AIBU to really, really not want an induction?

[PterodactylTeaParty]

40+5, first baby. Yesterday the midwife booked me in for an induction at 40+13 if I go that long. I know there are good reasons to induce - risk of stillbirth goes up after 42 weeks (even if it's still tiny), I won't be sodding pregnant and sick any more - but I am feeling more and more strongly that induction is not what I want to do.

MW thinks everything looks good and there is progress, it's just not happening fast (baby still high but more engaged than last week, Bishop score of 2, sweep unsuccessful). There's a family history of 42-week pregnancies, on both mine and DH's side. I can feel my body starting to gear up for labour (spells of painful contractions that fizzle out). 40+13 is still over a week away. And then I start thinking, this time next week I'll be arriving at the antenatal ward, and the thought of it makes me want to burst into tears.

I do think IABU to some degree to be dreading induction this much, because I can't even quite put my finger on why. I'm convinced that if they induce me, I'll end up on syntocinon and continuous monitoring and then have a section anyway and the whole thing will go wrong and be awful. I know most inductions aren't horror stories, but I am convinced mine will be, and that it'll be my own fault for trying to push things before my body and my baby were ready, when maybe it's just the kind of baby that takes 42 weeks to make. Originally the midwife tried to schedule induction for 40+14, then the hospital had no slots that day so it became 40+13, and then they want you in the day before so that's 40+12, and now it feels like a ticking clock getting louder and louder and louder.

I know I can say no to induction, but then I'd be taking on extra risk and I wouldn't be super-happy with that either. I just can't stop thinking about it and dreading it. Everything about it feels wrong. I even wanted to put my hands over my ears when DH asked which building the ward was in! All this is totally unlike me and I have no idea where it's all come from. I don't ever cry, ffs, and yet I know I'm going to be turning up for that induction in tears.

So. AIBU to consider refusing/delaying induction because of this? And if I am, how the fuckity fuck do I get over it?

[bobot]

My dd was born at 40+17. I declined induction and opted to be monitored instead. I was monitored daily by the end. Placenta was still working well, and no sign of distress. She was large (over 10lb) and had very dry skin. She was also noticeably older and never seemed like a newborn, which my others did at birth. But was born at home with no complications.

Look at the risks for yourself, it has to be your own choice, and you have to be happy with the safety. Biut the option is there of opting for monitoring instead.

[chocolatemademefat]

I was induced and it didnt bother me at all. By that time I was two weeks overdue and would have done anything for the baby to be born. It wasnt a hassle - just two goes with some gel pessaries then onto a drip. I was more concerned with a safe birth for the baby at that point. Having had unsuccessful pregnancies before I was more interested in the outcome. Maybe other women have had longer labours -mine was 24 hours but its like everyone tells you - you forget about it when the baby arrives. Or maybe I dont dwell on things. Good luck.

[Bryzoan]

I didn't want one either but in the end the consultant persuaded me to book for 40+13. Little monkey rocked up the day before. The consultant did agree I could start by having my waters broken then have a 24hr gap before the drip to give things more of a chance to kick in. Would gave had to stay in hospital though. May be worth considering.

[kerala]

Baby's health trumps your birth experience. We still reeling after what happened to sil left too late with the worst possible result. Sorry to be negative and good luck with it. I had drip induction ended in c section but who cares dd and I healthy.

[MissDuke]

Good luck op!!

I was induced at T+10 with my first and it was fine, I only needed gas and air. I just wished I had got to experience spontaneous labour, but I got it with my others at T+5 and 38+6. My 2nd was born in a MW led unit with no intervention or pain relief, so it just goes to show all labours are different. Don't listen to unhelpful horror stories!!

[NewMummee]

Hey, I was induced at 40+13, I really didn't want to be but would always follow the advice given IMO for me. I tried everything u think to get the baby out but she was too comfy in there. I had 2 sweeps and was told all was going well and as normal, I walked everyday for an hour so try do that

[NewMummee]

argh posted before finished!
Walking daily was good as I feel it helped head get low. I went in to be induced and it was from 12noon to 11pm I had baby!! No drama really and I took all pain relief going! I actually enjoyed my labour and birth :)

[Boosiehs]

I had an induction at 40+12. No signs of labour before at all, I was huge and it was last summer in August when it was really stinking hot. Not the most pleasant experience. Labour on syntocin 20 hours after pessary.

