AIBU to refuse induction and request c section?

[FanaticalFox]

I am now 40+7. Induction booked for Wednesday however its likely in my view that I'll need a csection as the baby is on the right and should be on my left according to the midwife (its my first baby) and she is large - at least 9 pounds they think. I really don't want to go through natural childbirth with a big baby especially after reading how the lack of pain relief is used on other threads (i want an epidural straight away which the midwife agreed with as she said induction is more painful than natural labour)
I just feel like I'm going to go through potentially almost 24 hours of 2 pessaries and a gel and then need a csection anyway.

So i want to know if i can refuse induction if the baby is still on the right (or just refuse it is general) and request today to be booked for a csection. What are my chances?! Thanks all.

I had natural childbirth with DC1 (9lbs) with only gas and air. Much preferable and much less painful in the long run than c-section with DC2. I don't know about how the baby is sitting though.

Babies very often move position during labour.

I had an induction and it wasn't too painful, id heard the stories before hand and was dreading it.
DD was 8lb so not as big, but I was 9cm before the pain hit me, then just gas and air.
I have the most positive experience from it. So please don't think induction is all bad.

I had two inductions and the one with my big 10lb baby was twenty times easier than the one with the 7lb baby.

big babies don't make that much difference really, don't assume that big=tricky, honestly OP!

however if they induce you demand an epidural. The labour pains from induction can be..intense than usual (see that mdidwife agreed that)

I was late, they gave me a sweep and baby came naturally

I would either have induction + epidural
or a sweep, and then keep moving about which really helps

sorry! I have maybe confused you more. you will be a mummy soon"!

I had induction with my now 5yr old. It took the 2 pessaries and cs was being considered as still no progress. Then labour finally started. Long story short hours later after the gas, morphine and epidural we got down to forceps, ventouse or cs. I went ventouse. Next pregnancy I went with elcs because I couldn't face the chance of that happening again. Then dh had the snip so I didn't have to do that again either. In conclusion: adopt.

I went in for an induction with my first baby when I was 2 weeks over due. After 2 days of pessaries I hadn't started labour and they couldn't even do a sweep. At this point I requested a CS and I got it on the 3rd day (although it was touch and go as it was non-emergency so I was fitted in right at the end of the day). It is possible that you will never go into labour even with induction, in which case you will have a CS. I requested an Elective for my second child which was agreed could happen at 40 weeks if I hadn't gone into labour naturally by then. My experience of both CS was extremely positive (although the postnatal wards afterwards were a different matter!).

you don't want a c section, much more serious surgery than pooping out a beachball.

I had long labours with both and second was born without pain relief (not my choice but hey). It hurts, but then you are pretty much up and on your feet, unlike a c section.

OP you can refuse any intervention whatsoever. Nobody has any right to 'do' anything to you that you refuse. Conversely you cannot demand to have an intervention - you can only request.

You can change your mind, after refusing something too. I know that sounds obvious but it's sometimes difficult to keep in mind in a hospital scenario.

Also - you could make more bite-sized decisions - so you might say ' I don't want an induction today - everything you checked says the baby is fine today - so I'll see how I feel tomorrow'. You don't have to tell them 'when' you'll feel like an induction/section.

I've never heard of what side the baby is lying on to make any difference - back to back maybe, or the wrong way up (my second twin was breech and born without intervention).

Don't let the supposed size of the baby be the main reason for a decision - if you actually look at the stats the accuracy of a scan decreases the further along you are - and a scan 'telling' you the size of a baby is an indicator only. My DS1 was supposed to be over 11lb and was 9,13 in the end. I let myself be bullied (accurate term in this case) into an induction by drip. I regret that and wish I'd stood my ground.

Good luck OP - I understand sometimes you'd rather have certainty and go for the section - and it is preferable sometimes to prolonged induction and interventions, but keep your powder dry and you might not need any of them.

I'll be contrary and say my elcs was a piece of cake compared to my pregnancy and it will absolutely be my choice if I have another even if it's not medically necessary.

Last was technically elective but actually due to awful spd

I have had inductions with 2 of mine first worked almost straight away second one took a while. I have had 3 babys weighing 7lb9 7lb11 and 9lb5 and can honestly tell you the 9lb5 baby was by far easier to deliver than my other too. I was also classed as high risk in last 2 delivers due to bmi and the fact i bleed out in my first delievery but my last 2 were not trouble some at all to the point the midwifes wondered why i was high risk. Every labour is different. Even each of your own.

I was induced. 50 hours, a pessary, artificial rupture of membranes (breaking of waters) and nine hours of drip later, I was the grand total of 2 cm dilated. I ended up with an EMCS. For what it's worth, my baby was in the same position as yours from week 29.

You can absolutely refuse induction. You can also agree to try part of it but not all, eg pessary but not drip. It's your body and baby. Be prepared for pressure from medics - you will need to stand firm - but it is up to you.

What you might want to do is get them to examine you and find out what your Bishops score is, which shows how favourable your cervix is towards going into labour. If it's favourable, you may want to give induction a go. Mine was just 1 so not favourable but nobody explained the implications of this. If not, you might want to proceed straight to section.

Somebody posted a thread about successfully refusing induction and insisting on a section quite recently - you might want to search for it.

Good luck, whatever you decide!

