Has anyone refused induction??

[Bangonthedoor]

So I'm 40+1 with #2 and yes although I know I've still got several days before they talk about arranging an induction, I kind of want to be a bit more prepared this time.

DD was born at 42+1 following induction. Those of you who have been induced know how crap it can be and long! It took 4 days from beginning of induction to DD being born.

Basically I'm just looking for facts/experiences/advice on refusing an induction? I feel because this will probably be my last baby I want to have the best chance possible to labour naturally and to know what it's like to spontaneously go into labour. Not only that, I can't be waiting around in the hospital for days waiting for baby when DD is in childcare!

Of course I know I've still got every chance it can happen naturally, I just remember this feeling all to well.....

I refused induction with DD1. She was 8 days late, so born the day after my doctor wanted to induce.

Induction doesn't have to be long. For DS I got started with a gel pessary around 7pm and then next morning they set up a pitocin drip at 7am. My doctor said baby should be born just around 3. He was 6 minutes off. I was glad I agreed to the induction as he was a much bigger baby than anyone thought he was and I don't know what would have happened if he had got any bigger. However, the hospital had booked lots of women for induction that day, and they were swamped with a huge number of spontaneous labours on top of that, and somehow managed to underschedule anesthesiologists, so I went through the whole thing without the epidural I wanted.

When DD2 was due I refused induction, not because induction itself had turned out horrible but because of the epidural business. I felt I would be better off taking my chances on spontaneous labour. I went into labour and slept through most of it, woke realising I needed to get to the hospital pretty soon, and DD2 was born 40 mins after they wheelchaired me in the door. So much for knowing what it's like to go into labour naturally -- make sure you don't sleep right through it...

The next two were induced due to lack of amniotic fluid in one and gestational diabetes with the other, necessitating delivery bang on the due date.

I remember feeling defeated and a bit of a failure when my doctor started talking induction, and resisted for this reason. It's a sensitive issue. My mum advised me to try to count my blessings, be thankful for healthy babies all born nice and pink with no drama and in hindsight it's easy to see how valid that point is.

Oh and I had no time to get set up with an epidural for DD2 in the end...

I'm also interested in this. I'm 41+2 and have been booked in for an induction at 41+6. However, my gut feeling is that if baby is ok then I'd like to wait another few days past induction date. The midwife didn't seem too keen on this when I suggested it but ultimately, it's your decision and you can always choose to be monitored instead. Of course, hopefully if won't come to that!

I don't really understand why you would refuse, given that the reasoning is to ensure the safest delivery for you and your baby?
I can appreciate the duration issues having been induced myself, but just genuinely don't see why you wouldn't just put up with it for the sake of the baby.
Honestly not trying to be inflammatory, it would just never cross my mind to refuse.

DC 1 was induced and it all went rather smoothly - luckily for me. It took a day and a half for anything to start and I laboured through the night so I was exhausted when he arrived. But it was a good experience on the whole.

DC2 I felt how you feel. I wanted to labour naturally and give myself & baby time for it to feel right.

But it was also hot (August) and I had SPD, DH was getting stressed and our childcare was getting complicated. So at 40+11 I started (knew nothing would happen, they give you a tablet here and the first day it is oy a test dose. As soon as possible I signed myself out and went home for the night to start again the next morning)
Second day started induction process at about 8:30 I think. Very light contractions until my waters broke at 4pm. DD arrived at 17:50.

I can inderstand not wanting to be induced. I has a spontaneous labour with DS at 40+1 and it was pretty quick. This time they are already talking about wanting to start induction at 39 weeks due to me being 40.

I suspect I will just go along with it because im terrified the child could be still born if I don't but ideally, given the option, I'd like to let nature take it's course again.

Thanks ladies

lioness - it's really just because I want the chance to labour naturally when my body is ready rather than being forced into it (my body not me) it all sounds very hippy I know. Of course I want my baby to be safe and that is most important to me. I just can't help but feel I'll be failing if I can't do it on my own.

