And another question... what are the risks associated with being induced?

[emkana]

I don't want to frighten anybody who has to be induced, but I would like to hear some of the problems associated with being induced so I can give my mother good reasons to leave me alone!

If that is your reason... I'm happy to help but I do think that in your circumstances a paed is probably a good person to ask.

Fundamentally some babies can't stand the strength of artificially induced contractions.
If the induction fails it ends in section - that again is NOT risk free for either mother and baby.

Is that good enough?

I haven't really go a paed I can ask though! I spoke to one paed once, but only in general terms really. Because the diagnosis is so unclear I guess they're finding it extremely hard to advise me really.

Thanks for your answer anyway, pupuce. It's just that my mum thinks it makes no difference whatsoever whether you give birth spontaneously or after being induced, and I want to convince her that it does.

My impression is that YOU should not be induced. If your baby has some lung problems or other difficulties, extra stress in labour is not ideal. This is NOT a medical opinion...

So in your personal opinion, it would be best to wait? Until 42 weeks? And then what?

Midwives explained that there is a very high uptake of epidural with an induction - duh!! Epidurals increase the risk of assisted birth - forceps, ventouse. I never got an epidural. Dd (heart defect) went into distress at 5 cm and I had an emergency cs.

Also, in my case, induction meant constant monitoring with a belt. Which again can impede a woman's ability to have an active birth.

I'll be continuously monitored anyway, to make sure the baby is okay.

Hang on it may well happen before 42 weeks though :-)
I would try to speak to a pead.... I can't believe that department won't be expecting you (well your DS)!.... I think it's only fair that they tell you what they think is best for your DS in "their" opinion... and you will always get differing opinions !
Beside Eugene what do they think your DS might have ?

I know it might happen before, just talking in theory!

I'm not sure what you mean by Eugene?

They think he has a skeletal dysplasia, but are unclear which type - achondroplasia, or hypochondroplasia, or, worst case scenario really, Jeune Syndrome.

This is from the babycentre website:

Why induce?

The reason obstetricians worry so much about "post maturity" (going over your dates) is that the very small number of babies who die unexpectedly while they are still inside the womb increases after 42 weeks of pregnancy, and increases again after 43 weeks. However, the numbers are still tiny -- the risk of stillbirth is about 1 per 3,000 ongoing pregnancies at 37 weeks, 3 per 3,000 at 42 weeks and 6 per 3,000 at 43 weeks. Obstetricians aren't sure whether more babies die because the pregnancy has gone on a long time or because there's something wrong with the mothers or babies that makes the pregnancy go on an unusually long time.

Are there risks associated with inducing labour?

Medical methods of induction may not work straight away. You may need repeated treatments and it may be several days before you go into active labour.

Artificial rupture of the membranes (ARM) is not always effective, and, once your waters have been broken, your baby could be at risk of infection so your midwife and doctor will want to keep a close eye on you. If they suspect that you have an infection, you will be offered antibiotics and a Syntocinon drip.

Syntocinon can cause strong contractions and put your baby under stress, so continuous electronic monitoring is necessary. Some women also say that the contractions brought on by Syntocinon are more painful than natural ones, so you may choose to have an epidural for pain relief. You are therefore less likely to be able to move around freely during labour if you are attached to a fetal monitor and a drip for the epidural. However, some hospitals offer telemetry (where you aren't attached to the monitor by wires) and mobile epidural, which may enable you to maintain some movement during labour as well as relieving the pain.

You are more likely to need a forceps or ventouse delivery following an induction, or a caesarean. This may be due to complications in the pregnancy that led to the induction and/or it may be due to problems caused by the induction itself.

There is also a very small risk that, if a Syntocinon drip is used to induce or augment labour, your uterus may be overstimulated. This would seriously reduce the oxygen supply to your baby and could, in a worst-case scenario, cause your uterus to rupture (tear). This is more likely if you are having a trial of labour following a previous caesarean section. (See more on vaginal birth after a caesarean, also known as VBAC.)

I can't believe it's already been 6 years since I went through all that! I was induced & it didn't work. We started at 8pm on June 8th with a pessary & nothing happened. Then I was put on an oxytocin drip at midday on the 9th. Labour started at 2pm. Nothing progressed & by 11pm dd was in distress & I was exhausted. Dd was born by c-section 40 minutes later & I almost died of haemorrage as my uterus was too flaccid to be sewn up. It was hell. I remember realising I was dying in a kind of remote way & feeling sad because I knew that I wouldn't see dd grow up. Don't induce, go straight for the c-section. That's my advice.

Sorry I meant Jeune
Pardon my complete ignorance ( I did read on Jenue when you told us) but are the other possibilities mainly skelettal issues or are their possible organ problems ?

Fundamentally "normal" babies find induced labour hard to tolerate... why do you think so many end up distressed ?

I guess I wold start looking at alternative ways of inductions at 41weeks... reflexology (more than1 reatmant is usually needed). You would need to book them now... maybe just booking them means you won't need them

It's mainly Jeune's that's associated with organ problems, as far as I know. Other skeletal dysplasia not so much of a problem.

emkana, I was a bit scared to suggest it, but since sansouci has said it, knowing what I know in hindsight, I would have given an elective cs serious consideration or at least started giving it some thought beforehand.

Induction at 42+ weeks may however, have a better outcome for you as (unlike me) you would be far riper and also it is I believe not your first baby. Hope it all goes well for you and baby, come what may.

I was induced and it went very smoothly. Was already 3cms dilated though and didnt need prostin gel - had waters broken and a drip to speed up contractions. DD was never in distress and was born within 8 hours of going into hospital - sorry, not much of a horror story there!!

I was induced with dd2 at 42 weeks and it was fairly quick and "easy", but also very very painful and quite overwhelming, the build-up of labour was far gentler with dd1, so that's what I'd prefer.

emkana, a friend of mine recently had hypnotherapy a) for a fear of being induced, and b) to see if it would get things moving. Now she went into labour that night, but was a week overdue, so who knows if it was the hypnotherapy... Anyway, she highly recommended it, and said she was deeply relaxed about it in the end. Worth a try?

having sex and/or stimulating nipples is supposed to work for some.

emkana, I was a bit scared to suggest it, but since sansouci has said it, knowing what I know in hindsight, I would have given an elective cs serious consideration or at least started giving it some thought beforehand.

Induction at 42+ weeks may however, have a better outcome for you as (unlike me) you would be far riper and also it is I believe not your first baby. Hope it all goes well for you and baby, come what may.

strange, this double-posting ...

I'd agree with sansouci. I was induced with syntocin, and it was a really horrible scary experience. I wish I'd gone straight to c-section. I think it's worth asking about options now so that you can think it through and feel more in control of things.