To ask the consultant to be only left to 41 weeks?

[PasstheBucket89]

my care is consultant led due to bmi, which is fair enough if they feel thats necessary, (my blood pressure, samples have been absolutely fine, have been through every pregnancy so please no hysterics and hyperventilating about me being a burden on the nhs, im really not, i dont begrudge them doing their jobs even if doing so creates dehumanising labels and broad assumptions that aren't reflected in my actual health) just get that out the way.
My biggest 'health issue' is the Hypermesis Gradvarium is battle with daily at 36 weeks still and am on medication ive lost 1st 6lbs, after putting some back on.
Anyway, would i be unreasonable to ask not to be left to 42 weeks, and delivered on week 41,the baby is considered about 5lbs now although scans can be innacurate,
i dont want to risk the baby becoming too large, ive experienced that before, no growth scans with that pregnancy so wasn't picked up.
I need this hypermesis to end! my history shows i will be vomit until im no longer pregnant, its hellish.
im very near Christmas, i dont want to be in a labour ward at Christmas staff levels during a pandemic!
Would i be unreasonable to ask them not to leave me 42 weeks and at the latest 41?

I was having an ELCS so slightly different but my consultant saw me at 36+1and said "you've suffered enough" and DD was born at 36+3. She was 7lb13 then, so I wouldn't worry about 5lbs being big at this stage.
Hyperemsis is awful, I would have thought they'd induce you at 39 of you asked..

I agree with others that 5lbs doesn't sound big at all. I'd think that would be roughly 7lbs at 40 weeks?

Are you being induced or section?

If section is planned then I'd ask for earlier, there is no reason to leave it til 41 weeks. If induced then yes it sounds reasonable as presumably you want to maximise the chances of a natural start to labour.

I know too many people that have been told complete garbage about how big their baby was on growth scans including one who had a c section for a massive baby that turned out to be average and monitoring of small babies that also turned out to be average so personally I'd take estimations of size with a pinch of salt.

I was induced at 37 weeks both times (I'm diabetic). Technically the 'full term' window lasts from 37 to 42 weeks. You definitely have grounds to have this conversation with your consultant.

I think i would ask them not past 41 weeks i told my consultant at 35 weeks i couldn't cope for much longer.
I was induced at 37+1 with my Ds as i had severe spd
i was in agony and could no longer walk.
I was told by my scan by 40 weeks he would be between 7 and 8 lbs
He was born 37+1 weighing 9lb 2
I was induced with my Dd at 38 weeks due to spd again and she only weighed 7lb 1
I don't think scans are that accurate

I have HG. I was told at 38 weeks to induce because my baby was only 6lb 5oz and at the start of my pregnancy they expected him to be a lot bigger. I went ahead with the induction and he was 7lb 5oz, so I think so late on in pregnancy it is hard to tell the babies size. He is massive now, 15kg and 100cm and only 2 years old!
I don't think there is anything wrong with asking to be induced at 41 weeks, i think its pretty standard now not to let someone go to far over 40 weeks

My first was induced at 41 weeks because that was the trust limit at the time and I was pretty happy with that. My second wasnt NHS but I was booked in for an induction because I had to have daily checks the last 3 weeks and had 2 episodes of reduced movements. He arrived the night before I was booked to be induced around 39ish weeks.

I think you are absolutely within your rights to request an earlier induction. My friend was induced a week early because she didnt want to be giving birth just after the new FY1 doctors had started!

'Term' in the UK is 37-42 weeks but different Trusts will have different guidelines for induction for post-dates. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' guidance is that BMI alone is not an indication for earlier induction of labour, however I think for you HE would be a significant factor. It's worth being aware that induction of labour increases your chances of needing an instrumental delivery or Caesarean- just go in armed with the info but I'd hope you'd find your Consultant pretty reasonable in the circumstances. Good luck!