Especially when you spend your whole pregnancy being told by people not to worry because 2nd ones are always easier and always on time!

Thanks kitty, although I've been trying most things since week 38

I think it's a bit of a misnomer to say that it's the safest way of delivering your baby.... At my hospital your induction will be booked from 41+3 to 42+1 depending on where weekends/bank holidays fall. So to ask for a couple more days of they want to induce you at 10 days late can't really be a huge risk.

I refused an induction with dc2, she was born at home the day before they initially wanted to induce me anyway so we never really got into it but midwives were totally supportive of delaying with monitoring.

My reasons for delaying were totally personal, my first was late but a very straightforward labour so I trusted my body and I also lost a friend during an induction so I was irrationally against them.

I was booked in for an induction with my first baby. I wasn't happy as I was aiming for a home birth. However nobody actually bothered to tell me where to go or when to turn up so I could have easily claimed ignorance!
As it happened a sweep set off labour and baby was born at home as planned.

I guess you're best showing you're aware of risks and prepared to manage those risks. Suggest regular monitoring to spot problems asap. Good luck

I refused the 'standard' induction appointment at 40+10. Went into labour at 40 + 13 and baby born at home (planned homebirth) at 40+14.

I read up a lot about induction and due dates and whatnot and felt perfectly comfortable opting for monitoring after 40+14 (as it was, didn't need to as had had baby by then). Baby was fine at all scans, I could feel movement, she wasn't getting too huge, etc.

I think I probably would have got to about 40 + 18 before I'd have caved in and been induced.

I did all manner of things to try to kick it off (many sweeps, acupuncture, walking, swimming). In the end, I think it was lots of sex that got things moving.

Thanks citydweller I've tried most things but not sex might have to cave and resort to that later.

Could have written this post myself. In exactly the same situation but 39+4 weeks now. I have my first sweep booked at 40+1 but not holding my breath as with ds I had two unsuccessful sweeps.

Really want to avoid induction as was not nice last time and eager to go into labour naturally. Last time I was induced at 40+10 due to lack of fluid and it took two days and two pressaries to work and then ended up with me panicking, having an epidural and then in Theatre having to be cut. I am actually quite scared of it again.

I also want to refuse induction but I am worried about the statistics of going past 42 weeks. Not been doing much to try and bring about on though as quite sceptical seeing as last time I did walks, sweeps, sex, pineapple, birthing ball and curry and nothing worked. Been doing a bit of birthing ball and baths this time. But starting to feel worried to be honest

Hi,

I'm debating refusing induction too but not sure what the best thing is to do!

I was induced with dd at 42 and ds at 40+13 and I'm due dc3 on Tues and just not sure what to do for the best!

I didn't have bad inductions to be fair but I would love a natural labour and I also hated the waiting about although I'll probably see it as a break from the older two this time lol

If anyone has anymore info that would be great as I obviously wouldn't want to put baby at any sort of risk either!

Hope you go into labour before then op!

Thanks cleoteacher and dm86 for replies. I was so optimistic up until the beginning of this week when reality started to set in that induction would be on the cards again. I just want a chance to have my baby naturally. I too would like further advice/info on the stats.

Are you happy your dates are right? I refused as I knew the scan date was wrong, so the whole 'increased risk' thing wasn't applicable. My mw was very supportive.

My experience and game plan was much like CityDweller. I think it was easier to stand my ground with last baby because I kind of knew my body by then, and the baby was plenty active. The MWs said at the birth that the babe+placenta looked very healthy, not overcooked at all (I was 40+12).

DM refused induction with me (3rd baby) and I was 16 days late DM says she went on a really long walk and went into labour that night spontaneously. She says that after she delivered the placenta the dr said it was "on the verge of packing up" so probably just as well she had me then!

I think I saw somewhere in the last few days that only 4% of babies are born on their actual due date.

