Expectant management

[wkmmum]

I'm 41+2 and seeing the consultant tomorrow. At the moment I'm booked in for a cs on Wednesday as baby is breech but I've already made it clear that I probably wouldn't go ahead with it. Still haven't changed my mind so I'm planning to ask to just be monitored.

I was just wondering what they normally do. How long do they monitor you for each day? Do they scan you as well? And if so, is that every day? Is there anything else they do?

Obviously if at any point there's a problem then I'll just want them to go ahead and get baby out. But until then I'm not happy to go ahead with the cs just because it fits into their guidelines (here they don't like you to go past +12).

wkmum are you saying that you don't want to have a section and are holding out for vaginal birth, or that you're happy to have a section but would rather wait a bit longer?

I have a plan in place for a vaginal birth (written with the consultant midwife) which is what I'd far rather have if at all possible.

Sorry to add my two pence worth but some women won't go into labour naturally and therefore we are so lucky in the modern world to be offered medical intervention that helps our baby come out into the world- at 41+2 start thinking of all options rather than getting ready to fight a system that just wants a healthy baby and healthy mother...

Some PCT only let mums go to 10 days over and some 14, there are reasons for this...

Of course we all want a natural lovely birth but in reality it is better to shift your thinking and focus on the baby and not the delivery, if you make a few steps towards the medical route in your mind you will still feel in control and be able to own the experience - if you wait and then have to have a emergency c section the affect on you post birth both physically and mentally will be harder -

Anyway I do hope you are considering all options, best for baby and best for you - focus on the long term outcome not just the delivery -

But to answer your question, yes they will offer you daily monitoring via a scan they are looking at the health of the placenta and the blood flow between placenta baby and you via the cord- they will listen in as well for heartbeat to ensure no distress signs either speeding up or slowing down - and your role is to monitor movements some say 10 a day, the count the kicks campaign is a goo website to look at for movement guide but just focus on your baby's movements any change faster or slower go and in and ask for a trace -

I hope today's your day for labour

I had dd at 42+3

Saw consultant at 41+2 about me not wanting induction. I was given the usual bully tactics that my baby would be stillborn etc etc but i was expecting to b 'closely monitored' but apart from a scan to check the placenta I was just left to it. No plan was put in place. And if I hadn't rung the mw for a sweep at 42+1 I wonder what would have happened

I can't help with the monitoring (my DCs were born at 39+3 & 38+6 spontaneously) but I couldn't ignore the above post!! If it so important that babies don't go overdue, then why isn't there a specific cut off point for all HCTs?!! Why doesn't NICE say "14 days" or whatever and every hospital work to that?

Expectant management is an option OP but you might need to be aware that the consultant might have their own agenda and put the guilt-trip thing on you (a bit like the above post IMO!!)...

Good luck, whatever you decide.

Thanks for your replies.

I'm well aware that I may end up with the cs whatever happens but I don't see why I should have it just because it fits in with their guidelines. They don't like you to go over +12 here but full term is up to 42 weeks so on Wednesday I still won't be 'overdue'. As long as baby and I are both ok then I want to wait. As I said, if at any point there's a problem then I'll want them to get baby out.

I've had all the scare stuff about vaginal breech vs cs thrown at me already and they've started on the going overdue stuff. Guess I'm expecting more of that tomorrow!

It was nt meant to be guilt tripping but from experience it is better to think that things may become medicalised but be the one in the driving seat, my first son I was suddenly booked in for induction after a text book pregnancy not even taking a paracetamol for 9 months due to high BP and was drip, heart rate monitor etc but what I am trying to share is I was hoping for natural etc but once things get taken out of your hands it can mean after you have a lot of what ifs, no.2 I had to be induced at 37 weeks so I was determined to own it a bit more with my own music, was nt allowed in the bath but stayed under hot shower etc as I was more prepared...

I'm sorry if I'm not explaining it well, but it's more of a mental prep so you don't feel you are fighting with people you then have to lean on during labour....

In regards to the primary care trust, I agree it's ridiculous there is rules by postcode it's the same for nuchal fold tests, scan dates etc but the guidelines lie between 10 and 14 so I would use up to 14 as the line -

Dora - I completely understand what you're saying. I know that this all might end in cs anyway and I've got my head around that. At the end of the day it doesn't matter how baby arrives - as long as we're both safe and well. I just want the chance for things to happen naturally and I'm not willing to fit into their boxes and guidelines.

I agreed to induction at term+10 with ds1 because I felt it best even though I knew he/I weren't ready yet. He arrived at term+15, so 42+1. The induction did very little except exhaust me. When my waters broke about 20hrs before he arrived, I was only dilated 2cm and there was meconium in the fluid. I ended up on the highest dose of pitocin, an epidural and still wish I'd had the courage to refuse induction so early.

I'd had a scan, but only because a very experienced midwife believed me that nothing felt wrong, and my placenta at term+12 looked completely healthy. It wasn't offered and wasn't standard - she went out on a limb. So on the one hand it looks like I should have just refused induction, but on the other I wonder if I would ever have gone into labour on my own! With ds2, I had 5-6 days of stop-start labour before he was born at 40+10.

I reckon keep an open mind, and respond to the scary tales by asking for a daily scan to ensure baby is safe. But you may have to weigh up the stress of refusing c- section and resulting tiredness against whether you will be in a fit state to push at the end and be able to enjoy your first day with your dc.

nice says that thu baby isn't overdue until 40+14. most pcts go inside that to cover their own arses . if you are happy with your decision when stick with it.
expectant management is fine and it does seem that gestation terms have got linger.