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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Would you taken an induction at 39 weeks?

78 replies

Babyitsmyfirst · 24/02/2023 23:06

Options are

A) induce at 39 weeks before consultant goes on holiday
B) wait and see if you go into labour naturally knowing your main doctor will likely be away
C) another chance to be induced at 40 weeks and 5 days when consultant is back

first baby

OP posts:
Crikeyalmighty · 24/02/2023 23:34

All 3 of mine have been induced. 2 because hugely overdue, last one because my waters broke a week early and I didn't go onto labour. Hurts like hell, but as haven't had one without being induced I couldn't tell you the difference

Zonder · 24/02/2023 23:37

Is this a high risk pregnancy? Wondering why you're thinking so much about induction rather than letting the pregnancy take its natural course.

I would avoid induction if possible - I had a really horrible experience of being induced and ended up having a section anyway. And I certainly wouldn't induce early.

YerAWizardHarry · 24/02/2023 23:38

Was induced at 39 weeks, had a 27hr pitocin drip labour that ended in an emergency c section anyway. Would avoid if possible!

EL8888 · 24/02/2023 23:52

I would go with B. Then C if l had to. But lm in the UK and my local hospital haven’t covered themselves in glory. I have had to eat too much thinking and prompting -they’re quite chaotic. I don’t trust them to do an induction

seething1234 · 24/02/2023 23:56

4 births and was induced ,on my last due to a medical condition, at 39 weeks. It was awful compared to the others, which generally were grand and each one better than the last.

I'd be waiting and not planning a birth around the consultant's holidays.

Chimna · 24/02/2023 23:57

I wouldn't choose to be induced unnecessarily. My first DC was spontaneous labour at 38 weeks and positive. With my second DC I was induced at 39 weeks and it was incredibly traumatic.

LadyJ2023 · 25/02/2023 00:05

I had 2 normal births and a twin induction. All fine for me. My sister-in-law had the induction on her now 2 month old because of her health and still took 5 days of trying and horrendous pains

PinkPomeranian · 25/02/2023 00:05

I've needed two inductions for different medical reasons and wouldn't wish my experiences on my worst enemy, though they were the right decision in the circumstances and did result in two healthy babies. Definitely not something I'd have chosen though.

ChickenBurgers · 25/02/2023 00:16

Depends on the reason.

I was natural for DC1 and 2, but was induced at 38 weeks for IUGR with DC3. I had epidurals for all three labours so didn’t feel much different from one another, each one just got quicker than the last.

BUT, I was contracting too quickly with DC3, he was in distress, I had 3 midwives all looking concerned at my trace. I was told they weren’t due to check my progress for another two hours, but they were checking early as he wasn’t tolerating the drip and they were considering turning it off and exploring “other options” (aka a section). He literally flew out as it turned out he was ready to come out, the head was there and that was why he kept having big dips with every contraction. He took slightly longer than my others to pink up, but they checked him over and he was fine, just a bit shocked I imagine!

Point being after two successful vaginal deliveries I was facing a section solely down to being induced. I wouldn’t choose not to induce again as there was medical indication for it and they were right, he was small, classed as SGA and IUGR, plus my placenta had clots on it indicating I was having a placental abruption. If you don’t have a medical need for induction, I wouldn’t go for it.

Hoowhoowho · 25/02/2023 00:17

I had two very easy inductions at 39 weeks. I’d probably ask for a Bishops score and judge it on that. If You have a low bishop’s score at 39 weeks it’s unlikely an induction will be successful.

CherLloydbyCherLloyd · 25/02/2023 00:41

I’d absolutely not ever be induced again. Hands up the worst experience of my life.

I was induced at 40+1 for multiple mild medical reasons. Basically it was at the point that benefits of staying pregnant equalled the risks (history of miscarriage, reduced movements, slow growth, but baby was still growing, good CTG’s) so they offered induction if I wanted it.

All signs pointed to it not working - head engaged but not low, they couldn’t even stretch me to a fingertip dilated, etc.

Anyway I got really overstimulated, within a few hours I was having back to back strong contractions lasting up to 2 minutes with a few seconds in between. This went on for 16 hours (non stop) and I was only like 4cm when I ended up with an emergency c section as my baby was distressed.

There is no reason you need a specific doctor. Just wait and see what happens.

ThreeLittleDots · 25/02/2023 00:47

Nope. My baby would have been 3 weeks premature if I was induced at 39 weeks.

Also, I delivered my own baby, not a doctor or midwife.

Rowen32 · 25/02/2023 01:39

Babyitsmyfirst · 24/02/2023 23:06

Options are

A) induce at 39 weeks before consultant goes on holiday
B) wait and see if you go into labour naturally knowing your main doctor will likely be away
C) another chance to be induced at 40 weeks and 5 days when consultant is back

first baby

I would definitely wait - there's no medical reason to be induced. It'd be different if you were coming close to 42 weeks..

AlwaysLatte · 25/02/2023 01:44

I wouldn't go over if there was any reason for concern. My first was induced (2 weeks overdue) and it was very painful - no chance for the body to adjust to the pain/natural pain relief. Second came a few days early so none of that and it was much less painful.

turrrniiipz · 25/02/2023 01:48

Unless there is a medical reason or major risk I wouldn't induce so early, especially just on the basis that my usual doctor might not be available for a while.

Whoever delivers your baby will be qualified to do so, they don't need to have seen every scan and been present at appointments.

