Induction for being overdue is becoming a reality. I'm isappointed on so many levels. Plus questions??

[beatie]

Sorry for the long title.

I'm 10 days overdue with my second baby. I was induced at 38 weeks with my DD due to suspected IUGR and highish BP.

BP has been great this pregnancy and I had growth scans due to small uterus which showed baby to be above average size. So, the last thing I expected was to have to be induced this time round. Last time I suspected all throughout my pregnancy but this time, I've only had a few days to prepare for this prospect.

I'm so disappointed. I wanted a water birth. I wanted the baby to come on its naturally chosen birth date. I wanted the baby to be delivered naturally by my body rather than expulsed aggresively into the world like last time.

Of course I realise the health and safety of the baby and me are the most important things. With hindsight my induction wasn't too horrendous because once I was in labour, it only took 5 hours and I was only in major pain for about 3 of those. BUT, at the time it was happening, it was very scary for me and I missed out on any gentle build up of contractions.

My questions for you.

1. I'm getting a cervical sweep today. How many women does this work for?
   
   
2. How long does induction take for subsequent pregnancies? Is it quicker or will I be in the hospital for a day or two before they manage to get labour started?
   
   
3. Did anyone refuse induction and then have their baby come naturally in their own time?
   
   They're talking about inducing me on Thursday when I'll be term plus 13 days. I am very certain of my dates because of early scans and the timing of my ++ pregnancy test and because I was monitoring ovulation.

[dinosaur]

I had two sweeps with DS2 (he was only a little bit overdue but because of horrendous problems with DS1, nobody wanted to leave him in there for too long). The first one definitely didn't work. I really don't know whether the second one helped or not but it didn't hinder it anyway!

Please don't feel too disappointed that you are going to mmiss out on the gentle build up of contractions. Even though DS2 was not induced, it was a really fast labour - started having contractions about 6 p.m., he was delivered at 8.15 p.m.! And second labours are often really fast.

Good luck with it all.

[Busyalexsmummy]

1. At term+10 if done properly theres a good chance it could work for you, if you havent had any signs of labour within 48hrs ring your m/w and request anougher sweep(i had one done on the mon before i gave birth- term+10-nothing, i had anougher done on the friday, which started off my contractions)

2.generally induction is quicker/easier for subsequent pregnancies and as i say, at term+10> it shouldnt be that hard to induce

I do sympathise with you as although i was contracting naturally, i ended up havig ARM, drip etc and as you say, twas not a good experience, I hope it goes well for you, gd luck x

hth

[coppertop]

I had an induction for both of my pregnancies. With ds1 it was a bit of a nightmare because it took a long time to work and I was eventually in labour for 40 hours. Like you I was wary of being induced in my 2nd pregnancy but in my case it was because ds2 was expected to be a big baby. This time around it was a lot more straightforward. I had one pessary and my waters were broken and that was it. I didn't even need a syntocin (sp?) drip. It was only a 6hr labour and far easier than my first labour.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. xx

[beatie]

Actually, I think what I hated most about my first induction was having my waters broken. The main pain came on so fast after that.

Is there anyway I can be induced without having ARM?

[Busyalexsmummy]

Well, the thing is, if you are already dilated, they wont try pessaries etc because the whole point of those is to dilate your cervix, if you are already dilated, it will be ARM or a drip, which beleive me, is not much fun either

[dinosaur]

beatie, just a suggestion - have you the time or the inclination to try acupuncture? Works successfully to bring on labour for many women. Whereabouts are you?

[beatie]

Hmmm - I hadn't considered that. So, the most likely method for induction at 13 days overdue is ARM?

[beatie]

How many sessions of accupuncture would I need?

I'm in the Chichester, West Sussex area.

[Eaney]

I was induced with my first and was determined not to be with my second. I was about 3 days overdue when I had my regular appointment with midwife. I think she found me difficult as she kept talking about the health of the baby as if I was only concerned for myself.

I left the midwife with an appointment to attend their Overdue clinic a week later wher I was told they would do a scan and take some measurements to try and predict the likely time of labour. I think the Hosp (Kings) were doing research into this.

Anyway that afternoon I was really angry as I thought here we go again - Induction - so I took a raspberry leaf tea (capsule). Later that evening my waters broke. Could be the tea could be my anger could be coincidenc.

Have you tried all the usual natural induction methods?

[dinosaur]

I saw an acupuncturist called Alison Courtney. She's also a senior midwife, and she's very good. You could ring her for some advice and to see if she can recommend anyone in your area. I have just googled her name, as I don't have my address book with me at work today, and got 020 8986 3792, so I hope that's the right number.

