Can I refuse to be induced?

[chocs2g]

Going to hosp tomorrow am. Will be 40 wks exactly. Had emergency section for DD (4) now trying for VBAC, but under some pressure to do so. Would really like elective. Am happy to give baby 1 week to arrive on his own, but can I refuse to be induced before insisting on section?

you can refuse to be induced. I thought that induction after a section is more stressful on the uterus so I would want to avoid this. They would also want to have continuous monitoring hence you lying in one position (on your back) in order for this to happen which would mean that you'd likely end up with an emergency section.

others will come on here and confirm or say I am talking bollocks.

but yes, you can refuse an induction. a normal human pg is at least 42 weeks so you are not 'overdue' till post 42 anyway.

I'm going for a vBAC - I was told that they won't induce me as the ris(very small) of the scar rupture goes up after induction.

hth

I did. I had a long chat with the cons and I was really unconvinced about my chances for vbac due to various factors, but of course the cons was pushing for one. My biggest fear was to have to be induced, try for days and then end up with a cs anyway. As a compromise I said I was prepared to go 10 days over and then I wanted an elcs, which is exactly what happened, except I didn't make it to 10 days, a scan after 7 days showed some signs of placental failure so I had a section a week after my due date.

Well It's a medical proceedure so you will have to give your consent they can't make you have it. However you would be wise to follow their advice tbh. I think you can request daily monitoring instead if there are no other problems.

Good luck!

I don't know about VBAC, but I was under the impression that women were able to make informed choices and make their own decisions about the type of birth they'll have...
I have always thought that a huge part of a successful vaginal birth was the attitude/confidence of the mother, and that if the mother isn't sure of herself, she will find it very difficult to keep going to the end.
It sounds as if you are not too confident about having a vaginal birth, and this, coupled with the fact that you're being induced (which in itself means that further interventions are more likely), doesn't seem to me to be ideal.
I don't know about 'choosing' a C section, I would have thought that decision was one that has financial implications, so might be refused on those grounds.
As for waiting another week before inducing, 40 weeks is only a guideline, and as many babies come after that time as come before, don't they? I would have thought if you go in and say you'd like to wait another week, they would find it hard to refuse unless there is a medical reason to induce now (like pre-eclampsia, or baby in distress).
If I were you, I'd talk to the midwife and explain all your concerns, and ask for a bit more thinking time. Good luck.

INduction after a c-section is more risky in terms of scar rupture (some hospitals won't induce you if you've had a previous c-section because of this).

Aside from this, of course you can refuse to be induced.

Find out why specifically they want to induce you (especially as you're not even very overdue yet). What are the risks and benefits - why can't they just monitor you etc?

Perhaps also talk to someone about your fears around trying for a VBAC?

Sorry - not being induced tomorrow, just got appt with cons to tell them how I want to proceed being overdue. Have said that if it looks like ANY issues with VBAC I just want section, as last section (due to failed induction) although defined emergency was actually very relaxed affair.
Despite stressing all this last time I saw cons, she has put on my notes "keen for VBAC"! Midwife says poss of sweep tomorrow, but apparently if my cervix isn't "ripe"(?) they won't do this.

Most hospitals will not induce if you have had previous sections. Read up on the rcog birth after ceasarean green top guide, point out to the consultant that one of the risk factors for an unsuccessful VBAC is an induced labour. Be informed about your choice. Good luck.

i am in a similar possition. im 28 weeks and im a little nervous about forthcoming vbac although only because i really want it to be successful and of course we never know whats going to happen on the day. this thread is really interesting i was told at a new vbac clinic at my hospital that after 42 they would strongly incourage (more like push) me to consent for an induction. i am really against this due to the increased risk of rupture, then emcs. if im 42 weeks im ok and baby is ok then leave me alone why is this such a problem? both me and baby will need monitoring due to horrendous birth of ds and hypermobility mainly affecting my back i really need to stay off my back they have agreed but i dont have alot of faith that they will let me be mobile as the previous hospital didnt. iv opted for efm for baby and just occasional monitoring for me using the straps so i can keep mobile. maybe this is something you could do. i wish you all the best though however your lo arrives

Well, I refused to be induced - and the membrane sweep didn't work as I'm not ripe enough. So due to full capacity for ELCS for next week am having baby by ELCS tomorrow!
At my pre-op I spoke to nurse who was also 5 months pregnant - she's booked herself in for an elective for her 2nd baby in Dec - so that's settled my mind somewhat. Am really relaxed and can't wait to meet my baby!

