Help welcome....about inductions/sweeps when an older mum

[MelissaCeleste]

Hi all, I'd appreciate any insight into this subject and all experiences welcome.

I am currently 36+3 and very elderly at 43yrs . Today at a hospital appt. the doctor offered me the option of being induced from 38wks. This isn't my preference at all so he then suggested that I have my midwife give me a sweep from 39wks. He framed all of this advice in the context of my age. When I told him that I don't fancy being induced or interfered with, he then said he is naturally a 'hands off' type of guy so had some sympathy with my view. He didn't apply any pressure on me to agree with him or to make any decisions. After he had examined me externally, he was happy that everything is fine thus far.

Soooooo, my preference (although I fully realise that these things are not completely under my control) is to go to term and then see about my midwife giving me a sweep (although I don't really relish the thought of it tbh).

I'd love to hear about others' experiences, particularly older mums, when in this situation.

Many thanks in advance.

I had DD2 4 weeks ago at 42 (43 in April) and was eventually induced at 40+12 but no mention was made of my age being a factor more that the MW was concerned that the baby was going to be huge and didn't want her to have too much extra growing time. She was a whopping 7lb 2oz! I was given a sweep at 41 weeks but it didn't work - I was quite happy to have the sweep as I was getting pretty fed up of being pregnant by then and keen to get things going. The induction was intense and very painful and DD was born 4 hours after the 2nd lot of gel was inserted. I had an uneventful pregnancy with stable and normal BP throughout.

Thanks for posting mejon and congrats on your dd!

I think, having done some reading around this subject and having read all your posts, my feeling now is that I will not allow any interference (unless medically indicated: high blood pressure, etc) until I get to term.

I feel better now for having made a decision. Thank you all for your messages.

Just a belated update....my baby was born one week overdue, one day before my sweep and four days before I was booked in for an induction!

Alls well that ends well and no intervention was required after all!