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.

This is actually not necessarily true. The attached image shows 4 columns: gestation in weeks, number of births that year, number of still births, % of stillbirths. As you can see, there is no more risk at 42 weeks than there is at 40 weeks (and that year, there were in fact fewer stillbirths at 42 weeks than full term). I am not suggesting OP should ignore medical professionals but I believe there are some myths surrounding stillbirths and going over 40-41 weeks which leads women to make decisions which are not based on facts.

There are also risks with intervention to consider, you're absolutely right. It's not as clear cut as some are suggesting

Always good to follow BRAINS to help you make the decision right for you (your body and your baby, pyour choice)

I was induced with my 3rd as my DS had IUGR....... it ended up being my easiest / least traumatic labour!

I felt uneasy about being induced because of the epidural...... I went ahead with the induction without the epidural at first and it was brutal 😂

As soon as I has the epidural it was plain sailing and pain free.

If their saying induction or C-section I'd take the option of an induction now before it's too late and you might end up needing a c-section which is a lot harder to recover from

Also - your rarely induced on the day they tell you to come in, I had to wait 2 days to be induced as they had a waiting list, so your baby will most likely still have a few extra days in the womb whilst your waiting in hospital

I would also wait. Growth scans are notoriously inaccurate.
I would go by other factors, such as how is baby doing? Still moving much etc. Doppler of the blood through the umbilical cord.

Even so, some babies are just small.

I was also advised my baby was too small, to such an extent that my gynaecologist (not even just a midwife, was referred to gynae) prescribed steroid injections because we apparently needed to do a c-section ASAP at something ridiculous like 32/34 weeks.
I declined, went and found a second opinion.

My son was born vaginally, spontaneous labour, at 41 weeks. He was a 6 pound baby, but normal. He was just tiny, like his parents.

Why would you go against the advice of a medical professional? I'm sure everyone has an idea of what their perfect birth is but ultimately it doesn't matter how the baby is delivered as long as it's safe.

Sorry why does the baby need to come out when someone is 40 weeks??
This is the problem we have, false ideas that I don't know where you got it. Making women make decisions that are not necessary.
40 weeks is an ESTIMATED due date. Women ovulate in different days. So a women that ovulated on day 10 of her cycle and a women that ovsted on day 22 of her cycle will have the same due date, despite conceiving 2 weeks apart.
Did you know in France a women's due date is on 41 weeks. So in France, if the baby came now it would be early, before the due date?
Is perfectly fine to have a different opinion or different risk levels you are comfortable with, but just don't think we should be spouting your own ideas as fact.

YANBU

As long as baby is safe and healthy, I would absolutely decline induction and c-section for baby measuring small. Measurements are notoriously inaccurate and also difficult to measure once engaged. SO MANY women have reluctantly had c-sections for "small" or "big" babies for them to come out completely average size. It's so frustrating.

As long as baby is not in danger, which absolutely does not sound like the case here at all, then I absolutely would decline. And so what if the midwife isn't pleased, it's not her body, not her baby, and it's in her code of conduct to respect your informed decisions. Has she even made you aware of the risks of inductions and c-sections?

@Ohhbaby I'm a medic with over 10 years of experience in the labour ward. that's where I get my ideas from. where do you get yours from?

Actually there are no nasty replies at all.

Oh give over, you are either incredibly misinformed or you're completely brainwashed.

40 weeks is a manmade date made up by obstetricians. Full-term is 37-42 weeks and even then, if a woman wishes to await spontaneous labour, she can go over 42 weeks.

And a pregnant woman is NOT "a patient". She's not sick, she's pregnant. Interventions come with risks, this is why when a baby is perfectly safe in the womb that women often choose less intervention, because it's safer.

Stop scaremongering the OP, she is not putting her baby or herself at risk by awaiting spontaneous labour when her baby is perfectly safe and healthy in her womb.

YABU and are risking your baby’s life.

@ReadingSoManyThreads yep brainwashed. 100%. that's medical school and postgraduate training for you. much better if labour units were run by people from mumsnet. I'll suggest in our next audit meeting.

