whats standard if baby late?

[hostelgirl74]

First baby is due in a week. Can anyone tell me what is standard procedure if it is late assuming there are no problems (like high blood pressure etc). Do they give it 2 weeks more before suggesting induction? As my first one, am unsure what to expect if I go over.

You can refuse induction. If there are no problems, I would just let things happen naturally. Ime, first pregnancies tend to go over 40 weeks anyway, my first was almost 2 weeks 'late'. I am biased as my induction was not the best experience, my second baby was just as late but I decided against induction and things happened in their own time. DOn't feel pressured into doing anything you don't want to do, some hospitals seem to assume you'll be grateful of, or need, an induction after a week overdue. It's worth finding out from your midwife what their policy is.

12 days is standard round here. I was told that this was "just 'n case they can't fit you in on day 12, then they can bump you to 13 or 14" but when I wasn't keen on day 12 they started laying it on thick. Apparently if you cause a delay you are endangering your baby but if they delay it's just fine.

Pregnancy averages 40.5 weeks, but you are term anything from 37-42 weeks. Some places seem to think that mothers self combust at 42 weeks. But actually some women will naturally gestate for a a couple of week longer.

Have a look at the information on the AIMS site.

If they induce you, how do they normally do it? Are their different methods? Do you get a say in it? Does it mean I would have to go to labour ward instead of birthing centre i am currently booked in at?

Yes, inductions are higher risk so iv ones wont be done in birth centre. They usually start with a sweep first.

Yes, induction (anything more than a cervical sweep) would be on a labour ward.

They start you off in one of three ways - if your cervix is less than 2-3cm dilated, you will be given prostaglandin pessaries at around 6 hour intervals to soften the cervix and start contractions. After this, or if you are 2-3cm dilated on admission, they will break your waters (ARM) using what looks like a big crochet hook, hoping this will get contractions going in a couple of hours.

If this doesn't work, you'll be hooked up to a Syntocinon (synthetic oxytocin) drip which will make contractions start pretty hard and fast. There's no release of endorphins (your natural painkillers) with this and no gradual build up of contractions so a lot of women get an epidural. With the drip, you'll be advised to be continuously monitored which makes moving around pretty bloody difficult (regardless of the epidural) and being stuck on a bed can make labouring more difficult as you're working against gravity.

Here induction is suggested at 10 days, I went in at 14 days and was actually found a space on the labour ward for ARM at 15 days over and DD was born at 16 days over.

The risk of stillbirth does increase after 42 weeks but only from one tiny % to another tiny % and induction does carry it's own risks to mother and baby. It's entirely your decision even if it's not presented to you that way (eg you may be told 'our policy is to induce at 12 days over' but they won't tell you that you aren't obliged to follow their policies!)

If you don't consent to induction, you should be offered expectant management which are regular (daily/every two days) scans to check placental function and amniotic fluid levels and if there are issues with either of these then you can talk through your options with a consultant. As consent for induction seems to be the norm, some women do come up against problems with midwives and consultants not being wholly supportive of their decision not to induce (others have very supportive medical staff)

If you are worried, stressed or anxious though then this can delay the onset of natural labour, so try to relax! No-one stays pregnant forever, your baby will come one way or another :)

The main thing to remember is it is your decision - not the midwives, not the consultants.

so if you have one of those sweeps you can still birth in the birthing centre then?

Absolutely, if that's all you 'need' to get you going. They offer sweeps at home here.

My hospital seemed to have a policy that ARM was always followed by the drip.

DD was two weeks five days late by scan. I went into labour on my own thankfully as I was getting very bored of digging my heels in with the hospital.

I was offered and accepted a sweep at term + 7. They offered and I refused an induction at the policy 10 days over. I accepted an induction booking for term + 15 (I don't think I would have gone through with it) but had DD at term + 12. I had an appointment for foetal monitoring/fluid but never got to it as DD was born before it.

Just so you know I had syntocin recently and even when monitored could stand/rock/do strange movements. I wasn't kept flat on my back this time.

Katiebeau Unfortunately, the monitors in my delivery room didn't seem to work properly if I was anywhere but the bed :( I managed about 20 minutes on the birthing ball before a very concerned looking MW asked me to get back on the bed as the monitor wasn't picking anything up, to which I agreed, thinking that there might be a problem with the baby so wasn't going to argue the toss.

It wasn't until getting my notes months later that I actually realised that the shitty monitors didn't function all the time when I was on the bed either, had I realised that at the time then I'd have got myself back off the bed.

Fliss that's so crap!! The monitors did occasionally stop but there was no panic and it was as bad on the bed as DS was moving about still. In fact the MW would immediately tell me all was OK, just the monitor has moved!