Early induction..and on what grounds!

[Highlandgirl]

Just out of interest can you be induction early? ie: say at 38 / 39 weeks.

And on what grounds would this happen.

Dont have an induction, they make violent and painful labours. Wait until your baby is ready!

Yes, I did at 38 weeks due to high blood pressure.

I had one at 38 weeks, baby in distress, leaking waters with merconium present.

Mooer you have assumed there is a choice!?

And labour was not that bad!

I was offered an early induction - to which I said no thanks - on the grounds that it would have been risky for a variety of reasons for my pregnancy to go late.

I do know someone who gave birth privately (and very expensively) and was induced at 39 weeks because it was 'convenient' for her. Sounds ridiculous but had to do with family who were a long distance away - i.e. other side of the world - and could only be in the UK over a specific period. Nuts in my opinion but to be honest I do understand why (given that she was given the option) she went ahead with this. She was fortunate in that she did not have a horrific labour after the induction - I have heard some bad stories from others and its absolutely not something I would have done in a million years.

I was induced at 38 weeks with DS2 due to concerns about me delivering a large baby. My second baby had been 10lb 11oz and I had been prepared for an emergency caesarean and then delivered by ventouse in the operating theatre, even with an episiotomy there was a problem getting the baby out.

Unfortunately the induction for DS2 failed, I had a failed epidural and finally an emergency caesarean for failure to progress. I think there have to be fairly serious grounds for any induction, I was 11 days overdue with DS1 and had high blood pressure and protein in my urine before they induced me.

they do it if you have gestational diabetes because the main risk is the baby getting too big and causing problems during birth. They let me go until my due date but it was awful, didn't work and I ended up with CS after "failing to progress" and DS wasn't even big! Am refusing it this time around and will likely have an ELCS unless I go into spontaneous labour on or before DD. Why are you asking?

I was induced at 38 weeks for pre eclampsia. I had already been in hospital for 6 weeks

I had an induction at 38 weeks due to pre-eclampsia and OC. It failed though and I had to have a CS with forceps as DD was so high. DD came out covered in vernix looking really not ready! She spent 3 days in scbu.

If you don't really need one, don't go there.

They want to induce me at 38-39 weeks because of pregnancy diabetes, but I refuse. Both my babies have been born at 41 weeks so I don't believe this baby will be ready any earlier.

I've done a lot of research and it seems to me that you are much more likely they will need to use forceps and even a CS because birth is not going to plan.

Agree with the rest...

I rather suspect that the pain/further interference depends a lot on the method of induction, and whether it works.

For me, the stuff they put on your cervix was fine (well, apart from the application, which was deeply unpleasant) - the contractions were something I could deal with

Oxytocin on a baby that wasn't descending wasn't something I could cope with once it was up to full strength and gratefully took the epidural

As the previous posts outline, Induction of labour does not tend to be before ten to fourteen days after your due date unless there is significant medical or obsetric justification. Bad idea otherwise!

I was induced with my 1st DC at 36 weeks due to her being in distress and me bleeding.

I am being induced again with my 4th at 36+3 basically for "social reasons". I am anxious about the delivery and I want my DH to be present he can only be present with a pre arranged induction and since all my DC have arrived before 37+3 weeks my consultant doesn't want to wait.

FWIW research that I was directed to on here suggests that provided it is not your first baby you are at no greater risk of instrumental intervention or C section than someone who has not been induced.

I know lots of woman who have been induced at 37/38 weeks because they have been anxious.

Gosh that is very poor obstetric practice.

I have been induced at 37 weeks for severe spd/pgp, as it wasn't my first baby the induction was not too much worse than 'normal' labour for me

I was induced at 36 weeks had high blood pressure, am diabetic and placenta had seemingly given up! Was horrendous all very rushed established labour only four hours felt completely out of control after failed ventouse ended up with a forceps delivery epidural refused don't do it if you can help it. Also dd was in scbu for 9 days.

They will only do it if your or the baby's health was at risk, why do you want to have dc early?

