Being induced tomorrow, baby has stopped growing

[elm26]

Posting for traffic, I don't know if I need a handhold, to hear others stories of similar or just to offload my anxiety.

38 weeks and 2 days, went for a growth scan today and to my shock, they've asked me to go home and get stuff ready and be back in for 10am tomorrow for induction.

Reason for scans throughout is history of 13 miscarriages, covid in pregnancy and a previous low lying placenta (had moved up at 36 week scan).

Baby hasn't grown much if at all since 2 weeks ago, they sent me up to ward for monitoring and baby's movements and heart rate are fine, my fluid is fine but my placenta has more or less stopped working. Blood flow and oxygen okay.

I was due to be induced on due date, thought I'd have some time to prepare myself and relax but I'm in a tizz now. We've got everything and babies bag and mine is ready to go but I feel so rushed and unprepared now 😢

I'm worried about about her, they've put her estimated weight at 6lb but advised me to grab some tiny baby clothes if I hadn't already so we made a last minute trip to Asda tonight for those, just bought 8 vests and 8 babygrows in case she's bigger than expected.

They will be using the rods and see how I get on but I'm so scared all of a sudden.

Any words or wisdom or advice? Thank you x

argh I’ve read through this thread and feel your pain so much, this was me 4.5 years ago, induced for the same reasons but had 3 days of being poked and prodded, various failed attempts at induction and days of waiting while other more urgent cases were prioritised and stressed midwives grappled with a new IT system. It was awful and I felt emotionally broken until they finally got me into a labour suite and broke my waters then onto the drip. The mental toll can’t be underestimated, I remember the same feeling about other women leaving with their babies. Agree with what others say about a section, you can push for this, also is another hospital an option? That’s what I did in the end as just couldn’t see that the one I was in would ever make space for me on labour ward. Moved across London but got the outcome I wanted! All the best to you and hope you’re cuddling baby very soon.

Best of luck OPx

Having read the whole thread, I'd say you need to get your baby out in the quickest and easiest (relatively) way, because the only thing that matters is for you and the baby to be ok. It doesn't matter what way that is. Do you have anyone who can advocate for you, if things develop in such a way that you're not in a position to be able to advocate for yourself? My mum was my advocate - ex husband tried his best to be, but I am not sure what would have happened if she hadn't happened to be there (not intentional at all - entirely due to the situation as it unfolded).

Both mine were induced.
From pessary to having my waters broken was 48hrs. Once my waters were broken at 2cm, they both took about 15 hours to put in an appearance.

Hang in there!!

You must be feeling exhausted, vulnerable and likely scared. In that scenario it can be easy to go with what the professionals recommend. But you know your body and it's your baby. If you want a c section then insist/ get someone else to advocate for you. You will remember this birth for the rest of your life, and feeling in control regardless of the type of birth is important for your postnatal mental health. Good luck.

Blimey @elm26 , this all sounds exhausting . I’d be pushing for a section at this point . Best wishes

@elm26 sending hugs. Both my babies stopped growing. One at 32 weeks one at 34 weeks. Induced with both at 38+0 weeks. Both times they had to break my waters and baby was born within an hour later of that happening. First Labour 7hours from induction. 2nd was 14 hours.
You do what is right for you hun. You got this. Hang in there. 🫂🫂

Hope all goes well OP. I remember where you are well... mine is now 13y and I didn't get to the section although it was close 53hrs in...

I have no experience but wishing you all the best OP

Thanks everyone.

My DH will absolutely advocate for me but wasn't here in time for the consultant visit this morning. He also said this is completely my choice whether to say nope, c section etc he will support whatever I want to do at any point. It's hard when I've never done this before and a medical professional is recommending I do something 😪 the opposite to what my head is telling me to do.

They're so short staffed and busy here that they asked me to pull my own pessary out yesterday (the one on a long kind of tampon string) which really hurt! And tonight, we've all been asked to pack up our stuff as they're closing the ward and merging us on to the post natal one. So now I'm in a smaller room with more people, in the middle bay with windows that don't open and I can hear babies crying.

I don't know what to do 😭

OP ask for the section. You’ll have all the staff, time and attention you need dedicated to delivering your child.

I have had a VB go wrong and a section and the recovery from the section was 100X easier.

Good luck.

I actually cannot comprehend that you are still without a baby in arms ! Where are you and why no C-section yet …am so sorry you are going through this . So different from my daughter being induced at 38 weeks 😞Hopefully you will be holding your baby very soon.X

This is awful and I don’t have much advice but just want to stay with you as I remember feeling how you must feel now. Keep notes of this even if just from this thread as you may want to refer back to some of it later. I’m so sorry you’re going through this. The post natal ward is not where you should or need to be right now. I would be considering calls at a senior level to the hospital although don’t know how effective that would be, others have said this worked for them.