Good luck to you too though. Let me know what you decide xx

Absolutely you can refuse to be induced. As for following their advice, I think you have to have a bit of cynicism about the agendas at play, and not all of them are in your best interests. Hospitals are under pressure from all sorts of directions. Budgets, delivery targets for VB, fear of litigation etc etc. In my experience, informed by friends who are medics, sometimes those priorities are not the same as your personal priorities (one that definitely doesn't seem to be on their list is the strength of your pelvic floor for the rest of your life, and that alone was the reason that my sensible doctor friend had 3 ELCS).
Anyway, point is, you don't HAVE to let them do anything you are not comfortable with, and while obviously you should treat everyone with respect, you are not there to make friends, and there are more important things at stake than keeping the staff happy.

i spoke to mw about this last thurs and she said absolutely refuse between 40 and 42 weeks but after 42 weeks they will strongly advise that im induced. from 40 weeks the placenta starts to deteriorate but only slowly until 42 weeks when it will start to dramatically deteriorate and could have serious complications for baby. i feel that i dont want to be induced but for the safety of my baby i HAVE to agree to being induced. although im a little bit sceptical as my faith in medical staff leaves alot to be desired.

good luck to you, hope everything goes well for you and your lo :)

You can refuse to be induced.

I would be very wary of refusing to be induced if the medical professionals looking after me are advising that I be induced though. The prevailing attitude on MN seems to be that induction is bad and you should be suspicious of doctors who want to induce you. Personally, I don't assume that I know better than my doctor, and I know that there are risks to continuing a pregnancy beyond 42 weeks, so if the medical professionals looking after you were telling you that they thought you should be induced, if I was you I would go for induction.

PS - obviously anyone who has made it to consultant level in obstetrics will know that there are risk factors associated with having an induction after a section - I don't think you will need to point this out to them as per Libra's advice - they don't tend to be stupid/ignorant of basic medical information in my experience!

was in similar position BUT i had discussed it with consultant first - so my notes did say i didn't want induction. We'd agreed to allow 24 hours after waters breaking and if nothing happened to go for elective.

waters broke and nothing happened, so had my elective - on EDD.

had i gone overdue, this would have held good.

so.... maybe discuss this with you consultant midwife - you can definitely refuse to be induced. might be worth discussing at what date (41 weeks? 42 weeks?) they would do an elective just so you know where you stand?

I was induced, as no one really said there was another option . Waters had broken 48 hours before

It was awful and I would advice anyone to avoid it. Fortunately I and baby were ok but at no point did I feel in "control".

Incredibly painful too

You can definitely refuse to be induced in the case of VBAC as the medical evidence is in favour of your opinion.

Re "just" going overdue, there isn't a set date at which the placenta starts to deteriorate. Some people have deteriorated placentas when they give birth at 40 weeks, others are fine at 43 weeks. The info given by the midwife above is average info from studies - not everyone is "average"!

You can opt for expectant management, where they scan you every 1-2 days to check on the baby and the placenta. After 42 weeks they may well be really pushing for induction, but you don't have to agree if the scans are showing baby & the placenta is fine. Some women just have longer than average gestations.

I've just been through a syntocynon accelerated labour, I really had no option, I had several things going on that meant baby needed out a lot faster than my body was doing it (I found out after he would never have arrived naturally, he was stuck in an odd position).

The hormone drip is horrendous, seriously reinforced my standpoint that it should be reserved for when there is a known risk, not as policy "just in case". Contractions were painful and unnatural feeling, not building and dropping but coming on at full strength and staying there. I didn't even get to full dose, it made my contractions so strong and close together (while still not productive enough) that my baby got very distressed and had to be delivered by crash section.

If the same situation arose again I would opt to go straight to c-sec (despite being very anti surgery) and saved myself a hellish and exhausting evening.

How was your c-section chocs2g and tell us, girl or boy?

porcelain, same here. contractions instant, too intense (had one baby without induction previously) and baby born within 40 mins of it all starting which was scary/terrifying/unbearably painful. Horrid.

Every midwife I have spoken to since the birth has also responded along the lines of "Yup, it's horrible stuff".

That said, I do envy your 40 mins! I imagine your dosage was probably going up faster than mine though, as I was only on 2ml/h after 40 mins, I got up to 8, they wanted to get it to 12, but I couldn't manage the pain at 8 so I had an epidural, and after that the baby's heart was slowing if I had more than 4.

It's been really useful reading through this thread, I went to see the diabetic specialist midwife yesterday as they believe I have Gestational diabetes after an abnormal glucose tolerance test. (Personally I think they have just discovered my liking for chocolate)!! The MW was talking about inducing me at 37-38 weeks because "that's what they do" and I was really freaked by it! I am 34w now and definately not ready to be a mum in 3w unless baby decides he is coming naturally! I haven't even had any antenatal classes or parentcraft yet, so I feel much happier to know that I can refuse and that there is additional monitoring etc available as a compromise. I have a medical/nursing background and understand that if I need inducing for a clinical reason then I would be daft not to agree but if not then I will stand my ground and say no while all is well. Thanks for giving me that extra confidence boost.

porcelain I screamed for epidural or emergency c-section but no one could do anything other than give me a flippen paracetamol, what a joke.