40 WEEKS PREGNANT! I’m so happy to be here! Baby boy has completed 280 days of gestation and today is my DUE DATE! Fun fact. Did you know that only 4% of women give birth on their due date? Given that it’s almost 8 p.m. as I type this, I think I’ll be in the 96% majority. 😉
It feels like such a blessing to have made it to 40 weeks and I’m feeling extremely grateful right now for my body and the miracle it’s performed for me in growing this baby!
40 WEEKS PREGNANCY UPDATE
A watermelon! Funny because I just bought my first watermelon of 2018 last week and it’s delicious! Not quite in season but it’s from Florida and tastes good!
- With labor approaching, baby experiences a surge in hormones that will help maintain blood pressure and blood sugar levels after birth.
- Hopefully those hormones also communicate with my uterus that it’s time!
- With labor, baby is prepared for the blood flow to the placenta to decrease a bit with each contraction.
- Hair and nails are still growing.
- Brain development still continuing “like crazy” says The Bump app.
HOW I’M FEELING AT 40 WEEKS PREGNANT
In a nutshell: really good!
Weight gain/body changes: 27-28 pounds. No new body changes other than thinking there is no way the belly can get bigger…and then it does!
Symptoms: more of the same from previous weeks…fatigue, insomnia, very active bladder, cramping, etc. One thing that has been much better this week is pelvic pain. Not sure why but I’ve had hardly any of the breathtaking experiences when you stand up and feel like something is stabbing you down below.
Workouts: Since I last checked in I have walked most days, taken two yoga classes and taught one strength class…which left me so sore for three days!
Food cravings/aversions: nothing worth reporting at this point.
Working: I’m still teaching one hot yoga class every day and it feels great. My sweet friends stole my phone and took this photo of me this morning to document my 40 week class. Very flattering. I made them do tons of squat variations and told them they couldn’t be a baby about it when their 40 weeks pregnant teacher was doing it with them. 😉 (I don’t practice with them but I did do the squats with them today…because they’re good for getting baby down!)
I’m still enjoying teaching because it gets me out of the house and makes me feel “normal.”
I’m also doing computer work and obviously blogging! Keeping myself busy.
40 weeks prenatal appointment: I saw my doctor today for my 40 week appointment…and of course we had to “make a plan.” Here’s the plan…I’ll go in next Monday for a non-stress test. The American Pregnancy Association describes this as, “attaching one belt to the mother’s abdomen to measure fetal heart rate and another belt to measure contractions. Movement, heart rate and “reactivity” of heart rate to movement is measured for 20-30 minutes. The primary goal of the test is to measure the heart rate of the fetus in response to its own movements. Healthy babies will respond with an increased heart rate during times of movement, and the heart rate will decrease at rest. The concept behind a non-stress test is that adequate oxygen is required for fetal activity and heart rate to be within normal ranges.”
Obviously, if anything looks concerning on the NST he will send me over to the hospital for induction. If all looks good, he will let me go until Friday, May 19 and I’ll go in that evening to start induction with a plan to deliver on Saturday. I would be 41 + 3 at that point.
We are both very hopeful that I will go into natural labor but the office and hospital protocol requires that this stuff is scheduled once you hit 40 weeks. My doctor is super clear that my preference is the most natural birth experience possible. I’m still sitting at 80-90% effaced and he said maaaayyyybbbee 1/2 centimeter dilated but that could change at anytime if my body goes into labor and I start experiencing contractions.
I’m doing my best to stay relaxed and not stressed about going into labor. I fully believe that baby will come when he’s ready and in my body’s ability to do this. For now, I’m enjoying the extra days I have before life changes forever. I’m not in that place where I’m in pain or crazy uncomfortable or super anxious for him to come.
Induction massage: my doula includes an induction massage as part of her package of services. She had asked me several times if I had scheduled my massage so I decided that my due date was a good day to try the induction massage at Bellies and Babies. It’s a local business specializing in pre- and post-natal massage and yoga.
