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Childbirth

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

Original poster

usagal - in hosp bed - amnio in a min - then poss induction - positive vibes please x

107 replies

usagal · 18/05/2007 16:39

Hi everyone,

After yet ANOTHER bleed (and another one since being in here) my doc has said I should have an amnio to check for lung maturity and if it is ok they will go ahead with an induction. She has just left the room now and is going to come back with a time for the amnio to be done but it will be at some point today. .
I do still have the option of waiting one more week when I will be almost 37 weeks before the induction but I will probably have to stay in hospital until then. The bleeds are becomming more and more frequent (due to placenta abruption) so the longer we leave it the riskier a crash c-section becomes. I am in a bit of a dilema as to whether I should wait - but at the moment I am thinking I really wouldn't mind the last 18 weeks of strict bedrest and constant hospital admissions to be over. Am being reassured that most babies born at this stage do really well with very few problems. I know the best place for it is still inside me if everything were ok - but there is a risk that if the placenta pulls away completely then it would be a disaster. Just dont want to make a decision which could result in a poorly baby for a while. . My DH has bought in the laptop so hopefully will be able to keep you updated on any decisions we make - and possibly a live labour thread from the USA!

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lulumama · 18/05/2007 16:41

36 weeks is great going...see how it goes and what your doctor advises..and look forward to meeting your baby x

snowleopard · 18/05/2007 16:42

Wow usagal, good luck! - I have no idea what this is all like for you but I'd say where it comes to pregnancy and labour, your instincts count for a lot.

Klaw · 18/05/2007 16:56

Sending you calm peaceful yet effective labour vibes and very best wishes for a healthy happy baby!

Stay strong!

Original poster
usagal · 18/05/2007 16:58

Also....I am STILL not sure about an epidural. My previous two babies were really easy births (well they hurt lots but they were very quick and had gas and air only for dd and nothing for ds).I have heard that inductions can be more painful - but is this because they make you contract really quickly? If so - this happened naturally with me before and was fine. I am more frightened of having an instrument delivery than the pain itself and I think that if you have an epidural there is a higher risk of this happening. Also don't fancy the headache bit afterwards.
That said - both previous births were spontaneous not induced and didn't actually have a choice about pain releif as they were so quick! As this is going to be an iduction I have a choice about the pain thing seems a bit more scary!
My doc is lovely - and has recommeneded I try without the epidural - which makes sense given my previous experiences - just the thought of it all being just a few hours away is scaring the pants off me!
I am a bit gutted that my own actual doctor will not be able to deiver the baby if I am induced today as she is in clinic. I do know the doc who will be performing it should we go ahead and unfortunately out of all the docs she is the one I feel least comfortable with. She has never been awful or unprofessional but perhaps a little dismissive - and she speaks to the nurses like dirt - which makes me feel uncomfortable. She did deliver my friends baby and all was fine. I feel a bit funny about asking to wait a day before induction just for the doc reason though. In the grand scheme of things a healthy baby is the most important thing.

OP posts:
Klaw · 18/05/2007 17:10

Can you wait a day or two to be able to have your own doc?

Being uncomfortable with this other doc is not ideal....

what does your gut instinct say?

Klaw · 18/05/2007 17:13

I am not happy with epidurals either and inducitons are more intense and can lead to to further interventions. Ask if you can talk it over at LENGTH before going ahead, get all pros and cons of various scenarios and make a birth plan that you wish to follow.. ask for continuous care from a mw once induction starts and not be left attached to a flipping machine!

Original poster
usagal · 18/05/2007 17:14

I think my own doc would be able to do the delivery in more like 3 or 4 or 5 days. They rotate between clinic and hospital duties. Obviuosly if I went into labour spontaneously either now or at term I would have no choice - there would be a chance that my own doc could do it - but only about a 1 in 7. (thats how many there are in her practice) I have met all the docs when they do their rounds during my frequent hospital stays and the one on call today is the only one I have ever had a negative thought abou

OP posts:
Klaw · 18/05/2007 17:18

Does your hospital have a Doula programme? Can you ask for a female birth supporter to be with you so that you have added support in order to cope with this induction...

sorry if I've confused things but these are all things i would suggest to anyone in your situation so that hopefully you can make informed decisions.

Klaw · 18/05/2007 17:19

listen to your heart USAgal ((((((((((Hugs)))))))))

lulumama · 18/05/2007 17:21

i;d try to manage without the epidural, as you know you can cope, and it takes the birth into a more medicalised setting, than it is already! can you have a friend with you too, aswell as DH, or a doula as Klaw has suggested?>

alipiggie · 18/05/2007 17:34

usagal was only wondering how you were yesterday. What for it's worth, both my ds's were inductions and I managed both times on just gas and air. Try and hold out and manage without. The contractions may be stronger but I'm sure with all our positive vibes you can do it. Good luck - Colorado's here right with you

Original poster
usagal · 18/05/2007 18:46

Hi again!

