41+9 and feeling super panicky

[MBRaz]

Hello everyone,
This is my first time posting - I am 41+9 days and feeling really nervous that I haven't had enough monitoring! I am booked in for an induction on Friday and can't help feeling like I am a bit lost in the system - my midwife (who I see at gp surgery) tried to get me booked in earlier (both for a sweep & induction) but they were too busy or booked up because of the bank holiday.

It has been a v easy low risk pg so I should be happy but I can't help worrying I'm leaving the baby in for too long and there will be complications. Does anyone have any comforting words or advice about inductions? I feel like I only read horror stories about them on here...

Thanks!

Hi Op firstly are you sure your dates are right? Did your own estimated date differ from the scan date?
Is your baby well grown and active?
Is it your first baby?

It is my first, yes - and according to all the mw appointments she is well grown and she has been consistently active. The dates differed by a couple of days (by my estimation I am only 7days overdue). Does that make a difference?

Hi
I dont have a pleasant induction story to share im afraid, but regarding dates i was induced at 42+2 and DD was born at 42+4 and she was absolutely fine.

Let them know in the meantime if you are worried re movements etc and they will check you out, but probably the up side of waiting is that you will be induced on a day when they are fully staffed and ready for you, and the post bank holiday rush will have slowed, so from that aspect it will be safer. Maybe your midwife can fit you in for an extra appt to listen to the heartbeat etc and put your mind at rest?

I was induced. I'm just going to be honest - it was horrible and there were complications and ended up having an emergency C-section, quickly followed by a blood transfusion. I was a bit scared for a while we might both die. Thing is though, these people are good at what they do. Better than good. So while it felt like touch & go, really it wasn't, they had it under control. And while it was traumatic at the time, at the end of it it was over and I had my lovely baby and it was all worth it. Many will have had better or worse experiences than me of induction, but luckily, for almost all, the end result is the same. It's horrible going overdue, its horrible being induced (the surgery was actually not unpleasant - bar the slight worry that the bleeding wouldnt stop...) its horrible going through labour - IMO, but well worth it to meet the most important person to ever come into your life. Good luck, but you will not need it you will be well cared for xx

Hi op so you will be 10 days over on Friday ? That's ok, would second advice up thread that if you are worried about movements go and get checked.
I have been induced twice both went smoothly and had normal deliveries that were fine really :)

I was induced with both DC. Pessary at 6 pm with DS, slight pains in early hours through to full blown labour around 6 am and forceps delivery at 10.13 am. It was fine - made my eyes water , but was not a traumatic experience at all. With DD I was induced just after 10 am, and she was born at 11.29 am. Again, it was fine. Sadly, I think people tend to focus on the horror stories, whereas those of us who luckily don't have them, perhaps keep quiet!

Good luck - not long to wait now! [

Hi OP, both my girls were overdue. My first was 11 days (lovely birth at birth centre). Avoided induction! 2nd was 15 days over and I was in the hospital to be induced! They had no room for me the evening of 42 weeks so they gave me a bed and I went into spontaneous labour in the wee small hours. Another lovely birth. All is not lost. As obvious and ludicrous as it sounds, try not to panic. Breathe. They're going to look after you and your precious baby-first thing that will happen is CTG monitoring and they'll let you know what is going on. Very best of luck.

So you are currentl 41 wks and nine days? So 42wks plus 2 days ie 16days past your due date?

At this stage you shoukd be having expectant management ie regular monitering (every few days) to maje sure all is well.

Are you happy with babies movements etc? Call labour ward and get checked if you have any concerns.

Induction on fri would put you at term plus 19? Days which is when i had my fs3, he was fine. I had to fight to go that overdue so suprised at the hospital tbh but they all have varying policies.

I had a great induction, no complications. With 2nd dc, I was due to be induced on a Monday morning, but went into labour and have birth quite quickly on the Sunday night
Don't listen to the horror stories, there are plenty of great induction stories, but they aren't very interesting so people don't tell them as often as the horrible stories!

And if you are only seven days iver by your dates its better actually, so you will be ten days on fri?

Oh no - sorry I meant 40+9. Stupid brain not working!

Two inductions here too, both fine, trouble-free and manageable. Both on my due date, planned well in advance due to Getational diabetes.

First one was 26 hrs from pessary to baby with 13 hours from recognisable contraction to birth. Second time round it was 13 hours start to finish with only 3 hrs from start of contractions to birth. Both times I was told I was not 'favourable' and they expected it would take a few pessaries to get things started.

Best of luck, hope all goes well!

Ah that's fine. Policy is term plus 14days according to nice guidelines. Then they can offer induction, you don't have to accept it.

first of all in some countries the gestation period is counted as 42 weeks, and in others 41- so you're not freakish or dangerous as long as you are feeling movement etc..DS2 emerged spontaneously at 40+5, DS1 was induced at 40+4 and it was straightforward- the pessary didn't work on me but the drip did, I got to 6cm before twas painful enough for an epidural- then I had a nice nap, woke up 4 hours later as it wore off, pushed for 2 hours and had the baby. the drip did limit my movement a bit but most places will let you move around on wireless monitoring or get into a pool and things like that.
so yes, my 2 hour second labour was preferable but the induction was fine. you will be fine

In your situation i'd be more worried about induction. Your baby and you sound in excellent health. On the continent you aren't even considered overdue until 42 weeks. Unless there is a problem like low amniotic fluid etc I would avoid induction which can lead to further complications. Humble and controversial opinion, of course. I would do as much research about induction as poss and look up 'Bishop's Score Chart'. (My DS was born at home about 15 days late according to scan. 6-8 hour natural birth, v healthy baby but only 7.6lbs - if he had been induced this story would have been v different...)

clickingtock can you clarify, what would have been 'very different' if you had been induced?

I would have been in hospital not at home for starters.

Both my babies were induced at 40+10 and there were no problems with either labour.

Hi op,

Have you asked if your maternity unit at the hospital can do a sweep before Friday? They might be able to fit you in as it's a fairly quick procedure.

I'm also overdue (40+11) and couldn't get an appt with my midwife at my gp surgery, so asked if the midwives at the hospital would do one instead (had it yesterday - not pleasant but it was ok). I thought it would be worth trying a sweep before going for full induction (I'm booked in for Friday too) so was fairly pushy about saying I'd like an appt at the hospital.

All the best for the next few days :)