FTM - induction or not?

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Hi everyone,

I'm 39+6 today and have been in twice recently for reduced movements. We went to triage Sunday night at 3am because the baby hasn't been moving as usual. CTG was fine, when the midwife came back to check the results and read my notes, she offered an induction. I asked her what would she recommend I do as I'm a FTM and not sure how to proceed, and the only thing she said was it would reduce the risk of stillbirth. She repeatedly said she's the only midwife covering the ward and was rushing around everyone. In the spur of the moment and after hearing the word 'stillbirth', I agreed for it to be arranged on Wednesday. She then tried to do a sweep, but my cervix was not dilated enough.

I went in for another ctg and a scan today, which were both fine, baby was super active on the ctg, there were no signs of placental dysfunction or any cord blood flow issues on the scan. I have another ctg booked in for tomorrow as baby wasn't as active this morning as she usually was. The midwife did seem a bit dismissive when I had the ctg done as she "wasn't expecting the baby to be so active since she wasn't her usual self this morning" and made me feel like a right nutter who was kicking up a fuss.

I'm starting to have second thoughts about the induction, as the more I read about it, the worse it sounds, and both ctgs and the scan today were fine.

I know there are positive and negative experiences of inductions, and that I may end up with one anyways since it's my first baby, but I'm not sure what to do. I don't feel like my options were fully presented to me and maybe I should wait and see if the baby will come on her own when she decides to?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Amongst my mum friends I have heard nothing good about induction, and my own experience was rubbish. I, and several friends, all ended up having sections after very painful and fruitless inductions and all of us went straight for the section second time around.

I would always choose a section over induction if it came to that.

No, I wouldn't do it. Keep the faith and go for extra monitoring if you're worried.

I know everyone says movements shouldn't change or slow down at the end of pregnancy, but in my experience they do. I'm not saying you shouldn't still get checked but just as some reassurance, yes movements can change and it's not always bad.

For my second I was concerned about reduced movement. Although the monitoring was ok the hospital I was at induced me the next day as I was over 40 weeks (40+1). Their policy was to induce if past due date and concerns about movement. I had constant contractions which was v painful, but a straightforward labour. For my next baby I was induced for age reasons and ended up having emergency csection.

For my 1st I had lots of scans due to reduced movements. I was offered induction at 38 weeks. Sweep found cervix closed. I asked what was benefit and Dr said one line which made up my mind which was 'we can't tell if there is anything wrong, but if there is we can treat the baby when it is out but we can't do anything when it is in there'. So I went for it. I actually had a decent enough experience as far as labour goes. Drip put up at 4pm, born at 11.30pm same day. Only wanted epidural during transition, which is normal. Was actually much less painful than my second birth which went naturally. She was 7lb 7oz so average. Not one stitch needed. She had an infection which only became apparent in the hours after her birth! They never got to the bottom of where infection was, she needed a week of IV antibiotics, so I am glad I made the decision I did to get her out. I do recognise though that not everyone has as good a birth as me when induced but induced doesn't have to mean a bad experience. Can you ask to speak with a Dr/midwife again and get their views and balance up all your pros and cons with all the information.

Oh and just to add, monitoring in hospital was all OK. They even had tested me for leaking fluid and that was all normal. I was strep negative (I paid private test week before).

Did you do the usual tricks for movement like having a cold can of coke etc? If you have reduced movement I’d get the baby out tbh, daily monitoring only shows a small snapshot. My induction was less painful and a more straightforward birth than the normal ones. If it’s your first you may well go 2 weeks over and you’ll be looking at an induction anyway. I’d try and get babies head down and you might be able to start things with a sweep

Went to triage with same complaints - could not feel my baby move for like 8 hours one night! They monitored her and everything looked fine, got a scan the next day. She had went from measuring above average at 28 weeks to now looking like she'd be 6lb (I was 39+2). They offered induction for tailing growth. I panicked and said yes. My baby came out 7lb 14oz - I'm assuming the reduced movement was because there was no room to move!

If I could go back in time, I wouldn't get one. Everything went really fast after the 3rd gel (first two didn't work) and I didn't enjoy a single second of labour, it was super intense and I think it was because of the induction.

Despite this, when a doctor tells you they recommend it, it's hard to ignore. She got here safely and perfect in the end which was the main thing. I also had some time to prepare for it which was a big bonus!

@BungleandGeorge I did, I actually had two glasses of full fat cold coke in hope it will wake her up, she moved a bit, but not as she usually does. She's a very active baby, usually has a fight with the mattress when I go to bed, which she didn't do on Sunday evening, even after the coke. That's what prompted me to triage. I was thinking I may actually end up with an induction anyways. They tried to do a sweep in triage, but I wasn't dilated enough for it to be done properly.

@Sleepwhatsthazzz thanks, I'm actually going to speak with a midwife today, I'm seeing her shortly. It's hard to ignore their advice, I'd rather be safe than sorry I suppose.

@Zonder @greengobbledygook @Tired6789 @luckbealadytonight thanks all. I'm seeing a midwife shortly and will speak to her about it and go from there. I suppose even with a natural birth things can go sideways, it's just one of those unpredictable things, which doesn't help my anxiety!

I was induced at 38+1, it took nearly a whole week of them putting pessaries, rods inside me and giving me painful sweeps because my baby was just not ready to come. I was so sore, mentally and physically tired and fed up.

My placenta stopped working and that's why they induced me.

My DD was born at 39 weeks after I'd finally dilated to 2cm so that they could break my waters and put me on the drip, both of my epidurals failed and it was horrific going from a few contractions to them turning the drip up and having back to back contractions with nothing but gas & air. I was vomiting, passing out, screaming. I don't know how I actually managed to get her out.

Really think about it before you go ahead OP, I would absolutely decline another induction before 41 odd weeks if my baby was fine and happy where they were.