These measurements (estimations) can be way off, told me my baby weighed over 9lb at 38+6, she was born at 40w exactly and weighed 8lb 3oz.

Not necessarily. I had 3 inductions (3 chn) and none resulted in c-sections. I might have been one of the lucky ones...

Yep, thought as much. The UK is very behind with maternity care. And I really do have a lot of experience and technical knowledge with childbirth and UK maternity care. I do work closely to help update their practices but they are slower than snails to do this and even slower to infiltrate updates down through to the 'frontline', frustrating as hell to read scaremongering outdated bullshit that some of you lot spout.

i was offered an induction at 41 weeks just for being overdue. My baby was measuring fine. I was really reluctant but after a lot of thought I went ahead with it. I ended up having an emergency c section. During the surgery they said that I would never have delivered my baby naturally due to the position she was in. 7 weeks later I’ve got a healthy baby girl. My birth plan went down the toilet. I didn’t get to have a single thing I had asked for for various reasons. But I’m glad I listened to the midwives, they honestly know what they are doing. It really is your choice and only you can decide what you will be happy with. The way I decided was thinking about what would happen if I went for it and x happened and what would happen if I didn’t go for it and y happened.

congratulations on your little one and best of luck with your delivery, whatever you end up deciding just remember it was the right decision for you at the time and you’re doing what you believe is best for your baby

@ReadingSoManyThreads Happy to hear it. until you update our guidelines however, I will carry on practising our current guidelines if that's OK.

This isn't a very balanced opinion. They do not almost always fail. Please discuss any concerns with your midwife.

Fwiw -I had an induction and despite it not being a walk in the park, I would have one again we're I to be in circumstances to require it (for me it was HBP and pre-E, but there were no concerns about baby's size or health.)

Wishing you all the best.

👏👏👏👏👏👏

You have not assessed OP yourself, nor are you likely a medical professional or an actual clairvoyant. You have zero ability to assure anyone, OP especially, that the baby is healthy and safe in her womb.

The womb is not automatically safe. Pregnancy complications happen.

At this stage the scans are notoriously unreliable for size…

I was advised baby was measuring small with my second and to have a section too, I was against it initially but my babies safety and health was more important to me than the kind of birth I had in my head. Turns out the cord was wrapped around his neck multiple time so supply had been restricted from the placenta. If I’d gone into labour naturally I was told it would have been quite dangers with him tangled up in the cord like that. He was born 5lb 6 at term, his birth weight measured exactly with the growth scan I’d had which triggered the section recommendation.

I understand your reluctance (I’d be the same) but the health professionals are dealing with these cases all day long and have yours and your babies best interests.

I've had 3 inductions all for various reasons and I didn't end up with a section or any instruments. Like you I've been told baby was small at 5lb on scan born 7lb 7oz so perfectly healthy wieght.
I've had different varying degrees of induction so 1st was just popping my waters and nature took over. 2nd was 1 pessary and off labour went. 3rd was the drip. Last baby was 9lb and was the only baby that was right on scans.

See if you can get to speak to someone else and talk it all through then make a plan with that.

This above OP.

ignore those talking about “going against medical advice” .
If I got money every time a doctor was wrong with me, or a family member or a friend, I’d be rich.

Research benefits and cons and go with your gut feeling

The OP hasn't given much information here, and certainly not enough for some of the hurtful suggestions that they are willingly putting their baby's life at risk.

Contrary to the common trope, the health of the baby is not the only thing that matters from birth. Clearly and unequivocally it is the MOST important thing, but the wishes and birth experience for the mother are also so so important. If that wasn't the case then we would all be having planned c sections at 39 weeks as it is the safest thing for the baby.
Birth trauma is real and is a real cause of PND.

At the very least the OP is right to ask her questions, and has every right to have her wishes and decisions respected and her questions answered. Birth professionals have guidelines, and they have them for a reason, but they can and do get things wrong sometimes - and women don't all fit into neat boxes as the guidelines would suggest.