Sarah warned me that the massage would be a little slow and boring but I thought it was wonderfully relaxing and was in and out of sleep the whole time. Let’s see if it makes anything happen!
If you’re expecting in the Charlotte-area, definitely check out Bellies and Babies. They have a great space for yoga and massage that is very chill and zen.
That’s all for today’s recap but I just wanted to say THANK YOU. I have found pregnancy to be the most amazing time of connection with my readers. Seriously, in 8 years of blogging there hasn’t been a time where I have felt more connected to those of you “on the other side.” I can’t thank you enough for how open and honest you’ve been with sharing your experiences as well as the outpouring of love and support that you have shown me. I know I’m not the first person to be pregnant (haha) and I’m grateful for how special you’ve all made this time feel for me in sharing in my enthusiasm.
QUESTIONS
Those of you who went past your due date, did you go with the flow or did you work to get things going? I’ve had people suggest castor oil…and I just don’t know if I’m willing to go that far. Also, my doctor and the massage therapist today both recommended nipple stimulation and using the breast pump.
I can’t stop thinking about cloth diapering…I would love to hear your experiences with it…good, bad, ugly, dirty, smelly :)…if you’ve tried it. I’m pretty clueless about it but for the duration of my pregnancy it’s been something I’ve wanted to try.
With my first pregnancy, I was 8 days late and induced. I didn’t do anything except a lot of walking. I was scared of labor so I was fine with the delay. My induction didn’t seem to slow down delivery at all. My second pregnancy; I was lucky and had a due date baby. April fools day no less. Praying for a safe arrival of your little one!
I’ve been good with the delay too but at 6 days over, I’m definitely starting to get a little anxious about it all! VERY cool that you had an April Fool’s due date baby! Love it.
I was 41 and 4 days when I went in for induction…but I wasn’t doing anything too crazy to try to get him out! Did a cycle class on the morning before I went in to be induced and that didn’t work. Even with induction he still didn’t want to make his way down and I’m convinced he could have spent another few weeks in there. :). Good luck whenever he does decide to come!
Wow! I was trying to figure out if I should go to spin tomorrow or if I’m too lazy. If you went 41 weeks and 4 days pregnant, what is my excuse?! You are amazing.
This comment made me laugh! Thank you for it! 🙂
That is the date that I will be induced as well if it comes to that. I actually thought about going to a cycle class today but I was too scared of my lady parts being sore for labor and delivery! haha.
My babe was 10 days late(the longest ten days ever!) I had some issues with my doctor because they had originally wanted to schedule me for a c section bc I was due around the holidays and it was more of a convience for them (can you believe it?!) anywho – we actually went out for buffalo wings to have the spice kick things off and wouldn’t you know I had my first contraction on the way home from the restaurant. (Def a coincidence lol)
I FEEL YOU on the 10 days late. I’m getting close. 6 days right now!
RE: the buffalo wings…we have a restaurant here in town with an “Inducer Pizza” that’s their buffalo chicken pizza. So????
Please do not try castor oil! In 10 years of LD nursing I’ve mever had it work for anyone; all they get is terrible diarrhea and painful cramps, but not enough to cause dilation. When the apple is ripe he will fall from the tree (and if he decides he needs a little assistance, your doctor has a plan). I delivered at 41.4 and did not try anything other than staying active; I was terrified of how different my life was going to be and was TOTALLY Savoring every last second of bubble baths, reading, napping, basically having no real responsibilities. So happy you made it to 40! Love and prayers to you and that sweet boy.
I’m totally not! No, no, no!
I agree that he will come when he’s ready and I will trust my doctor’s guidance if we reach a point where it’s better for him to be induced. My induction date is scheduled for 41.4 so we’ll see what happens. I am also terrified of the life changes and I’m REALLY trying to make myself chill and relax this week. It’s hard to do but I know that a whole new reality awaits very shortly!
