Second Planned Induction - Any Experiences?

[pommedenoel]

I have to be induced between 38 and 40 weeks when pg due to APS syndrome. With dd I choose 38.5 weeks and the whole thing took 2.5 days and was a bit traumatic ending up in theatre with failed ventouse and then successful forceps.

With dd2 currently brewing I have chosen 39 weeks but would like to have a bit of a warning if the situation is likely to be the same. Consultant says unlikely.

Anyone with any experience/knowledge they can share with me??

Thanks!

I know nothing about APS but didn't want to leave your post unanswered.

Can you ask for a sweep at 38 weeks, which will let you know if your cervix is favourable and could get things going naturally, and then another sweep every couple of days until 39 weeks? Generally they do bugger all if you're not going to go into labour anyway, but if you're being induced for medical reasons I don't see you've got anything to lose if it at least gives you an idea of dilation or a chance of going into 'natural' labour.

I'm just thinking that sweeps will give you an idea of how dilated you are (if at all) and then you will have an idea of if you're going to need a pessary/gel to get things going, or if you can go straight for ARM.

Have you thought about if you'd want an epidural for pain relief if you have the syntocinon drip (as I say, I know nothing about APS so don't know what is and isn't advisable medication wise) - whilst it's fabulous for pain relief with the intensity of synto contractions it's obviously not so good for being mobile and being immobile makes it far more likely that you'll need some sort of further intervention.

I have had 4 inductions and how well they went related directly to how over due I was (or not). All girls, eldest has a different Dad to the others.

dd1 - induced at 41 weeks, 7lb 6oz, was a 2.5 day event, needed ARM
dd2 - induced at 42 + 2, 10lb 6oz, delivered within 10 hours of 1st pessary
dd3 - induced at 40 weeks, 9lb 2oz, 2.5 day event, needed ARM
dd4 - induced at 42 weeks, 9lb 10oz, delivered within 11.5 hours of 1st pessary.

Fortunately all were unassisted deliveries and never had the drip just took forever to get the labour establish. With my last I went from 8cm to delivered in 3 contractions so my official labour was 2 minutes. I was in pain for the whole 11ish hours though but it was fine and declared that I would do it all again the following day it was that easy

Flisspaps - that's a good idea on the multiple sweeps I will ask about that. I had one last time about 3 days before but it didn't work as cervix was unfavourable. With aps the risk of stillbirth rises dramatically from 38 weeks but many ladies go to 40 fine which is why the consultant lets me nominate date.

I had an epidural last time when the drip went in and if possible would like to avoid it this time. Due to interaction with medication it meant it had to be left in for 6 hours after dd was born which I found very limiting.

Thanks for your help.

Randommess - thank you for your experiences. Slightly scary that the two shorter pgs were both 2.5 day events - eek!

I had a sweep with ds1 at 38 weeks (2nd baby), went into labour and had him the next day just gone midday.

Our daughter was stillborn at 37 weeks last year so I had to be induced, I just needed the gel, 2 doses but I declined the middle one in the middle of the night. Didn't matter as such as baby was already gone but I wouldn't do that with a healthy baby. I didn't need a drip and my labour was 35 mins long, just had some gas and air too.

For what it's worth, if the risk of stillbirth rises a lot at 38 weeks then I wouldn't leave it any longer, it's not worth the risk. The last year has been the worst of my life and it nearly broke me, I wouldn't risk that for anything. I'd rather have a section or anything as long as the baby is alive.

I'm now 29 weeks and due to be induced or have a section at 36/37 weeks, also have gestational diabetes so might be earlier depending on what happens. It was going to be early anyway due to what happened last time but the GD makes it even more important. Looks like I went undiagnosed last time too which probably either caused or played a part in her death :( Been on insulin since 13 weeks.

Good luck, hope all goes well for you.

Cheese - I am so sorry to hear about your dd I can't imagine how difficult that must have been. I agree with you about the risk, I have gone for 39 weeks as they put me 5 days forward at the 12 week scan and I know that's impossible.

