Birth 'choices' 1st time mum at 41. Estimated birth weight 9.5 to 10lb

[lozster]

Hi there. I am 34 + 5 and I'm looking for some advice before I see the consultant at 36 weeks to agree a birth plan.

I'm 41, this is my first child after ttc for 7 years. I am classed as high risk due to my age. I have had extra scans because of this but would have been given them anyway as the baby and me are measuring so big. His largest measurement is his abdomen at the 120th centile. My partner and me are average height and weight but have been told there is no cause for concern.

In terms of the birth I have been told, in the context of research staff trying to recruit me for a study, that older mums are at much higher risk of still birth at term/beyond term. I have also been told that older women respond poorly to the drugs used for induction. Add in my baby's large size and I'm really worried about the birth and what to ask for. My gut says to get him out ASAP in whatever manner has least risk but the mid-wife and drs to date have been really non-committal in offering advice. Any advice or thoughts?

Thanks

They are doing a study into older mums being offered early induction because there isn't enough knowledge about it yet to decide if it is worth doing.

And foetal measurements are notoriously inaccurate (birth weight estimates pounds out... plenty of stories on here!).

So, I know this isn't going to help you loads but the reason people have been non-committal so far could well be that they are not in a position to know what is best.

Being out isn't necessarily safer than being in (baby needs to be able to suck, breath, regulate own temperature etc) before a certain point.

When that point is varies to some extent with different women/babies.

IIWY, and obviously I'm not, then I'd be wanting to go to term (+ a few days margin for error in dates) and then decide if I felt like any sweeps/induction etc. You can have very regular monitoring from term too if that would make you feel more confident.