would you ask to be induced or wait it out?

[davidtennantsmistress]

what do you think? I had a rough time of it with DS, and am naturally v v v anxious about this time, have spoken to my M.W and consultant both of whom just brushed my fears aside pretty much. :( i'm 40+2, have been working on getting the baby out naturally with DP to no avail, bubs seems very chilled out in there. Had 1 sweep already at 40 weeks dead on (tues) wasn't very pleasant, have a consultant apt tomorrow when the m.w said I can ask to be given another sweep. I don't have any more apt's booked in with any one from here - just have t ring up basically and see if and when they can fit me in for yet more sweeps and appointments. feeling a bit unloved & left to it tbh.

with DS jist of it was mega bleeding, a hemorage 2 blood transfusions an infection (they couldn't find!) iv drips, epidural episiotomy tore vontose and he was in the light box for jaundice. He was born at 38+4 I think iirc. waters just broke/show happened the weds he was born the thurs, whole pg was easy with him.

pg this time has been straight forward again. I'm so v v anxious thou, aside from the whole done with being pg thing, i'm worried about a big baby I can't have (m.w tues said he's at least 8.5lb already and i'm only 5'2).

so my question is given all the troubles I had with DS shall I ask tomorrow at consultant to be induced for next week - sort of tuesday a week earlier than they'd usually do.

I wanted a normal natural water birth but apparently I can't have the baby in the water given my heavy bleeds last time. so far I feel no one's listening & i'm not getting the labour i'm looking for/birth am looking for. at this rate i'm tempted to ask for a c section & be done with it, am honestly that anxious & worried.

baby tuesday was 2/5, i'm 1-2cm, and the tunnel thingy is 1-2cm as well she said, she did manage to feel around the baby's head thou and said membranes still in tact. So would you ask for an induction or leave it? should also say that tomorrow I collect keys for a new house, when I am 2 weeks over exactly is DS's first day at school in a new year, we're meant to leave our current house at the end of September and right now there's just far far too much happening & for me to deal with.

Hi there, I was induced with DD at 40 weeks because I had low fluid levels.

It was high intervention (37 hour labour, drip, epidural, episiotomy) but it was a positive experience. I didn't have any recovery issues following the birth at all (apart from the usual soreness for a couple of weeks and a very mild infection which was treated by the GP) and DD fed really well which was a bonus.

I do think if you go down the induction route you are more likely to end up with intervention, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you will get the emergencies that you got last time round which made it a tough experience.

Feel for you!!!
But, I wouldn't. My DS was born by emcs after an induction. He was back to back and after 15 hours of labour got stuck. The whole time I had to stay pretty much still on the bed for drip/ monitors etc. It was terrible.
Even if I could I would never have another.
I'm not trying to scar you but I wish someone had said don't do it to me. I don't think baby being born before 100% ready will be of any benefit to either of you. Good luck

Tell them you have decided to go for a homebirth & will provide your own pool
(they cant not let you, its YOUR decision)

When they try and pursade you not to opt for a homebirth you can very generously compromise and agree to go in so long as you can use the pool in the birth centre / hospital.

Worth a try?

I think its a choice only you can make.
You'll hear good & bad induction stories.

However if you decide not to be induced & wait for things to start naturally you need to be monitored by a midwife or doctor. The placenta can start to fail later on in a pregnancy. Please make sure you do this if you don't get induced.

For what its worth i would opt for an induction. I've had 3 inductions. 1st at 42wks, next at 35wks as my daughter was stillborn & 3rd at 37wks.

First was ok, ds was 9lbs 9ozs & im 5ft 4. Had episiotomy & forceps, infection afterwards. 2nd was the most horrendous, painful thing EVER.
3rd ended in a emcs due to severe hemorrhaging but i got to 6cms and it wasn't painful...... well up until the abruption & then it turned into one long contraction.

C-sections also carry risks so weight up your options.

tinky yes that's my worry tbh, with DS I was rigged up to the epidural and basically left on the bed for over 12 hours not something I want to repeat - it's at the stage the M.W won't even let me be in the midwife led care side of our unit (we have both consultant and midwife at the same place just through different doors) likewise she says I ahve to have everything in my hand ready in case I need the same intervention with transfusions etc as apparently it's valuable minutes they could use if needed - I do understand that but likewise it's not what I want to be rigged up again.

serind - sorry to hear of your experience, that's what i'm worried about that something major like that could go wrong.

DP & I will prob discuss it some more later on, he's after knowing the percentages of intervention etc and keeps saying all he wants is the baby & I healthy.

back to bouncing on my ball a hot curry and seeing what tomorrow brings.

Some acupressure....

My waters broke and it was 25 hours before labour started. Frantically done acupressure and did go into natural labour without having to be induced which i really hadnt wanted...

Good luck

I wouldn't but that's just me.

DD1 was born 12 hours after an induction with a pessary at 39 weeks due to Polyhydramnios and a suspected large baby (she was almost 10lb so, correct) and it was far far more painful than my natural birth with DD2 who was born at 38 weeks.

I really didn't want to with DD, but waters broke and no contractions. Stood my ground, against lots of pressure, for three days, then decided on induction, as the stats I read said it was extremely unlikely after that amount of time that it would happen naturally.

Although the difference with me was that it was DC1 - with all the commitments you have on, it sounds like you are feeling under pressure from a variety of places. Would being induced make you feel more in control of all the things happening now? Would it be so bad if you left it a few days before making your decision?