Thanks for all the replies, no i dont have GD, never had it.
My trust generally are quite relaxed about going to 42 weeks, i feel my previous requests have been dismissed. im feeling desperate now.

@Ponoka7

I know of a few women, who didn't have your issues but needed a section for other reasons and they were all delivered well in time for Christmas. My DD was given sweeps before her due date in December because they like to get as many safely delivered, as they can, before the December flu/Christmas chaos season.

Unless there's a good clinical reason, they will consider it.

As someone who both works in this field and had a Christmas baby myself, this is absolutely not standard practice. The wards are no less staffed over the festive period and life goes on as usual, the only thing that changes is there are no elective procedures Christmas Day or Boxing Day due to Boxing Day being a bank holiday. Babies don’t need to come out early because it’s Christmas and if the hospital are suggesting otherwise then that’s awful practise. Flu season doesn’t affect maternity ward, the flu season isn’t a busy time in maternity so if your daughter was told this then it’s completely incorrect.

You could ask.
I had GD was induced at 38 weeks. Had DS at 38+3 and he was 7lb 2oz.

IME they rarely like you to go past 40 weeks. I was booked in for a sweep at 38 and 39 weeks and an induction at 40 if the sweeps failed!

I don't think anyone should be going to 42 weeks due to the increased risk of still birth. I would lobby and lobby again until they agree to it.

I hope you get delivered as soon as it's safe. I'd ask for 40 weeks, if I were you.
Can I ask , really curious , i had a horrible birth and that made me only have one child- how can women with HG bear to go through it again ? Very brave.

YANBU. What size was your large baby? Do they know you are anxious about having a large bay? I asked to be induced on my due date with Dc3 because Dc2 was a week early and 9lb 2oz, my consultant agreed.

At 38 weeks I was told mine was now a size where being underweight wasn't a concern. I did keep saying are you sure the baby is so small.

Born at 41 weeks 12lbs. Largest baby in the hospital for a year

If you’ve done your research and feel it’s best for you and your body and baby then absolutely you’re not being unreasonable to make this request and should be listened to.

Just to add from some of the comments here- no hospital can ‘not allow’ women to go past a certain point. To be induced or have a sweep the woman is the one who has to give HER permission for it to happen. Being told matter-of-fact that you’re ‘being booked for a sweep’ with no discussion is poor care really.

I hope that reading these comments you are panicking less.
I am planning on eating 6 dates a day after 35 weeks as this softens the cervix ready for labour... like you I don’t want to go past 40 weeks.

Good luck for a safe delivery op.

It was 2 years ago now but I know I had an appointment at 40+4 where they were planning to book in an induction and do a sweep (not sure how soon). DD came at 40+3 so I didnt get that far. They seemed keen to try and trigger labour before 42 weeks rather than waiting until 42 to try things

My DIL had severe HG throughout her pregnancy. Babies growth was monitored and Consultant discussed inducing at 37/38 weeks rather than after due date. In the end she went into labour at 36 weeks - baby was fine and her vomiting finally stopped.

I think we must be mad @3rdNamechange I've had a doozy already this morning, ive had to explain to people irl its like having 1st trimester symptoms in a 3rd trimester body but, a lot, lot worse
Thanks for every reply! i just really hope im dismissed again feeling bloody hopeless.

I'm a nurse and midwife so I know it's vile. Good luck.

Can I ask , really curious , i had a horrible birth and that made me only have one child- how can women with HG bear to go through it again ? Very brave.

I didn't. Stuck with just the one as well. (not that I was diagnosed with HG, but in brief I was nauseous 24 hours a day from 3 weeks to 21/22ish, was sick multiple times a day, couldn't hold down liquids, dropped well over a dress size, was thoroughly miserable and GP and midwife did nothing. I thought if it wasn't bad enough to be hospitalised it couldn't be HG, reading about it since then has suggested it's very possible I did have HG)

I would asked to be induced at 39 or 40 weeks. If it is a planned section, they can be from 39+0.