not the best thing for baby!! Induction greatly increases the chance of harmful side effects, as does taking pain meds in labor which can lead to unnecessary C-Sections 8 (
But noticing your mucous plug is the best sign of oncoming labor.
With my 1st it was a messy thing that you couldn't miss and continued through the duration of labor.(also, I was in active labor within 1 hour of loosing it) With my second. It was small and I only noticed b/c I was a week overdue and looking for it. I was in labor a few hours later.

Enjoy this time. enjoy your sleep and freedom to "run in-n-out" of stores. Enjoy YOU, b/c once your baby IS here - It will be all about them ;-)
Good luck and congratulations.

I'm sorry-it's not an exact science.. I can tell you this - you will NOT be pregnant forever.. it just feels that way.. hang in there.. try all those old wives tales things - sex, glass of wine, walking, massaging the right leg, but babies come when babies come.. period. good luck and congratulations!

Hi C. - Congrats! I am sorry to say, there is simply NO way to know when you will go into labor!! This continues to be a mystery to doctors & scientists worldwide. I was 9 days early with my first and 2 days late with my second. Both times, it just started... no water breaking, no mucus plug, no 'show,' nothing that gave me the head's up before it really started. With my second, I was having regular BH contrax for several month before hand...

Just enjoy this time and get as much rest as possible! Enjoy yourself & relax, cause once that baby does come, there is no turning back :)

The braxton keep getting more and more painful until it's the real thing. I knew I was in labor when I couldn't ignore them. I tried to sleep thru the contractions and I woke up each time I had one and thats when I knew they were real. My mucus plug came out a few days before I went into labor. I have a few painful shooting pain in the days prior to going into labor and I think that was me dialating.

It's just one of those things you can't judge. You can feel like you're ready for days or even weeks before you actually go into labor.
I did lose my mucus plug probably about 4 or 5 days before I went into labor and I ended up having my daughter 4 days past my due date.
I tried going on walks every day because I was so uncomfortable and I too had heard that it could induce labor. It didn't work for me, not to say it wouldn't work for you, but you're still 10 days before your due date. Even if the baby has dropped, it's still not a very good indication of when you'll actually go into labor. A better way to tell would be at your next appointment when they tell you if you're dilated at all.
When you get closer to your date though, sex does work! Not to give you too much info, but that's what finally put me into labor. 2 hours later I woke up with contractions every 10 minutes and within 6 hours, I was at the hospital.
Enjoy your last days being pregnant by taking lots of pictures. Maybe you could even do a belly cast since you're pretty much as big as you're going to get.
Stay calm and soak it all in!

Based on my limited experience, the baby will come exactly one day after you completely give up and decide it's never coming out and you might as well get started on those home repairs you've been too tired to do for the past 9 months.
Good luck!

My advice is to stop worrying about when you will go into labor. I know its torture right now, but it could be tomorrow or it could be 3 more weeks (even though your due date is 10 days away!). With my first, I was having minor contractions and was 3 cm dilated 3 weeks before I went into labor. I had more painful (but still B-H)contractions with my second for over a month before he was born. The midwives wouldn't do an examination because they didn't want to increase my anxiety over when I'd finally go into labor. He was a day past the due date.
So stop reading about the signs of labor, stop thinking about it, get out of the house (if you can), spend time with friends and family, SLEEP! Because you won't be able to after the baby comes. Get everything ready. Make some meals you can freeze and eat later. Do whatever it takes to get your mind off of the baby and the coming labor.

First baby- exactly 1 week before due date and the baby never really dropped. I went into labor the minute I left work for maternity leave. I was legitimately riding down in the elevator- super! With in a half hour of reaching home my water broke and I never had time to finish packing. And I was the person who never progressed. I'd go in for check ups and my doc would say- well, mabye you're 1/2 cm. She later told me that she just didn't want me to be discouraged. I wish the same for you- a nice early delivery!