My mom’s due date was the same as yours. I took my sweet time and was born on May 17th (29 years ago next week ?). Maybe your little one will do the same!
Looking that way! 🙂
I went 4 days after due date. Went into labor naturally and delivered a 9 lb. 14oz. Girl naturally. My doctor did have to use an extractor to suck her out but I was able to stick to my birth plan. That baby turned into a gorgeous 6’2″ blond haired blue eyed woman, now a mom to two beautiful boys.
WOW KAREN! That was a big baby girl. You are an inspiration for me and I’ll channel your strength when I’m in labor! 🙂 And I LOVE the full circle picture of your grown daughter and her children!
I really wanted to cloth diaper but after struggling with PPD, I came to the decision that the less laundry and stress was more important so I switched to disposable. I know people who LOVE it though!
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this. I think it’s really great that you knew your limits and what was worth it and what wasn’t. <3
I did cloth diapers, I would wait until baby boy is a couple months old. With the rate they go to the bathroom you would drive yourself mad with laundry. There is also a simple attachment to your toilet that I would recommend for spraying off poop. This is SOOOOO valuable. I liked using them, but they were more work. I also found that babysitters (parents!) did NOT want to use them. I also didn’t use them for my second, I just didn’t have the time. I admire those women who do it with multiple kids!
Good Luck getting baby boy out!!
Yes, for sure going to wait a bit before starting the cloth!
And I get it with the sitters and parents. I’ve had a lot of resistance from others when I mention wanting to cloth diaper. It’s crazy!
I’m almost 4 months PP with my little girl. I was 5 days late, woke up from a nap and bam! my water broke! My entire plan went out the window at that point and we went straight to the hospital. I was exhausted and took it easy the days leading up to my delivery day.
I do use cloth diapers and love them! We only use them at the home and if I plan to run errands and be out we do use disposable for the ease of it. Also, we used newborn size until I felt she was big enough to wear the “one size fits all” Bum Genius diapers. The only thing is that they do make her bigger on the bottom so not all her clothes fit her when she has them on. I haven’t had a single blow out and I don’t think she even notices the difference. We have a sprayer attached to the toilet that we use to spray off #2’s. All in all, we love using them!
Thinking of you during the waiting game! It feels like forever!
I’m really trying to make myself take it easy these days before labor. I’m having a hard time chilling though! 😉
I love your flexible cloth strategy and can see myself doing something similar!
No advice on any front as I am not a mother but happy 40 weeks!!! Seems like baby boy is super cozy so soak it all up! I read a lot of blogs and have followed quite a few moms who cloth diapered or didn’t – I think it ends up being such a personal choice that only makes sense AFTER birth and how everything is going?! I had a girlfriend who got induced last Thursday and her son wasn’t born until 6pm on Saturday! Here I thought induction made the baby come right out! Fingers crossed you go into labor naturally but glad to hear the plan is in place. Very excited for you!
Thank you Nicki! I am definitely going to give myself some grace for the first few weeks to figure it all out and then see what I think I can handle. And yes, inductions can be LOOOONNNGGG!
I did cloth with my first and really liked it. Just pre-folds and covers. My second daughters skin was so sensitive that any moisture gave her a rash so we did disposables with her. Cloth was really no big deal in my opinion. Once you had it down it was easy peasy!
Awesome to hear!
I was induced at precisely 41 weeks and 4 days. My baby girl was quite comfortable in there and didn’t want to leave no matter what. I was ready to get her out though. I also am in the medical field and I agree with the labor and delivery nurse above regarding castor oil.
I used cloth diapers. They are a lot of work and definitely increase your laundry. I had to also have disposable diapers. I had to have my baby in day care when I went back to work and the day cares in my area require disposable diapers. In my case, cloth diapers definitely helped with potty training. My little girl decided one day she hated feeling wet and she was good to go in a few days. Now, I am not saying it would be the same for everyone. My sister had a son that didn’t want to bother with being clean if that meant interrupting his play, so it isn’t a cure all for issues.
