So what actually happens if you are overdue and refuse to be induced?

[MrsMerryHenry]

Say you walk into the hospital, get checked out (BP, placenta, amnio fluid, baby's heartbeat, etc etc - all vital signs are a-ok) and then your OB says 'well, Mrs UpTheDuff, you've now reached our arbitrary cut-off point of 10 days' overdue so we'll have to induce you.'

Then you say: 'Over my dead body. That baby's fine and so am I. I'll let nature take its course, thank you very much Dr Overcautious.'

What happens then? Do they rugby tackle you onto the nearest bed, superglue your arms to your sides, stick your legs in stirrups and cry 'Mwa hahaharrr! Hospital policy rules ok!' before reeeeeeeeeeeaaaaching up your fanjo and yanking that child out by hand?

Surely there has to be some sort of discussion over the induction issue, where the woman gets to make the ultimate decision? If you and your baby are ok, they can't actually force you to be induced, can they?

[mamas12]

Your body, your decision
They can make sure you are making an informed desicion though, but ultimately it is yours to make (oh the baby decides int he end don't they.

[MoonlightMcKenzie]

You explode!

[MoonlightMcKenzie]

They don't rugby tackle you to the bed, but they can often do the emotional equivelent.

[MrsMerryHenry]

MoonlightMc, I can cope with the emotional manipulation if they want to try it on. Am I not the mother to a toddler? I can endure anything!

[notimetoshop]

This happened to someone I know. She just refused. The ending is kind of happy, she's ok, baby's ok. But I don't think it helped physically. Although psychologically, it may have.

There are benefits with induction, you can even ask for an epidural before it starts if you're worried. It's quick.

[Thinkstoomuch]

No they can't force you.

In my experience, first they try gentle persuasion, then they get more heavy handed, bring out a senior MW or consultant or somesuch, and lay it on thick about the dangers to the baby, including lots of stuff that's just plain wrong factually.

I dug my heels in. My birth options were narrowed - they refused to attend for a home birth once I went over by x days (I forget how many) and also said I'd have to go to the big hospital not the midwife-led unit as I was now 'high risk'. I did the extra monitoring, extra scans, kick counting, etc. to check all was still ok and appease them. DS1 just didn't want to shift and it was mental torture for me in the end, so when he was 18 days over I agreed to be induced. I was right to have feared it - it was horrible .

DS2 arrived very late too but I wasn't put under so much pressure that time, being a more experienced mum I guess and based on DS1's long gestation. Induction was barely mentioned. Had a couple of sweeps though and he did appear not long after. I'd been bracing myself for another battle with the hospital but thankfully I didn't need to in the end.

Oh and I tried pretty much every natural induction method with both pregnancies and the things I rate are: bouncing on a birth ball, long walks, sex and yoga.

[hobbgoblin]

they get huffy and disbelieving and make you sign stuff to say you are moronic and they are wise and then you feel shit.

[lulalullabye]

There are no benefits to being induced, the total opposite to be precise and the longer you can go naturally the better. Just remember that the longer you go the more people who have not researched it well enough will believe you to be stupid and to be risking the health of your baby.

Your decision, your body. Just do some research to back yourself up

[muddle78]

perhaps you should start your research at SANDS (sudden infant death syndrome) web site. read some of the storys there and then decide if going seriously overdue is something healthy for the baby or not.

[nooka]

I don't think it is sensible to say that induction is always quick, because it isn't, and it does carry more risks of intervention. There are different ways it's done though, some more invasive than others. I was induced with a syntocin drip and it was really horrible - and I ended up with a c-section, so I'd avoid that (although the result of dd's horrible birth was that dh and I decided that he'd be having the snip).

Here's the current NICE guidance on induction:
www.nice.org.uk/guidance/CG70 this should be the protocol your hospital is following. It says induction should be offered and the woman's decisions respected.

Also here is an article from ObGyn (a US site for Obs and Gynae clinicians):
www.obgyn.net/fetal-monitoring/fetal-monitoring.asp?page=/fm/article/postdates_pg
It doesn't have a date though, so may not be completely current.

[plimple]

I was 13 days late with first. My hospital allow 14 days and then monitor baby with a daily visit for another week if you don't want an induction. Weird how some hospitals have 10 days, others 14/21. 3 friends I know had the 10 day cut off induction and all 3 ended in c section.

