Pregnancy diaries || Week 40 & 41 - The Waiting Game

Week 40

We have reached 40 weeks so it's time for an eviction notice! "You're 40 week lease is past due. You are hereby requested to vacate the premises within the next two weeks. Failure to cooperate will result in an induction. Other living arrangements have been made and eagerly await your arrival."

This week consisted of stretch and sweeps, dilation checks, red raspberry leaf tea, hot curries, long walks and bouncing on my Swiss ball for hours on end.

On Thursday (40+1) I had my first "stretch and sweep" which can help bring on labour if baby is ready and in the correct position. My midwife said that my cervix is soft but only 1cm dilated.
Later that day Mum arrived to visit for a few days. We took lots of walks around the neighbourhood to try get labour going and just to get some fresh air. It was nice having her around and she helped me organise a few last things around the house before everything changes.

We went down to Point Chevalier beach at sunset and took some mother-daughter photos. As it was her last night with us and I wanted to capture this special moment in time with her.

(TMI warning) I lost my mucous plug the following morning, which is a snotty mucous mass that sits at the entrance to your uterus and helps protect and block it from infections. When this is lost it is a good sign that my cervix was further ripening after the sweep. No further progress though. 


Mum went home the next day, and I went to get my second stretch and sweep. I was still only 1 cm and soft so nothing had really changes and baby wasn't ready, but she was pleased to hear that my mucous plug was continuing to come out.


I went on to have my third stretch and sweep with Midwife, still no dilation change. I had started feeling a lot more back pressure and twinges in cervix though.

On the 17th, Chris an I spent a good amount of the day trying to turn baby into good position. Using "Rebozo" technique, of me being on all fours and Chris standing behind me with a large scarf suspending my bump, sifting it from side to side. This was to turn baby from an OP position to an Occiput Anterior (facing towards my back) position, which in the ideal way to birth. Supposedly the reduced pressure on the pelvis and change in gravity can help babies get into their optimal position for birth. I also spent a lot of time with my knees up on the couch and my head down on the ground. Again, getting gravity to help me out a bit. It was all quite technical, exhausting and somewhat un-dignified for me, but let's face it. What part of pregnancy is dignified at this point.

How far along?: 40 weeks!

Gender?: Girl

Maternity clothes?: Yes, no way around it now

Stretch marks?: Yes

Belly button in or out?: It looks like a volcano sometimes, so is that my version of an outie?

Sleep?: Getting harder. Found it difficult breathing properly a few nights ago

Best Moment of the week?: Hanging out with Mum

Worst Moment of the week?: Getting uncomfortable stretch and sweeps with no change

Miss anything?: Being in control of my own body

Movement?: YES! She's got a good set of strong legs on her that's for sure.

Cravings?: Nutrigrain, Mandarins (like 6 per day) and Dark chocolate

Queasy or sick?: No.

Looking forward to?: Meeting our little one and hopefully getting labour started before induction.

Mood/emotional state?: Impatient

Early Labour Signs?: Mild Contractions and losing my mucous plug

Week 41

I had scheduled a 41 week ultrasound in advance just-in-case we got this far, but was hoping I would be able to cancel it prior to this week arriving. Unfortunately, here we are, 41 weeks and still waiting. I went in for my ultrasound on Thursday morning (41+1) and the ultrasound tech was acting different than her usual bubbly self. She was concerned about baby's growth rate and stomach size. After taking all of her measurements and plotting them along her previous growth chart (where she was 50th percentile for everything at 36 weeks) she found that her growth rate had dropped significantly and her stomach size had gone from 50th percentile to only the 5th. So she was very concerned.I got my results and went to my midwife appointment that evening.

My midwife had received the news by this point by phone call, which is unusual, as the ultrasound tech said that had deemed it urgent enough to give her the news straight away. My midwife had already consulted with the hospital next door to her clinic and they were happy to do some fetal monitoring on me then and there. So we took an un-expected visit to Waitakere hospital to get baby checked out on the CTG monitoring machine. She was happy and healthy with a good heart rate and movements. They could also track the mini contractions I had been having on and off for the past week. I had another thorough stretch and sweep and was advised to come back the next morning (41+2) for an induction.

How far along?: 41 weeks!

Gender?: Girl

Maternity clothes?: Yes, and now hospital gowns

Stretch marks?: Yes

Belly button in or out?: It looks like a volcano sometimes, so is that my version of an outie?

Sleep?: Getting harder. Found it difficult breathing properly a few nights ago

Best Moment of the week?: Seeing my baby on the ultrasound for the final time

Worst Moment of the week?: Being super anxious that my baby might not be growing properly

Miss anything?: Being in control of my own body

Movement?: Yes, movement felt and also detected on the fetal monitors

Cravings?: Mandarins and Dark chocolate

Queasy or sick?: No.

Looking forward to?: Meeting our little one

Mood/emotional state?: Anxious, nervous, excited and scared

Early Labour Signs?: Mild Contractions and losing more of my mucous plug