That is the date that I will be induced – 41 + 4. We’ll see what happens!
Happy to hear that cloth worked for you! We have a service here in Charlotte that I think I’ll start with!
I was 15 Days early with first, 8 Days early with second…Girl, you are a trooper! Breathing is how I got through 3rd trimester & labor!
We did cloth diapers with first & now with our second…so worth it. Ivy’s will deliver them weekly & take your dirty ones back with them ??. Good luck to you, chica! You’ll do great!
I am so going to start out with Ivy’s!!! I’m jealous of your early ones at this point 😉
So excited for you, I can’t wait to see pictures of that beautiful boy! I was 3 days late with Noah and was dilated about 2-3cm for a good week or two prior so I was trying everything to get things moving…walking, squats, castor oil, raspberry tea…nothing worked. I finally called a certain OBGYN sister of mine and she said “Well…usually the way they got in there, is the way they come out…go have sex!” Which was the absolute LAST thing I wanted to do but finally convinced the husband to help a sista out…and my water broke when I rolled over in bed that night at about 2am and Noah was born at 8:48am same day!! Then Charlotte I asked to be “induced” because it was my due date and we were getting 32” of snow the next day!!!! My Midwife broke my water at 830am and Charlotte was out by 12:45 same day…so I had really short labors but I feel like I was made to make/birth babies (hahaha) in all honesty I knew everything was slightly out of my control in regards to when/how baby would come so that help me go with the flow as labor approached. I wanted to go naturally but was never opposed to c-section…all I wanted was a healthy baby! Best of luck Jen!! Eeeeekkkk ?
LOVED this comment Emily! 😉
And wow you had such a quick labor with Noah! That’s amazing! I can’t blame you for wanting to get induced with that weather forecast. I would be terrified to have an unplanned home birth! Did she break your water only and then labor started on its own with no pitocin or cervical ripening? That’s awesome!
We used cloth diapers for both girls!! We used a service at first to see if we even wanted to do it before purchasing anything. The service was awesome. They came once a week and delivered a fresh bag of cloth diapers and took the bag of dirty to wash. We ended up purchasing our own cloth diapers and used them almost the whole entire time. I still have them if you want them. 🙂 Seriously.
I had an induction massage by a doula therapist and whoa boy, it worked for me. So I hope it works for you! That was the only thing I tried.
I am so excited for you!
I’m definitely starting with a service. You are so kind to offer yours!!! I’m so confused about what to even buy or do at this point. Hoping starting with the service will help me figure that out!
I tried the induction massage but no movement! Ahhhhhh….
Ivy’s diaper service in Charlotte, Loved them for my first and will be using them for my second!
I am definitely going to try them out!
Fellow cloth diapering mom here. I become *obsessed* with cloth diapering and researched brands, styles, various options, etc til I drove myself mad. I have an 11- month old and feel I have mastered economical and effective cloth diapering!
In a nutshell:
-Use disposables for at least the first few weeks. Hopefully you got a lot from your shower, and baby poops like 8-10 times a day and it’s dark and awful at first. Spend the time bonding and resting when you can versus trying to worry about diapers.
-Don’t buy a ton of diapers upfront. There are so many different ways to cloth diaper, and you’ll find what works for you. Buy 1 or 2 of each style (covers with prefolds, hybrids with inserts, pocket diapers with inserts, and all in ones) and use them before deciding what to buy more of.
-Do a small newborn rental or trial kit. Ivy’s Diaper Service in Charlotte offers this and can help you put together a good package of various kinds to try. The one-sized won’t really fit baby until he’s 12+lbs, so you’ll need smaller ones at first. But, you’d need too many to buy them all outright for how many diapers newbies go through, so the rental or trial lets you economically try different diapers and decide what works for you.
– You dont have to spend big bucks on the name brands. There are lots of alternatives that work really well.