The one thing I remember thinking was that if they were so worried about baby’s growth how could they leave things so long and being anxious for every day that passed - in reality there was no need for this and I don’t think there was ever a real urgency but they made me think there was by saying I had to be induced at 37 weeks. I do think they need to review induction policy in general as this happens all too often.

if you can, try and get some sleep. Have you got ear plugs or a way to block out the noise? Sending love x

@Corilee2806 is so right; if there was cause for concern baby would be here by now

Tbh OP I think the time might have come to kick up an absolute stink. I’d probably be discharging myself on the basis that if they were that worried about baby they would have moved to a c-section already.

Being in hospital right now doesn’t seem to be benefiting you or baby in any way. Especially if they haven’t broken your waters yet I’d go home and get a good nights sleep in your own bed. You never know the change in your stress levels might be enough to help get things going on their own.

I’m so sorry that this has been such a frustrating experience for you, especially now your on a ward with people who have already had their babies 🙈

OP it’s really hard but if midwives are not concerned about you and you don’t want a section, trust your instinct. It does make a C-section more likely for future births. Many people find the recovery easy but others definitely don’t. Hang on in there!

OP I’m so sorry you’re in this situation. I would demand a c section, it’s your body, your choice. Not every woman responds to the induction meds (I didn’t!), you’ve tried for a vaginal birth and it’s ok if that’s not how your baby enters the world, just remember you’re doing your very best for your baby. The most important thing is to hold baby in your arms as soon as possible. Try not to falter if the dr tries to dissuade you, stay strong if this is the decision you want to go ahead with.

As PP have said giving birth on your terms, and feeling like you have been heard, will really aid your postpartum recovery and bolster your postnatal mental health.

Agree that potentially discharging yourself, getting a good nights sleep at home not surrounded by crying babies and reassessing options tomorrow when you’ve got a clearer head might be a good idea, if they aren’t able to move you along any further or break your waters tonight. You also have a good chance of progressing through labour and a VB if you just get the right care, even if none of the interventions have worked yet - you shouldn’t feel that a section is your last resort because they aren’t following the induction protocols properly.

Hi OP,
I am no medical professional but I was in a (sort of) similar position in January where my baby wasn’t growing anymore due to pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome. If I were you I would push for a c-section. Honestly it was my first pregnancy so I had nothing to compare it to but I found it an absolute breeze. The way things are going you could end up needing one anyway so you may as well cut out all the to-ing and fro-ing and get the job done and yourself and baby safe! For what it’s worth my son was born at 33+5, spent a few weeks in neonatal but is home and thriving and I’m fully recovered (was back on my feet less than 24 hours after section although I’m aware everyone is different) Good luck with it all xx

I'm so sorry you're still waiting. They still happy with baby as is?

I refused an induction and opted for c section when recommended at 38 weeks, I said if you think baby needs to come then baby needs to come. They were not saying baby might be ok if we wait another week so let's just see.

You must be beyond exhausted and drained and I applaud your effort to this point but I honestly would be asking and then telling them to get my baby out and in my arms safe after all this time.

So sorry for your experience so far, you have been so brave! I had a similar situation with being kept in unexpectedly for induction, and can relate to the overwhelm of making these big decisions up against consultants as a first timer. I just wanted to say, go easy on yourself when baby arrives. You’ve been through a lot and I imagine this isn’t how you hoped to labour. The best advice I got afterwards was that it’s ok to feel two things at once - overjoyed to have a baby, and disappointed with your care, for example. You’ll be home before you know it, where family life starts properly x

Just came across this thread and can't believe how long you've been waiting for labour! Really feel for you, you must be physically and emotionally drained. Just wanted to say a c section really isn't that bad and I wouldn't avoid it if I were you - just think, your baby will be here sooner! I had a c section 6 weeks ago and scary as it was going in, it was very, very quick and I had my baby in my arms within 20 minutes. The recovery really wasn't too bad and within a week I was up and about as normal. Sending loads of love and can't wait to check this thread again and see you've updated to say baby is here xx

I’d demand a section at this stage. An elective section is a totally different animal to an ‘emergency’ one.

Ah OP it's so frustrating and draining isn't it. I went in for induction last August and I was bottom of the list to have my waters broken, all started on the Tuesday, I was then top of the list by the Friday and still didn't get to labour ward until the Sunday, had hardly any sleep because the induction ward was so busy and noisey and wished I'd pushed for a C-section, it did all work out in the end, but it was emotionally draining and not something I'd repeat. Hope things get going for you very soon.

I had a c-section. It was after being induced for similar reasons, although I was almost 40 weeks at the time. The reason for the section was a little complicated and it wasn't a failed induction exactly, but the point I've come to make is that as disappointed as I was not to have experienced a 'natural' delivery, the c-section was absolutely fine.

I had all these thoughts in my head beforehand about major surgery, recovery time, not being able to lift things for 6 weeks etc. But the reality was that I recovered quicker than some friends after vaginal births, and apart from an uncomfortable 24 hours while I waited for my legs to come back and to have my first post-catheter pee, the recovery was honestly nothing to write home about. It feels like a distant memory now, I just have a neat little scar.

Now I know that isn't everyone's experience, but I just remember being where you are now, knowing a c-section was a potential outcome and really not wanting to end up down that path. But speaking now as someone who did go down that path, it really was fine. In your situation I'd seriously consider it, you sound mentally and physically exhausted.