Question about INDUCTION: What would you do?

[ibblewob]

I'm due to be induced tomorrow at 40+9. Had a sweep Friday morning, dr said looked 'favourable' but nothing yet apart from small 'shows' in dribs and drabs. I know inductions are not ideal so am weighing up the pros and cons, trying to decide whether to ask them to postpone:

CONS

1. My first DS was 40+14 and labour started the day before I was booked for induction, so might just naturally have longer pregnancies.
2. I know it can be more painful and increase the risk of an epidural, which I am desperate to avoid. Had one with DS and was paralysed for 8 hours afterwards!

PROS

1. It will stop me worrying - am starting to get paranoid / have nightmares about the baby being ok.
2. I can finally come out of this limbo and get on with life (and especially be a fully-functioning mum to DS again! )
3. Surely the drs/midwives know what they're doing (ha!)

If anyone's reading this, what do you think / would you do?

i would hold out for a few more days and ask for a scan to check baby & placenta are ok

If I was sure of my dates I would wait til 40+14

Worth asking for a scan as KristinaM suggests

Hi ibblewob

You have my sympathy as I am 40+6 and know just how soul destroying it feels. I am booked in for induction on Thu pm for the gel and the Friday for the drip if necessary.

Regarding the worrying, I have been too and I mentioned this to the midwife so have been in for CTG monitoring every other day. It's really reassuring and doesn't take any time for the midwife.

As your cervix is favourable and you have had a show I would be tempted to wait. The reason they booked me for induction at 40+10 is because my cervix is completely closed and high and they can't even sweep me so they are concerned it'll take a while for induction to work. Also you have previous experience of going to 42 weeks so maybe your body just needs some time.

It's a really tough decision and I have hated having to make it but for me I feel induction is the way to go. It's such a personal decision so you need to make a decision you are very comfortable. Are you happy to accept the risks that come with induction? Or would you prefer the risk that comes with hanging on? That's what I asked myself when thinking about it.

Gosh, sorry ibble, that turned into an essay!

Wow, that was quick! Thanks everyone

One of the problems is I had no idea about my last LMP as have always been hopeless at noting them down, so can't rely on dates from that.

Plus, when waters broke with DS he had passed meconium which meant I couldn't labour in water like I really wanted, so even though it was 'natural' that wasn't ideal either.

Do you think that if I went in for just the gel, and that worked, they would let me have a water birth, or at least use it for pain relief? Or, I guess if it doesn't work there's no turning back and could end up on the drip... argh!

Ooo i just went through this in dec, i really feel for you its a tough call... This is my experience of it all....

I was induced with dd @ 40+14 so i guessed i'd go o9ver with this 2nd pg... I was offered induction at 40+11 (if it had been +14 it would've been xmas eve!) With dd i ended up on oxytocin drip and had episotomy and it was all very medicalised so i wanted to avoid this and have an active labour with little help. I was seriously gutted when i went in but i decided enough was enough it was dd's b'day on 23rd dec and xmas and everything was pressured for me to have this baby... It was a brilliant descision i have to say! I only took one dose of prostgladin gel to get going, did not sit down once during labour and had ds with no pain relief in 3.5 hrs!!

Now he's sat here asleep on my knee, 11w old and gorgeous. Iguess it was such a big deal for me at the time but now it seems such a nothing

Good luck no matter what you decide, you'll be meeting that baby v v soon

Oh yeah, water is fine-I had a bath after the gel and was just about to get in the birthing pool when i needed to push

If you just have the gel they will let you labour in water, unless they artificially rupture your membranes. ARM is the second step of induction at my local hosp but policy varies so much it seems!

What do the guidelines say? Did you get a letter/leaflet?

If you have a long cycle then chances are you could naturally have longer gestation periods.

If you are comfortable, I would be tempted to wait a bit longer.

Yop can ask to be monitored daily for reassurance.

ibblewob - induction should be easier as it is your second baby. I am waiting to be induced for my second (different circs, have complics and induction will be at 37 weeks), but have been told that as it is the second baby, you may respond well and quickly to perhaps just one dose of the gel. If your body is then willing to labour, you may not need the drip and it is the drip that makes everything more painful, I believe. Personally, I would go with the induction to forget about the worrying as that would be the strongest factor for me.

Don't worry about the essay MMH, it wasn't one really and I'm one of those people who love hearing every little detail of pregnancy and labour stories!

TBH just writing it down helps - I think my absolute ideal would be to go into labour after the gel tomorrow then be able to labour in water (the hospital leaflet says I'll be monitored for an hour after it's inserted so maybe after that I can do what I want?) and just get by with that and G&A. If I could have your labour, Lizzer, that would be great!

crokky I think it's the waiting and worrying that will prob. be the deciding factor for me as well. Good luck to you and MMH esp, and thanks everyone for your replies

Actually am getting excited at the thought I might have a baby tomorrow!

I think the NICE guidelines say you should be offered induction after 40+14, but the NHS have interpreted this to mean offer you induction so that you have given birth by 40+14 which is not the same thing at all.

Ask what alternatives to induction they can offer (daily scans, foetal monitoring etc). You can always opt for an induction in a few days time, after you've given your body a little longer to do it naturally.

Ibblewob, if you can bear to flick through doct try doing a google on "indictions for Induction" It ought to take you to the RCO clinical guidelines June 2003. There are a couple of very easy to read chapters on when to induce and care in induction. They have summaries of advice based on evidence...I found this really useful after massive pressure to automatically be induce solely because i am wrong side of 40.

Not clever enough to put in a link,...sorry. Hope it goes well gal!

J

PS Sorry i meant to type Indications for induction

Fingers frozen for obvious reasons!

Good luck with the decision ibblewob. It's horirble being overdue, but in a very similar situation I resisted induction but said they could monitor the baby to put my mind at peace (and in fact when she was eventually born after 5 or 6 sweeps the midwife told me there was still plenty of life left in the placenta).

Whatever you decide, make sure it's because that's what YOU think is for the best. It's easy to be pushed into something you're not sure about. HOlding thumbs for you and your baby xx

best of luck ibblewob, i'll be thinking of you tomorrow

Hi everyone, thanks again for all advice and encouragement. Baby Isobel Rose born Tuesday 11th, 5:50pm (after just one lot of gel at 11am), 8lbs 7oz. Doing well

Haven't got internet for a couple of weeks but will post all the gory details as soon as poss xx

YAY ibblewob!!! Congratulations Welcome to the world Isobel Rose. Lovely name, really pleased it all worked out. Sounds like you did have my kind of labour too.. Wondering if you did make it to the pool???!

Congratulations!

Hooray, what lovely names!

Thanks everyone Didn't make it to the pool Lizzer, would have been great but the midwives said they don't do that at all for induction Must depend on the hospital / PCT policy etc.

Congratulations