Hi ladies,
Has anyone had experience of going to 39 weeks without being dilated at all and just a bit effaced? How fast your labor progressed? Were you induced and when? Did induction help the labor to start/progress or did it lead to a C-section?
I heard that every woman's experience is different, some can start dilating early, some - not until the last week of pregnancy and then it goes fast.
I don't have any specific signs of labor. Most women have a back pain, but I don't have it at all, could be because I am staying very active - swimming and such. Myself and baby are staying healthy with no complications, but I am concerned that I have no signs of coming labor. Has anyone had a similar experience? Thanks!
Hi Ana,
I was just induced at the end of the 39th week...I was not dialted/effaced at all and barely had any Braxton-Hicks contractions. My OB said that in his 30 years of experience, if you are 1 cm dialted the induction will work well, so I was nervous about being induced without being dialted.
Luckily, everything went well for me. I was given Cervadil the night before and Pitocin the next morning (still not dialted at all)...my baby girl was born at 3:30 pm. I almost didn't have a chance to get an epidural it all happened so fast!
Good luck with your delivery!
Hi Lak,
Thank you so much for sharing this info. It helps a lot! Now, I am just waiting for labor signs. It still may happen very soon :)
Ana, all 3 of my kids were induced at 39 weeks. With the first, I was dilated 1 cm and not effaced at all. They stripped my membranes and applied prostaglandin gel to my cervix. Labor pains began within an hour and the whole labor took 12 hrs.
With the second, I was 1 cm and not effaced at all. They started a pitocin drip and the whole labor took 5-1/2 hrs.
With the third, I was 1 cm and not effaced at all. They started a pitocin drip and the whole labor took 1-1/2 hrs. I kid you not!
They broke my water the first two times and with the third it broke on its own - I think just because it was seriously like jumping on a freight train that time! :)
All three were vaginal deliveries and I had no epidurals or anything. Just a bit of demerol - which is kind of like lying under the broiling sun in the desert and someone sprinkling water on your forehead. Ha!
I was indcued at 39 weeks. I was not dialated past 1 cm and had had no signs of labor, they used Cervidil. The plan was Cervidil to be used once, wait and see then use it again, the follow with Pitocin (if needed) but the first Cervidial brought on the most progressive contractions with little break between them very quickly (within 3-4 hrs). I was told that this is NOT what was expected, however this is what happened to me.
Cervidil was used at 1250pm and my baby girl was born at 1217am by emergency c-section. The reason for the c-section was because baby was in distress after such rapid contractions with no breaks between them. I can tell you that those contactions were beyond crazy (in my opinion) but at the end of it all....I got a beautiful perfect baby girl.
My friends mom told me to remember that this is the only time in life when you're in pain and get something great afterwards, as pain usually means there's something wrong, but in pregnancy labor pains lead to baby's arrival.
All the best in your upcoming delivery and it'll all work out one way or another, you will get that beautiful healthy baby at the end and that's what all your hard work to-date has been for.