Does seem like sweeps are the thing!

Are you injecting the insulin? I have to inject heparin twice a day. Fingers crossed for both of us, pg is hard enough without medical issues too.

Thank you, it's not been easy at all but you have to just keep going.

Ah that makes sense then. The sweep definitely pushed me over, I'd been niggling for about a week and a half, in and out with contractions and even the midwives thought I was in proper labour one but wasn't! It must have done something though as labour was fast at least!

I am injecting yes, 3 times a day at the moment before meals. Is the heparin painful? Dh has to inject clexane daily and finds it fairly painful to do. Can't be nice having to do yours twice a day. Is that just during pregnancy or do you have to do it afterwards too?

It stings a lot and as I have to take aspirin too I bruise a lot and run out of sites to inject. When I'm not pregnant I take warfarin which comes with its own issues but at least it's pills!

GD goes post pg doesn't it? So your injecting will stop too? I'm glad that this time they found out about the GD for you and are doing something about it. It seems that once you are diagnosed or have had problems the NHS is brilliant but it's not so good at detecting problems in people with no recorded history.

Just being nosy - why does your dh take Clexane?

I'm on baby asprin myself. I know what you mean about running out of sites to inject!

The GD is supposed to go but because it started so early they're wondering if I had it before or if it will stay afterwards, have to just wait and see. I'm at a different hospital now than in my last pregnancy, the previous one were just going to get me in for a GTT at about 24 weeks whereas this one started me testing with finger prick tests 4 times a day and detected it at 13 weeks...Goes to show to differing levels of care.

They were fairly negligent imo, I asked and asked about GD last time and told them of symptoms, even bought my own urine test sticks and showed high sugar many times but they weren't interested because I came back borderline on my GTT but failed the test before. I'm highly disappointed in my care from them hence changing hospitals this time. It's been amazingly different, they actually care now and are doing something to help get me through this pregnancy.

DH has a multitude of things wrong with him and takes a lot of medication daily but the clexane is because he had a pulmonary embolism and also 4 dvts in his leg. He was on warfarin but became intolerant so he's stuck on these until a new drug (which is in trial I believe) is approved, could be another year assuming it gets approval. That would be a tablet though which would be a lot better.

That does sound negligent - did you complain? I had a massive pe a few years ago which is how I found out I have APS. I've heard about the new drug too but for people okay with warfarin it seems like we'll never get it as the price difference is enormous!

We're going to write a letter as soon as we're up to it. Neither of us are interested in any compensation etc, I just want to make sure that it doesn't happen again. I'd been in for reduced movements a few times in the previous weeks before her death and had to wait for 2-3 hours before even being looked at so it wasn't great care at all.

I'd felt awful for a while but when health professionals are telling you there is nothing wrong it's very hard to go against that. I began to just doubt myself and I worried about even going in for the movements in the end. I was made to feel like I was wasting their time.

The midwives and doctors now though as totally different, they go out of their way to help and reassure us. I can have weekly scans if I want and go in for monitoring as much as I want to. Weekly ctgs at the moment and the average growth scans that everyone with GD would get, 3-4 weeks. Might ask for sooner between appointments now though as I'm getting closer to the 37 weeks.

Dh has lupus but also ITP and they both affect him differently and it's hard to get a decent balance for him. He's always in a lot of pain and finds it hard to do much. Hoping that he gets better at some point soon.

If the new drug would be better for you then would they consider it?

sorry to hear about the loss of your baby cheese and also you dhs illness :(.
OP I have been induced twice once at 35+6 which went very quickly had one gel at around 7:30 pm he was born before midnight. The second had a few pessary gel things and absolutley nothing happened. I was there 2 days until finally labour suddenly kicked off i refused a drip saying i would rather have c section.I still dont know why i did this it felt right at the time and turns out it ended up ok.