I didn't see her specifically for this reason, she was treating me for something else, but she asked me whether I wanted DS3 to be early or late or what. I said due date would be fine and lo and behold, that's when he was born.

[Guard]

Stretch and sweep can help if you are already on the way I think - but key for me was Ina May's book on childbirth - women give birth when they feel safe and ready. Can you force yourself to take an easy day + sit on a birthing ball/equivalent ? it might just then happen if you can relax etc. Worked for me with DD2 (who can so fast I then didn't even get time to go to hospital which was amazing given E C section with DD1). The other thing it is that it is your choice - my exp of hospitals/doctors is that you don't feel like you have a choice but you do...! Have you tried caulophyllum (natural remedy that softens the cervix), raspberry leaf tea, curry, pineapple, sex - not that any of it is that attractive I'm sure but they are all natural remedies !!!!!!!!! (+ can be quite fun )

[Miaou]

have they said that waterbirth is out of the question, beatie? AFAIK if you have a pessary you culd still go in the pool.

[milward]

Hello Beatie - just to offer support to you from the sept thread xxx

[NoPearls]

Beatie, are you going to SRH? I was induced there for DD at +15 days four years ago and she was born on +17 by emergency caesarean. She was a first birth though, so hopefully your body will react better than mine.

I had pessaries on the Sunday night, contractions all through the night which then stopped as soon as the midwife appeared in the morning. They tried another pessary and did nothing, then waters broken with no result, then drip and epidural because they said it would be unnaturally fast and furious (and I suspect because they had an anaesthetist there at that moment and she was about to go elsewhere). That was lunchtime Monday and I was then bedbound and bored with not much happening until 3/4 am when I finally got to 8 cm dilated but DD was a big baby in an odd position and she then got a bit stuck and in distress, so it was down the corridor (by that time I had my legs in stirrups, so very elegant...) and into theatre. Had things worked better with the pessaries I think they would have let me try a water birth, which is what I had in mind.

I think the problem is that you cannot predict what will happen. Best of luck - you may still go into labour on your own?

[beatie]

Hi Nopearls - I am due to give birth at St Richards, Chichester. I did not have my first baby there so have no experience of it, but it seems better on the whole than the understaffed, mad, busy labour ward I used last time.

I'm not sure if they will still allow me to use the waterpool. I will ask the midwife today when she comes to do the sweep. It would be nice to be allowed to labour in the pool even if I have to get out for the 2nd stage. I was allowed a bath during my induction last time so I cannot see the difference - unless I need the dreaded drip.

[NoPearls]

I have to say that the staff on Labour Ward were really good, but as I had a caesarian I had to stay on the Maternity Ward (and then DD was transferred to SCBU) and the aftercare was a bit thin on the ground.

If I had to go through it all again, I would ask the midwife who tried to insert the pessary how long her finger was. Having had lots of people have a good rummage around in my nether regions after not much had happened for a while, I was not to impressed to be told 'oh, I always think my fingers are too short to get it in the right place to be effective'...!

Pineapple curry and raspberry tea for tea for you tonight, then?

[rubles]

Beatie,

Please don't go ahead with this if you are feeling so disappointed. I think you really have to feel that it is the best thing and be happy about the induction and it being what you want.
You really don't have to be induced unless you agree to it, and I know PLENTY of women who have gone a long way beyond 10 days and there were no problems with the baby whatsoever. Their babies were just not ready yet. You don't have to do it. 38 to 42 weeks is considered full term, and you are not there yet so you have time anyway and hopefully it will all happen very soon.
In the meantime you could try all the usual methods and give the acupuncture a go. Apparently reflexology is another one to try...

Could you tell your midwife that if, should you get to 13 days 'late', then you could go in for daily monitoring so they can check the placenta etc? That might put your mind at rest about the risks and help stop pressure from the consultants?

I think that as you have had such a good pregnancy it would be a real shame to have your ideal birth experience taken away unnecessarily. I had a water birth that has left me with very fond memories and I want everyone to have that.
What I would worry about is that inductions can go smoothly but they can also be the first step in a list of intervention that would not have been necessary if the baby had been given a bit more time to get into position and labour to start naturally.

My sister went to 40 +19 and although the baby was absolutely 100% it was quite a stressful time for her and a difficult wait. There were a lot of tears and I didn't envy her. So you may decide you just want the baby out...you just need to be happy and confident with your decision.

