induction

[starlover]

does anyone know how soon they will let you have an induction if you go overdue?

i am a week over by my dates, but only a day over by the hospital dates. I will be seeing the midwife this afternoon anyway, but wondered how soon they might induce me. Do they make you wait a certain amount of time before inducing?

I am SO tired of being pregnant, and just want to meet this baby!!!

[coppertop]

I think it depends on whether there are any other factors involved. I was induced when ds1 was a week late. This was mainly because I'd been having blood pressure problems off and on throughout the 2nd half of the pregnancy. Ds2 was induced 2 weeks early but this was due to his size. Good luck!

[Lonelymum]

Hello Starlover, I am following you around Mumsnet! Don't know the answer (I get the impression different hospitals have different policies) but I hope you get what you want soon. Have you tried the old wives' methods of induction? Sitting on washing machine in spin cycle, eating a hot curry, sex (), I think drinking raspberry tea is one too. Best of luck to you.

[pupuce]

Every hospital has a different policy.
At what scan did the hospital calculate your dates?
Is it your first?

[starlover]

yep tried all the old wives' tales!

this week i have:
drunk 3 cups of raspberry leaf tea a day
had curry twice
had a hot bath and a gin
eaten 2 fresh pineapples
walked miles

all to no avail... was going to try the sex, but my entire pelvic region is so painful to move that i am not sure it will be that nice!

I wondered if they may take pity on me as I am so big, and it hurts to walk/sit down/stand up/get in and out of car...etc etc!

the midwife has already said that it is a "good sized" baby, so that should be in my favour?

[NotQuiteCockney]

A lot of midwives don't like medical induction, as it seems to lead to other interventions. You could probably ask for a sweep now, though.

[starlover]

i had a dating scan early on, which put me at 6 weeks.
At my 12 and 23 week scans the sonographer said I looked about a week further on, which matched the dates I had managed to figure out by myself!

it is my first yes...

[Lonelymum]

Might be, but hen, as it is your first, they have no previous history to go by so that might count against that. Try the sex. It seems the only old wives's tale that makes sense to me as orgasm gets your uterus contracting. Doesn't matter if it not much fun: neither is being 40+ weeks pregnant!

[Lonelymum]

What is a sweep by the way? I only had my last child two years ago but I don't remember hearing this term at all. Is it new?

[NotQuiteCockney]

I don't think it's new. A sweep is when a midwife tries to insert a finger into your cervix and sweeps away membranes in there. At the same time, the midwife can see if the cervix is softening etc. They can only do a sweep if you're reasonably effaced.

[jessicasmummy]

dont be scared of an induction... i loved being induced. knew what was happening that way! dreadign with next pg that i may have to go "au natural" as i am terrified of the "is this it". Hope midwife can reassure you this afternoon x

[Lonelymum]

Can't believe I have never heard the term until recently on Mumsnet, but now that I know what it is, I am glad I haven't heard of it. I screamed the place down whenever a MW tried to find out how dilated I was, so the thought of her sweeping around to start labour makes me go cold!

[pupuce]

If it is your first I would suggest you let NATURE start things off (a sweep is not nature BTW and can lead to a strong labour too quickly un-necessarily)... If you are indeed 1 week past your due date than things will start soon! The average gestational age for a 1st time mum is 41 weeks anyway.
I know you don't see it like this but I think you are lucky that the hospital sees you a week behind because inducing a body/baby that isn't ready really increases your chances of intervention.... and intervention may not sound like a bad thing (as you haven't seen intervention in action yet) but it is why many women have such horrible birth memories.... what's another week?
At the end of the day it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks but if professionals are not keen to induce you they have their reasons and they know how nasty things can sometimes get

[jessicasmummy]

just dont fancy it personally! Give me the GEL and lots of it!!! the only thing i didnt like was the constant monitoring but i managed to sleep well after the epidural... no intervention other than the induction and the hospital breaking my waters.... jess flew out after 6 pushes!!!

[Lonelymum]

I have to agree with pupuce actually as my first was induced when my waters broke but spontaneous labour didn't occur. I had a dreadful labour (won't give details to a first time expectant mum!). When I had ds2, my waters were broken when I was in labour and I don't really see why as verything was going fine and I think they just wanted to hurry things up. It made the labour more painful but perhaps it would have been anyway. DD and ds3 were completely natural, spontaneous, uninterfered with labours and my best labour memories are of their births. So, try not to beg for an induction starlover, just content yourself with sitting around calmly and serenely for as long as it takes.

[CountessDracula]

I wouldn't rush into induction if I were you. They induced me sort of against my wishes, after a WEEK of the gel every day nothing had happened other than a tiny weeny bit of dilation (enough to get the crochet hook in!) Then had ARM and the drip but still no joy. Ended up with very unwanted c section, 12 litre blood transfusion, 9 hour general anaesthetic and woke up in intensive care on a ventilator with a VERY traumatised dh. Oh and almost died.

I know this is extreme but it is an example of the sort of unnecessary intervention that Mears is talking about. They reckoned that my uterus had gone floppy after all the trying to contract etc for a week and then wouldn't deflate to stop the bleeding after the placenta came away.

[CountessDracula]

sorry I mean pupuce not mears!

[starlover]

ooh, well maybe i shall just try and be a little more patient then!

I think I shall accept if she offers a swep though, see if it starts anything off.
I am just so bored of waiting... but it's better than having a bad labour and too much intervention.

[scotlou]

I know it's really hard when you get to 40+ weeks - but try and let things happen naturally - and ENJOY your time "before child"! It is the last time for a while that:

1. you can read a book / watch TV when you want
   
2. Have a bath / go to the loo by yourself
   
3. Enjoy a meal uninterruped
   
4. Nap when you feel like it!!!
   Good luck!

[Pidge]

Just wanted to say "lots of sympathy" ... dd was 8 days late, and I was crawling the walls by that point! Now 35 weeks and promising to be more chilled out this time round.

Really looking forward to your birth announcement - it WILL come!!!

[starlover]

well, just got back from midwife.
I have an appointment with the consultant at the antenatal clinic next monday.

let's hope something happens before then!

[ediemay]

Dear starlover, sorry to jump in but if I were you I would just wait and enjoy this last bit of time - invite a friend over or go for a haircut or a pedicure - don't paint the shed as I did!! I had to be induced although I didn't want to be and it didn't work - 8 attempts later it still didn't work and then 2 days later along he came. It was painful and upsetting and I really wouldn't recommend it, I was knackered from the inductions and then had a very long labour. I know how uncomfortable you must be but try to hang on in there, buy some indulgent bath treats and have a few long soaks. Good luck and happiness with your babe.