I was about to write a whole novel, but decided to just offer to let you contact me if you want. I’m local, and I’m happy to meet you anytime to show you every type of diaper, how they work, and pros/cons. I have a very lightly used newborn stash my little has grown out of with various styles you’re welcome to try, too.
Heidi – I CANNOT thank you enough for taking the time to compile this information for me! I’m definitely planning to use disposables for the first few weeks. I’m going to try out Ivy’s for sure. I will 100% take you up on the offer to help out if I find myself confused…which I probably will! 🙂 THANK YOU!
Well I wasn’t really overdue and who knows if labor would have started on that day anyway or not but I got my membranes striped at 39+6 and then followed the nurse practitioner’s advice to get busy in the bedroom and labor started the next day (so on my due date). Baby was born at 40+1.
that is awesome! right on time!
At 40 weeks, I was no centimeters dilated (I didn’t even get that 1/2!) and figured I’d be sitting tight for a while. I was scheduled to be induced at 41+6, but I went into labor at 41+1 all on my own. I didn’t try anything to hurry labor along as I wanted to just enjoy pregnancy while it lasted. I’m happy with that choice and babe came when he was ready! L&D is a lot so I recommend just enjoying these last few days. I now have a two year old, and I certainly haven’t had a lazy day in two years so enjoy this time while it lasts. He WILL come even when it doesn’t feel like it!
Okay just remembered that I got my nails done every other day in that last week. The nail ladies loved the “waiting for baby”, it was a two mile round trip walk, and it was a nice relaxing way to pass some time!
Hey Lauren – I just commented this same thing on someone else’s post that went at 41 + 1. I have heard and read so much that 8 days past, 41+1 is the most common date for first time moms. How cool!? And I know I should totally embrace this downtime and REST! I’m trying to really give myself freedom to do that this week.
Congrats on hitting 40 weeks!! Advice on being late….I was 8 days late with my little girl and went into labor naturally. I did all the things recommended by my doula and midwives: sex, walking, squats, acupuncture, spicy foods, chiropractic adjustment, etc. I didn’t do the castor oil (seemed a little sketchy to me). I had prodromal labor for 2 days but then she came really quickly once we got to the hospital. Your body will know what to do. We didn’t don’t cloth diapers but we use the Honest diapers bundle for automatic shipment and we love them. No diaper rash in 9 months and cute prints!
Congrats and best of luck! Enjoy this down time before he arrives.
Hey Christy – I’ve actually heard and read so much that 41 + 1 (or 8 days past) is the most common labor/delivery date for first time moms. So you were right on that!
We did cloth diapering 1 year and a half (until he reached 30 pounds and the fit wasn’t good anymore), 5 days a week, weekend off (and pampers for the nights). Good experience overall. The smell is normal, but you have to have a good washing routine (type of washer, diapers, type of water, detergeant…), I found alllllll the informations here at : Fluff Love University.com.
Thanks so much and I love your flexible approach!
Congrats on making it to 40 weeks! I will be 40 weeks tomorrow so I’m also playing the waiting game with you. I have been 2-3 cm dilated for the last 3 weeks but still no signs of labor which shows how different every pregnancy really is. Good luck with your delivery when it happens. Maybe our boys will share a birthday!! ?
Thank you so much! Have you had your baby yet!? And I know, it is crazy how different every pregnancy is!
So exciting, I can’t believe it’s already been 40 weeks! I feel like I read your announcement yesterday!
We cloth diapered for 3.5 years and loved it! Diapers are a huge strain on the environment, not to mention the cost. We rinsed them in the utility sink (pee too, since it can give the baby ammonia burn and it smells awful if it sits in the wet bag waiting to be washed), and washed on hot. Never had any issues. Once she was older, we used liners for #2s, to make cleanup easier. We used BumGenius All in Ones. ❤️
Yes, the environmental factor is my primary motivator. I’m so glad to hear that it worked well for you!
