Just after a bit of advice really.
I have a heart condition. Right from pre-pregnancy counselling with a cardiologist specialising in heart failure in pregnancy, the plan has been induction at 38 weeks on the basis that it's full term and why let baby sit there getting bigger for 2+ weeks and make delivery harder, when I have to have a carefully managed birth (early epidural, passive labour, max 2 hours second stage and max 30 minutes pushing before assisted delivery). I've been under the care of my local hospital plus this specialist cardiologist and a cardiac obstetrician at the specialist hospital throughout. At 33 weeks, the specialists were happy that I was stable enough to deliver locally, put a birth plan in place and waved me off on my merry way. Cardiologist will see me 6-8 weeks after birth unless any issues.
38 week induction has been the plan throughout and has never changed. As it happens, my heart has held up well and thankfully all is good. I had a routine consultant appointment on Friday but saw someone else (I think she was a registrar) who had obviously been dropped in at the deep end and apologised but the consultants were off sick. I very much got the feeling that she was just going through the motions (I totally get this, I was booked an appointment, thankfully I've had a very straight forward pregnancy, I had to see someone to go through the induction paperwork etc) but she very much wasn't aware of my case. Similarly the senior midwife who has sat in on all of my appointments has retired, so her replacement (who also doesn't know my case) sat in instead. I very much got the impression they had barely looked at my notes and I had to correct them on multiple things.
Anyway, the outcome was that they couldn't do anything without speaking to the consultant so would call me on Monday with a date for induction.
Monday, nothing. Today, still nothing by 4pm (I'm currently 37+5) so phoned again and was told by the new senior midwife that (after having spoken to the consultant) they'd book me in for induction at 40 weeks as the notes made by whoever I saw on Friday said induction at 38-40 weeks.
I want this baby out. It's my first pregnancy and at my 36 week growth scan he was already an estimated 7lb 10oz and 99th+ centile for all measurements. Given my physical limitations with regard to the labour, my concern is complications arising from trying to passively birth a 10+lb baby, both for the birth process, and in terms of strain on my heart.
Today I've spoken to the specialist cardio's secretary who is going to speak to her and get back to me tomorrow. In an ideal world, she'll confirm 38 weeks, liaise with my local hospital and induction will be booked ASAP.
Where do I stand if this comes back as "follow the local hospital's recommendation"? Can I insist on an earlier induction?