‘Overdue’ and under pressure
June 15, 2010 – 8:48 amA mother who had been at one of my Hypnobirthing classes called me on Friday She was stressed. Why? Because she was 9 days over her ‘due date’ and was under pressure to make an appointment for an induction. Now ‘due dates’ are pretty arbitrary. How on earth can you expect anything in the human condition to be uniform for absolutely everyone? In France a pregnancy is considered to be 41 weeks. The World Health Organisation takes it as anything between 37 and 42 weeks. So, by French standards, she was only 2 days ‘overdue’.
I am not medically qualified, and I cannot give medical advice but, when she asked me what I personally would do under those circumstances, I suggested: ’Regard this as a bonus weekend. Aren’t you lucky to have been given an extra weekend, just you and your husband, to do whatever you like. After the baby arrives this will never happen again. Life will be wonderful, but in completely different ways, so make the most of this weekend.
If you have reflexology, do it because it’s gorgeously relaxing and NOT to ‘try and make the baby come’. Stop drinking raspberry leaf tea by the gallon. Stop eating hot curries until you’re purple in the face.
Go out for a lovely meal. Have a lie-in. Watch a funny DVD and laugh until you ache. ENJOY YOURSELF!’
I offered her to come to one of the Hypnobirthing classes I was teaching this weekend for free to do some more relaxation and she said she would love to but, guess what, she didn’t turn up, so I believe that, as soon as the pressure was taken off her and she felt happy and relaxed, the baby arrived!
So obvious, but it seems to be something that is frequently forgotten in so many units.
I’m longing to hear her birth report!
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