Has anyone had experience of refusing an induction?

[hackneyzoo]

I am currently 40+6 with DC3 and have never gone this overdue before. I am hoping for another home birth. MW came today and said she had to book me in for an induction on Thursday, when I will be 40+11.

There are a number of reasons I want to avoid an induction:
i) This baby was planned, my cycle dates are 28 days, I know when I concieved and my EDD date, if I go by LMP is 12th Jan, it was the scan that bought it forward. SO technically I don't think I will be all that overdue.

ii) From what I have read, as long as the baby is healthy there are no massive risks to letting nature take it's course. Could I ask the hospital to monitor me instead of being induced?

iii) It is DC2's second birthday on Friday and so I would rather not have him share it. (I shared a birthday with an older sibling and it was a PITA at times)

iv) I have had two active births, one of them a water birth, and they were positive experiences that I would like to repeat. I am anxious about being confined to a bed and monitored and am worried this will lead to unnecessary intervention.

v) If the baby is in distress, I will of course go along with induction.

I would really like to hear if anyone has refused induction and if they came up against much opposition. I would also like any opinions on whether my points seem valid.

Has anybody managed to still have a HB wen they have gone over 40+12?

Thanks Skiing and Franken, it seems armed with information is the way to go, so will print out NICE and NHS guidelines and accompany it with a letter clearly stating my rationale.

Franken, your story is really interesting and proves its worth sticking to your guns if you feel confident you know what your body is doing, which is how I feel. I see your point with the emotional stress, its stressful enough going over supposed dates anyway!

I live about 5 min walk from the hospital, so can easily go in for daily monitoring. I am sure on my dates so won't be plus 14 until 26th, so hopefully that buys me lots of time to avoid induction and still have a hb.

I had a sweep yesterday and my cervix is soft and almost fully effaced so hopefully something will happen before Thursday.

Thanks oneof4...x-posted! Feeling a lot more reassured and confident after starting this thread!

I've been induced 3 times now and on every occasion i was allowed to be active. With DD1 i even had a water birth. If you do eventually decide to be induced for whatever reason, you don't have to be confined to bed.

With DD1 i was 40+14
DD2 was 39+6 buy SROM at 38w
DS was 40+13 and 9lb 1 so i'm glad i didn't wait any longer!

Loopy or anyone else who knows, where can I find the NICE guidelines on induction? I have tried searching and am not having much luck. I am trying to put together a letter to take to induction meeting.

Here

Page 4 is what you need I think.

Thanks skiing...letter done now!

Good luck, and hope it all happens soon!

This is such an interesting thread as I have real issues around induction (and hovering between ELCS and induction) and there are so many helpful posts here.

It does seem that if you have a favourable Bishops Score and aren't before term am induction might not be too difficult. I am also unsure of the research that shows that the risks escalate after 40 weeks. As someone else says above it isn't that up-to-date either. My midwife went away and researched it and told me that the risks didn't go up too much in weeks 40, 41, 42 but start to rise more in 43.

For what it's worth a very good friend was given a 'deadline' for her homebirth and saw a good acupuncturist on her last day (think it was 40 +10) and went into labour a couple of hours later and had a great birth.

I would like to add that it is important to be monitored. I was one of 3 women who went in at the same time for induction. 2 of us had healthy heart beats sounding on the monitor but the 3rd heartbeat was erratic. All turned out fine but needless to say that baby was given priority attention and was induced quickly. Even if I'd have gone in certain I was coming home to wait I'd have let them intervene immediately if that was my baby.

can I ask what a bishops score is?

I think the Bishop's Score is a number of different factors Drs/MWs consider to see if induction is necessary or to predict whether you will go into spontaneous labour soon. They give you a point for each favourable factor, eg. cervical dilations, effacement etc.

Someone will come along soon who can explain it a bit more clearly!

Bishop's Score This is a bit clearer!

Hackney, think very carefully about how long you wait and whether your reasons really are for the best.

Yes, all babies will come eventually, but it doens't mean everything is working as well as it should.

Its good to know all your info but make sure you know it from both points of viw IYSWIM.

Good luck!

Thanks feedme, I have decided to go to +14 as long as all is well with the baby and after that will probably head down the induction route.

hackney, have you had your meeting yet and what was the outcome? Sorry to be nosey, I am just interested how much 'resistence' you'd have to face. Tell me to mind my own beeswax if you'd rather , no sweat.

And one other thought as I went approx 2 weeks over dates with 2 of mine inspite of sweeps: I am convinced that fairly vigorous exercise set me off with DS3. pushing DS2 on his pedal bike he had just learned to ride without stabilisers and running up and down the lane with enormous bump seemed to do the trick overnight ...

Maybe you are in labour as I type this .

Ooh how exciting would that be PD?

I wish I was in labour...40+10 and woken up with stinking cold! Grrr.

I refused twice
I was 40+6 with ds1 and they mentioned induction if he had not arrived by 40+11
I simply refused, midwife was independent and did daily checks
ds1 was born 40+14 in 45 mins of labour
Perfect apgar

With dd the docs said I had obstetric cholestasis, I got a private 2nd opinion and refused induction
Ironically dd was born on the day the induction was planned for at 38wks exactly
She too was a quick easy labour

I think having good supportive midwives helps

www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/oct/01/pregnant-for-10-months
Please read this before making a decision it is such an amazingly unbiased article from the guardian mag. Think it will answer your question!

Also as i understand it your body generally wont go in to labour if your unwell?

Well just to up date, I had the meeting this morning and was not pressured at all but it wAs made quite clear to me what the options were.
I had already decided not to go over +15 as I am exhausted and too emotionally on edge to go much further!
Was told that if I waited until Monday I would be high risk and would have to labour whilst being continuously monitored on labour ward.
If I had pessaery or arm today or tomorrow I can labour in Mw led unit and have water birth.
So, after much discussion am going to have a pessary today and they will let me go home. If nothing happens I will come back in tomorrow for another one.
They also said it is their policy not to offer expectant monitoring as it doesn't tell them about any increased risks, which seemed a bit odd to me and goes against nice guidelines.
So dc2 might be getting an extra special birthday present tomorrow

Ooooh, exciting, I hope you are feeling in labour OK.

My DS2 and DS4 share a birthday - there is 6 years between them. So far DS2 loves his extra special birthday present .

If your body is ready, a pessary will just set you off and you will still have a 'normal' labour, not an 'induced' one.

Good luck !!

I had 2 pessary's at 40+1 (had high bp) and DD was born 12 hours after the first one - first baby.

an induction doesn't have to be hideous, though I would stick to my guns and ask for monitoring another time.

Good luck!