small baby induction - positive stories?

[crazy4cats]

I'm just over 38 weeks pregnant, I had my 38 week appointment yesterday and the midwife wanted to send me for a growth scan as my bump hasn't grown. I had an extra scan just after Christmas too and that one was fine, baby was small but in normal ranges

Anyway, yesterday at my scan baby was showing at 9.7 centile. I do think that part of the reason for such a low score was that the sonographer couldn't really get a good head measurement, she tried about 10 times and then just went with what she had - head was so low it was difficult.

Because of this, I had to speak to a consultant who said they reccomend being induced at 39 weeks. I cried because although I had an open mind as to what might happen when I was in labour, I had my heart set on the midwife led birthing unit and a water birth - or at least to attempt that.

I felt put on the spot so said I need to think about it, so they are booking me in for a scan next week, where hopefully the outlook is better.

Regardless, I am gearing myself to be induced as I'm now getting paranoid about movements and getting into my head that if I wait something will happen to baby

I just feel like my birth choices have been taken away from me - regardless of whether I am induced or not I will have to go to the delivery suite and if I am induced I know this is likely to be more intense and painful and I will most likely end up having an epidural. Also if I am induced I won't be able to go in water at all. The delivery suite has one room with a pool

I'm really hoping I will just go into labour soon - even if I have to be monitered the wireless ones can go in the pool and even if I cannot give birth in the pool I'm hopefull I can at least labour in the water for a bit

So I'm really hoping someone has had a similar situation? I feel so muddled and of course googling isn't really helping. I'm scared and emotional and really don't know what to do

Just to share a positive story, SIL was induced at 37w because of slow growth/small baby. It all went smoothly and DNiece was born healthy and not even that tiny for 37w!

This isn't quite what you asked for because my experience of being induced resulted in a C-section and my experience of spontaneous labour resulted in a straightforward vaginal delivery.

I was induced for reduced movements at 39+4 with an unfavourable cervix. They used the balloon method overnight, then broke my waters and started me on syntocinon in the morning. I was continuously monitored and eventually had an epidural. Unfortunately I didn't dilate more than 6cm and ended up having a C-section. My baby was badly positioned (either back to back or brow presenting, I'm not exactly sure) and so he didn't descend. The doctors started to have concerns about his heart rate as the day went on and eventually decided it would be safest to do a C-section. Although it was unplanned, it was done in very calm circumstances, and not noticeably different from an elective C-section. When he was born, he only weighed 6lbs. His low weight had not been picked up on any scans. My doctor later said that in addition to him being badly positioned, his small size probably made him less able to withstand the syntocinon contractions.

I don't know whether I could have done anything differently to change the outcome of that birth. However, knowing what I know now, if I could go back and give birth to him again, I would spend as much time as possible doing optimal foetal positioning exercises to try and get him into a better position, and I would ask to have the balloon put in in the morning rather than the evening, and spend some time walking around to try and start contractions.

I was still perfectly mobile after the epidural and was able to stand next to the bed circling my hips during contractions.

My next birth went very differently. My baby was a bit bigger (she was 7lbs at birth), she was perfectly positioned, and my labour started more or less spontaneously after having a sweep. (Personally I think it's worth having a sweep prior to being induced because it might get things started more naturally.) After the sweep I carried on doing all the things I'd been doing to encourage labour to start, like having sex, going for long walks and bouncing on my ball. I also drank a lot of raspberry leaf tea and ate dates, although I also did those things at the end of my first pregnancy. Because my labour started naturally, I was able to use the birthing pool in early labour, and I was only intermittently monitored even though it was a VBAC. In the end though, I asked for an epidural once I was in active labour, and despite it not being what I had planned, I didn't get off the bed again until after I had given birth. When I say it wasn't what I had planned, what I mean is that I asked the anaesthetist to give me a low dose so that I could stay mobile and get up/walk around. He did give me a low dose but I never put it to the test, because I lay down to have a nap for an hour, and when I woke up I was 9cm and almost ready to push.

I think there are an awful lot of scare stories in the UK about epidurals leading to more C-sections and instrumental deliveries, and I'm not sure that's true. In France (where I have birth) almost all women have an epidural, and yet the rates of C-section and instrumental delivery are not higher than they are in the UK, which you would expect them to be if epidurals really do increase the risk of those things. So I would say, don't be ashamed or afraid of getting an epidural if you are in a lot of pain. They're excellent pain relief and I don't think having one makes you any less likely to have a straightforward labour.

