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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

So I was a bit surprised today at the 40+3 appointment...

23 replies

JetLi · 09/02/2011 18:16

The midwife said it's local policy to have another appointment at 41 weeks & then they will automatically book me in for induction at 40+13 I said presumably that the appointment they are referring to would be to discuss induction with a consultant but she said no - no consultant, straight to induction!

I don't honestly think I'll still be hanging around next week but it seemed an odd way to work to me. She was fine about it when I said I wouldn't want induction & I'd need to speak to a consultant first about other options, but it was a bit of unexpected news...

Anyone else have this policy locally that you know to?

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Flisspaps · 09/02/2011 18:17

Yes - saw a midwife at 41 weeks, and then was booked in for induction at 40+14. No consultant.

AmDramMam · 09/02/2011 18:23

Same here. Booked for induction at 41 weeks - no consultant. DD arrived night before induction due .

I can understand being referred to a consultant if you didn't want the induction and wanted to go over the recommended 2 weeks overdue but why did you expect to see a consultant about induction when it's such a common procedure?

IngridFletcher · 09/02/2011 18:27

It is normal not to see a consultant but you are correct in questioning the fact that it just assumed you will agree. Induction is a major intervention when you consider the implications it can have for labour. You are quite within your rights to ask to speak to a consultant about expectatant management where you can be monitored to check the baby is doing ok rather than opt to be induced.

Original poster

JetLi · 09/02/2011 18:31

Well because it isn't automatic that anyone would want to be induced I guess (I certainly don't) and also it seems to take away the element of choice about it at all. Plus I guess some women would think they have to be induced, when it's simply not the case. Seemed a strange way of doing it to me. I used a different hospital last time & their policy was different. I had a 40+10 consultant appt booked from being about 12 weeks pregnant - twas never needed but the appointment was always in place to have a chat about the ways forward...

Thanks for the responses

OP posts:

AppleAndBlackberry · 09/02/2011 19:28

I saw mine today and she said I could be induced any time from +7 if I wanted but I don't have to be and could just go in for monitoring every other day from +14 if I don't want to be induced.

EauRouge · 09/02/2011 19:40

I was told I would have to have an induction with DD- fortunately she arrived 40+11, 2 days before I was booked in for induction, after a sweep that I didn't want but was talked into It annoys me that they assume you will agree to it, I was a clueless first timer and didn't realise that I could demand to see a consultant etc.

9 days from EDD this time around and I will definitely be making some more noise about daily monitoring if I need to!

bringinghomethebacon · 09/02/2011 19:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EdgarAleNPie · 09/02/2011 19:52

yes the Nice guidelines are widely ignored.

at my 41 week appt 'right, we'll book you in for induction then'

me 'erm, no, i want expectant management, and no, i don't want a sweep either'

baby came at +10,, but was annoyed at the fact it was not presented as a choice, nor was their any discusion of alternative/risk factors.

GruffalosGirl · 09/02/2011 20:25

I was told by my midwife at the 41 weeks appointment that they book you for the induction at 42 weeks because they can only do so many a day and need to get you the slot, but you would still see the consultant on the day and then decide with them how to proceed.

This is what happened to me, as I went in for the appointment and the consultant said I was 7cm and what did I want to do, so I went home as was booked for a homebirth.

muminthecity · 09/02/2011 20:34

I had exactly the same with my midwife. Induction automatically booked for 40+10. I was 21, scared and had no idea what was going on so just agreed and did as I was told - big mistake. Induction caused all sorts of problems for me, I would definitely refuse one if I were to have another baby.

Em3978 · 09/02/2011 20:36

I had the same battle at 41 weeks. They insisted on booking me for induction, I refused. I had my reasons, I'd researched it, so refused. THEN i got sent to a consultant :)
He agreed with my reasoning and offered to let me go to 42 weeks, to see if I went naturally and book me in for a CS if I hadn't.
42 weeks arrived, I'd not gone naturally, they'd forgotten to book me in for the damned CS, so I ended up with management, a nice scan which proved baby and placenta were 100% fine, head down, 8lb12ish.
I had my CS at 43 weeks exactly.
I had tried several sweeps, but honestly, nothing on this planet was going to get that baby out the 'normal way' and I was proved VERY right for refusing induction :)

mandy1978 · 09/02/2011 20:42

can i ask why you dont want a sweep, is there something that can go wrong aftr one?