Cloth diapering is totally doable! You may want to wait a few months til the poop isn’t quite so…liquid, but then throw a disposable liner in their and it’s pretty easy—just more laundry. Also, feel free to go half cloth, half disposable if that works better for your family. Remember, every cloth diaper keeps another disposable out of a landfill!
Yes, the waste is my primary motivator. I think I’ll hold off for the first few weeks and then also have flexibility with it if we are traveling or out and about all day. I want to try!
I was a week late with my first pregnancy so the doctor scheduled for me to be induced. I checked into the hospital in the evening and the plan was to induce the next morning. That evening, the doctor gave me Cervidil to soften my cervix in preparation for delivery. The Cervidil pretty much shot me into labor and I ended up delivering my baby boy at 4:00 am! No pain meds because it happened so quickly. It was truly one of the most exciting moments of my life!
Oh wow! Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this! It gives me a lot of hope! 🙂
I highly recommend pumping to help stimulate labor. It didn’t do a ton with my first, but it did with Annablair. I had her at 38 + 5. But I think pumping with each helped establish my colostrum and milk supply early. With Annablair, I had some stored in the freezer, which turned out to be great! Also having my membranes stripped was super helpful.
We cloth diaper and love it! We use BumGenius FreeTime All in Ones. Our nanny and my mom were pretty skeptical, but everyone admits it’s seriously easy. We have the girls in disposable newborn diapers just because of the number they go through, but once they hit about 10 lbs, we switch to all cloth during the day and disposable at night (more absorbent).
I just did it for the first time this afternoon. My doctor encouraged me to. I am refrigerating the colostrum!
Thank you for the cloth diaper info! 🙂
Take a look at the young house love post on cloth diapering! We decided to go the traditional route but they give you a step by step walk through. Also, the main reason we were against it was because our daycare didn’t allow it.
I will definitely do that! THANK YOU!
Hi Jen!
My baby is now 6 months old- time flies. I had to be induced- my baby gal did not want to come out! They attempted to kick start labor without drugs, but alas, she real comfy in there and I had to have pitocin.
We use cloth diapers, and I love them. My big push was when I read just how many diapers wind up in landfill every year. It was staggering. The more I looked into it the more I also wanted to avoid chemicals on my baby’s skin. I have a service and it is fabulous. Every Sunday night I put out a bag of dirty diapers, it disappears, and on Monday morning I have a bag of clean cloth diapers. I also like the service because not only do I not have to scrape the diapers myself, but they wash all of them together in a giant vat which also helps with energy and water use. People are always shocked that I have cloth diapers- I find them to be super easy and I have peace of mind knowing I am not adding to landfill and that I am keeping chemicals away from my girl!
We also started her in cloth diapers from the start!
Hey Dana – thanks for sharing about your induction. It helps so much to read about other women’s experiences.
I am totally in the same camp with my motivation to cloth diaper. The waste that is created through disposable is crazy!
I might look into the service because we have a good one here in Charlotte!
No to castor oil! Both our doctor and a doula friend told us that it will only give you diarrhea, which is really the last thing you want while in labor! I was three days late, then was induced because our doctor and all three other doctors were going on vacation (spring break week), so we wanted to be sure our doctor was there! They’d barely started me on pitocin before my water broke and it was only 4 hours between when I got pitocin and when the baby was born! Our doctor said that we would’ve had the baby that day anyway! Just do what’s right for YOU! You’re the one who knows your body and your baby the best! Just trust your gut! Good luck!
Definitely going to avoid the castor oil. And it’s great to read your very positive induction story!
I’ve never used caster oil, but when my daughter (my 3rd baby) was 40+4, my husband and I tried nipple stimulation. We also made love. I had an in-and-out kind of sleep for a few hours and she was born the next day! It helped me avoid a pitocin induction.
Cloth diapers are great! If I can do it in a Japanese house with little laundry facilities and a deployed husband, anyone can! They paid for themselves before our second was even born! We use bamboo trifolds with Best Bottom covers. It’s all we need! We launder ourselves ~twice a week.