@Daisy4569 yes I definitely felt under pressure to agree there and then! ultimatey whether I said yes or had naother scan it was going to be another week so they can't have been too concerned

@chillih glad it went well! I've heard a lot of stories where babies were predicted tiny and arrived average / a bit bigger. Knowing my luck I'll end up having a 9 lber haha

@babyjellyfish thanks for sharing your experience, it's rerally useful for me to read all these experiences. I'm certainly not against getting an epidural and would get one if I felt I needed it, and at least they do go for mobile ones so I should be able to move around. I'm deifnitely trying everything to make sure baby is in the best position too!

Hi @crazy4cats i had an induction due to reduced movements and reduced growth / dropping centiles and to be honest I just wanted the baby out and safe at that point not knowing what is happening. As it was, I was induced with propess and 6.5 hours later gave birth. Only had paracetamol and tens machine. It happened quickly and MW didn’t know I was in labour fully despite saying I’m having contractions, i didn’t ask to have a water birth but the MW suggested a bath during induction to help which was lovely to be fair. Baby was born under 9th centile and I’m pregnant again and for that reason I’m classed as high risk and will need extra growth scans. My LO now is following the 30th centile and I believe that’s where they should have been born so not sure why they stopped growing but I wasn’t taking a chance and as soon as they offered I took it. Not all inductions end up in a CS or instrumental delivery, I know plenty of people if not more than the induced who started labour naturally and ended in EMCS including one with a general anaesthetic.

at the time I was annoyed / upset I didn’t get my relaxed birth but honestly apart from an episiotomy is was good and quick. Painful yes but nothing that I couldn’t cope with.

@Fran92 thanks for sharing!

I had my next scan today - only a doppler as can only do growth every 2 weeks. Everything looking fine

I saw a different consultant this time and honestly it was so different, if I had seen this doctor last week I wouldn't have even made this thread! She was much more positive despite having the same inforamtion as the last doctor. She said to cover the hospital legally, she still had to reccomend an induction (until we have the next growth scan where if he's over 10th centile she wouldn't) - but everything else looks good and she's not concerned. Continuous monitering of baby is reccomended, however, I can still request to go to the midwife led unit if I wish to, it would just be noted that I refused coninuous monitering. If the midwives thought I needed to move over obviously I could still do so. She didn't have any concerns about me chosing this and said she'd send an email to the midwife unit just to confirm they are also happy.

Other option, which is what I am leaning towards as a compromise, is to go to the delivery suite and use a wireless monitor, which can go in water. This is dependant on the monitor being free, and the room with a pool being free - it seems generally both of these things are.

So I'm just going to see how things go, have my growth scan next week and my 40 week midwife appointment, and go from there. A membrane sweep was strongly reccomended, and I am ok with this, but want to get the growth scan done as if they can get a better view of baby's head I imagine he will be over the 10th centile.

Dear op, how did You get on? I hope
All is well x

thanks for checking in :) I had meant to update this thread!

So my son was born on the 3rd Feb - as it happens I went into labour naturally before I could have the extra growth scan and have to think further about induction. He was small at 6lbs10oz, but not tiny by any means and was on the 14th (ish) centile

everything went well - a very textbook labour and birth. When I got to hospital I was 6cm already. The room with the pool was free so I still had that option. Although getting assessed, the wireless moniter put on and waiting for baby's heart rate to decrease took some time and by the time the bath was filled I think I was too far gone to really get the benefits. The first contraction in the water was bliss, but then even with the gas and air too it ramped up quickly and I got out begging for (and thinking I would get) an epidural.

I guess it's common for women who go in not wanting an epidural to beg for one in active labour, the midwives were definitely prepared for this and were saying the right things to placate me without getting an epidural - I did think they would give me one but eventually it became apparent not! I don't resent that though and am glad I didn't end up having one just because my recovery was so quick and easy. I also think I would have been too far along to have one too, but if the midwives had said that at the time it would have stressed me out! They were fantastic really at saying and doing all the right things

How lovely to hear. Happy for you and so nice to read your story x