Worried and discouraged

L.A. writes:
: Hi all...

: Well, here I am, 41 weeks today and no baby. I'm not uncomfortable or
: irritable (well, any more so than usual!), and am willing to just wait
: for baby to be ready. But I have the spectre of a c-section hanging
: over me that has me very upset and worried.

Reading your post, rightly so!

: My first was a section, my
: second a VBAC after spontaneous labour started on my due date.

This good history. This means that you can well do it!

: Now my
: doc tells me if I go ten days over, they'll want to do a section this
: time.

This is a bit arbitrary. I would suggest a counter negotiating tactic.
You agree to test for placental viability and amniotic fluid volume with
an ultrasound every 4 days, and as long as everything is ok, you wait.

: They won't induce because of the increased risk associated with
: VBAC, so if baby doesn't come, they may try to break my water and see
: what happens.

I only like half of this. That is refusing to induce because of the
risk of uterine rupture. I *DON'T* like the AROM, as that puts you
on a clock. Again, I would agree only with medical cause.

: If that doesn't work, they'll go directly to section.

Yeah. That's the problem with their plan, and why IMHO it should be
refused.

: I'm so discouraged because my VBAC was a great experience, as opposed
: to my emergency section which was horrid. To make matters worse, I've
: been having contractions getting down to about five minutes apart and a
: minute long (although not terribly hard) for days. It starts every
: night, goes for a few hours and stops. At my appointment last week,
: the doc said my cervix was thin, but not dilated at all, and there's no
: presenting part in the pelvis. Ultrasound showed baby floating high,
: although head down. Non-stress test showed happy, active baby.

These are good signs and only reinforce my opinion that you are being
railroaded by talking about section at a specific date.

: I have
: to see the OB tomorrow who will want to admit me Tuesday for breaking
: of waters. I'm afraid baby's not ready and it won't work and I'll end
: up with the dreaded section. I have to brace myself to try and talk
: him into waiting a few more days if the baby seems okay. But my heart
: is down in my toes right now and I don't feel very strong at all.
: Thanks for listening.

Just say no!

: L.A.

Good luck,
Larry