Baby just didn't want to come out. Baby finally emerged with foreceps in theatre, episiotomy, tears, round the wrong way, shoulder dystocia. Terrifying.

I'm having an elective cs if we ever have another. He just wasn't ready for labour, despite being 10lb.....

[Somanychanges]

I don't think you are being unreasonable at all. Even though I had had two successful inductions with no interventions. I was still really worried my third induction would lead to a drip, epidural, forcepsl or c section. So I made the decision to not have an epidural (even though I had them in my previous births with no probs) and to say no if they wanted to speed things up with ocytocin drip.

They did try and get me to have the drip when things slowed down but I refused as I had I fear it would end up with me having an epidural or that baby might get distressed and then it would be c section. Even the midwife agreed that having an epidural would slow things down and then could lead to intervention.

Anyway, once they broke my waters I found a flight of stairs (6 floors) and spent 2 hrs walking up and down them whilst having contractions. By the time I got back to the ward I was in established labour and had my baby 2 hrs later.

So if you really are that worried like me you could just refuse any of the interventions.
But even if you did go for an epidural it doesn't mean things will go wrong either. As I said before I had 2 children previously both inductions, both with epidurals and had a really easy straight forward births with no interventions.

Hopefully none of this will matter as you will go in to labour before then. Good luck!

[slithytove]

Hi OP. I've not read the whole thread.

I would consider with an induction, how badly you don't want a section. Because this is the conclusion they will probably take it to after 24 hours.

Intervention begets intervention, and I include sweeps in that. They will only work of your body is ready anyway in which case it would have likely happened naturally.

You cannot be forced into anything, it's your body and your choice. If you are against anything, write it in your notes and sign and date it.

Personally I would avoid all intervention, take it day by day, and if you are concerned about the risk of still birth, arrange regular monitoring (as regular as you need ) of the HB and more importantly the placenta (umbilical cord flow) which would flag up a deterioration therefore needing baby to be born.

It is so easy for dates to be off by as much as a week, so normal for a woman to go up to 42 weeks and still be term rather than late, so I really wouldn't let the hospital push you into anything you aren't comfortable with.

A good vaginal birth needs oxytocin, which stress will naturally inhibit (I think this is why my induction failed) so the less stress and upset you feel, the better.

Try and enjoy these last few days, get pampered, and put it out of your mind.

Xxx

[slithytove]

I say this even though I have had a still birth due to placental failure btw. Monitoring is a great way to keep those worries at bay.

[legoplayingmumsunite]

Intervention begets intervention

I'm not sure I agree with the 'cascade of intervention' idea. We live in a system where generally the HCP do what they can to avoid a CS. So pretty much everyone who would end up having a CS goes through all the lesser interventions before they get to the CS. But some people go through more or less of the interventions and have a baby with forceps or with induction by drip or naturally after having a pessary or a sweep. I think suggesting that intervention begets intervention can be quite harmful because it worries mothers that e.g. some monitoring will result in a very medicalised birth.

I, plus a friend, both had our DC3 vaginally and with no more pain relief than G&A because we were induced rather than being taken straight for a CS. She had pre-eclampsia, my waters broke 4 weeks early full of merconium. We were both told a CS was very likely before the induction because we were high risk but because we had a history of normal vaginal births they wanted us to give us a chance of another. My consultant said afterwards 'I'm so glad you were able to avoid a CS, it would be a shame to have to have one after 2 vaginal births'. I'm very glad I was given the option of an induction, it would have been hellish to recover from a CS with 3 small children and no family close by to help out.

[Odaat]

I was induced OP. It wasn't the best experience of my life, but it had its plus sides. Just like most labours I imagine! Focus on the outcome, not your getting there- ie the baby, nt the labour. (Hard, I know)

[slithytove]

I don't think that monitoring is the same as intervention.

But it can and does happen. No sense sugarcoating it.

Start with the pessary.
Then they want to move on to the drip.
Then they want to break waters.
Then within a set period of time you have to progress x amount or it's a c section.

It takes a strong person armed with research to fight against this, or each individual stage. I wasn't even told that a failed induction would result in a section. And they induced because baby had been breech and turned so they wanted him to be born. So intervening can and does create more intervening.

