Induction query - please help with my ignorance

[PrincessScrumpy]

My friend's baby was due on 18 Aug and she was going to be induced on Tuesday but it was moved to Friday. Then it didn't work and she needs "more assistance with going into labour" and so they've moved it to next Friday. I don't know the full details and really don't want to pester her for them, but I thought 10 days was the max they would let you go over as there is a risk of the placenta failing and still birth.

Basically, am I completely wrong on this? Sorry, I don't know as dd1 was 2 days early and I'm having cs with this pg at 37w, but I'm sure it's what a mw told me when pg 3.5 years ago with dd1.

[Thefoxsbrush]

I was 17 days over with your first- as long as mother and baby are healthy they're usually happy to wait.

[TransatlanticCityGirl]

It varies from hospital to hospital. I was booked in to be induced at 41+6. Normally their policy is 41+5 but they had no availability on that day. This hospital also has a policy that once you hit 42 weeks you turn into a pumpkin and are considered 'high risk' and you cannot give birth in midwife led unit - you must go to hospital ward. I actually gave birth at 42+2!!

[verybusybear]

Hi Princess,

You'll have to excuse my ignorance as well, but I'm interested in what it is they tried to do that didn't work. I've known a fair few people be induced now, and they've all ended up in hospital for 3-4 days (before the actual birth!) having 2-3 prostaglandin tablets over the course of a couple of days. Then their waters being broken for them, then if none of this works, the syntocin drip. I've never known of anyone being sent home and told to come back a few days later once the hospital decided they needed to be induced.

Mind you - you say you don't know the details, so perhaps you can't answer!

My local hospital likes to induce at 10-14 days overdue. With me it was 14 days before they could fit me in, and that didn't concern them at all. I was 15 days overdue before DD made an appearance - but I think the whole induction process would have taken a lot longer if I hadn't been lucky enough for my waters to go by themselves at 13 days overdue. This meant they had to 'hurry me through' a bit more!

[LouBeee]

I was due on 17 aug and was offered an induction for tues (41+6) which I have declined. The hospital were relaxed about it - I'm going back on Wed for another scan and foetal heart monitoring and they will do this twice a week until baby comes naturally or I agree to be induced.
In terms of the risks - the risk of still birth does increase very slightly but the absolute risk is still very very small and needs to be balanced with the risks of increased intervention with induction. There is a good piece on this midwife's blog if you are interested
midwifethinking.com/2010/09/16/induction-of-labour-balancing-risks/