Does anyone go into Labour naturally anymore?

[hellosunshineagainx]

Ok tell me if aibu. But I am 31 so lots of friends and family having first babies, out of the ten the past three years only ONE has gone into Labour naturally. Is this normal or are healthcare providers too quick to induce?

I had a failed induction leading to a cascade of intervention including a emergency C-section where I haemorrhaged and then had an infection.

We were both in hospital over a week. I was only induced as I was overdue but my cervix was so unfavourable they couldn't even do a sweep so I perhaps am quite biased.

I did at 38, 39+3 and 40+1 however the majority of mums in my NCT group had C-sections, only 1/5 planned.

Out of 8 dc, I was induced once (with dc6). My sis has 2 dc, both times went into labour naturally. Sis in law was induced with dc1, but went into labour naturally with dc2.

I read recently that 2021 was the first time in this country more women had had some form of intervention in childbirth than hadn't. A number that's been slowly creeping up but isn't reflected in better outcomes for mothers and babies. It's a real concern and I think it's probably a direct result of the pressures on maternity services in the UK. It feels a bit like a conveyor belt of births.

I have done twice

I did. 40+3

@Narwhalsh

Statistics published by NHS England for 2020-2021 show that 47% of labours were spontaneous… more than half of labours are now either induced or elective CS. These has been increasing year on year while spontaneous vaginal births are decreasing. Nice guidelines are likely behind this with induction ‘offered’ (in my experience, pushed) from 41 weeks being the guidance now. As I have read elsewhere there hasn’t been a significant improvement in stillbirth rate as a result of these interventions…

3 spontaneous labours here, last one was past 42 weeks-midwives got very twitchy!!

This is the same info I read. I'll try and find the breakdown of it. Was shocking reading

Link to the breakdown of stats www.gov.uk/government/statistics/nhs-maternity-statistics-england-2020-21

I did with all 3

I did go into labour naturally with my 2nd but it was only picked up while they were preparing me for an emergency c-section. I was induced with my first and so I wasn't recognising my contractions for what they were, they were painless in comparison, I did have severe pre-eclampsia though so I'm not entirely sure if that would count.

I also did with all 3. One was overdue by nearly 2 weeks.

I did with all 3 of mine, but then I didn’t have high risk pregnancies or any other complications.

Perhaps you might have read about a case recently of the 17year old who gave birth overdue to a large baby and haemorrhaged. Tragically she died and it was suggested she should have been induced earlier to prevent the baby growing so large.

I really wanted to avoid being induced as the cases I had heard of from family and friends was that it was more painful, prolonged and unlikely to lead to a vaginal birth. But then when I hear of cases like the above I think the doctors are right to be cautious.

42 weeks pregnant is normal and until maternity services understand this nothing will change.
Sweeps and induction are offered too prematurely and then a cascade of intervention ensues.

I did at 41+5 and at 41+2. Both times I was offered induction before this due to being overdue but turned it down.

Yup. At 33 weeks

I did with both of mine , dd at 39+4 and Ds at 41+5. I'm currently expecting my 3rd and hoping to go naturally again but preferably not 12 days overdue!

My last birth was spontaneous, my dd had a spontaneous birth recently before the date of induction.
It seems fairly normal for births to be left to nature.

I did with my first 2 and no doubt would have done with my 3rd had i not been induced at 38 weeks

All 3 of mine we're spontaneous labours at 40+2, 41 +2 and 41 weeks.

I went into labour with all four of mine spontaneously. They were all 2 weeks ish early

I was induced with both babies. DD1 was 35+6 and DD2 was 40+5.

I don’t think it’s so much that the medical profession are too quick to intervene, I think women are more likely to need intervention now than they were due to age & obesity etc.

Both my babies were spontaneous labours at 39+6

Yep, twice at 37.3 and 38.5, dsis also at 38. In fact I only know of one friend who was induced

My youngest is nearly 5 so not that recent, but I’ve got 9 children and all 9 were spontaneous deliveries, midwives were always quite shocked that I’d never been induced. All were before due date, 5 a month early, 4 around a week early.

Wouldn't surprise me if our more passive lifestyles are a factor too - not many are down on their hands and knees scrubbing floors or out in the fields working anymore.