I hate to tell ya honey, only time will tell. I never went by when the baby drops. I think I would drop weeks before I delivered. I had my first child 2 weeks late, at 42 weeks. You do get very ansy in the end and you just want to get it over with. My 2nd child I had right on the due date. You just never know with the mucus plug, sometimes you dont loose it all at once, you may notice little bits at a time. What worked for me, with having the 42weeker, was taking small frequent walks, and soaking in the tub. See what your DR suggests is best for you. But do enjoy the last days of being pregnant and get as much rest as you can. Soon enough you will be holding that little one in your arms.........
Congrats and the Very best of luck to you!!

Hi C.!

First of all, do whatever you need to do ahead of time because once this baby comes out there is no running to the store real quick, etc... No one can tell you for sure when this baby is coming! I know it feels like the longest time of your life! What alot of ladies have done in my family for generations is when you are 60% or more effaced (ask your doctor how effaced he thinks you are at your next appointment along with how dialated you may be.) go to your local CVS or grocery store and go to the medicine aisle in the area for constipation. Get a bottle of castor oil...the smallest one, not sure of the exact size. The actual container part is about the size of your palm. You can drink this straight, make sure you hold your nose if you do, or mix it in orange juice or soda. It does sound and taste gross, but really works. What is great about this old trick is that it cleans your bowels out and somehow enhances labor. I did it with my first child and had him in 4 hours from the time my water broke to the time he came out. I didn't even realize that I was in labor until my water broke because it felt like diarrhea cramps.

With my daughter, I couldn't get it down...I was very sick throughout my pregnancy with her and threw up the whole nine months from beginning right to the day I had her. It ended up taking 9 hours from when I knew that I was in labor until I had her.

My sister drank it with her son and had him in 5 hours from beginning to end.

Other ladies in my family have done it for generations but I have never witnessed their outcomes.

I am a very strong believer in this method since it worked so well for my sister and I.

Good Luck if you try it and best wishes for you and your little one!

~Jen

congratulations and good luck. i'm sure at this stage of the pregnancy you are most definitely ready to deliver. unfortunately it's not you who gets to decide. :) your little angel will make his/her appearance when he/she is ready. hang in there!!

Hi C., I have four children my youngest is 11 months. If there is anything I have learned it is that there is NO way to know when the baby is comming. I walked around with each pregnancy 2-3 centimeters dialated, lost my mucus plug, baby dropped down and still didn't have them for another 2 weeks. So good luck!! J.

ps my son will be 1yr on Oct. 9th!!

Ten days. When you have the hard but painless contractions, and you can put your hand FLAT between the top of your belly and under your breasts, ten days.
Sounds like you are right on schedule.
The contractions are the baby getting into position for birth.
In my day we used to crawl around the floor on our hands and knees..dont know why it helped but it did.
One doesnt always have broken waters and/or mucous plugs to go by. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. But when the contractions change from BH to serious birthing ones, trust me in this, you will know.
Remember, a birthing contraction starts slowly, builds to a crescendo and relaxes. You need only to get to the top of it and then it subsides.
If you did not take Lamaze classes, most ob nurses can and will coach you in breathing and that helps tremendously.
Mostly it is only the last few contractions that are the most difficult to bear.
Not going to say it doesnt hurt, but it is bearable and the reward is beyond belief.
You would not believe that you could possibly feel that much love for another human being.
And, after you have had two or three, often it becomes like spitting out watermelon seeds. LOL..( not really, but it does become drastically easier and less painful and mostly much shorter..my last I had to go to hospital in police car. Hey sirens, lights , whole nine yards. And a 22 year old officer who was peeing his pants lest I have the child in his front seat LOL)
Those last couple weeks pass slowly for sure, but pass they will and you will soon have a beatiful child to hold .
Wishing you the best.
God bless
Grandmother Lowell

Mother of seven, grandmother of 13, greatgrammie of one.

Believe me I know how uncomfortable you are - I had 2 babies, and at the end you just want it to be over. I never noticed any mucus plug, all I know is that there is no denying the real contractions once they start. Trust me, you'll know! Hang in there, you're growing a miracle!