Bear in mind I have responded to the OP who does not want an induction. My reply would be different for someone who did. I am not against induction in the slightest and will be trying for an induced vbac in September.

[slithytove]

I don't think I gave the impression that monitoring will be more medicalised at all in fact, and it has nothing out do with intervening. I in fact recommended types of monitoring throughout my post while waiting for spontaneous labour.

I don't see any reason why OP can't wait for spontaneous labour.

[PterodactylTeaParty]

Slightly annoyed update: still no baby.

Decided to ask midwife at today's appointment to move the induction date to 40+15. My thinking: if there's a clinical reason to induce because something's going wrong with the pregnancy, then fine, induce. If the only reason for induction is because risks start going up when a pregnancy's post-term, then okay, I will agree to induction then too - but only once I actually am post-term.

Got a bit of "Weeeelllll..." and warnings that the consultants would have to agree to let me go to 40+15 (er, let me?), but the end result is that they'll move my induction date to 40+15 so long as I go in for a scan to check the placenta and fluid levels this week. Scan is fine by me.

Except, it turns out now this means going in at 40+14 to start the prostin. But they don't count this as the actual induction, because it's "just tablets, not the drip or anything." Right, yes, it's just a form of light evening entertainment then?

Hospital's caesarean rate for first-time mothers going in for induction is around 50%. This seems pretty dismal to me. Don't particularly want a section either, but if I'm going to end up having one anyway I'd rather avoid days of faffing around pointlessly and painfully with prostin and syntocinon first.

[SpinningFates]

I do wish HCP wouldn't lie and mislead or bait and switch. Why can't they be honest. OP, you are probably aware that if you go for your scan to check placenta and levels this week, they may try to keep you in and "insist" on an induction. Expect an ambush, and at least two HCP to try and talk you into it. Just be aware of that.

I really don't like the "let you" language either. Patronising and dismissive of the concept of informed consent.

Good luck OP.

[ikeaismylocal]

I refused to let ds be induced, I had slightly ( not alarmingly or dangerously) high blood pressure and they wanted him out on his due date. I had had growth scans that predicted he would be 10 pounds and everything I read about large babies being induced wasn't positive.

It was agreed that I could have an eelective c-section rather than an induction if ds wasn't born before 40+14 ds was born vaginally after an easy uninduced labour on the morning that would have been my c-section day.

I am glad that he was born vaginally but I wouldn't
haverisked his health with an induction.

Good luck! The think that eventually got things moving was sex.

[biscuitdunkerette]

It's been said before... Acupuncture or reflexology, done by the right person, can be amazingly helpful. I think going day by day and tuning into your own instinct sounds spot on, from what you've said. Without wishing to sound patronising I think you've got a great attitude to it . Of course intervention can be necessary, but we each need to be empowered to decide what is necessary and what is not. Good luck

[YouveCatToBeKittenMe]

I was induced with DD1 she was 15 days late (I actually started labour as soon as I went in to be induced but they still induced me)

I refused with DS1 and DD2
My argument being that I used to have a 35 day cycle, therefore I had conceived a week later than their calculations so I wasn't as overdue as they thought

The consultant agreed with my logic and I wasn't pushed to have an induction. DS1 was born 13 days late and DD2 was born at 14 days late (only a week late by my dates!)

Good Luck

[YouveCatToBeKittenMe]

My DC"s were all smaller than average, and I only really remember them using the first day of the last period to work the date out.

[Shallishanti]

if they are talking 'just the tablets, not the drip or anything' ask them if they plan continuous monitoring to go along with that.
As continuous monitoring in itself is another intervention...carrying its own risks

[LetsFaceTheMusicAndDance]

YANBU

Try mowing the lawn. Worked both times for me - but I suppose that could be coincidence.

I had a syntocinon drip with the first 2 DCs anyway because my womb wasn't contracting effectively (massive fibroid). It's possible to have good labours even if you are hooked up to a drip. Full-on epidurals aren't a given either. We're all different. I had 2 paracetamol with DS1 and gas and air with DS2. It doesn't have to be a nightmare. I squatted, walked around etc.

[Treaclepot]

Acupuncture worked for me. Worth a go.