Original poster

JetLi · 09/02/2011 20:54

To quote my midwife today, only 1 in 8 sweeps "works" anyway. They're not nice at all to be honest, plus I think too many vaginal exams & general fiddling around down there can increase tour changes of GBS which is pretty dangerous to baby.

Thanks all for your responses.

OP posts:

PinkElephant73 · 09/02/2011 21:40

I have a sweep booked tomorrow at 40+6 and at that point they will also book me in for induction at approx 40+12. the MW explained that I would need to go to hospital anyway to be monitored at 40+12 so my understanding is that you go in, get monitored and then decide whether to go ahead with induction or go for the expectant monitoring.

personally I will prob go for induction at 40+12, as have had enough already.

FutureNannyOgg · 09/02/2011 23:13

One lovely policy here is that mothers over 40 can be offered induction on their due date. A mw "explaining" this to my friend told her she wasn't allowed to go past her due date. Charming...

EdgarAleNPie · 10/02/2011 10:02

jtli i would quetion even thst 1 in 8 - as i gave birth on the day i would have had a sweep, thst would have been included as a 'working' sweep, when in fact it would simply have been unnecessary.

I'm sur emany women woud still agree to undicution if it was explained and presented as a choice, it really annoys me that that isn't how itis done though.

breatheslowly · 10/02/2011 10:17

If I could go back in time I would do exactly what you are doing OP and would demand to see a consultant. I barely saw a consultant during my 4 day induction and I really wish I had a CS instead of an induction.

mandy1978 · 10/02/2011 16:25

thanks jetli, i had one with my first which brought on labour. i just hadnt heard anything negative before so just being curious..

reikizen · 10/02/2011 16:31

I genuinely don't think many women know they can refuse induction so it is routine to book you in at term+10 (or 12 depending on your hospital's policy). The alternative is not explained to them in my experience, but then I think the vast majority of women who I care for would be horrified at being pregnant for a minute longer than they have to be, many are counting down from 36 weeks with comments like 'I just want this baby out now' etc. Sad to say.

MonkeysPunk · 10/02/2011 16:37

I had consultants try very very hard to persuade me to have an induction (for different reasons) - I point blank refused - if you refuse they cannot lay a finger on you - it would be assault.

They may have to come up with an alternative though. This was a C-section in my case, which I was agreeable to.

(for those wondering - my baby was unstable lie - breach to transverse - also estimated weight and head cirumference were well over the 100th centile and the baby was also back to back. I could forsee the scenario of them turning the baby, hooking the waters and then inducing ending in a distressed "unexpected mec" baby and a LONG painful labour and possibly forceps delivery if not c-section in anycase given all the above factors!)

RobynLou · 10/02/2011 16:46

I think thats a bit harsh on women who want an induction reikizen, I was happy to have one booked for +12 this time, I had 10lb3oz DD an hour after the induction had been due to start.

I have a v active 3 year old, and the hospital is a trek away, I couldn't have handled lugging around that huge bump/caring for DD/getting to the hospital everyday - 2 bus rides away - for much longer. doesn't mean I wasn't well informed and didn't care as much for my child as someone who'd carried on.

reikizen · 10/02/2011 16:52

don't mean to be harsh, just honest! I think women feel this way often because they don't know the pros & cons or the potential harm an induction causes. I work in a very deprived area where health is pretty poor to start off with and the women see induction as a 'risk free' option, many lobbying the consultant to induce them for 'social reasons' not knowing that this can end in significant harm for them or their baby. I am of course aware that for some women this is a balanced risk that they take after considering all the options. If anything I was pointing out the failings of those of us in maternity services, not judging women who choose induction.

Original poster

JetLi · 10/02/2011 17:28

I think all hospitals ought to produce stats as to how many induced births result in instrumental delivery. The hospital I'm due to give birth in has almost a 25% rate of induction - 1 in 4 births are induced which seems like a huge number to me - certainly the highest locally anyway. Their policy of automatic induction at 40+13 without consultation must surely have an influence on these stats, no?

Plus I'm not always sure an awful lot of explanation is given either. A friend was induced just prior to Christmas. They popped in a pessary & then promptly sent her husband home as visiting time was over. She laboured alone on an antenatal ward from 7pm until midday the next day when her husband was allowed in again. It horrifies me.

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