So, I'm type 1 diabetic and so will not be allowed to progress beyond 38 weeks due to the 'small but significant' increased risk of stillbirth. Because I'm in a high risk category, I would be in a consultant led care even if I happened to go into spontaneous later. That brings with it the higher 'risk' of medical intervention just because of being in a more medicalised environment. Fair enough - that is what it is and it is to protect me and my baby.
So, I'm currently looking into my birth plan and what is actually likely to happen. And I started to wonder whether there might be a case for scrapping induction altogether and just proceeding straight to ELCS. This would NOT be my ideal birth but wondered if I should at least consider if for the following reasons:
- due to high risk status, the baby's heartbeat would be continuously monitored - goodbye mobility / active labour?
- due to insulin dependence I will also be hooked up to what's called a 'sliding scale' which is a glucose / insulin drip designed to regulate blood glucose levels - again, goodbye mobility /active labour
- from the point of getting a pessary, I'm then stuck in hospital - unlike 'normal people' they won't let me home to see if it works
- due to high risk status, if pessaries don't have effect oxytocin drip would be started after quite a short period - only usually 12 hours (rather than trying a couple of times over 24-48 hours); my understanding is that is likely to then be very painful because there has been insufficient time for my cervix to ripen
- my consultant has placed the odds of me getting a c-section at 50/50 anyway, because I'd be lucky if the induction works in the time frame they give it (and I am simply much more likely for one intervention to follow the next).
None of this is what I want for me and my baby. But I just wonder whether it might be easier to get my head around / deal with if I just go for a section in the first place? Rather than go through the disappointment of an induction where I am essentially tied to the bed and set up to fail in terms of mobility, time allowed and precautions taken.
Any experience of either / thoughts please?