I hate to tell you that it can be a couple weeks after you drop. I dropped about a week before my due date but still my baby was 10 days late. I know how uncomfortable you must be right now (I've been through it 3 times) and I feel for you, but hang on...you're almost there!!! Congratulations!!

Hi C.,

Pregnancy can continue for weeks after the baby drops; if can even continue for weeks after dilation has begun. Your baby will come when he/she is supposed to be born. (Unless of course you schedule induction) Full term is normally considered from two weeks before you due date to two weeks after.

These days people usually have two due dates the date calculated by your last menstrual period and the date calculated from the ultrasound. In my expeience, if you are sure of your dates and your periods tend to be very regular, then the due date base on last menstrual period is very accurate. That being said and done most babies are born within four days before or after the due date.

I am sure you are getting tired and eager to meet your baby, but enjoy these last days or weeks; you will miss having your little one within you after he or she is born. Best Wishes.

J. L.

Well, unfortunately no one really knows but the baby! There isnt much you can do but wait it out, and despite all the "signs" its not going to follow some perfect pattern where you can predict what happens. I dilated for a month with my son, and a five centemeters and partially affaced, with the baby in position...a whole lot of nothing happened for two more weeks! I hope for your sake its much faster and easier, but after everything I tried (sex, wine, walking, my midwife even stripped my membranes!) I had to have my water broken in the hospital to put me into labor! There isnt much you can do but wait and see, and when the baby is ready, whether tomorrow or ten days or even 20 days, he/she will come! Try to relax and enjoy your last days of alone time! Good luck! Also, I never lost my mucus plug until I was in labor either, and none of my contractions up until the hospital meant anything :(

Everyone is different and every pregnancy is different.
Anyone who tells you that they know when you'll deliver is blowing smoke.
Try to distract yourself - movies work, and movie theaters will soon be a no go zone with a newborn, so take advantage if you can!
Know that when it's time, you'll be the first to know!
Good luck!

My only suggestion is go for some nice long walks. I had both of my children before their due dates and they never dropped, never saw the mucous plug, my water didn't break w/ either one. Everyone is different and there is no telling when labor will start. pay attention to those braxton hicks contractions because with my second I barely made it to the hospital because I had no painful contractions until I started feeling tons of pressure and the urge to push. If the braxton hicks are start to get regular and close together I would consider going the worst thing they can do is send you home. better to go and be sent home than to wander if you are going to get there and deliver or have to do it on the side of the road. Good luck.

Hi C.,

I know everybody is different, but when I had my daughter, at the time where I worked, I worked in an office full of women. As a joke, everytime I walked into the office in the morning to begin my work day, these women would all let me know if I had dropped. I was due July 7th, and around the last week of June they told me all in unison that I had dropped. Which made sense, because I felt a lot of pressure and just felt so uncomfortable. I ended up delivering July 3rd.

Do you have appointments scheduled with your OBGYN? Towards the end (at least with my OB) she would do an exam and would let me know if I've dialated. By a week before my due date, I had dialated 2 centimeters. So, your OB (if you have one) can definitely let you know if the baby is moving down.

Good luck to you! Happy and healthy baby! It's a wondeful experience :)

I wa sin the "early stages of labor" for at least a week...contractions starting and stopping. I would lay done to rest everytime they started to get regular becuase I thought I needed to rest before labor and delivery...but that was a BIG mistake because then contractions would stop. Get plenty of rest, liquids and if you can bare it try to be upright and walking as much as possible it will help. I was induced about 10 days past my due date and the day I went to the hospital I was already 5 cm with no pain so i was halfway there...give it time. It will happen or the doctor will induce you 1-2 weeks after yor due date depending on the size of the baby and your particular pregnancy. My friend just had her first baby a week early her water actually broke early. It is different for everyone but for some reason I feel first time moms seem to have babies after thier due dates. Stay active is the best I can say andI heard a rumer that eggplant parm can put you into labor...something about natural pitoccin (spelling?) in the eggplant. It is worth a try if you like eating it!

