Sam at Temporarily Me is overdue with her baby, and Karen Sugarpants has organized us all to tell our own overdue stories in an effort to lessen the agony of having to wait on.more.minute. for Sam’s baby to come out.
All three of my boys came after their due date. My first son put me into labor on Labor Day (he’s so clever) but decided to take a full 43 hours to come out, so he was late and also gets credit for making me slightly lose my mind. My third son was two days late, but since I had been on bed rest for 3 weeks due to a split pelvis, I consider every day after 37 weeks a day into the red. I was using the breast pump regularly to stimulate labor, tried homeopathic remedies and “labor lotion” and even tried castor oil a couple times (which every pregnant mama knows, you don’t GO THERE unless you are really desperate). Baby still was two days late in the end, but came out in just 2 hours, so he kinda wins for the Best Make It Up To My Mama labor.
Then we have my second son. Who was TEN days late. Why he felt the need to take his sweet time while I sweltered away the summer months in Los Angeles, I do not know. Maybe he knew he’d never sleep once he was born and was trying to get in the extra zzz’s. Maybe he was delaying things hoping he’d not have to actually come out–as if we’d just give up and say “fine, let him have his way”. That same just-wait-out-the-old-people-and-you-will-get-your-way mentality persists today. I wish I could say it didn’t work.
In the end, an old wive’s tale of taking jaegermeister during labor (for the valerian in it…yeah that’s it) ended up making it an easy 5 hour labor and he was born at home in a birth pool with nary a whimper. He just came up from the water and looked at me and said “heh.” And I couldn’t agree more.
Go here for more tales of lateness.
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Heh. You said nary. : ) I won’t share my stories just yet. I’m one of those Mamas with early birds. Not too too early, but definitely never late. Hope the same with this one!
Steph
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Oh my, I am feeling oh so blessed to have all my boys come early.
I went into labor with my 1st on labor day too… he was born 2 days later. Ha! Long labors… aren’t they great!
Brittany
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You know, you are the ONLY other person who I have ever heard mention using a breast pump to induce labor. Of course, it worked for me, big time – sorry:)
Robby, my second, was a week early. It ROCKED, especially considering it was freaking August and I was freaking HUGE.
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Well, I’m the queen of late! My daughter was induced at 10 days overdue (no sign of coming on her own whatsoever) and my son was 3 days late. It was excruciating waiting that first time and I honestly didn’t think I’d survive. The second time I just kept reminding myself that these were the last hours EVER of just having one child and I tried to enjoy those moments with my daughter. Even though it sounds so trite now, looking back, I laugh at how worked up I got
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Hi. I’ve lurked aroun your blog a couple times and I love it. Hope you don’t mind my coming back! Anyway, I only have 1 child, but she was very late. 9 days. I had contractions for a week before, but nothing. I tried castor oil (yes, I was that desperate), and nothing but…well…I won’t go there. Finally had to be induced, and she still didn’t want to come out. 4 hrs and 43 minutes of pushing. Pushing, I tell you!! Yuck. Back labor. Yuck. She was , what’s that called??, face up instead of down. Anywhoo, at the end of it all, I had my precious baby girl and we both looked like Rocky Balboa. YO ADRIAN!!!
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This was an awesome little piece of writing sis…. loved it!
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