To decline induction/c section for baby measuring small?

[imalreadythere]

40+2 today. Baby measuring small but also engaged so maybe that's why?

Midwives offered induction or c section but I want to wait.

Aibu? The midwife wasn't that pleased I don't think.

I can't see one single post that is nasty towards the OP, do you want to point out what you are referring to?

Just because the advice isn't what OP wants to hear "oh don't worry, say NO! You can't be forced to have any interventions, you know your baby better than anyone, stand firm" doesn't mean it is nasty.

The baby would be measuring small

The BRAIN questions are really useful. Clearly many posters have missed the recent findings of the maternity review. Many failing services (50%!) have very low thresholds for intervention. Where services have failed in the past they often go onto have a period of offering a higher than national average number of c sections and inductions. It's how services knee jerk attempt to control their failings.

Growth scans are very inaccurate. If they have any specific concerns tell them to explain them in relative risk terms ie what's the risk to baby of waiting until tomorrow or Thursday or next week etc? Not just "it increases risk /" but from what to what? Often they can't say. They don't know. They just want the baby out because they care less about how it comes out and resulting birth trauma to you. A success to them is a live baby. Whereas successful outcome is really a live baby, an empowered mum who was supported to make choices for herself and no unnecessary birth trauma.

Thank you.
The op is trying to do the right thing.

At this point I'd do what they recommend, the end goal is a healthy live baby in your arms and for whatever reason they're concerned about you both. We all dream/dreamt of peaceful beautiful births, but reality often doesn't live up to expectations!

I know someone who was induced because of baby measuring small and he came out at 10lb

I think OP wanted a chorus of 'mummy knows best hun, stand ur ground xxx'

Even if that's the the detriment of your unborn baby?

Please please please take medical advice. It's all well and good wanting little intervention but at the end of the day, you're not really in control of this. I ended up having to be induced early as baby was measuring small. I had two raised doplas and my placenta was failing. Another day and I may have lost my son. Surely you would choose a healthy baby over no intervention.

This. I had small babies and a late loss due to IUGR - I would absolutely do anything to get them out as soon as possible.

It was suggested to me with DS 2. He arrived in his own time at 41+3, nearly 10 lb. It was a very comfortable water birth at home, which I had planned.

I was pressured into an induction for my first baby measuring tiny, he was born a completely average 7lb. I am now pregnant again and would be very reluctant to make any decisions based on weight estimates now. In my experience it is wildly inaccurate

Inductions are not always horror stories. I have been induced and baby was born less than 24 hours later. All I needed was a pessary and it kick started natural labour.

I couldn't personally go against medical advice in this scenario but I can understand the fear of being induced, I certainly had it. What if you had a sweep then picked a date say Thursday and agree to be induced on that date then it gives you a whole day to relax, get well rested and all ready and it gives your body a chance to go in to natural labour without the stress. With my second I booked an induction because he was struggling at the end and had a very thorough sweep and went in to labour that night, the night before induction was due to happen!

OP, there is a lot of misinformation and anecdotal evidence of this thread. Please don’t take advice from ransoms on the internet. Please ask for it to be deleted, ask for an appointment with your consultant and chat about your options. It isn’t induction or nothing. Talk about the risks and benefits of induction and options such as daily monitoring. Good luck x

The nurse is advising what NICE guidelines says. Please trust their judgement as it's evidence backed. My 1st baby was 5lb 8 ounces and measured small through my whole pregnancy. He was fine and just had a small placenta but I would I never would have forgiven myself if something was wrong and I didn't take medical advice.

I would go for the C-section now purely based on probability - I don't think the odds are in your favour.
Even if you get to hospital in labour, they won't let you go to a midwife-led unit so you'll end up on the labour ward. There you have about 1/3 chances to get an emergency C-section anyway (depends on the hospital policy of course, can be lower in some, but if they have concerns then it's likely a higher probability for you).
In my experience it's very hard to go against the recommendation of the consultant once they decided on an emergency C-section. It's much more stressful, you're already tired with the labour time, much higher risks of complications...

Happy to be proven wrong though! :)

I was in hospital as an inpatient for six months before birth and there were two things the midwives seemed to fear the most - women with high blood pressure and women who went more than a week over their due date due to the cord breaking down and the increased risk of still birth.
Your baby is full term - I would personally not risk it.

@imalreadythere go with your gut!! I was told the same over and over as my baby was measuring huge (98th percentile) and would be 11lb. He came out 7lb 10 and 50th percentile!! They can get it very wrong

I can understand your concerns OP, PPs indicating the desire to avoid intervention is some type of 'badge of honour' thing clearly don't understand that any intervention also brings its own risks, which must be weighed against the risk of inaction / monitoring etc.
I was offered inductions with baby 1 at and baby 2 at 39weeks, no medical reason just my blood pressure was variable (no other signs of pre-eclampsia, because I didn't have it, my blood pressure when not pregnant is variable too) and I was 'full term'- I chose daily monitoring instead and both arrived in their own time at 40 and 41+1 with no issues and of good sizes (50th and 90th centiles).
Baby 3 I was offered induction at 37 weeks purely based on being 40 and having a history of variable blood pressure (no pre-eclampsia). I discussed this with the consultant midwife and obstetrician as to why early induction would be the least risky option for both of us, and they both agreed that there was no more risk to baby in continuing frequent obs instead of an early eviction.
At 40 weeks they booked me in for an induction at 41 weeks - I knew the fact that they weren't offering to bring me in any earlier showed there were no clinical indications to be concerned for baby at that point. At 40+5 they said my fluid was low, I asked about what that meant for my baby in terms of risk and immediately agreed to bring the induction forward as there was now a clinical indication. (As it happened I went into labour naturally hours before they were going to start, baby born perfectly healthy, 75th centile, low fluid was because I was dehydrated due to very hot summer and hyperemesis).
The point is I ensured I was fully informed of the actual risks in order to make the right decisions for me and my baby -
I would be asking for more information from the consultants if I were you before deciding to wait ( eg have they checked your placental flow), I wouldn't be happy making an insufficiently informed decision. It does sound like there are clinical indicators that your little one might be safer outside than inside now, they don't routinely offer c sections (I was only ever offered inductions as in my case the reasons were routine) - they should be keen to offer more information to help you make the right decision.

I had IUGR and was induced with my second at 38 +5 she was tiny and had failure to thrive I have no doubt if I’d of gone against she would of been in serious distress by 40 weeks and this was only picked up on at 38 weeks.

How old are you? The reason they could be worried as baby measuring small can mean that the placenta is failing. This can also be much more common in older mothers.

At 40 + 2 I would 100% take the c-section, I’d much rather have a healthy baby and compromise on my ideal birth. Plus IME (multiple kids) intervention free births are absolutely not all they are cracked up to be, and even if the birth is intervention free many times the mother isn’t a year later! I’d take a planned c section any day.

This!

I'd never go against professional advice. If they think its safer for baby to come out then I'd take heed of that.

And this!

My induction failed. Thankfully we stopped before it went any further and I ended up with an ELCS. It was a dream birth and recovery.

How is baby's heartbeat? Normally they do fetal heart rate monitoring to find out how the baby is doing and take you for c-section as soon as the pattern seems off the standard.