To want my labour induced early

[roseability]

I am T+4 with number 2 (number 1 came at 39+4)

My hospital will induce at T+12. I am considering asking for induction at T+11

I am huge and uncomfortable. I am exhausted (being kept awake most nights with cramps, BH and backache). I have waited a long time for this baby (took a while to conceive and two early miscarriages) and I am desperate to meet her. She has a slightly enlarged left kidney and I just want to know she is okay.

But I feel guilty. Most mums these days seem to wait until at least T+14. Would I be forcing my baby out before she is ready? Am I unreasonable to want this

In other words am I just a big, fat hormonal wreck? I am sooooooo bored as well, so really just starting this thread for some light entertainment

I don't think a day will make much of a difference, so go ahead and ask the hospital. I would. Good luck.

I had to be induced at T+6 (because of pre-eclampsia and a slow heart rate in DS) but the relief when they told me was amazing! I was soooo ready for him to come out.

I would ask. One day can't hurt surely?

you can ask!!

however, i would ask for a sweep at 41 weeks. your MW should be able to get a good idea of how ripe the cervix is then, and you can have another sweep at t + 10. if your cervix is ripening, then it is possible an induction would be succesful

what you have to bear in mind is that it can take 12 -24 hours for the pessaries to get your cervix ripe enough to allow your waters to be broken, or a good few hours for ctx to start and for labour to establish, so asking for it a day early, might make no difference at all

you should discuss all this at your next appintment and see what the best course of action is for you

YANBU but trying to induce before you are ready can be areally long drawn out process and your baby might be born at term + 13 if induction takes a while

Blimey I thought that you were going to ask to be induced at 38 weeks when you said "early"! Personally I would do everything possible to avoid induction, but that's just me. You wouldn't be doing your baby any harm to your baby now she's well over term, just possibly giving yourself a longer labour. I'd go ahead and ask - they will surely tell you if there are valid medical reasons why it wouldn't be a good idea for you.

I had a sweep at 39w6days - most midwifes will give you a sweep to help things along. DS was born 40weeks 1 day

Have you tried other methods of induction? DD2 was 8 days late but I persuaded the midwives to start sweeping a few days before term. Two or three sweeps over a week are proven to be most effective. Anyway, on T+6 I had my third sweep and no sign of the baby so on T+7 I went to a specialist acupuncturist and a homeopath who gave me some remedies to take. I was in labour within hours.

With DD1 I was induced with the pessary and then an ARM and then the drip. I would highly, highly recommend the more natural methods as a medical induction can be quite a shock. My second labour was so much easier to cope with than my first.

Having been induced I would avoid it unless totally necessary.

Having had a sweep - I would avoid that at all costs too!!

Try lots of pineapple, jogging, trampolining, sex, curry, reaspberry leaf tea - any thing but a sweep!!

Left me in agony for hours afterwards to the extent that moving around hurt!!

I have heard that induced labour is more painful that a natural one but I had no previous experience so I couldn't comment.

Crikey, why was your sweep so bad Sarah? mine was uncomfortable but by that point (41 weeks) I was uncomfortable anyway. I was told that a sweep can get things going thereby avoiding induction so it's worth a go.

OP- YANBU, T+11 is hardly early good luck!

I barely felt my sweep. Was a minor discomfort whilst she did it but then i felt nothing. Until the next morning when i started feeling contractions.

a sweep should not be that painful and it is a heck of a lot less intervention than an induction

however a sweep on a posterior, not v ripe, barely open cervix is going ot be more uncomfortable than with a ripe cervix

My sweeps were slightly uncomfortable but really not bad at all (even though my second sweep was done by three different medical students before the consultant took over!). If you go for an induction you are likely to have ARM which is 10000000% more painful than a sweep.

I really think my series of sweeps combined with acupuncture and homeopathy kick started my labour. Surely that is worth a try?

The consultant did my one and only sweep and it hurt so much I yelped! I truly was in agony for hours afterwards until the pessaries they gave me induced my labour and the pain of that took over.

I only had one cause everytime anyone had to check me afterwards, it was so sore I was backing up the bed!! Even when I was in labour, I couldn't stand to be checked for dialation cause it was so sore!!

I am pregnant now and have already sworn that no-one will ever give me a sweep again!!

If it's only one day then why not wit, have you been induced before ? It's no picnic.

Sarah- sounds like you were just unlucky then, I have a posterior cervix so my sweep was pretty uncomfortable but I was still bloody relieved that I didn't have to be induced because I wanted an active labour.

I suppose I am worried about the cascade of intervention and ending up with a caesarean (not that there is anything wrong with a caeserean, just would rather avoid if possible). However having delivered a 9lb baby already surely my body could cope with an induction?

Have tried all the natural methods already!

Seeing midwife tomorrow, so will get a sweep then

good luck!

Can't see that a day would make much difference. I was offered (& accepted) an induction at T-14 for no particularly good reason other than that they thought I might be getting anxious. They also gave me no info about risks either & I may well not have accepted if they had, but it was all fairly straightforward in the event.