Postdate Pregnancy: Passing Time when Your Baby is Overdue

Well, you've reached the 40-week mark and still no baby! Perhaps your baby is just taking a little extra time to bake, or maybe your due date was miscalculated. Who knows? If you are seeing a traditional provider such as an obstetrician, it is likely you will be induced especially as you hit week 42. You may also be interested in a more natural approach and prefer to wait it out. Whatever you have decided, here are some tips for passing the time while you wait so patiently for your baby to be born!

Take a look around. Do you have everything you need for your baby? By now you probably have a stroller or sling, crib or co-sleeper, and plenty of diapers and clothes. It may seem like there isn't much left to buy. Chances are, you've bought things your baby will use as a newborn. What about when he or she is older? If you've already got a full newborn wardrobe and diaper collection, start shopping for clothes and diapers for the 3-6 month and even 6-9 month periods. Some babies grow faster than others, so you may be needing these things sooner than you think!

What about the nursery? Is it finished? Is it arranged the way you want it? Take the time now to put the finishing touches on your nursery and finish getting your home ready for the new arrival. It is a good idea to set up diaper changing stations around the house, especially if you have a larger home. Distribute receiving blankets about, too. They come in quite handy in those first few weeks, as make-shift changing pads and for use cleaning spit up. Even if you've already gone through the nesting phase, if you look around closely, you may find even more things to clean and set up. Just focus on preparing for the baby!

If you're a first-time parent, you probably don't know much about caring for a baby. Maybe you could offer to baby-sit for someone. This will give you a chance to try out your hand at parenthood, somewhat. You should learn what to expect in those first few weeks and how to care for a newborn. Make friends with some new mothers. You can learn a lot from them, and their support will be invaluable!

Reading is a very constructive way to pass the time. If you have not done so already, or even if you already have, educate yourself about labor, interventions, and pain relief. Read birth stories and stories about motherhood. Inspire yourself! Read books about newborn care and what to expect in the first year. You may also want to dive into your favorite stories again at this time. You may not have much time for that later on, and it will help distract you from the long wait.

Prepare for the big delivery. Talk to other mothers about birth. Try to focus on the positive! Ask questions if you have any. Take more childbirth education classes if you can. Practice meditating and learning to focus your concentration away from pain. Spend time practicing breathing and thinking about how you want this birth to go. Say mantras. If you are planning on being induced, know that your labor may be quicker--but also more rigorous. Learn as much as you can about pain relief. Don't plan to rely on an epidural, because they don't always make everything all better.

Have you found a pediatrician and daycare provider yet? Now is a good time to start interviewing for the jobs. Of course, you'll want to let them meet your baby before you make your final choice. But you can start the process of eliminating now and begin narrowing down the list. This will give you more time to enjoy your baby before you go back to work, and it will be one less thing to have to think about during those early weeks. Even if you don't work, you may want to start looking for a babysitter so that you can have an occasional night out with your partner or trip to the gym!

Relax. Sit down, and take a few breaths. Sip some hot tea. Take a nice warm bubble bath and just enjoy the silence. Go for a walk in the park. You won't have a lot of time to do this once the baby is born, so stop and smell the roses while you wait. Your body is more likely to go into labor naturally if you are relaxed, and being active (but relaxed!) can help trigger labor as well.

Go out on a date with your partner! It may very well be the last time you have alone together for a while. See a movie, or just have dinner. Go bowling. Do whatever you want! Do something you won't be able to do with a baby in tow. Enjoy yourself, and the time you have left together as just the two of you. Don't be afraid to be passionate. Love-making can help ripen the cervix and even stimulate contractions. Remember, it'll be six weeks before you have a chance to get any action once that baby is born!

If you already have children, enjoy them! Enjoy these last few weeks as a family before the new addition. It is hard to divide your attention between a newborn and an older child. Try to spend some quality time with each of your children right now. You can also be doing things to prepare them for the new sibling in the meantime.

Whether you are single or taken, a first time mother or expecting lucky number 7, a housewife or a working woman, there are many things that you can be doing while you wait. A little reading, relaxation, and preparation never did any harm. You can spend this time preparing for the birth and for parenthood. You can also spend it enjoying your last few weeks before you become a mother (again?) and add this new little bundle to your family. That's all much better than pacing the halls trying to start labor or having scrambled eggs with castor oil for breakfast every morning!