You mentioned that you're 39 weeks, so congratulations on that, because you're so close to the end! You did mention that your doctor told you that if you go to 41 weeks without delivering spontaneously, you will be induced, and that's for good reason. The placenta has an expiration date. It's just not stamped somewhere where we can see it, but we do know that its peak life is about 37 weeks, and after that, it stops feeding your baby as well as it should, and nothing good happens after 41 weeks. So generally speaking, a mother is the best incubator for their baby, but not after that point. We want to get them out, because they will do better out than they would in. So that's your ultimate due date. But the fact that you haven't delivered yet is totally normal. In fact, a lot of moms make it to 39 1/2 to 40 1/2 weeks, and that's actually good. Babies do best when they're born after 39 weeks, and so the chance of your baby having a good outcome is great. So that's the good news. But as for labor, your body usually goes through this ripening process in the weeks to days leading up to delivery where your body releases hormones called prostaglandins, and they ripen your cervix. That's the actual medical term we use. So if you went to the store and looked for a ripe peach, what do you do? You squish them all and try to find the softest one, because you know that that one is probably going to be ripe and juicy and sweet. So a cervix, until it's ripened, is way far back in your pelvis, it's thick, and it's hard in consistency. And as those prostaglandins work on the cervix, it softens, it starts to move forward in your pelvis, and begins to thin out. Then at some point, there's no way to predict when this will happen, your brain will start to release oxytocin, which is a hormone that causes your uterus to contract. And once you start having regular and intense contractions, then your cervix will respond by dilating, as long as it was ripe prior to having all of those contractions. Now enough contractions can ripen your cervix, but if you start having regular intense contractions on a cervix that's not ripe, then it's going to be a long time probably before you dilate, especially if it's your first baby, because the cervix has to soften, and move forward, and thin out, and then it will start to dilate. So I wish I had a crystal ball and could tell you exactly when you were going to deliver, but of course that's not possible. Hang in there, and know that you probably only have, I mean at the most, a week and a half left. And if you go into labor spontaneously before then, then that's great, and congratulations! Here's what you should look for, and when you should go to the hospital. If you have contractions that are 4 to 5 minutes apart, and that's been going on for a couple of hours, whether you're resting or moving around, that's a good sign that it's the real deal, and you should go get checked out. Also watch for vaginal bleeding, and if you see any bleeding, go in, whether you're contracting or not. Watch for leaking of fluid. That might be an indication that your water has broken. And again, whether you're contracting or not, you go in and get checked for that. And then pay close attention to your baby's movement. You should be feeling at least 6 to 10 movements an hour, so if you feel like it's less than that, or if it's a change from your norm, like a decrease, then get rid of all distractions, lay down on your side, and count every single movement. And if you get 10 movements or less in 2 hours, or just not many that first hour, go to Labor & Delivery and get checked out. And each of these reasons - again, contractions, bleeding, feeling like your water broke, or not feeling your baby move as much as usual - are all reasons independent of themselves. So in other words, let's say your contracting every 7 minutes - probably not time to go in for contractions, but if you're not feeling your baby move in between, or if you're bleeding, or you feel like your water broke, you go in, regardless of what your contractions are doing. They'll check you out and decide if it's time for you to stay, or if you can go home and work on it for another day or two, or however long it's going to be. Again, I sincerely hope the best for you, and if you have any other questions for me in the future, feel free to ask them on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/IntermountainMoms, and recommend us to your friends and family too.

• published: 26 Jun 2015
• views: 9825