Would you have an induction or go straight to C section?

[Howdidido]

Over 41 weeks now. Stretch and sweep suggests this baby is in no rush to come out at all.
Midwife suggested induction starting on Monday.
I'm more scared of full induction - drip etc- than of a c section.
Was looking for stories of experiences of inductions when nothing seems to be moving- and what people would choose retrospectively.
So my plan now is to try just pessary part of induction and if that goes no where then straight to C section.
AIBU to ask for c section without trying induction?

(For context, second child..first was hassle free, gas and air and water birth. This one has been heavy on the hassle and caused loads of worry- and doesn't seem to want to come out at all)

I was induced with DS1 and had a c section with DS2. DS1's delivery was a total car crash and I took months to recover from the complications which included severe tearing, a PPH and infection. The labour was 38 hours despite being on the drip and i pushed for 3 hours - it was exhausting and incredibly painful. I had a c section with DS2 11 days ago and it was a dream by comparison. I'm not even taking painkillers anymore. I'd go c section every time.

Is there a reason you can’t give it a bit longer?

Due dates aren’t set in stone and unless there are no other underlying issues, you could see if labour starts on its own by doing lots of walking and exercise. If your body isn’t ready and you haven’t had signs of early labour then an induction may end in a c-section anyway.

I had an induction with my first and never again. My body was nowhere near ready (granted it was 39 wks and medically unnecessary). The pessary insertion hurt more than my contractions and having it twice was no better because my cervix wasn’t soft nor ready. Three days of labour to get only to 3 cm and ended up with an emergency c-section. I rather go for a c-section than go through another induction if given the choice.

I was induced at 38 weeks so baby in no rush at all. Ended up on the drip after 2 pessarys and waters broken by midwife. Had an epidural after a few hours and dd ended up being vantouse delivery. If you do the induction I would insist on an epidural if you end up needing the drip. Was 72 hours from going into hospital to dd being born but first 2 days were pretty uneventful....

That's true and there can be difficulties establishing feeding etc. No one option is perfect!

C section, if it's planned and you're awake it's the best experience. I was feeding and holding my DD with half an hour.

I've heard an unplanned/emergency c section can be quite a shock and pretty traumatic and also a disappointing birth experience when you aren't mentally prepared.

Emergency c-sections are more dangerous than elective ones because the cervix is already dilated and labour has generally already begun. From that aspect, it is safer to just have the c-section rather than having an induction and risking it failing.

I had an elective CS with my last baby and it was amazing, I wished I’d had one with all four of them tbh. My births were horrible though, I never had a straight forward one.

I watched my friend on drip induction through to birth. She had an epidural and no probs, not her first child or induction.

I've had 2 c-sections (hospital enforced) and no labour.
1st c-section was horrendous pain & recovery, 2nd was much easier although ended up with internal bruising on 2nd and wound infections with both.

I wish I'd been able to have a vaginal birth, and my friend is glad she's never had a CS.

Also just to consider, there's a limit to how many safe CS's you can have.

I had the very marvellous epidural and no forceps
Only one word on my birth plan this time “epidural “

How long ago did you have your sweep?

I had mine on a thursday (41+5) and was also not ready for it but midwife was persistent and it was horrific. Induction was booked for the monday. I went into labour on saturday and went into hospital sunday. Labour slowed when I got there so went straight onto drip. Not going to lie, contractions were bloody sore and I was knackered. I've had emergency open abdominal surgery too (so not a caesarian but still a big incision).

I'd choose the induction every time, honestly

I wouldn't have either I would (and have) waited it out. As soon as I got to edd with ds they mentioned booking in for induction for 10 days time and I flat out refused and said we could talk about that in 10 days. By which time it was just before the weekend which they weren't seeing me at that point anyway. Labour started at 12/13 days over I think.

Unless I missed something (GD or any condition or high risk) you have more then 2 options here:

• decline induction and wait
• postpone induction
• have induction
• have CS

Due dates should be scrapped in my opinion, all being well with baby and mum

I declined mine and will do the same this time.
Not everyone has a 28 days period
Not everyone has pregnancies shorter than 42 weeks.
The induction rates in this country are out of control

Declining induction is a perfectly valid option and they can't "make" you do anything at all - if I were you, if no other issues, I'd wait it out for a while.

As pp said, there is a big variation on pregnancy lengths as well as cycle lengths - their EDD doesn't really mean anything.