Sadly I don't think there is a doula programme here. . As we are out in the states we are pretty much on our own family wise. I have been on bedrest for the last 18 weeks so our families have been great about coming out for two or three week stints to help look after the children whilst dh is at work. We were due to be induced a week today and my father in law is coming at the start of next week so that we would not have to worry about childcare for the birth. We have made friends with some neighbours - she is a labour and delivery nurse at the hospital I am in. However she is looking after the children for us!
I still don't have a time for the amnio yet and they said there is a 4 hour wait for the result - by which time it will be late afternoon here. - I was told yesterday that they prefer to start the induction as early in the day as poss so maybe I could just wait till tomorrow for the induction. I don't know which doc is on tomorrow - but as I said the others have all been great.
As far as I know the doc is only around for the very end of the delivery anyway - unless there are problems. Most of the time I will be looked after by a labour aqnd delivery nurse - which I def will have no control over - but they all seem lovely anyway.

OP posts:
lulumama · 18/05/2007 18:49

same as midwifery led care here !! hope all goes well, keep us posted !

lou031205 · 18/05/2007 20:51

usagal

I know that everyone is different, but I was induced and had a really easy labour with only Gas & Air for the last hour. 4 hours total (they think, but didn't know I was in labour until they told me to push, so it's a guess really).

macmama73 · 18/05/2007 21:12

Hi Usagal,
both my pregnancies ended with the birth being induced, one 2 weeks late, the other a week early (after my waters broke)

DD was born after a long labour, halfway through they offered an epidural which I accepted gratefully. I had absolutely no problems with it, was great.

When DS was induced, the midwife kept bumping up the dose and after 3 hours I asked (to put it politely) for an epidural. We then decided on a CS, as DS heartbeat was a bit distressed. (Although there was some debate between the midwife and the really young doctor about that)

My own doc was not present and afterwards said that it sounded like the midwife was in too much of a hurry. A CS could have been avoided if they had been more cautious when increasing the dose.

At the end of the day, I was happy that DS was healthy, but the first birth was much better, even though it was longer. I think that inducing the birth is ok as long as it is done right and not rushed.

I am crossing my fingers that everything goes well for you, keep us informed!!

colinandcaitlinsmommy · 18/05/2007 21:35

I don't know what hospital you're in, but there are some really great ones for preemies here in the Portland area. Congratulations on making it this far, there really should not be many problems for you. Make sure your DH keeps us updated if nothing else.

Original poster
usagal · 19/05/2007 05:59

Hi everyone!
What an eventful day! I was taken for the amnio which turned into a bit of a horrific experience. There was only one pocket of fluid that the doc could safely take some from. However the baby would not co-operate and kept moving in and out of the space. She tried FIVE times to get the fluid. - An amnio needle (plus lots of numbing injections) going in the same spot five times. I was crying my eyes out at the end. This was the doc who I was not happy about. - She was not horrid to me - but she was quite rude to the nurse - who held her own against her! In the end they called my own lovely doc who tried one last time. She did manage to get some fluid but there was not enough to determin lung maturity. - All that for nothing! Anyway I think the ordeal might have started something off as I am now 2.5 - 3 cm dilated and have been contracting all afternoon. Had quite a bit more bleeding as well. One thing is for sure - and that is that I will not be leaving this hospital (St. Vincents) still pregnant. It is 10pm here now - so gonna try and get some sleep. I will sign in again as soon as I wake in the morning! - Sorry about not posting earlier but the amnio saga went on for three hours and I have honestly had either a nurse or a doc in here almost all the rest of the time.

OP posts:
Gingerbear · 19/05/2007 06:32

Oh usagal, you poor thing! What a horrible ordeal.
Sending positive thoughts to you from UK. Oh, and by the way -My niece was born at 36 weeks and was just fine.

Budababe · 19/05/2007 06:43

Poor you - it sounds awful. Hope you are getting some rest and that we have a birth announcement tomorrow.

(My nephew was born at 36 weeks and is just fine. A friend's DD was born at 35 weeks - also fine. Another friend had her DS at 33 weeks - also fine!).

spook · 19/05/2007 07:15

Hey usagal!
Just read through your thread-the amnio sounds awful, but maybe it's helped you to avoid an induction!
Hope you managed to get some sleep and things are moving along nicely
Good luck-thinking of you.

MrsJohnCusack · 19/05/2007 07:24

hey good luck usagal! looking forward to reading all about your new arrival, sounds like you may not need that induction at all - good news.

Klaw · 19/05/2007 11:59

Thinking of you usagal and hoping that you are posting shortly with a ba!

HUGS!!!!

SoupDragon · 19/05/2007 12:08

Thinking of you! I remember your original threads 36 weeks is great.

Miaou · 19/05/2007 15:49

Sending positive vibes to you usagal! Hope all is well and you get some sleep tonight

hunkermunker · 19/05/2007 15:50

Hope it's going well, usagal