'Pregnant for 10 months' - article about 'late' babies in todays Guardian

[QueenOfFlamingEverything]

Here

Interesting stuff.

I finally consented to induction at 42+5 and was considered a loon by the staff in hospital. The growth charts for pregnancy just stop at 42 weeks - its so rare for anyone to go beyond that now.

I will never know if DS would have turned up safely on his own, I had hoped for a second home birth but the midwives clearly had no confidence in that once I got to about 10 days over. The induction was very traumatic for me, still 7 weeks on I cannot think about it without crying

I really wish there was better/more actual information for women in my position. Its quite scary when there is so little to go on when trying to make an informed decision about the safest course of action.

My sister was born at home, 3 weeks 'late', but 43 years ago so I don't know if hospital induction was even a possibility then. It didn't seem to cause any issues.

Very interesting.

I was seen by a consultant at 40+6 weeks, a sweep performed and a date booked for induction when I would have been 40+10. Dd arrived the day after so thankfully avoiding the need for intervention, but it always makes me wonder why we're so hung up on anything over 41 weeks being an issue, when, checking the mum and baby, there are no indications that it is a problem to let the pg carry on a bit longer.

My first dd was born at 43 weeks. In Spain your due date is 41 weeks after last period, I was monitored every other day in hospital after 41 weeks thankfully I went into labour naturally the day the induction was booked for. I had my other 3 her in England and was induced with by 4th 10 days after my due date. I felt very pressured into it and felt I could have gone longer.

It is not a very well-researched article, though; cites one study, and Gaskin (who is very obviously going to be of the 'go as over as you want' school). Brief Jokkinen quote. More opinion than anything else. Not exactly an indepth analysis.

Interesting article. With DD I had a scan at 41 weeks to find out why her head had not engaged yet. The sonographer said I had polyhydramnios even though my bump was spot on for my dates. She also said the babies weight would be about 9.5 lbs.

I was booked for induction at 41 + 5. To cut a long story short after 2 days of induction that failed, I had an emcs. Turns out I did not have polyhydramnios, but the babies head could not engage because the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck 3 times and she physically could not move lower. How the sonographer missed that, I will never know. DD was definitely 42 weeks - she had dry wrinkly skin that peeled.

My point is there are so many unknowns in pregnancy. If I had been left any longer, or had gone into labour DD would have died. All the hospital midwives and doctors thought they know what they were dealing with during my induction. There is no way they could have known that the sonographer was wrong. So sometimes it is best to err on the side of caution and not let a pregnancy go far past the due date.

Taken to court StarwberrySam?! I find that very surprising and worrying. The law is quite, quite clear on this issue that a mentally competent adult is at liberty to decline medical intervention even if they or their baby is in imminent danger (I have personally witnessed women decline emergency procedures even though there baby is clearly in trouble). They would have had to prove her mentally incompetent - frightening.

strawberry I reckon they were putting the frighteners on her, I asked the senior midwife when reviewing my previous birth if a EMCS would be performed if I refused forceps delivery and she said only if my health was at risk as the baby has no rights until it is physically born - I was a bit taken aback but having asked several others it appears to be true.

My DS was born 42+2 in April after 2 lots of induction meds then forced breaking of waters, then drip induction. He was born by EMCS. And none of them had picked up on the fact he was back2back!

On the flip side though, I have seen a lady turn up at 42+2 for her induction, baby moving well the night before, only for there to be no fetal heart beat in the morning. Baby had died overnight. The only explanation was that the placenta had got too old and failed. Was terribly terribly distressing for all involved.

Daisy That's horrible. I will never understand those who decree "no intervention, no intervention!". :(