CS is surgery, pure and simple. Takes a number of weeks to recover from it. Risk of wound infection etc etc. Normal delivery and you're up and running in a couple of hours.

I'd have given my right arm for a cs on my first 2pg (both induced), but in hindsight glad it was never suggested.

Hold tough! and best of luck.

Pre birth baby weight estimation is notoriously unreliable anyway. I was told I was having a 7lb baby, went through a episiotomy and forceps delivery only to find the reason is was so hard was cos he was actually 11lb 9oz.

I know a few more who were told they were having 9 and half pound babies and they came out at 7.

If you have an induction you should have an epidural at the same time so the pain should be managed.

Thank you all. Ok i am just going to stay the course and go for the induction so doing as I'm told!! But i will enquire about the bishops score, what is that anyway?!

I had a emergency c section with my first and then went on to have two natural labours, I hated my section I felt like I'd been crippled. I wouldn't wish one on anyone

Hi OP, midwife here. I am not sure why your midwife is making an issue of baby being on a particular side as this doesn't tend to impact on labour. I appreciate that you are concerned about your baby being estimated to be on the large side however many women deliver larger than average babies without difficult. IOL can result in a more painful labour and can take several days to be successful, appropriate analgesia will be made available to you during the pessary/gel stage but epidural is usually only appropriate once you have accessed labour suite and this is generally when your waters are broken or when you are in established labour, with epidural you require one to one care and this is not usually available during the early stages of induction and can slow down progress if administered too soon. I am speaking generally as I don't know the system at your chosen hospital or your history but I would hate for you to consent to the pessary in the belief that you will be getting an epidural early on then finding this is not the case! You should absolutely voice your concerns to your midwife and request a discussion with your consultant if you feel elective c/s is the right choice for you.
Sorry if this is a bit of a ramble it's my first post and i've just finished a busy run of nights so almost delirious with tiredness!

ACatCalledFang - I was induced. 50 hours, a pessary, artificial rupture of membranes (breaking of waters) and nine hours of drip later, I was the grand total of 2 cm dilated.

Lord this sounds similar to my induction (DD4). Rather than pessaries i was given vaginal inserts with the lovely hangy out bit of tape which you have to be careful not to pull on accidentally when shifting around on the bed or going to the loo. (and we all know how graceful heavily pregnant women are don't we? So that went well. NOT!) They tried twice. (three times if you include the one i inevitably pulled out by accident while trying to wipe myself after a wee) 12 hours each (in the hell of the pre-laborward with zero sleep) None of them worked. Then they took me off and gave the drip.

I'll just say: don't sign yourself up for anything without looking into it very carefully OP. I wouldn't have the drip again.

Is the drip the same as the gel? Or are they different things? Thanks

Just lifted these from the Baby Center about Induced Labor.

Drip - Syntocinon is a synthetic form of the hormone oxytocin, which your body releases to help labour progress. ... You'll have Syntocinon through an intravenous drip. Once your contractions have begun, the rate of the drip can be adjusted.

Vaginal tablet or gel - Prostaglandin is a hormone-like substance that causes your cervix to ripen, and which may stimulate contractions. Before using it, your baby's heartbeat needs to be continuously monitored for 30 minutes and your Bishop score assessed.

Your midwife will insert a tablet, pessary or gel containing prostaglandin into your vagina. The slow-release pessary, Propess, looks a bit like a tampon. If you're given Propess, you have to lie on your side for 30 minutes so the pessary has time to absorb moisture and swell. You'll then be able to move about.

While you wait for prostaglandins to work you can usually go for a walk. Depending on why you're being induced, you may even be able to go home while you wait for your contractions to start. You'll need to be examined after six hours with a tablet or gel, or after 24 hours with a Propess pessary unless your contractions start sooner.

Just to comment on the ''Once your contractions have begun, the rate of the drip can be adjusted.'' bit:

They turned mine up top whack when nothing much had been going on for hours with it down lower. This was so painful. Be aware of this.

I would hate to scare any woman but it's so important to know about this stuff.

I had a nack to back forehead presentation baby and was induced. I'd have been far, far better off with a c section. I won't be having a second child but would have am elective c section of I was.

Stop hating on c-sections ladies! If you have never experienced one don't put your tuppence in!

Mine was great! I walked up and down my stairs absolutely fine carrying DS 3 days later. My wound healed fine. I will be having another c-section in October. I have zero regrets! It hurt standing up the 1st time afterwards and no one told me I would have contractions for days afterwards but it was a lot less painful then childbirth would have been. I could only have paracetamol as pain relief as I have bad reactions to all other pain meds and I managed fine.

Hi OP! Not all inductions are horror stories!

After 4 sweeps, I was induced at 40+12. Was given a pessary and it started to work almost immediately.

Was induced at 7:30am and gave birth at 6:30pm. 2 hours active labour, 40 mins pushing with only gas and air! It was a straightforward, nice birth!

I want another induction if I ever have another DC

I had inductions with both my dc. 1st was back to back and an episiotomy. Had gas and air and an epidural. Not going to lie it was painful. Dc was 7lb exactly. 2nd dc just gas and air she was 9lb 1oz. Yes very painful but easier to push out. I was meant to have a c section but luckily was able to have a natural birth. I think the recovery from a c section is much harder.