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At 39 weeks, I wasn't dilated or effaced at all. Went into natural labor at 39w4d.

I had a repeat section at 39w4d. I was not dilated at my 39 week appointment and had my OB check just before the section and I was maybe a fingertip dilated. My first section came after 57 hours of labor and only making it to maybe 5cm (I think they were being generous.)
Sorry to not be a happy anecdote.

I was gonna say my experience might not apply since it was for my first, but since your first delivery was c-section maybe it will help?

I was not dilated whatsoever at my 39 week appointment on Monday... went into labor naturally on Wednesday (my due date) morning at 5:15am! Was dilated to 2.5 when checked at 8am, was a full 3 and admitted by 9am. Delivered 24 hours later on Thursday morning.

OK, not my own story, but has happened with doula clients. Little to no dilation at an appointment, and labor spontaneously starting or water breaking just days or even just ONE day later. It's so hard to know what will happen, but not being dilated today doesn't mean you won't be tomorrow or in one week or two.

Would you be comfortable waiting to 41 weeks to see if you go into labor?

At 39+5, I was 0 cm and pretty effaced, I want to say 90%. I had LO at 40+4. My contractions started at 6:45am, water broke on it's own around 4:45pm, and she was born at 7:48pm.

I don't know if I was dilated at 39 weeks (no internal checks until 40 weeks at my office), but I was still carrying pretty high until the day I went into labor.

at 39 weeks my cervix was soft, but not dilated or effaced at all. At 40+1, I was dilated 1cm, not effaced. She got a pinky tip in there and swept my membranes, went into labor that night.

I had no dilation or signs of labor at 39 weeks. My water broke at 40+1 and I had my daughter the next day. Good luck!

No dilation, no nothing when my induction started at 40+6.

I was attempting a VBAC and started getting checks at 36 weeks and every week I had no dilation, no effacement and baby was high. At 39w1d, she checked and I was finally a "good 1 cm", but baby was still high. She swept my membranes and we scheduled an induction for the following week (bc I was a cm dilated, she could use a Foley catheter to dilate me). I started cramping right away, but didn't realize I was in labor until the next day. Went to the hospital that night, was at 4 cm when I checked in, water broke on its own about 2 hours later, got the epidural about 90 minutes after that, was fully dilated 3hours later and pushed for about 30 minutes and had baby at 39w3d.
Things I think helped get me just the centimeter I needed for a membrane sweep and option for Foley induction: sex, red raspberry leaf tea, bouncing on a ball, sitting on my toddler's play chair (essentially a supported squat to help baby drop). I also did some accupuncture, but don't know if that helped, but my acupuncturist told me to "have a good cry" which I did the afternoon before I went to the hospital and I think it helped to release some emotion.

Went in at 39+4. No dilation, no effacement. We talked about scheduling an induction. I decided I would wait another week before revisiting the conversation. Went into labor two days later at 36+6. Had a fast and easy labor!

With J, I was barely 1 cm and 50% effaced at 39 weeks. At 39 weeks 4 days, labor started on it's own, and he was born the next morning.

Keep the faith, mama! It's hard these last few weeks.

@Mrs. Blue: I think what your body does at 36 weeks and 40/41 is very different. At 36 you probably didn't dilate because it really wasn't ready. Even at 39 weeks thats still pretty early to give an indication. Give it some time and see what happens.

@Mrs. Blue: So it seems like (correct me if I'm wrong) worst case scenario would be making it to 41 weeks without going into labor and then needing to have a c-section? I guess you just have to weigh that against scheduling a c-section for next week and whether you would always wonder if you would eventually have gone into labor on your own, right? I think your body still has time to do it's thing! This is why cervical checks are so frustrating sometimes! You never know whether they mean something or nothing...

I wasn't even a cm dilated at my 39 week appointment and felt very discouraged and was already preparing to fight being induced. But I went into labor 4 days later! Don't get discouraged! Anything can happen!

I was 50% effaced and a fingertip dilated from 37 weeks on with no progression. At 40+2 I was still only 50% effaced but almost 1cm. It was "just enough" that he could sweep my membranes and I went into labor that night.

@Mrs. Blue: hope it starts soon for you. i was like 50% effaced, and I think they were being generous, right up until I went into labor at 40 weeks (on my due date). I ended up not progressing quickly because she was posterior and needed some pit, but labor did start spontaneously

I was not dilated at all at 39 weeks and I went into labor naturally at 41 weeks. I did end up with a C section but I got to 8 cms on my own with no augmentation.