When You're Baby is Overdue

by Teresa Redmond

If you've hit your 40th week of pregnancy, you probably planned on baby being here by now. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work that way. Babies do not come with a schedule or agenda. Due dates are an estimate of when baby should arrive and are often wrong by as much as two weeks. Going overdue can be frustrating and stressful to mom. Here are our best tips for coping with an overdue pregnancy.

Rest as much as you can
It is difficult to sleep during the last trimester of pregnancy. Try using a body pillow or white noise machine to help you sleep at night. If possible take a nap during the day. Even resting with your feet up can help. When you are lugging around an extra thirty or forty pounds it does not take long for your feet to ache and your back to start hurting. Being tired can make you grouchy and irritable. Insomnia is also not uncommon towards the end of pregnancy. Taking a 30 minute nap in the afternoon may help with the fatigue of late pregnancy.

Finish up any plans for baby
If you have any last minute things to do for baby, now is a good time to finish them. Freeze up a meal or two for after baby's birth. You will be glad you did when you are home with baby and do not feel up to cooking. Add the last minute touches to your baby's nursery. If you haven't agreed on baby names, make a list for when your baby is born to take to the hospital. Another idea, put in your baby's car seat and then have it checked for safety. Make sure your husband and you both know how to take it in and out of your car correctly. A final idea is purchase a lullaby CD and set up a rocking chair nearby to rock your baby to sleep.

Treat yourself
Do something nice for yourself. If you've made it this far, you deserve a reward. Go shopping. Get your hair done. Have a pedicure. These are all great ways to treat yourself. Call your favorite girlfriends up for a girls night out. It might be the last one you have for a while and it just might make you feel better.

Watch your baby's fetal movement
Beginning at around 28 weeks you will want to monitor your baby's fetal movements daily. This becomes increasingly important with an overdue baby. There are various ways to do a fetal kick count. Discuss with your health care provider her preferred method. Notify your doctor of any changes in babies activity. Your doctor will likely do a non-stress test as well if you are overdue to ensure baby is okay.

Practice breathing and relaxation
Whether you are planning an unmedicated birth or not, practicing breathing and meditation is good to start before labor begins. If you are overdue, this is a perfect time to practice relaxation exercises. You can try listening to sounds from nature or soft music or try meditation or imagery. Progressive muscle relaxation is another relaxation technique. This will probably not work as well in active labor, but is a good approach to staying calm and relaxed in early labor and while at home waiting for labor to begin. With progressive muscle relaxation, you will slowly tighten your muscles, hold in a tightened position, and then slowly relax your muscles. This is a great exercise to release tension. Depending on the method you plan for childbirth, you can also practice breathing exercises for the different phases of labor. Whether it's deep slow breathing of early labor or the he-he-who breathing reserved for active childbirth, now is a good time to practice different breathing techniques for labor.

Find out about induction
If you are ready to have your baby now, talk to your doctor about induction. It used to be commonplace for women to go to 42 or even 43 weeks before induction was considered. Now many doctors will schedule an induction as soon as you reach your due date and some even before that. If you would prefer not to be induced, talk to your doctor about things you can do at home to speed labor along. She may offer to strip your membranes or an aggressive cervical exam. This may help bring on labor contractions without an induction. Setting a date for induction often helps relieve the stress of being overdue. Just knowing there is an end in site might make you feel better.

Author Bio: Teresa Redmond is a wife and mother to 6 children. She is the co-founder of Justmommies.com.