[beatie]

I like how small the hospital is at St. Richards. It seems nice that the SCBU and c-section thaetre are all on the same floor as the delivery suites. Plus the post natal ward is on a different floor. Where I delivered last time the delivery and postnatal ward were together and you could hear women in labour after you'd had your baby!

[tortoiseshell]

beatie, I know EXACTLY how you feel. Was induced with ds at term+12, and with dd booked a homebirth. As induction time approached I felt gutted that if I needed an induction that I wouldn't get my lovely homebirth. Saw a consultant at term+7, who agreed that it was fine for me to go over, said would see me again term+15, had dd at home term+14. You DO NOT have to be induced at a date set by the hospital. It is an arbitrary date that is different across the country. In France term is 42 weeks anyway. You can ask for daily monitoring after 42 weeks to check the health of the baby, and our midwives have delivered at home at up to term+21.

Things to try - lots of walking to get things going, and lots of sex - I know you probably don't feel like it, but semen contains prostaglandin which is the hormone they use in induction to soften the cervix. Also, nipple stimulation and orgasm produce oxytocin which also bring on labour.

Hope things get moving soon - remember, you don't have to be induced because of some arbitrary rule, it's your decision entirely. In our area, it is entirely random as to whether you are pressurised or not depending on which consultant you see - so I don't think you are suddenly risking the life of your baby!

[purpleturtle]

Both my babies were late, but I have avoided induction. Dd was born 13 days over - the day before I was booked in to be induced.

Ds was 14 days late. Born at home the morning I was due to go to hospital for monitoring to be given permission to go another week before induction.

Get a date set - frighten that baby out!

I can't give you any reason why I went into labour when I did. I had a sweep with ds, but I think I was already 12 days over, so who knows what, if any, effect that had.

[myermay]

Message withdrawn

[Willow2]

I've written about induction recently. CAT me if you want to and I'll email you the article.

[princesspeahead]

I think arm is more natural and better than drip, which does often cause very quick and painful labour.
my dd1 was induced by arm at 10 days (with hindsight I think she would probably have come the next day anyway as there were "rumblings"). It was fine.
My ds1 was induced by pessary at 10 days late, and also I knew he was going to be very big (for me anyway). Took a couple of pessaries and a bit of waiting around but I resisted anything else (they were trying to put me on a drip) and he was born within 15 hours of the first pessary and within about 5 hours of the contractions really starting. And was big - 9.5lbs (I am 5ft5 and my first baby was 7lbs6).

HOWEVER, he turned out to have congenital hypothyroidism (born without a thyroid- one of the things they look for in the guthrie heel prick test), and children with this are usually very long gestation and high birthweight, so if I hadn't induced him, he would just have got bigger and bigger and probably would have needed inducing at a much later stage anyway. So I'm glad I did. I think you should go with your gut feeling - I just felt that this baby was a bit too big for me and I didn't want to risk a caesarian/deteriorating placenta etc. My instinct at 13 days over would be to go for ARM and resist anything else.
BTW ds2 was 8 days late but I could tell was a better size and i never felt I had to induce him, and he came out when he was ready... in 3 hours!
Good luck.

[mummyhill]

Princess - Sorry to hijack, but I have an underactive thyroid and am now 13 days overdue and your post has worried me. What are the odds of something thyroid related causing my to be so far overdue and what are the risks to my unborn child? Any ideas? I am due to be induced on Wednesday.

[princesspeahead]

hi mummyhill, sorry to worry you! I am NOT an expert, because I have never had thyroid problems, just my ds. So I don't know much about hypothyroidism in pregnancy. But I assume they have been looking closely at your tsh t3 and t4 levels throughout pregnancy - I think the main risks in preg arise from un- or under-treated hypothyroidism.
Having said that, apparently even treated hypothyroid patients run a higher than normal risk of full blown or borderline gestational diabetes (which as you probably know causes high birthweight babies) - have they also been tracking your blood glucose well?

In terms of your baby - do you know why you are hypothyroid? Generally speaking congenital hypothyroidism is NOT a genetic disorder, it is just one of those things where the thyroid fails to develop. But if either parent has a fully functioning thyroid but simply fails to produce thryoxine enought or at all (can't remember what this is called) then they have a 1 in 4 chance of a baby the same thing. I guess you would know if this was the case with you?
I don't know what to suggestexcept make sure that everyone you talk to about induction knows about your hypothyroidism and that whatever ob/gyn you talk to has some knowledge of the subject.....

I'm sure everything is fine and you just have a big comfy baby who doesn't want to come out yet !!!!!