Thank you for your comments..no not at all just MW mentioned about induced early and I was just wondering on what grounds this happens.

I'm sorry but I have to add, induction is not all bad! I was induced with my first and third baby and both times had normal straightforward deliveries, actually my spontaneous birth was the worst of the three! With both my induced labours I had no pain relief, no intervention and no tearing!

I am aware that there is a higher risk of intervention with induction of the first baby but just wanted anyone reading this who is facing being induced that it doesn't always mean a horrific labour with lots of intervention. I don't mean to offend anyone who's already posted but when I was pregnant all I heard was horror stories, nobody talks about the success stories and I would have loved for someone to tell me that it's not all bad.

I had one at 37 weeks due to baby's failure to grow (IUGR) and one at 36 weeks due to IUGR and pre-eclampsia. tbh it wasn't all that bad.

I did end up with a CS with the second induction (the 36 weeks) but that was because of the baby having a weak heart beat, not because I couldn't have coped. He was a titchy little thing, so clearly did need some help.

I was induced at 38 weeks due to high blood pressure. I did not think it was too bad, in fact - I consider myself to have had a 'good' birth experience. The first dose of gel worked right away and the pain was manageable (And I am a WIMP!). In fact - I got to 7cms before I even realised I was in active labour!

I asked my consultant about the higher risk of C-Section or intervention in an induced labour and he pointed out that often women are induced because they have medical considerations that would have put them at a high risk of c-section or intervention anyway. It made sense to me at the time.

I would try to avoid it if possible (I wouldn't choose to be induced - much prefer the baby to come when it is ready) but if you have no choice due to medical reasons, don't worry too much. Not all inductions are horror stories...

Can I also add, I was induced with dd2 (not early 40+8), I also thought it was a much easier/less painful/tiring birth than dd1. I had 2 gels, no further interventions, kept mobile the whole time. Didn't really realise I was in active labour until I was 7cms!! Baby came 2 hrs later. As with anything in pregnancy sometimes all you hear is the horror stories

Like Wiggles mentioned all i've heard are horror stories. Once again MN's has given a much better overall view on 'real' life.

The only person I know who was induced was a family member for all 4 of her DC due to them being about 14 days late..every single one!!!

I was induced with DD at 34+4 (she was born at 34+5) due to pre-eclampsia. Normal vaginal delivery, pain relief G&A and pethidine. Induced with pessaries, drip and ARM.

I was induced with DS1 at 39+4 due to VERY severe Hyperemesis Gravidarium (had spent 19 weeks out of 40 in hospital on a drip). He was born 3 days later at dead on 40 weeks. Worst birth, but that was due to baby's position, NOT induction. (He was OP, actually came out stargazing with his hand still on his head). Managed pain with G&A and pethidine. Induced with pessaries, drip and ARM.

I was induced with DS2 at 40+2, again due to HG. His labour was 5 hours from first contraction to holding baby. I only needed a pessary and ARM (no drip) for that induction, and managed with just G&A for pain relief.

SO - 3 inductions, not one epidural. I am currently 38+4 with dc4, have no induction date as yet (wish I did!) am really hoping they don't leave me to 42 weeks, I might go insane!! Am not intending to have an epidural whether I'm induced or not.

laluna I don't believe it is bad obstetric practise at all and comments such as yours are not terribly helpful. I have made my decision for a number of reasons and I am wholly confident in it. The OP is looking for advice and to dismiss something as "bad practise" (contrary to medical evidence) is unfair.

As I have already said there is no evidence that induction of subsequent babies carries anymore risk of intervention than a subsequent baby that is not induced. After 37 weeks a baby is considered to be full term and therefore there is no additional risk to the baby. In fact statistically there is a far greater risk to the baby that is born post 39 weeks than a baby that is born between 37 and 39 weeks. Which is exactly the reason why so many woman are induced at 37 weeks.

I was induced at 38 weeks due to diabetes. It went well and the only reason I ended up having an emcs was due to DS position and the fact that we were both in distress.