Rowen32 · 25/02/2023 01:51

Babyitsmyfirst · 24/02/2023 23:06

Options are

A) induce at 39 weeks before consultant goes on holiday
B) wait and see if you go into labour naturally knowing your main doctor will likely be away
C) another chance to be induced at 40 weeks and 5 days when consultant is back

first baby

P. S 40 + 5 is still very early to be induced - if everything was okay I would be waiting until at least 40 + 10 but would go until 40 + 12/13

VintageVest · 25/02/2023 01:53

Need to know reasons why induction has been suggested before commenting really.

Babyitsmyfirst · 25/02/2023 04:45

ThreeLittleDots · 25/02/2023 00:47

Nope. My baby would have been 3 weeks premature if I was induced at 39 weeks.

Also, I delivered my own baby, not a doctor or midwife.

The majority of people don’t deliver their own babies. Not sure why that’s relevant.

OP posts:
Nat6999 · 25/02/2023 04:52

Unless you have problems I would leave the induction as long as you can. Having an induction can mean interventions snowball, you then want an epidural, then the induction fails & you end up with an emcs. Just do things you can to move on yourself, lots of walks, bouncing on an exercise ball, walking upstairs sideways, keep moving.

mikado1 · 25/02/2023 05:35

No way, unless medically necessary for you or the baby. The better labour is most likely when the baby comes when he/she is ready.

londonrach · 25/02/2023 05:41

I was induced. Only had the one birth. Quick and easy. Impressed how pain after birth and limited during birth. Compared to a someone who did birthing classes with us and had three days of labour before birth glad I was induced as all done and dusted in 5 hours.

londonrach · 25/02/2023 05:42

However in your case it's just because doctor not there I wouldn't.....there's other doctors...

Judgyjudgy · 25/02/2023 05:42

I would try and avoid being induced as it generally leads to more intervention.

RosaBonheur · 25/02/2023 05:45

Are you particularly anxious about giving birth? Will it make you feel better if the doctor you know is delivering your baby? How do you feel about interventions such as having your waters broken or the syntocinon drip? Do you want to have an epidural? How would you feel about having to have a C-section?

I am also in a country with continuity of care with a particular doctor, and when I had my first baby I was quite anxious and it was really important to me that the doctor I knew and trusted was the one to take care of me during labour.

I ended up being induced at 39+5 for reduced movement, with an unfavourable cervix. Because I had to have the syntocinon drip, I ended up with continuous foetal monitoring and an epidural, rather than being able to stay fully mobile and use the bath tub as I had hoped. I was mostly cared for by midwives I hadn't met before, with the doctor popping in every couple of hours to see how things were going. The induction ultimately failed because my cervix didn't dilate past 6cm and my baby didn't move down, so after a very long day in labour, my doctor called it for a C-section. The C-section itself went very well and I had an uncomplicated physical recovery and I have a small, neat scar. However, the physical recovery in the first couple of weeks when the incision was still fresh was pretty hard, and I found it difficult mentally. This was particularly the case as it is standard practice here for the baby to be taken away during the C-section and not returned to the mother until she is in, or in some cases out of, recovery. I found it hard enough having to wait 45 minutes to hold my son, but most other women who have C-sections here (France) have to wait a couple of hours. I don't know which country you're in but I would ask what the procedure is with C-sections, and in particular whether you will keep the baby with you for immediate skin to skin or not.

In my case, I understand that the induction was necessary, and in fact my son turned out to be very small for gestational age and had clearly stopped growing so it was best for him to be born when he was. I also don't believe it was necessarily the induction which led to the C-section. He was badly positioned which meant that he didn't move down and my labour progressed slowly.

Personally I would not accept an induction before 41 weeks for non medical reasons. However, I know there has been a study in the US indicating that induction at 39 weeks may actually reduce the likelihood of an emergency C-section in first time mothers so it's far from clear cut.

If I were in your position, what it would come down to for me is (1) how important is it for you to have your own doctor there? and (2) are you happy to have a very medicalised birth or were you hoping for something more natural?

There's no right or wrong answer to the first question, but bear in mind that even if your doctor does deliver your baby, they will not be there for most of your labour. The likelihood is that you will spend the majority of your labour being cared for by midwives, with your doctor coming in at intervals to examine you, and then barring any medical emergencies, your doctor will come back when it's time to push (or do a C-section).

Regarding the second question, if you want a natural labour then don't have an induction. It turns labour into a very medicalised process. On the other hand, if you like the idea of turning up on a particular day to have your baby (rather than the unpredictability of waiting for labour to start and having to decide when to go in), and don't mind the idea of having a balloon or a pessary to ripen your cervix, having your waters broken, continuous monitoring, being hooked up to a drip, having an epidural, probably not being very mobile etc, the induction could be a good option for you. Inductions get a lot of hate on Mumsnet, but there are plenty of women who go in to be induced, have a nice epidural, lie on the bed watching Netflix for 6 hours and then push their baby out with minimal pain. If you're one of those women then being induced might be a great experience for you.

The trouble with childbirth is that it's unpredictable. You won't know how it's going to go for you until afterwards.

My second birth was a spontaneous labour and largely physiological VBAC (I had an epidural once in active labour and my daughter was born less than two hours later), which couldn't have been much more different to the first.

whateveryouwantmetosay · 25/02/2023 05:48

I chose 39 week induction with my first. She came spontaneously the night before.