C.,
I am writing you because I was in very much the same position and I totally understand what you are going through! Maybe some of the moms can give you a more medical perspective on the timing, but for me-my daughter came two days after my due date although she had dropped much earlier. What I did was I ran up and down stairs and did squats to get my contractions going. And they did-big time. But I did not go into labor. And there is no reason to have contractions if you're not going to have the baby. Babies come when they are ready! So my very best advice to you is to just try to enjoy this time and don't think about it. I was so ready to have my daughter that by the time she came, even though it was only two days late-it felt like she was two years late! And then when she did finally come, all I wanted to do was go back and enjoy that time that we were still so connected. So all I'm really saying is I totally sympathize with you but trust me, your baby will be here before you know it!

I was 2 centimeters dialated for a week or two before I had my son. So no one can say the "when" word. Intercourse, a good poop, bumpy car rides, spicy foods, long walks, spa day, cleaning the house like crazy (nesting), no kidding stimulate your nipples with your husbands help or a breast pump (it releases oxytocin which can stimulate labor and made contractions stronger, take a long walk around Lowe's or Home Depot (there's something about cement floors that triggers contractions, it did for me) a good foot massage especially on the outer edge of the foot by the baby toes can help bring labor on. You can ask your practitioner to "swipe the membranes" when you go past your due date to stimulate labor. Some doctors and Midwifes will do this and some will not. But these ideas can only help you dialate. Active labor does not occur until 4 centimeters. From personal experience sex seemed to help me dialate from 0-3 centimeters in two weeks and a long walk at Home Depot. The best thing you can do for your mind is rest while you can, nap, take scenic walks, see old friends, and vent to a good friend. This is not the easy part. I understand feeling ready! I can say that when you hold your baby it will feel worth it. Almost there!!

At just the perfect time and moment, you will have that baby.
Relax, take in these last moments to treasure and reflect on your pregnancy...it will be over before you know it....and so will sleep!

My 2nd was born Oct 9th, 12 days past the due date and my dropping.

Good luck and many blessings.
L.

The end is the worst. I know you just want it over at this point and it is almost time. If this is your first, your little baby might be a little late too but there are things you can do to push along the labor. My son was a week late and the last month was just horrible because i was so big and just tired of being prego. They say walking is the best and of course what is always a sure thing...sex.
Sometimes you don't even break your plug...My doctor told me you will know you are in labor when it is so hard to walk and talk because you are in so much pain. You will know when it is time.

C.,

As my mom used to say patience is a virtue! LOL, is this your first? I am due October 12th having a c-section Oct. 7th. I so badly want to go into labor on my own (still having a section, but I want to be able to go into labor by myself). So I know how you feel. But this is my 2nd so I am a little more patient. But I know what you mean this kid is so low in my pelvis I am waddling & it hurts especially when I have to pee. I also have been having the braxton hicks that are some what painful. Also losing your mucous plug does not mean you will go into labor right away. If I lost mine with my first I never noticed. My water broke too before contractions.
My baby dropped 4 weeks ago & still nothing for me! It is good that the baby dropped especially when you are 1-2 weeks away, that means he/she is ready to be born vaginally & you don't have to worry about a c-section.
You can try Castor oil but I am not sure if that really works or not. I feel it is when the baby is ready the baby will come you cannot rush it! Good luck, just know I am in the same boat with you & before you know it these little babes will be here.

Hi C.- I sure can feel your pain! The baby will come soon! I did some of the old wives tale things the day I went into labor (1 week early) I had a message I went to Edammane on Route 9. I had her focus on my wrists and ankles as I had carpel tunnel due to pregency and my ankles were so swollen. I also drank the red raspberry tea that also helps. I have heard also if you eat a really ripe pineapple. LOL! I would not do any thing harmful like the castrol oil. But the above things are not harmful to you or the baby and most of all make you feel good! Good Luck and keep us updated on when you go into labor! :) Wish you a happy easy one!