calling all overdue - how long did they let you go and what decision did you make?

[painterly]

Hi all, I am now 40+11 pregnant and planning a home vbac waterbirth. I had an emcs due to pre-eclampsia 5 years ago, and a sucessful hospital vbac 3.5 years ago.

I have agreed to go in for an induction discussion at 40+13(scan dates, which is 40+11 by LMP dates).

I feel very strongly that if I haven't gone into labour by then, the induction will prob end in another emcs, which naturally I want to avoid.

So the question is, has anyone else been in this situation and how long did they let you go/did you go/were you happy to go before you gave in to a c/s or went into labour naturally?

I am hoping after thurs they may just monitor me on postnatal and give me another couple of days naturally..

tia

Bishops score is great! At 42 weeks with DC 1 my score was 0! Which is presumably why the induction was so horrid. With a 7, you should go very soon

TBH by the time I got to 3, I was expecting it. I worked until 40 weeks and was absolutely fine (teaching teenagers with SN, physical job!). Some women are just slow cookers

Hope it all kicks off you soon OP! I went to +14 with my first, had v supportive homebirth midwives who were happy to do expectant management. Had to see consultant at +13 who was happy to leave it to +21 if EM was fine.

I was booked in for an induction at term + 2 weeks, but waters broke a couple of days before that, but labour didn't establish, mw tried pessaries and then a drip but still not much prgress so ended up with a c-section. Good job really as DD was massive! 9lbs 10oz.

OMG Rilla +21.

Thanks crunchy. Hats off to you working to 40 weeks with such a full on job, though I think there is a lot to be said for keeping positive and distracted which I've found pretty hard with a whole month of maternity behind me already. Nearly there now though

Sorry to hear that Beamur.. that's what I am hoping to avoid!

I didn't have any strong opinions about how I wanted the delivery to be, so I was pretty sanguine about the outcome. I'm not upset or sad about what happened. I had a healthy baby and I recovered just fine from the surgery.
Hope things go as you want them to.

Bishops Score of 7 is a good sign! With my dc2 (40+11 on my dates, induced and ARM then delivery 1hr later) I only had a Bishops score of - I think - 3 or 4 before induction yet it was quick and straightforward and fairly natural! Good luck!

Hi all, yes have had continuous monitoring and am due to be induced tomorrow if nothing hots up v soon!

Fuckwittery thanks for your story.. good to know that others have done it too - I think it is more sensible than going for a pessary induction and also I'm only 42 +1 today by my lmp so it could just be the bean needed a little more cooking! fx I go tonight and don't have to have an induction tomorrow... having said that it would only be waters being broken as they reckon they can get in through the 2.5cms I was last Monday - hopefully more by tomorrow but who knows? Childbirth is such an odd thing!

thanks for all the good wishes x

I am planning a Home water birth vbac too! My son was born at 42+5 by emcs after a torturous 3 day induction caused fetal distress.

In my debrief, it was said that perhaps I could have had a placenta function scan, I now it is not 100% conclusive, but it might give you confidence to go longer? I think if I had I might have hung on another 2/3 days and might not have needed induction.

Induction with a vbac is very highly likely to result in medicalised birth, in fact it already will be as the drug induced labour is more challenging to tolerate than natural when Oxytocin in full flow.

Personaly I would never be induced again, I would wait as long as I was comfortable to, with heartrate monitoring daily, up to 43 weeks, then opt for c section. Perhaps there are support groups or good quality info on post dates as you are highly unlikely to get this from your hospital, especially not from a doctor.

Keep strong and hold your own, the scaremongering can be pretty tough, I know. All the best for the birth!

p.s. if you can avoid mechanical breaking of waters then I HIGHLY SUGGEST you do, let them go on their own, a little gel first would be the gentlest way to start induction, a pessary is stronger (I was told) and the drip is just brutal.

Good luck!

contact AIMS for stats on slight increase in scar problems post dates.. not done enough research myself to help you on this sorry.

Hi all.. update for you..!

They couldn't break my waters as even though my cervix was ready to go at one end, at the other it was shut like a vice! Had to do gel and they were going to give me 6 hours for it to work. Within 10 mins I was having full on 6 in 10 minute contractions...

stage 1: 1.25
stage 2: 29 min
stage 3: 19min
total: 2hrs 13min

Baby fine, and already feeding and sleeping well. She was not overcooked and no meconium in waters so no breathing probs even through 17 days over. God knows what was going on! Am really glad the waters did rupture on their own as it meant the baby was happy through an extremely intense labour.

Good luck LLLaura

Thanks MIssMavis.. it was a bit of a shock to us all as we'd been discussing the dreaded c just minutes before. They think all the excess water meant that the contractions weren't effective enough to open the top end. Really weird though and no-one I saw had seen that happen before..

Thank you tangerine... hearing you on the hard and fast

wow, that is intense! huge congratulations to you and your baby! excellent news :)