Has anyone asked for an early (but full term) induction?

[TheTodd]

Can anyone help me sort my head out a bit!

I'm 37 weeks pregnant. It's been a bit stressful, spent the first trimester bleeding (clots and the works) for weeks, kept being told to expect the worst but somehow the baby clung on. Middle months were ok pregnancy wise but very stressful personal life (berevement). I also had a family member loose their healthy baby at 40 weeks when I was 25 weeks, obviously this has devastated her and made me extra paranoid about the possibility. Since 33 weeks I've had to go to the midwife assessment unit three times because I couldn't feel the baby move. Twice this was due to the baby flipping transverse ways and the last occasion (Saturday just gone) they didn't really give me a reason. Everytime the baby has ended up being absolutely fine (although it took them a good half and hour to find the heartbeat the first time which was very distressing)

I saw my midwife yesterday, who is absolutely lovely and has been very sympathetic the whole time. She knows I had rather bad PND with my DD, and that I was just starting to feel fully recovered when I fell pregnant again (unplanned despite perfect compliance with contraception ) I saw her and burst into tears, told her how stressed I was feeling and how I didn't think I could cope with constantly kick counting any longer. I went two weeks overdue with DD (although wasn't induced) and have pretty much accepted that the same will happen this time. I just can't see me going into labour before 42 weeks, it's stuck in my head!

She has made a consultant's appointment for me for Monday. She said that it was worth going to 'see what they could do for me'. She did warn that some were more sympathetic than others (I don't know which catergory my consultant falls under!)

The thing is, I'm nervous about what to say. I don't know how realistic it would be to induce 'early' (although full term). What if they tell me to bugger off? I'm also scared of being offered a CS, would they tell me that's my only option if I wanted to deliver early? Should I just suck it up and put up with my anxiety for a bit longer? I'm very good at appearing outwardly calm, but inside my mind is going a mile a minute. I'm absolutely terrified I'm going to loose this baby.

I'm sorry it's long and rambling. But if anyone has any similar experiences or helpful advice I'd be very grateful.

I was offered an early induction (38 weeks) due to my SPD and having a very big baby, but on the proviso that my cervix was basically ready by that point (can't remember the exact term they used) as an induction when your cervix is still tightly closed is more likely to be ineffective.

I didn't actually want an induction so don't know much more about it but certainly seems worth asking for a consultant appt to discuss.

Sorry you have been having a shit time, are you looking after yourself? It's important to rest as much as you can even if you're having trouble actually sleeping. Good luck!

I think the anxiety is what needs dealing with rather than considering early induction. What about going for monitoring at the day unit every other day or something (if that's an option for you) just for reassurance?

See what the consultant says though, but I do think you have to prepare yourself for the fact that they will probably say no - if there's no medical reason to induce you then I don't see that it's something that they would do. What happened to your family member was awful :( but the chance of it happening to you is tiny, and I can't see how what happened to someone else would affect the decision a consultant would make.

If your body isn't ready for induction (which the earlier you go for it, the less likely it is to work) then it makes EMCS much more likely once you start the process. Early induction isn't shown to improve outcomes for babies (unless there's a medical condition indicating that baby is better out than in) Induction isn't without risk to you or the baby either.

You never know though, I could be proved completely wrong and the consultant will agree and induction will be a breeze :)

Thank you both for replying. To be honest I feel a bit of a fraud, Grumpla you had a genuine medical reason (I hear SPD is awful) for being induced, whereas I just need to calm down! My problem is I'm feeling like I did when I had PND, and part of me thinks if I go on Monday and they tell me to bugger off (nicely) then I'll feel like I'm being an idiot and it's my weak personality that's making me like this?

Fliss You are right about the anxiety levels, yes I may get induced and get my baby early, but then what will I be anxious about? Most likely cotdeath and my ability to breastfeed (which were my two issues last time around) I can't decide if delivering a bit earlier will help me veer off the path of PND because I 'got sorted' before my anxiety increases, or whether its not going to do anything. I really don't want to end up like I did last time, especially as now I have a toddler who knows what crying is and will be upset to see her Mummy do it.

