Forced in to induction

[dal86]

Hi, wondering if anyone can help or offer advice. I am 41+1 today and had a failed sweep. I've just received a call saying I am now booked in for induction at Kings on Saturday when I'll be 41+3. I really really want to wait until at least 41+5 just to give the baby a little bit more time to come on it's own, but they've said Saturday is the latest appointment that they have (they say they can't take me on Mon or Tues) so it's 41+3 or nothing.

What happens if I refuse to go or just don't turn up? I've been told the whole way through that you it's your body and you don't have to do anything you don't want to do, but it now seems that's not true.

Just feeling really upset & disheartened by it all.

I don’t know if this is the case with you but I was scared of having an induction because of the horror stories about it being more painful/leading to more intervention, plus of course the NCT spouting on about letting nature take it’s course.

I chose to have one with DC2 for various reasons and it was totally fine. Kicked off within a couple of hours, no complications and home the next day. It was much less traumatic than my 40+10 first labour that kicked off naturally the day before I was booked in for an induction. Possibly because I knew to ask for all the drugs the second time

Obviously you never know what’s going to happen but I just wanted to add a positive story incase you do have an induction. It can be absolutely fine.

I remember well the anxiety of DC1 being overdue, it’s a stressful time and of course you’re worried. Best of luck.

With my induction at 39 +5 (baby was small for dates) he was out just over 12 hours after the pessary so induction is not always a nightmare.

he was out just over 12 hours after the pessary so induction is not always a nightmare

Same. Pessary at 8pm, delivered at 9.20 next morning.

While balancing the risks of not accepting the induction against valid concerns about being induced, one thing you might want to do if you keep the appointment is to ask them for your Bishop's score, which is a measure of how "ready" your cervix is (roughly speaking - a medic would explain it better). If you have a very low Bishops score, induction may be less likely to work, or may take longer, than if you have a higher Bishop's score (where induction may just tip you over the edge and into labour). It's something you might want to factor into your decision-making.

I am not impartial as I accepted an induction offered routinely at 41 + 5 (local trust procedure) despite feeling my dates were a few days out. I had a low Bishop's score. 50 hours of induction did nothing for me and I ended up with a EMCS - I now know that isn't uncommon but nobody explained the odds of success. You are well within your rights to ask for a proper discussion of risks and benefits.

But it may not be like that if you accept - while the plural of anecdote is not data, a friend of mine had a very trouble free induction for medical reasons at 38 weeks. So everyone's body is different and induction can be very straightforward.

I was induced at 40+12. Thank goodness otherwise Ds wouldn’t survive. Ventouse delivery, 5 apgar points.
The waters were greenish brown colour, DS was struggling to breathe, unstable body temperature and blood sugar.
Induction is offered for a reason, I don’t want to think what would happen if I listened to “ baby will come when it’s ready” and “ you got your dates wrong”.

I was induced 40 +11, similar to you I should have been able to go another few days but they didn't have space.

I sort of lost the energy to fight it but I'm glad I did now, I think I got overly hung up on the idea of the natural gentle birth I could have if I just waited long enough and I don't think that was ever going to happen. post-birth tests showed my placenta had swabbed positive for group b strep so I dread to think what could have happened if I waited the extra days, though I entirely understand the desire to avoid induction.

I think that if you're unfavourable now, two extra days won't kick start anything. Also, I had what on paper was the opposite of what I wanted: hyper stimulated by the pessary so in agony for that part, epidural, meconium in the water, drip, episiotomy, ventouse, third degree tear. Honestly it wasn't that bad. I'm not at all chilled about these things but the ventouse, the tear, I had no pain from any of that. My baby has various digestive problems and I'm really glad I had a vaginal delivery as that and breast feeding are about the only two positive things for her gut that happened (she had many doses of antibiotics as a baby sadly).

I think an induction at this point is probably the best thing you could do to marginally increase likelihood of vaginal birth vs c section. Ultimately you have to be comfortable. But remember you have to make the decision from where you are now rather than where you'd like to be, and where you are now just might not get you into labour naturally.

No advice on going overdue OP but if it's the horror stories of induction that Is putting you off there is some positives as well. I was induced with a 36 weeker (number of reasons why) and it was very quick and I enjoyed it equally as much as my first total natural birth. I didn't need the pessary as I was already dilated they broke my waters drip up at noon baby born at teatime 6pm I was terrified it would be more painful etc it wasn't if anything it felt more controlled and I felt more calm and in control of the pain so it doesn't have to be horrific. Good luck whatever you decide to do

I have no idea what you are waiting for, I desperately wanted the baby out safely once I got towards my due date, but I accept you are different so I just wanted to say that I hope you go in to labour tonight. Good luck!

She is not putting her baby at risk - she wants to follow the policy!

They can only offer 'the policy' if there are enough beds. The NHS does not have an unlimited amount of resources and only a certain number of people can have an induction and c section booked in on a certain day. They don't have an unlimited amount of midwives and obstetricians.