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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Anyone know what percentage of inductions end in c-section?

20 replies

Cocobear · 13/03/2007 14:36

In the last year I've known more than 10 women - friends and family - who for one reason or another had to be induced (quite the run of bad luck, eh?). Every one of them ended in an emergency c-section.

Which begs the question: if you're going to be induced, is it better to just go with a planned c-section? I don't want to rely on skewed anecdotal evidence, so does anyone have the relevant stats?

I don't want a CS either way but I suppose if it came down to it I'd rather it was planned! Hopefully this kid will happen along naturally, but in the spirit of being prepared for anything...

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TheBlonde · 13/03/2007 14:41

I doubt the NHS would give you the choice to be honest!

fannyannie · 13/03/2007 14:41

haven't got a clue on the stats - but I was induced for my VBAC with DS2 and he came out the door rather than through the sunroof (all be it with a bit of help with ventouse).

steph101 · 13/03/2007 15:26

I went into hospital 8 days after my due date to be induced. In total there were 5 ladies that morning for induction. 4 ended up in emergency c sections and 1 (3rd baby) delivered normally. It does depend thou on what you class an emergency c section - with me once the decsion was made it was all systems go and it was manic but I had a friend who had a section after being induced but there was no emergency about it - just slow to progress.

fannyannie · 13/03/2007 15:27

yes - don't forget that an "emergency" CS is classed as such simply because it wasn't planned before the birth.

DS1 was an "emergency" CS - but they waited for 4hrs for my breakfast to digest before performing - so it wasn't really an emergency per se - just not an elective.

RubyRioja · 13/03/2007 15:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

madmarchhare · 13/03/2007 15:50

not discounting those that could have been sections anyway iyswim.

NineUnlikelyTales · 13/03/2007 16:09

My consultant told me that 1/3 of inductions end in interventions, which could be ventouse, forceps or c-section.

Loopymumsy · 13/03/2007 20:18

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Hulababy · 13/03/2007 20:22

No stats, but my induction ended in c section. To be fair though, I now know that there are other medical reasons which made a cs inevitable, and a natural birth almost impossible. so I don't think the induction was the cause.

Doulaklaw · 13/03/2007 21:03

Thing is, why are inductions been done in the first place?

Because the baby hasn't arrived by a certain arbitrary time that the HCPs think, on average, babies should arrive? Or for a VALID medical resaon like Pre Eclampsia, for example.

Babies are born BETWEEN 37and 42 weeks on average but that does not mean that babies don't arrive outwith those times. And 40wks is the most average, some babies are ready by 38, some cook till 42wks or more.

There used to be a great website which explained all of this and helped me to wait for my spontaneous labour. Unfortunately the web mistress had to give it up for family reasons and we have lost a brilliant site.

I had copied a lot of it for my reference and so have pasted it on to my site. Unfortunately I can't tell my URL without seeming like I'm advertising. But I've just noticed that Gloria Lemay has pasted a lot of it into a thread Midwifery Today and I'm honoured that she used my tagline - just say 'no' to induction

It may be difficult to read but have a try as it may help you to make up your own mind about induction, as I did

Induction really needs to be kept for the truly necessary situations if a Bishops Score of >5 or even 8 is there. If not I'd think straight to CS, if baby really needed to be out for it's or mum's sake.

Does this make sense, have a screaming child who wants my attention, nto sure if I've explained correctly.

fishie · 13/03/2007 21:06

100% for me

doulamummy · 13/03/2007 21:08

Another Doula I know was at an induced hospital birth last month and the midwife there told her that 9 out of 10 inductions end in c-section.......shocking!!!

mollymawk · 13/03/2007 21:10

Inductions are one of those things that concern me a bit, in the sense that it seems to me that there is often great keenness by dcotors to induce just because the baby is "late" rather than because there actually seems to be any problem. The 40 weeks is not even, as far as I know, a proper average based on studies, but a rather arbitrary figure devised by some man in the 1820s (really). In other countries than the UK the "due date" is not even 40 weeks anyway.

TuttiFrutti · 13/03/2007 21:24

At my hospital the rate for inductions ending in c-section is 33%, and I think that's about average.

sheepgomeep · 13/03/2007 21:26

well my ds was induced and I went onto having a normal birth.. no forceps or anything and no c section.

Can see why many inductions do end in c sections though.. horrible horrible procedure (induction I mean)

lucy5 · 13/03/2007 21:29

No Idea but I have been induced twice both times for different reasons and one ended in C-section.

Original poster

Cocobear · 14/03/2007 09:04

Thanks everyone. Did contact my hospital and they're at 50% just like Loopy's (it is a big London hospital so likely deal with lots of complicating factors). Personally I think that once you're hitting 50/50 odds they should offer you elective. I mean if you're headed to the OR anyway, you may as well get there without 40 hours of agonising pain!

Doulaklaw - thanks for that. Made perfect sense! Best way to avoid induction - if it's not a medical issue - is to refuse it, I suppose.

OP posts:

NineUnlikelyTales · 14/03/2007 09:26

I refused induction and my DS was born at 42+6. Apgar score after 1 minute was a perfect 10. I just knew he was doing well in there and with no signs of him wanting to come earlier (cervix not favourable for a sweep even, until 42+4) I would definitely have ended up with a c-section. The birth was difficult but I am so glad I trusted my instincts and refused the induction.

To be fair, the consultant I saw was happy for me to wait (didn't try to put unnecessary pressure on me) and he explained all the options and statistics.

throckenholt · 14/03/2007 09:32

I was induced twice - "natural" birth both times.

First time 38 weeks, because of high blood pressure - 4 lots of gel, waters ruptured, then syntocinon drip (ugh), epidural, straight forward vaginal delivery.

Second time 35 weeks, twins - one stopped growing - 2 lots of gel, waters ruptured, (no syntocin - yay !), epidural (went a bit wrong and could feel nothing from the shoulders down), straight forward vaginal delivery.

thehairybabysmum · 14/03/2007 10:21

Induction as waters broke, gel after 24 ish hours then drip after 90+ hrs, induction after PROM is because of risk of infection to baby.

I got to 10cm dialted and midwife was letting me have a rest before pushing but then had e-c/s as DS heart went low and stayed low (had been up and down throughout until then).

They examined me but he hadnt descended enough for instruments so hence v rapid c/s.

Personally i feel that he just wasnt ready to come out as no sigh of natural labour even with 4 days of waiting, hence he felt a bit stressed by all the activity!

Induction was ok (with the help of epidural ) and although my recovery from CS was fine; i would still say avoid c/s if poss

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