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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

induction

41 replies

starlover · 31/01/2005 13:11

does anyone know how soon they will let you have an induction if you go overdue?

i am a week over by my dates, but only a day over by the hospital dates. I will be seeing the midwife this afternoon anyway, but wondered how soon they might induce me. Do they make you wait a certain amount of time before inducing?

I am SO tired of being pregnant, and just want to meet this baby!!!

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lockets · 31/01/2005 13:29

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pupuce · 31/01/2005 13:29

If it is your first I would suggest you let NATURE start things off (a sweep is not nature BTW and can lead to a strong labour too quickly un-necessarily)... If you are indeed 1 week past your due date than things will start soon! The average gestational age for a 1st time mum is 41 weeks anyway.
I know you don't see it like this but I think you are lucky that the hospital sees you a week behind because inducing a body/baby that isn't ready really increases your chances of intervention.... and intervention may not sound like a bad thing (as you haven't seen intervention in action yet) but it is why many women have such horrible birth memories.... what's another week?
At the end of the day it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks but if professionals are not keen to induce you they have their reasons and they know how nasty things can sometimes get

Lonelymum · 31/01/2005 13:28

Can't believe I have never heard the term until recently on Mumsnet, but now that I know what it is, I am glad I haven't heard of it. I screamed the place down whenever a MW tried to find out how dilated I was, so the thought of her sweeping around to start labour makes me go cold!

jessicasmummy · 31/01/2005 13:27

dont be scared of an induction... i loved being induced. knew what was happening that way! dreadign with next pg that i may have to go "au natural" as i am terrified of the "is this it". Hope midwife can reassure you this afternoon x

NotQuiteCockney · 31/01/2005 13:26

I don't think it's new. A sweep is when a midwife tries to insert a finger into your cervix and sweeps away membranes in there. At the same time, the midwife can see if the cervix is softening etc. They can only do a sweep if you're reasonably effaced.

lockets · 31/01/2005 13:26

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Lonelymum · 31/01/2005 13:23

What is a sweep by the way? I only had my last child two years ago but I don't remember hearing this term at all. Is it new?

lockets · 31/01/2005 13:22

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Lonelymum · 31/01/2005 13:22

Might be, but hen, as it is your first, they have no previous history to go by so that might count against that. Try the sex. It seems the only old wives's tale that makes sense to me as orgasm gets your uterus contracting. Doesn't matter if it not much fun: neither is being 40+ weeks pregnant!

lockets · 31/01/2005 13:21

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Original poster
starlover · 31/01/2005 13:21

i had a dating scan early on, which put me at 6 weeks.
At my 12 and 23 week scans the sonographer said I looked about a week further on, which matched the dates I had managed to figure out by myself!

it is my first yes...

OP posts:
NotQuiteCockney · 31/01/2005 13:20

A lot of midwives don't like medical induction, as it seems to lead to other interventions. You could probably ask for a sweep now, though.

Original poster
starlover · 31/01/2005 13:19

yep tried all the old wives' tales!

this week i have:
drunk 3 cups of raspberry leaf tea a day
had curry twice
had a hot bath and a gin
eaten 2 fresh pineapples
walked miles

all to no avail... was going to try the sex, but my entire pelvic region is so painful to move that i am not sure it will be that nice!

I wondered if they may take pity on me as I am so big, and it hurts to walk/sit down/stand up/get in and out of car...etc etc!

the midwife has already said that it is a "good sized" baby, so that should be in my favour?

OP posts:
pupuce · 31/01/2005 13:18

Every hospital has a different policy.
At what scan did the hospital calculate your dates?
Is it your first?

Lonelymum · 31/01/2005 13:14

Hello Starlover, I am following you around Mumsnet! Don't know the answer (I get the impression different hospitals have different policies) but I hope you get what you want soon. Have you tried the old wives' methods of induction? Sitting on washing machine in spin cycle, eating a hot curry, sex (), I think drinking raspberry tea is one too. Best of luck to you.

coppertop · 31/01/2005 13:14

I think it depends on whether there are any other factors involved. I was induced when ds1 was a week late. This was mainly because I'd been having blood pressure problems off and on throughout the 2nd half of the pregnancy. Ds2 was induced 2 weeks early but this was due to his size. Good luck!

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