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Pregnancy

If you gave birth around the age of 40 did you get induced due to increased risk of stillbirth?

16 replies

Whoknewitcouldbeso · 09/12/2015 16:34

I'm 31 weeks and understand you are considered term around 37/38 weeks. I'm seeing my consultant next week for a growth scan so will check with her then, but my understanding is they tend to induce you are a later maternal age due to worries about the placenta.

I'm on Heparin and aspirin and have been the whole pregnancy. The heparin is meant to offer some protection to the placenta, the aspirin is just to protect against blood clots. I have a fertility acupuncturist who was excellent at offering treatment when I was struggling to conceive, she thinks she could offer acupuncture to encourage an earlier birth once I hit term. I'm also thinking of natural things like raspberry leaf tea, sex!

I've had three early miscarriages before this pregnancy so I am very anxious but not sure if I'm worrying unnecessarily about the age thing and labour.

Thanks.

OP posts:

Report

sleepyhead · 09/12/2015 16:40

I asked to be induced on my due date due to my age (40) and the consultant agreed as I'd had to have some extra monitoring due to migraines and slightly elevated blood pressure, although nothing serious.

If I'd not asked then they wouldn't have routinely induced me and I was on a low risk care pathway. No-one was particularly interested in my age.

As it happened, ds2 was born the day before the induction, very rapidly without any complications .

There does look to be a slightly increased risk of stillbirth, but that's on a population basis and says nothing about your individual pregnancy. Because I knew about the risk (had to read documents on the subject for work), I knew I'd be anxious if I went overdue whether that was rational or not so that's why I asked for induction.

Whoknewitcouldbeso · 09/12/2015 16:57

Thanks sleepyhead. I am consultant led because of my previous miscarriages so I assume that would make me high risk. This pregnancy has been totally uneventful, I feel fine, nothing bad happening at all, most of the time I don't feel pregnant at all. My son was born 42+2 with no complications so I'm hoping I won't go over my due date anyway.

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lljkk · 09/12/2015 17:58

I had youngest at 40, but never had any m/c so maybe nothing I say is relevant.

Nobody said anything about inducing me early due to placental insufficiency. I was so annoyed about pressure for induction if went very late (policy then was to induce at 40+10), that I cancelled consult appt at 34 wks & avoided any 41 wk with MW. Baby born at 40+11. MWs said baby & placenta looked fine, certainly not overcooked.

BertrandRussell · 09/12/2015 18:04

I was 42 with DS and very determined to avoid induction. The hospital and I agreed that post 38 weeks I would have very frequent monitoring, when became increasingly frequent til he was born at 40+5. It helped that I lived quite close to the FMU.......

Whoknewitcouldbeso · 09/12/2015 18:28

I felt the same with DS (I was 37 when he was born) but this time I just want to minimise any risk as I'm terrified this could all go wrong at the very end.

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confusedandemployed · 09/12/2015 18:32

I was 6weeks off 40 when DD was born/at 40+12. I was due to be induced on that day but labour started naturally at 40+11. It wasn't offered any earlier but I was offered the chance to take part in a research study where some mums were induced at 39 weeks. I declined.

cloudjumper · 09/12/2015 18:34

I think they don't like you to go overdue after a certain age, but in the end, it'll be up to you. I was induced with DS (I was 39 yrs old) at 41+4, but that's when they induce in my hospital, regardless of age.
I'm 43 now and pg with my second and also consultant-led, taking aspirin and heparin like you. I was told that they would not let me go over 40 weeks this time because of my age, and I think that there is decent evidence that the placenta starts to degenerate.

mayhew · 09/12/2015 18:39

National guidance is offer induction to all mothers aged 40 or more at 40 weeks. This is because there is a small increased risk of stillbirth after 40 weeks that is due to age alone.

The risk is not huge in an otherwise healthy pregnancy, so there is no need to panic. Some women decline the induction. They should be offered increased monitoring instead.

Brummiegirl15 · 09/12/2015 18:40

I'm 39 and had 3 mcs and I've had aspirin and heparin. I'm consultant led too got a c-section booked for 39 wks.

DelphiniumBlue · 09/12/2015 18:49

41 when ds was born, had a home birth, no one suggested that my age might cause a problem. Had 2 dc then mc at 14 weeks, then ds3.
However, all of mine were born at 37 weeks, so maybe it wasn't an issue?

ProbablyMe · 09/12/2015 19:05

I'm 41 and due in May. I saw my Consultant at 14 weeks and it was agreed that I would be induced at 38/39 weeks which I'm happy about.

KatyN · 09/12/2015 19:37

Whatever the reasons for an induction.,, I like to come on these posts and say that it's really not that bad!! I've only been induced (who knows if this labour will start naturally or not) but I wouldn't shy away from another induction if it was suggested by my consultant!

K

CaptainTightpantsforPM · 09/12/2015 20:10

Crumbs! I had number 1 at 37 after 5 years of trying with multiple mc's and assistance. He was born at 34+5 weeks.

Number 2 was born when I was 41 after 3 years of trying with multiple mc's and assistance. He was born at 37 weeks.

Number 3 was born when I was 43 when we were not even trying with no mc's and no assistance. He was born at 35+4 weeks.

At no time in all this was I told would need to be induced by anyone. With number 1&2 I was seen by the consultant until 12 weeks and then set free into the normal MW care. With number 3 there was no consultant care. With each of my pregnancies I threatened to give birth in the 20's and had to go into hospital to be monitored and given steroids to help the babies lungs. With number 3 I developed gestational diabetes and was monitored at the hospital. During all of this no one at any point suggested induction at all. I was just expected to give birth normally, which I did with all 3. Is this something new?

Whoknewitcouldbeso · 09/12/2015 20:31

Thanks everyone, your posts have been really helpful. I will definitely be doing what the consultant recommends and if we are agreed that I'll be induced around the 38/39 mark I will adopt some natural methods too.

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Whoknewitcouldbeso · 09/12/2015 20:34

There is a chance it could depend on the health authority. I know when I lived in Suffolk I was given the gestational diabetes test as standard, this time round I'm in a different county and the glucose test is only offered if you are considered high risk.

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catbertha · 10/12/2015 17:58

I'm 45 and am 32+4 with my first. I had a mc at 8 weeks last year, but all seems fine this time around. I'm under joint care with consultant and am taking daily aspirin. My consultant said that views were mixed regarding inducing at 39/40 weeks for older mothers. Induction has its risks too, so it's a matter of balance. I'm seeing her again at 36 weeks to decide what happens next. You might find this paper useful on the subject: www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/scientific-impact-papers/sip_34.pdf

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