[FlamingoBingo]

Muddle!

Are you a MW or Obstetrician? That's the sort of tactics they use!

MerryHenry - are you very sure of your dates? They only like to start talking about induction at 10 days over, and then get very pushy at 14 days over. You can ask for regular monitoring every couple of days.

Induction and waiting both come with risks, and both fairly serious ones as well, and it's up to the individual mother to decide which risk is greater.

I'd suggest having a look at the homebirth website as that has some good research and writing about going overdue and would be helpful wherever you're planning on birthing.

Also the radical midwives archives might have some helpful discussion on there for you too.

[Deemented]

Jeez Muddle78 That was soooo helpful....

[Jumente]

No no no...you just stay pregnant FOR EVER

[lulalullabye]

So, muddle, do you suggest that people don't do any research and just go along with whatever anybody says. You are not so open minded hey

[FlamingoBingo]

Quite, lula! Reading sad anecdotes is a very evidence-based way to make decisions

The more I think about muddle's response, the more I feel - emotional blackmail.

[WhereTheWildThingsWere]

In Frane normal gestation is considered to be 41 weeks not 40 and they also allow you to go 10-14 days over so unless french women are a different breed of human......

My friend went to 44 weeks with her 1st, but she was 17 at the time and terribly pig headed, her ds was fine, though he was 13lb 4 oz .

[frasersmummy]

Please dont jump all over muddle..

I know where she is coming from .. my little boy was stillborn at term .. if I had been induced the week before he would have made it

Having gone through this I want to yell at people . dont hang on get the baby out

but let me be clear I am not saying its wrong to go over your due date. Thousands of mothers do with no ill effects.. its just when you have had a loss you want to prevent others experiencing that terrible heartache

Its just you do have to be aware that the sometimes being late is as bad as being too early

merryhenry good luck with whatever you decide

[FlamingoBingo]

Sure, you're right, frasers. But lots of people die in car accidents and that doesn't make everyone say 'don't get in a car'. It's about weighing up risks and it's not fair to post something so emotionally charged.

Anti-homebirth drs do it too - 'if you have a homebirth your baby could die'. Yes, and if you have a hospital birth your baby could die too.

If you are induced, it can cause all sorts of problems that also can lead to babies dying. It's not as cut and dried as 'one is more dangerous than the other'.

[frasersmummy]

My post was not emotionally charged , nor did I say dont do it.

Babies die at all sorts of gestations and for all sorts of reasons (17 a day in the uk alone) and I am not for one minute saying the op is putting her baby at risk

To use your car analogy if god forbid you had lost someone in car accident doing 45 (perfectly legally) on a country lane through loss of control and then you were with a friend doing 50 on the same road would you not be worried??? and perhaps say did you know ..

[FlamingoBingo]

I didn't mean you, frasersmummy, I meant muddle

[Henry73]

Buy the AIMS book "Induction do I really need it?" Its excellent as is the AIMS site/phoneline re support and your rights and choices! All the best! x

Ema x

[StrikeUpTheBand]

Argh .

I'm not angry with muddle though. In fact I might well know muddle under another name (from SANDS) if I am right and they are speaking from experience.

She is not wanting to scaremonger - she's right. Just in the same way as I'd advise someone with preeclampsia symptoms to not delay and to go and get checked out (because for me it was too late ), she is trying to warn people that it isn't just about not wanting an induction. Yes there are real risks to going over the dates, and lots of people on SANDS would give anything to go back in time and push for an induction.

And yes, I think it is a bloody good place to start your research - much better than getting a biased opinion from somewhere else that prizes natural childbirth above all else.

[lulu2]

I was overdue and at day 10 was booked in for an induction which i didn't want. My midwife said i had to go to maternity unit and tell them this, which i did and was told to return in the morning to see a consultant.
The consultant was happy to leave me for another few days as long as i went into hospital for daily monitoring. on day 12 i had a scan and a different consultant spoke to me as though i was an idiot and actually said " babys die you know if not induced." He made me cry and feel guilty so i agreed that i would come in for an induction on day 14. My beautiful dd was born in the early hours of day 14 perfectly naturally which i was so relieved about.
I had done my research and felt bullied and completely exhausted by the time i gave birth.