ASD1989

Hi all, I'm brand new here - any advice would be really appreciated! My partner and I are on Bridging Visas, awaiting a decision on a 457 application (partner is main applicant, and I am de facto). We lodged the application back in January, and at the time were told to expect an answer in 6 months. Coming up to 10 months later, we still haven't heard any news.... I'm pregnant and due to give birth at the end of November, and can only travel up to 36 weeks (around the end of October). We know that if the visa is refused, we'll have 28 days to pack up and leave. We also spent a whole lotta $$$$ on the visa application, and don't want to throw that away because of being impatient. I guess my main questions are: Is it normal for 457 applications to take this long? Has anyone been in a similar situation? And, would you continue to wait for an answer re the approval, or would you head back to the UK before the baby is born?