offered induction at 37 weeks due to previous labour problems.any experiences/advice please

[mumandlovingit]

hi

i had my first consultant appointment today and ive been told the c section i was expecting probably wont happen. i had shoulder dystocia and foetal distress and very fast labours, too fast in my previous pregnancies and to avoid it all agin with a possible worse outcome they were going to c section me but today they said that theyre normally doen at 39 weeks, 38 at a push and they dont think i will make it that far going by my previous pregnancies. they dont want to risk me going into labour naturally at home or out etc.

they want me to go in at 37 weeks and be induced and stay in the hospital so im there with all the doctors/midwives and being monitored well etc and planned.they say there are breathing problems with babies born before 38 weeks by c section and that there's a better chance of not hving the breathing problems etc if they induce me. also there's a risk of blood clots in our family and also i get migraines with aura which put me at a higher rick of blood clots anyway.

im confused as ive heard so many horror stories about being induced and epidurals which they said is a good idea for me. id love to hear some positive stories or advice for what i should or shouldnt agree to etc

ive got to plan for both anyway as i know that if something goes wrong they could still c section me but if i can get away without major stomach surgery id love to.im just petrified of another vaginal birth that goes wrong or is complicated. i want to know what im up against! thank you

[whensmydayoff]

Oh god, don't get induced it can lead to a very horrible birth.
I had a section last time and although it's painless, it's not a great experience.

Hospitals are just over medicating birth now. The section rate is shocking.

Right, if your labours are fast and the baby is distressed - how will being induced on top of that be good for the baby? Nothing distresses a mother and baby more.

Shoulder dystocia should have been easily managed by a trained midwife or doctor. They should just be aware of it and be ready to push back and turn the baby, Im sure it's called the Gaskin Manouvre and it doesn't mean it will happen again.

How far on are you? I highly recommend Hypnobirthing for you.
If your body labours fast and you go into a panic, the body goes in to the fight or flight mode. Blood pumps to your arms and legs in readiness, meanwhile the much needed blood and oxegen leaves the uterus and it becomes tense, almost cramping, the pain is worse, you are distressed and therefor the baby is distressed. The same effect will come (but more intense) with being induced.
Hypnobirthing teaches you relaxation, breathing and avoiding that very situation even in fast labours.
it teaches you all you need to know about medical procedures, your rights in hospital and how to be confident and in control of the birth instead of handing it over to the hospital.
It can also teach you how to put yourself into an almost hypnotic state and avoid any pain whatsoever but if anything, you will have the skills to relax and deal with it.

I have just finished a course after my last horrible experience and it has totally relaxed me. I learned all of the above at the course and I think it would really help you. Google away!

[roary]

COuld you ask to see a second consultant, just to talk over the options? I take Whenismydayoff's point about induction potentially increasing distress, so you might want to specifically ask about that....

BUT induction is not all terrible and neither are epidurals. I was induced with DD at 42 weeks, and it was not brilliant (it took a long, long time - she was clearly very overdue with wrinkly skin and long nails and the works, but obviously not wanting to come out!). She was delivered in the end with ventouse and I had a small stitch.

On epidurals: there is a huge, huge cultural difference about the way epidurals are treated here vs the way they are understood in other countries. In Canada, where I'm from, epidurals are the first line of pain relief in labour. My doctor friends are completely shocked that women are offered pethidine at all in labour because it crosses the placenta very easily. My MW, who is German and pro-epidural, as they are also common in Germany, says that the the MW led system here discourages epidurals becuase MWs can't administer them and doctors are more likely to be necessary in an epidural birth. But epidurals are much more normal in other contexts and lots of women have very positive experiences with them. PErsonally, now I've had one, I can't imagine not having one! I thought it was brilliant.

That said, my epidural was very light - I insisted on being able to feel - so I could push and had no problems. I could even stand up very shortly after delivery. IN my case ventouse was because of fetal distress (they had to get the baby out fast).

I suspect you are getting offered the epidural because they have a tendency to slow down labours, which in your case sounds like a good thing.

REmember that all the evidence, medical and anecdotal, about both induction and epidural is complicated. This is because it's hard to separate the reason why an epidural/induction was necessary (ie, it is more likely to be a difficult situation from the get-go if these are on offer) from the effects of having the epidural or being induced. So don't get too panicky about it if this is what your medical team advise and after lots of discussion you decide you agree.

In a perfect world, I would not choose to be induced, but for me, the goal of pregnancy and delivery is a healthy baby and if induction gives me the best chance of that I'd do it again.

[mumandlovingit]

thank you for your responses. the reason they want to induce me is so that im there at the hospital with the necessary people around incase anything goes worng and im not at home or stuck somewhere and not able to get to the hospital in time like last time.

theyve said that they will break my waters and leave me for as long as i want to a degree to see if my body will go into labour itself, which going by my previous births it doesnt take alot to start me contracting so hopefully i wont need the drip etc to start the contractions.

i think they want the epidural in incase there are any complications so that they can c section me quickly with it in place if need be and also i dont cope well with pethidine or gas and air.

i will speak to my midwife when i see her at 16 weeks and see what she recommends and what she thinks would be best for me.

i agree that i dont want to be at home late in the pregnancy at risk of giving birth without midwives and doctors there etc so even if they say stay in from 37 weeks and then when i go into labour im there i think i will consider it. i will have to wait and see how it all goes. it could go completely different to the last times and if i dont get a lot of problems by the time they scan me at 36 weeks i might tell them i want to wait and see rather than induce if i dont feel it will be necessary.

thank you for your responses.

[mumtoo3]

I had all 3 of mine at by induction 1 at 38 and 2 at 37 weeks, i found them fast deliveries first was 45 min to do 10cm, others were 3 hours from start to finish, by the third i requested an epidural in place before induction started, which did help. good luck