Plus while all the experiences from others on here are interesting (if that is the right word!) to read, they are ultimately meaningless to you and have no bearing on what might happen to you - it might be worth looking up some stats for the hospital if you think that might help.

I was induced at 37w6 and had ds at 38w on the button, first pessary got me regular contractions that I couldn’t feel, second sent me into labour, I had my waters broken at 1cm as there was just enough room and then I had an epidural 4am start to 10am by this point, if I’d went down sooner I’d have tried gas n air (went down to the room with gas air n drugs at 9.45) by the time I lay back down I was 8cm gone.. I got the drip at around 1pm but with the epidural I couldn’t tell you the difference.

Ds was forceps but it was just his position, where they’re meant to turn in the birth canal someone missed the sign and decided he wanted to come out on his side.. he was born just before 5pm. I was home 24hours later and comfortable with regular pain killers for about a week (stitches).

My aunt put me off a c section for life.. she ended up with an infection and a wound that kept reopening, in the end it was left to heal open, it took a year, she could barely function and her dm had to do most of dns care as uncle had to look after her. I understand she’s a very rare case but a pair of salad tongs scared me a lot less than being cut open.

I have an irrational (rational?) fear that if I end up with an epidural I'll end up with a forceps delivery.
And I am terrified of forceps more than major surgery...

That's entirely rational, and it was also my fear, which was why I ended up having a section for my last birth.

I'm very glad I did. No, it isn't a walk in the park, but the bottom line is that years on I have no issues, whereas I know two friends who had difficult instrumental births which have basically left them comprehensively damaged to the point of needing further surgery. One has long term incontinence that isn't going to get properly fixed, ever.

It might have been fine but I am VERY glad I didn't take that risk.

I'd agree that I'd go for the pessary but it would be a flat no to the drip. Once you're on that road, you lose control of the process and that for me is the red line.

It's different for everyone, I've also had friends who have had great inductions, but you can't know.

I would probably agree to pessary but make it crystal clear that I would not, under any circumstances, consent to any instrumental procedure, so if no joy you want to go straight to section.

Knowing what I know now, I'd definitely go for induction before c-section.

For a starters, you're likely to recover quicker than you would with a c-section.

Elcs, no question

My waters broke, when the baby's head was still very high up. That obviously caused his head to block the hole but with the side of his head coming down and not the top of his head. So the hours and hours of being induced and only getting to 4cm dilated I wish my hospital had accepted my request for a c section instead of induction. It was intense and awful. The c section recovery was fine, as we had lots of family to help us for the first week and a bit but other than that we were completely alone.

Each experience is different but definitely c section for me. I hyper stimulated, didn't progress and epidurals (3) didn't take. By the time I was taken to theatre I was beyond caring what happened.

OP, just for a bit of balance I had an elective section and although I had to be careful how I stood up for a couple of weeks (sideways roll is your friend!) I was off the serious painkillers in under a week and off the ibruprofen and paracetamol in less than 2. Nice healed scar, no complications.

I appreciate that I was very lucky and not everyone is but honestly I would choose an elective c section again in a heartbeat. Having a c section after hours and hours of labour has to be the worst of all worlds and since I couldn't be guaranteed a straightforward natural labour, I took the middle (and to my mind comparatively more predicable) road.

Things can go well and badly both ways so just choose your poison based on your best assessment and good luck!

Straight to a planned c section, no doubt

Personally unless theres a medical reason to be induced I'd hold out. Like a poster said above not everyone gestates for 40 weeks. My mother and grandmother each got to 42 weeks before going into labour and I went beyond 42 weeks with mine. Theres obviously a pressure to induce and I'm not saying to ignore medical advice, but the reason they push inductions after 41 weeks is because of a perceived risk of still birth (still birth risk is actually naturally higher at 37 than 42 weeks oddly enough) but is all based from studies that were on women 60 odd years ago post-war. So whilst I'm not saying ignore medical advice I am saying that not many people go too far over 42 weeks.

Personally I'd hold out as long as possible and chances are you'll go into labour anyway. With my second I was 15 days overdue and had a closed cervix the day before. The next day I went in to have the pessary inserted so I could have my waters broken and I was magically at 3cms and labour had very mildly started even before I had my waters broken.

If you do go in for induction I'd be inclined to only accept on the grounds an epidural was given before/straight after if you are going on the drip.

If your first was hassle free then chances are the induction will be straightforward aswell, your body obviously knows what to do once it gets going (based on your first birth)

Whoever said 50% of inductions end up in c sections is talking out their arse a quick google shows you otherwise.