You have both quite rightly pointed out it may be beyond anybodies control if my body isn't favourable, which I have to accept. My midwife did say though that because I've had a labour and VD before that this would help. Perhaps I should ask for an early sweep instead? I don't know how effective they are (couldn't have one last time as the community midwives were severly stretched and they only had time to do basic monitoring)

My consultant recommended inducing labour at 38 weeks with my DC3. It had been a very stressful pregnancy and there were concerns about problems with the baby, but the reason for suggesting induction was to help with my stress levels. She didn't think I could cope with the last few weeks of pregnancy and waiting for labour. So in a way, quite a similar situation to you.

It helped me very much to lose all that uncertainty about when the baby would arrive. I didn't need to worry about childcare. My consultant was also able to speak to the manager of the labour ward and the consultant who would be on duty that day, and tell them to wrap me in cotton wool. For example, rather than starting the induction on a 4 bed ward, they started me off in the delivery room I would stay in until delivery. And they planned to transfer me to a different post-natal ward where I could have my own room. So I was really well looked after.

The biggest disadvantage was that the labour became a bit more medical. I have pretty easy labours but this was my most unpleasant one. Nothing major, and tbh I was in such a state that maybe it was inevitable. In that situation again, I'd get a doula to try to keep a calm atmosphere in the delivery room and plan specifically for an induced labour.

hth, and good luck

Don't for a second think this is because you have a 'weak personality' - you've seen someone close to you undergo one of the most awful things anyone can experience, and you suffered a genuine illness after the birth of your DD.

I'm just not sure that early induction would solve the problem - like you say, the worry could then be about something else rather than going away, or if the induction brought about issues (such as intervention, or EMCS) then would you be likely to blame yourself for that?

Some amount of worry is normal - I'm 35w at the moment, had a reasonably difficult induction with DD at 42w and I worry about what is the right thing to do and when, but we can't predict the future. We can't say for sure what the best course of action (or even inaction) is until after the event. Sweeps only seem to work if you're going to go into labour soon anyway, but there's no reason why one couldn't be carried out during a normal AN appointment so it's not 'adding' to the workload, but most areas won't do them until the time their policy dictates which is usually after 40w.

Thank you Rolf , your consultant sounds lovely! I'm glad they were sympathetic. My birth with DD was fairly medicalised (epidural, episiotomy etc) and fortunately it was still a fairly positive experience so hopefully if I was to go down that route again it may no be too bad.

And thank you Fliss, you're right I need to stop saying that about myself, I just hate making a fuss! Seeing my poor cousin and the way she has (and still is) greiving is awful, it knocks you a bit

In my second pregnancy I have bad spd and geststational diabetes. I asked to be induced at 37 weeks. I felt I was really suffering. My consultant agreed to induce me at 38 weeks. He said I'd suffered enough.

I was really grateful

Hi, just a quick update for you kind posters who responded. I saw the Registrar today and he is not booking me in for an induction just yet

But on the plus side he was very kind, explained his reasons why (higher failure rate, increased chances of CS), and offered a few management techniques instead. He told me in no uncertain terms I could visit them as often as I liked for reassurance, gave me a full examination, and then scanned me just so he could show me what a lovely healthy baby I had He said I have an anterior placenta which may explain why I don't feel as much as my previous pregnancy.

Part of me is still a bit upset that I don't have a definative date, and I'm still fairly worked up, but it could have gone a lot worse and I did feel listened to.

Hi TheTodd, I wonder what happened with you? My situation is similar but a little bit different in that I have severe antenatal anxiety/OCD and would like some certainty about the date as for a variety of reasons, if family can't be with us, we won't have anyone to mind ds (2) and I may have to labour alone. I had a "dissociative state" after the birth of ds and can't remember the first 72 hours, followed by four months of continuing OCD etc and then mild/moderate depression which persisted up to getting pregnant again when it worsened for the first trimester. I am starting ADs but psychiatrist has warned that it may be hard to get dosage right before birth and the severity of my OCD means it may not subside before birth. I really want to avoid a repeat of last time... I am leaning towards asking for an induction for this reason...