Has anyone been induced at 38 weeks? can you tell me your story please??

[sambrads]

hello

I am going into hospital next week to get a date for induction and it will be when im 38 weeks. This is my 3rd baby. with my 1st i was induced at 40+10 and its was a very long process.

I am concerned that baby is only going to be 38 weeks and maybe not ready to come so will induction be alot worse?

can you please tell me ur story? :)

Would 37 and 36 weeks respectively do you? That's when I was induced in my two pregnancies.

Wasn't bad at all, I went into labour straightaway with the gel.

I had dd (at 37 wks) by an ordinary vaginal delivery on gas and TENs machine, labour lasted approximately 12 hours.

With ds (36 wks) I did end up with emcs but it wasn't because labour was failing to progress but because of concerns with him (low birth weight and heartbeat went down).

Hiya, I have been induced 3 times now! Twice at 37 weeks and once at 40+10 (my 2nd DC).

First induction was long, unripe cervix etc took ages.

The second as I was overdue and favourable cervix they just had to break my water and DD was born 4 hours later! I think I was ready to go!

3rd time was in the middle, because it was 37 weeks I wasn't quite ready BUT because cervix has been 'used' before I only had 12 hours of prostaglandin in the ward (it was a 'wick' this time, like a tampon/ribbon). This was overnight so I was sleeping, and then they broke my waters on the labour ward and I was only in active labour for about 5 hours before she was born.

BTW my inductions were for bad pre-eclampsia. I did ask before the 3rd one if it would be like the first one (long) opr the 2nd one (short) and they said 'in the middle' as it was only 37 weeks.

I posted this on another thread but thought you might like to read a nice positive early induction story....

I was induced recently at 36+0 with DS2. Actually I was probably 35+0 as there was lots of confusion with my dates. I had obstetric cholastasis and my bile acid levels were high enough to worry the Drs into inducing me early.

Was crapping myself as it was so early, my body was not ready to give birth and I expected the induction to last for days. DS1 had been a 12 hour labour with epidural, ventouse and quite bad tearing.

08.00 Arrived, monitor on to check baby
09.00 Pessary and sweep. Read trashy mags lying on bed
12.00 DP arrived, went to cafe for lunch
13.30 Felt a bit restless and could not sit still, knew something was afoot!
14.00 Waters broke and first pains started
14.15 Midwife goes off to get Paracetamol and gas and air.
14.45 I called Dr cos I was in so much pain with no gap between contractions. Student Dr tells me he can't see my contractions on the monitor. I say "are you fucking blind. I need to push" (not my finest moment). Examined and 10cm dilated .
14.46 Student Dr panics and runs round trying to find items needed to deliver baby as we are still on antenatal ward. Midwife arrives with my paracetamol and says "oh this won't touch the sides now will it?". Does fab impression of Michael Schumacher in trying to get me in lift and up to delivery ward.
14.56 DS born 10 seconds after arriving in the delivery room having crowned in the lift - apologies to members of the public in the lift at the time, that cannot have been a nice sight.
14.57 Paedeatrician who was supposed to deliver DS2 (as was prem) arrives to find small baby ready and waiting for her!

So 57 minutes from first twinge to delivery!

I was induced with DC3 at 38 weeks (DC1 SVD at 38 weeks, DC2 SVD 40+1) due to me having multiple pulmonary emboli (embolisms?) From about 7mths pg.

They checked my cervix and I was already soft and about 2cms so I didn't need the gel. I had a sweep in the evening which did nothing. Waters broken next day before lunch, nothing. Synt drip which was increased every 20 mins. I grudgingly then had contractions which were strong but 10 mins apart. The midwife left us to it and said to buzz when they were 3 in 10 mins.

DC3 arrived with the 4th contraction 40 mins after the first contraction. Mw was stunned. Only managed to get one glove on! Apparently I was never in 'active labour'. Hmmmm I beg to differ

I managed half a chocolate orange as pain relief.

DC3 was a bit skinny and had fuzzy shoulders and vernix like my DC1 -also 38 weeks but otherwise not bothered by being fished out early.

I think it has a lot to do with how favourable your cervix is which they will be able to tell you as soon as you get there.

Best of luck.

thank you ladies all these stories are very helpful :)

I have read on google that babies shouldnt be induced befoe 40 weeks but think this is just rubbish as many babies and mummies have health problems and baby would be better out than in.

the reason im getting induced early as i have chronric back pain for the past 6 years and also am suffering horrendous SPD and im slowly coming off 30/500 co codomol as this is making baby sleepy and need to be off it so baby is not born with withdrawal :( pregnancy has been very tough but these past few days have me ready for the hills.

I was told that with the first child the induction takes longer than with the following ones.
My first was induced 41+3, because of being overdue. It took three days with pessaries before my cervix was soft enough to break the waters. the labour itself was aided with oxytonin drip and took only four hours.

My second was induced at 37 weeks because of pre-enclampsia. The ripening took only ten hours and baby was born two hours after my waters were broken. No need for an oxytonin drip this time.

Remember too that anything 37-42 weeks is full term. 40 weeks is not a golden magic date :)

sam my consultant told me that ladies who have given birth previously tend to respond better to induction then women who are having their first child. She said this was because their body had done it all before.

So hopefully this is why your first induction was a long process and this one won't be !

yes I have for my 3rd, and my 1st was also induced at 40+10 (2nd was only non induced baby) so very similar to you. I also had the same worries but induction for #3 did go quicker than for my 1st and did not need the synto only the prostin, and waters to be broken. It was more painful than ds2's non induced labour and was a bit slow getting started but the 2nd stage was amazingly quick and overall it went very well.
I tended to go overdue with both my first 2 and i dont think i naturally would ever go into labour at 38 weeks, cervix was not looking ready for labour, had sweeps and no improvement etc but once the induction got started it all went fine. With it being your 3rd, your body should be used to it so should go smoothly

good luck and try not to worry!