My doctor told me to use my breast pump!
THANK YOU for the cloth diapering encouragement! 🙂
Congratulations! I had a little boy in January, it’s the most amazing thing. Just wanted to chime in that we’ve been doing cloth diaper and it’s been fantastic. We love it. It’s not only easy, but we feel much better about the environmental impact. when the baby is really tiny and you’re going through more diapers a day, it’s OK because you’re at home and it’s easy to work in a load of diapers. But now that he is three months we go through far if you were diapers a day and we’re really only doing laundry every 4 to 5 days. I can’t say enough good things about cloth diapering. Also, our sitter use disposables and it was telling me about great diaper creams etc. when I told her we’ve never had diaper rash and cloth diapers her mouth fell open. It’s true, the first two weeks he was in disposables and got awful diaper rash I felt so bad. Since the transition, nothing. I think it’s the cloth wipes. Can’t wait for you to meet your little boy!
Oops. Sorry about the typos. That’s what happens when you use text dictation while nursing ha ha
Hey Amanda! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with cloth diapering. It’s been great to read all of these positive stories!!!!!
Good luck Jen! I really recommend taking it easy ~ You can’t force your body into labor (trust me, I tried) and one of my biggest regrets around labor is that I wonder “would I have had a different labor if I hadn’t been so impatient and really trusted my body?” Please know I’m not implying that you aren’t, but I wasn’t! I’m a bit of a control freak and as an athlete I’m used to feeling in charge of my body and like I can make it respond like I want……..until labor. My first Childs labor/delivery did not go like I had hoped and it took a full year before I could drive by the birth center without getting teary ~ NOT because of my amazing kid, but because I was sad that I had tried to hurry and control one of life most sacred processes, and I will never know if it would have been different had I trusted more. Castor oil DID work for me, and actually helped a lot, once to avoid an induction with a VBAC baby and once to start a HBAC after SROM for 36 hours with no onset of labor. Everyone is different though, and without true cause I would not use it. I also cloth diapered ~ even when I had two in them at the same time! Prefolds and covers until they got mobile or I introduced solids, then Bumgenius and Fuzzibuns and whatever else struck my fancy. My advice would be to wait, have your son, get comfortable with nursing and motherhood and your new relationship with your partner, then decide. I found cloth easy, some find it hard, though. I’m sure you were gifted a ton of diapers, use them then decide once you’ve found your stride! Good luck to you, I can’t wait to hear about this new adventure for you!
Hey Melissa – thanks so much for sharing this. I’m definitely not trying to go crazy with putting myself into labor. I actually think the more that I can relax around it…both my body and my mind…the better for encouraging it to actually happen. I’m staying hopeful that he’ll decide to come on his own but we’ll deal with the induction if it ends up being necessary.
I really appreciate you sharing a little bit of your story.
And thank you for the insight on cloth diapering. I am definitely going to hold off a bit before tackling it!
Come on little guy, we’re waiting for you! Maybe you’ll show up on Mother’s day! <3
I’d highly recommend going the disposable diaper route for the newborn stage before going the cloth diaper route. You are going to be figuring out a million other things with a new baby, give yourself one less thing to worry about for a couple weeks!
I was induced at almost 42 weeks. I didn’t do anything to try to make it happen, he had no desire to leave! My only recommendation if you end up going in for induction is don’t eat the day of delivery. I labored for a few hours for no reason because I had to digest the Cheerios and yogurt I had for breakfast after it was decided I needed a C-section and they want you to have an empty stomach. I’m not sure about gels and all that, but you could ask…
I am leaning towards using disposable for the first few weeks, for sure! I know there will be so many changes and so many things to figure out with breast feeding, sleeping, etc.
I also haven’t really done anything to promote labor and really praying it happens on its own…although I haven’t really felt like much is happening. Ahhh. RE: the induction…they actually told me it was fine to eat that night before coming in because they do a really slow overnight induction and don’t really ramp things up until the next morning!
