A friend was due with her third baby a few days ago, and of course while she and I have talked about babies choosing birthdays, and she's all for it, she's finding herself up against a wall.

She had some prodromal labor at 39 weeks (along with the nice full moon!!) but was still closed up tight, with a posterior cervix. She did have a LEEP procedure done, so we are taking that into account and not worrying too much about numbers. Instead we're focusing on other progress.

She has been belly mapping, and doing a lot of spinning babies techniques (and I gave her info on the Miles Circuit). Baby has been left, right and center, though I think mom said that baby is calming down. I do not remember the last position she gave me. But baby is still *high*. Her provider is now concerned about that.

Her first babe was a VBAC for 'failure to progress' her second babe was a VBAC, arrived at the hospital after minimal labor and as 5 cm. Labor 'stalled' so she got an epi and pitocen, baby was born pretty quickly there after. So, she's stressin.

We've talked about finding ways to relax, not over doing it so she's not tired (she spent a week trying to walk the child out!)

She doesn't want a c/s but at her last appt she had made some progress....cervix had come forward, finger tip dilated, and a bit more thinned out than before. BUT, they said they'd take the baby on the 22nd. And when we discussed her options she said "I don't want a c/s but I want her here safely".

We have talked about the risks and benefits of waiting. I have strongly encouraged a different provider. And I have backed off from encouraging a different provider.

I just want her to be happy with her birth, but what I am hearing is that she's not going to be happy with a c/s.

How do we help encourage the baby into the pelvis? Mom said that she feels like baby is going lower, and then pushing herself back up by her hands!!!

Meh. Babies come when babies come. Moms get bent out of shape when their babies aren't born by their EDD and then their docs go along with the song and dance. It is frustrating - for the families and for the doula too. Keep reassuring mama that she won't be pregnant forever. Her baby knows his/her birthdate. Labor and birth will be better when you wait for the right time.

Baby being high doesn't mean a thing. My third baby was -2 up until 15 mins before birth.

Figured I could update.

Mom went into labor right at 41 weeks, she labored at home for a good long time, and actually didn't call me until near transition.

Her water broke when she got to the hospital, it took 4 nurses and finally mom's OB to break the scar tissue from the LEEP. She was so thin, it was really only the scar tissue holding her closed. He popped it and she was stretchy 4. He didn't stay in there and wait for a contraction.

Mom wanted an epidural, they'd been refusing it because she was 90& and a finger tip. I wanted to yell at the nurses that she was OBVIOUSLY in active labor if not transition. But I didn't. Mom sat there for an epidural that had to be placed three times. It never took, the baby was born just after midnight on Father's day.

Mom was thrilled despite the epi not taking, says it was just meant to be that way.

There was meconium, so unfortunately there was some aggressive suctioning on the perineum and then further deep suctioning on the warmer. (They did not clamp and cut for almost 3 minutes though, and I guess didn't like baby's tone etc after that amount of time) Thankfully despite all that, they were nursing fine when I left, and fine again when I saw them after they got home.

Maybe I'm missing something, but how can a woman have a VBAC on her first child?

rofl, I see. I can't edit. It should have said in the OP "Her first baby was a c/s". My apologies.

Quoted so that I could edit. Edit is in red.

Okay, I thought that's what you meant!