Inductions have lots of different outcomes - the longer you leave it, the more likely induction is to work/have a straightforward conclusion, as baby will be more ready.

Good luck!

I know Davidtennant. I'm going to see my consultant as on Mon to discuss monitoring (as they will want to do it continually I have been told by mw which I am going to argue against. If they want me to agree to this vbac they're going to have to let me move about. I wasn't even allowed to go to the toilet ffs (the just gave dh a bed pan and that was +
9 hours before ds even arrived!)
If I were you I'd wait it out and be strong re wanting to be mobile/ as natural as possible etc. l'm trying hypnotherapy this time and hoping that I'll be able to shut medical people out.
Good Luck

Have you talked to the Supervisor of Midwives or Head of Midwifery?

To me it seems that the bigger issue might be more to do with the MW and consultant not listening to you and helping you come up with a care plan that lets you feel supported. In an ideal world it should feel as though you and your HCP's are a team who are working together to get the best outcome for you and your baby - NOT your HCP's decide how the world will be and tough if the mother doesn't like it (which is how it sounds from what you write).

The HoM or SoM should be very well placed to take your concerns seriously and help you be listened to. It also sounds very bizarre to me that you aren't being booked in for more MW appointments, at least weekly, until your LO arrives - and the HoM should be able to explain whether this is policy and if so why (and if not, can then give your MW a slap on the wrist!)

She should also be able to help you understand why these things are so important. For instance - I've got in the back of my mind that "you can't have a waterbirth due to previous haemorrhage" is one of those issues that doesn't actually have a lot of data to support it. If they cannot point you at any research that justifies their blanket ban it puts you in a much stronger position to argue their "advice" is maybe not so robust as it could be.

How do you feel about having a cannula fitted prophylactically? Have they told you how big the risk is that you may need it in such a hurry that having it in place may make a significant difference to the outcome?

You might find these phrases by Mary Cronk useful for helping to keep you in the frame of mind that the consultant doesn't make the final decision - I never really used them (except once in labour to get the MW to take her arm off my back), but I found it really useful to remind myself that just because that's what the consultant said it didn't mean that was the way things had to go and that what I thought was important and did have weight. I also found the "Remember to use your TBRAINS" phrase from the NCT useful whilst in labour:

Do we have Time to Talk about this?
What are the Benefits?
What are the Risks?
What are the Alternatives?
What does my Intuition say?
What happens if we do Nothing for now?
Smile!

Lastly, I accepted induction for DD2 at 36 weeks (after she died in utero). An induced hospital birth was no where near my first choice, but the experience was actually not as bad as I feared. I only needed 2 lots of gel to get going, and the labour was then fairly quick and fairly straightforward - and I have been given to understand that inductions for multips are generally a lot less likely to end in further intervention than for first timers. My first choice from a medical perspective would still be to wait it out and let LO arrive as and when ready (within reason) - but depending on circumstances earlier induction might be the best option for you (or me) at any particular point in time, and at least I now have a little bit of confidence that it doesn't have to end in drama and a highly medicalised birth.

Sorry that's so long . Hope your consultant is more informative today and you can come up with a plan you feel confident and supported in :)

I just wanted to add - I was told by mw dd1 would be over 8lbs, she was 6lb 14oz and arrived at 39 +5. They are not always very acurate on that.

I've heard that water can slow things down (but I'm not an expert), but they should be willing to allow you to labour in the water and get out for delivery if they're worried about the bleeding. Do not let them take over your birth - not being listened to is what left me very down after dd1's birth and I still resent it now 3.5 years on. Get dp fully briefed on what you want and make sure he's willing to stand up for you. I recently got messed around at a consultant appointment (my second pg at the moment) and dh really stepped in and refused to let them walk all over me when I was feeling fragile and unable to argue my case. He didn't kick off or anything (not really him at all) but he spoke firmly in a voice I'm really not used to. He was fab.

Consultants sometimes need you to be clear about your fears and when they push them aside you will need to say "no, actually this is a big issue and I need to talk about this with you right now".

Good luck and congratulations on your pregnancy x

thanks for all of your input, i've not had a chance to respond before as second sweep was friday, sat I scrubbed my new house & baby wyatt was born sunday at 11.59, with no need for induction no need for epidural, gave birth squatting down after spending 2 hours or so stood bent over the bed, gas & air only did have a 2nd/3rd degree tear but again gas/air & local was back home after 6 hours.

this time it's been so much more relaxed and such a different birth, I was so worried, but really can't prise the hospital enough (apart from maybe the food and the lack of the epidural but on the whole it's been a lot positive).

(oh and he was only 7lb 12 oz, and the midwife's said I was feisty as she wanted to examine me and I told her no only if she did it with me over the bed ass in the air. lol. I was more vocal in demands and shouting poor DP was scared but he did brilliantly.)

I had DS at 41+3 naturally but was due to be induced the next day anyway.
Personally I wouldn't have left it any longer than that because of the potential danger to the baby. You still have lots of time left to go into labour naturally

Oh realised you've had the baby
Congratulations!

Oh congratulations - sounds like a lovely birth. Enjoy your new DS and new house!

Congrats! ONly just noticed was going to respond to your Op and say dont be induced lol!

Congratulations!
you've really given me a boost in confidence DT Hope I can be as arsy!!

I just had an induction, and wouldn't advise it unless it's medically necessary. My body got very very tired, and I ended up having an epidural which I'd tried to avoid.
I'm sure if my body had gone into labour naturally I would have been prepared for the birth and much more able to deal with it, as inductions can be very intense.