My first came on her own a few days before my due date, my 2nd I was 5 days late and *ahem* sex is what got my labor going (it was the least sexy sex ever but it got the job done).
I also cloth diapered both my babies and I seem to be in the minority here but cloth diapering a newborn is the easiest part of cloth diapering. Before they start to eat solids and are breastfed you don’t have to spray off any poo, it’s so easy to just throw the whole load in the laundry. I personally think it gets grosser when you have to spray off the poo but it’s still doable. Best of luck!
Hey Katie – thank you for the comment and for the feedback on cloth diapering…especially with a newborn!
Best of luck to you on this new journey and I hope everything goes well when the time comes.
I used cloth diapers for both of my kids. I wouldn’t say I loved it because who loves dealing with poo but I am glad I used them and would again. I think it definitely depends on what type of diaper you use. At first I used the all-in-ones and the diapers had a velcro close that eventually wore out. I then got pocket diapers with snaps and liked those so much better and hardly ever had any leaks. We would use Pampers Baby Dry for overnights though. I know there is a lot of information out there and it can be very overwhelming but there is a lot of good resources to use too.
Thank you Erika! And I appreciate the cloth diaper feedback.
I was induced at 42 weeks with my first…with my 2nd I went to 41 weeks and 5 days and went into labor naturally. I was very tempted to try castor oil, but after reaching out to two different herbalist friends about it, they both advised me not to and to let baby come when ready. They both sweetly reminded me that my body knew just what to do, something that my first pregnancy/induction I felt had taken away from me. I got my hands on the book “Nurture” at the very last minute of my second pregnancy and found the birth plan chart at the end incredibly helpful!!! It opened up options and conversations with my midwives I would not have had or known about otherwise. I told my doctor during my first pregnancy I wanted a natural pregnancy and delivery, but his first choice for induction was anything but. I had no idea I had other options until scanning through “Nurture”. I feel so empowered thanks to my second pregnancy and delivery! It was no easy task, but I am so grateful for the intuitive birth experience(at CMC btw). My first pregnancy I was given pitocin and then water broken. My 2nd I went into labor naturally and water was broken at 5 cm.
As for the cloth diapering I did it with my first shortly after all the newborn poops became less frequent. We stopped about the time baby started eating food(poop starts to stink). I was not interested in hosing down the diaper and found the diaper liners rather tedious to mess with. Diapers do stink, but the smell was contained in a wet bag or a trash can with a wet bag lining. I found the best results washing a small load of diapers without detergent on the casual light setting with cold water followed by a hot water heavy wash with detergent and vinegar in place of the fabric softener. Hanging in the sun to dry helps remove stains and prolongs the life of the diapers. Our favorites were the thirsties diapers. They have been great for our long lean babies. I really liked Charlie’s soap for this, but the second time around I’m using my homemade liquid detergent and it is working just as well! Hope that helps!
I am definitely not going to go the route of castor oil. I’m more aligned with the thinking that my body knows what to do and when to do it.
I appreciate the book recommendation and the note on a more natural induction. As I get closer to that date, it’s something I’m going to do a lot more reading and educating myself on!
Essential oils helped me ease into labor!
Which ones Katie?
You are handling this pregnancy with amazing grace! I feel like most women are in a panic once they hit their due date (or even before!). I went one day after my due date but I remember when they set the due date I had two options and I chose the less pregnant one…. it’s so common to go over and days are not exact!
We cloth diapered until potty training! I used Osocozy prefolds and Thirsties Duo Wraps with snaps. I chose to cloth diaper to save money!
Hi Jen, I just felt like I should comment. I was induced with my third baby. Many people made me feel nervous about this, but it was my easiest delivery. Everything went well with my first two labor/deliveries, so I was super nervous about an induction. The induction was a wonderful experience. I just decided to trust my doctor and myself. He delivered all three of my babies, and he knew what was best each time! Sending you so much love and peace during this most incredible time in you and baby’s life!!