Wrt testing once I went past my due date (every single time) I was booked for a variety of tests non-stress testing x 2 for most of them, and an extra ultrasound each. That was a bit of a pita to deal with as I had to arrange childcare every time except for DD1.

However, it satisfied all concerned that the baby was doing ok, except in the case of DC4 when the ultrasound showed the low amniotic fluid and at that point I was asked to go home, pack a bag figure out childcare and come back before 6 pm. They inserted a pessary at 7 pm and I didn't need any more intervention -- DD3 was born about 2 am.

I hate inductions. I was induced at 39+5 because I was lowing fluid rapidly and DC1 wasn't growing.
I had an intensely painful sweep the day before and then within 2 hours of the pessary being inserted, I was getting what I thought were labour pains every 90 seconds. Midwife found no evidence and left me. I was only allowed paracetemol.
Another 4 hours later and I was eventually moved to labour ward as it was 'obvious' that I was suffering a great deal with contractions every '90 seconds'. They attached the drip, fluids and antibiotics for GBS but LEFT the pessary. Contractions were intense.
Another 3 hours later, I had a placenta abruption, foetal distress (HB < 60), DC needed resuscitating, I ost 2 litres of blood, it was such a close call DC had NO BLOOD left in the cord when they went to test it and as they were performing my EMCS, my uterus had torn just moments before they carried it out.
It was the most traumatic event of my life, as well as for DH, who was so traumatised he vowed NEVER to have any more children.
3 years later we are 5 weeks from an ELCS delivering our baby girl. I managed to persuade him that that event would NEVER occur again and he insisted on an ELCS, I insisted on an ELCS and the hospital 100% agreed too, citing that natural was more dangerous (due to abruption and tear) and induction was out of the question as they said I had had a 'rare reaction' to it.
Everyone I know who has been induced a second time has ended up with an EMCS and said (compared to natural labour) it was far worse than natural labour because the body is forced to do something it isn't prepared for.

Yes very low rate give birth of due date. Bit worried about statistics of stillbirth after 42 weeks and how much they rise but think will go to that if can.

My wise community midwives told me that doctors are very ready to talk about the risks of going over 42 weeks but less so about the risks of induction, which are themselves very real. I know several people who have ended up with interventions because of the induction rather than because of the natural progress of labour. The post-42 weeks statistics are also worth looking into in themselves.

The PP who asked why anyone would refuse induction - inductions are carried out to protocol, not individual assessed risk. By inducing labour in a woman whose body is not ready, you raise the likelihood of complications in labour. Balancing the risks of induction and post-dates babies is far more complicated than the message women are given by many healthcare professionals. Inductions are often carried out for the convenience of hospitals more than anything else - in a similar scenario to a pp, a friend of mine had to insist on leaving after a scan at 40+10 (which showed no problems) after being told if she left, her baby could die. And then calling up four days later as told, to say she was coming in, she was told no room at the inn. In the end, her baby was born at 43 weeks perfectly healthy by c-section after four days of failed induction. So the drama at 40+10 was entirely unfounded and just caused her huge stress.

TooSpotty is right inn that often inductions are carried out to protocol, not individual assessed risk.

At risk of an unwanted induction on my due date with DS1 my midwife coached me with the questions to ask regarding my body's readiness for labour. When I heard, after an internal carried out by the registrar, that my cervix was still hard and posterior, and knowing that it was only my due date, I declined his proffered induction, holding firm when the consultant was wheeled in.

I was told that I had 'come to the hospital to have this baby' so should just agree to the induction. I knew I had come to the hospital to find out some specific things about the situation as it stood at that time and simply informed them of my choice to go home. There, as planned, I gave birth a week and a day later (41+1) to DS1 when he was ready to make his appearance.

The funny thing that I will always remember is being asked by the registrar (and this will out me to those in the know) what sort of doctor I was. My reply was that I held a PhD in building engineering. His comment was "You know an awful lot about cervixes [sic] for a building engineer."