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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Hospital wants to induce at 38 weeks - can they make me?

20 replies

fatfox · 09/10/2006 12:29

I went for a scan this morning and was informed by Queen Charlottes that due to my age (43), their "policy is to deliver the baby at 38 weeks".

My instinct was to retort "like feck you will"!

Can they make me???

There are absolutely no health reasons, as I'm healthy and have had two normal healthy natural deliveries at 39+5 weeks.

Help!!

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WideWebWitch · 09/10/2006 12:31

Nobody can make you do anything. How bizarre, what a strange policy, I hope someone more knowledgeable comes along.

tortoiseshell · 09/10/2006 12:33

fatfox, they can't make you, but I have heard that as you get older your placenta has a shorter lifespan, so it is more likely to start failing sooner iyswim. But, given that they can monitor blood through the cord, and hence monitor the effectiveness of the placenta, that would seem to be a better course of action if they think there is a risk.

anniediv · 09/10/2006 12:33

Hello fatfox, I'm not stalking you from March 2007, honest! I was told with dd1 that as hospital policy was not to go over 10 days overdue, I would have to be induced. I objected, and was told that as long as I went home with a kick chart to monitor movement I would be 'allowed' to go over. I have to admit though, their tactics for persuading me were shocking (including "do you realise your baby could die?" WTF? Why?). But I just took the chart home and stayed there until I went into labour. (21 days late, with no bad effects to me or DD.)

tortoiseshell · 09/10/2006 12:35

Just to add, I'm someone who resisted induction with dd(went 14 days over), but I also know someone who lost a baby at 38 weeks, and someone else who nearly lost one at term due to the placenta aging. And although it's rare, it's devastating if it's you, so I guess they just want to minimise any risk. But monitoring would be fine, and give the baby time to come out in their own time.

dueat44 · 09/10/2006 12:56

My placenta failed at 38.5 weeks, so I'm begging for an early intervention this time.

I know they can monitor placental flows now, but I bet they wouldn't do it daily. I know I would be very stressed out between scans, and I know I would convince myself that the kicks were getting fewer. I'm sure the worrying would be worse for the baby than a slightly early arrival.

wools · 09/10/2006 13:01

Fatfox, I'm with Queen Charlottes also. I had ds2 there just over a year ago when I was 41 and they told me I would have to be induced at 40 weeks so I went along with it as I didn't know any better.

I'm expecting baby no 3 any day now and this time I'm under a different consultant who is very much cooler about the whole thing and is happy for nature to take it's course.

Having said that, I'm due to go back there on Wednesday to confirm whether I would like an induction or not. I don't want one but I know if they start to put the pressure on me about placenta failing etc I may find it difficult to stand my ground.

The short answer I guess is nobody can make you do anything but emotional blackmail is a tricky one.

thelittlestboho · 09/10/2006 13:01

Shit, didn't know this, I'm 37. No-one's, (professional that is) has mentioned this to me. I'll have to enquire next check up. I'm 22weeks now.Also I'm sure I'm further on than has been calculated. What age are/where you posters that have had problems?

tlb

Original poster

fatfox · 09/10/2006 13:03

Wools, my consultant is Mr Panay, who apparently champions this policy of early induction. I wouldn't mind so much if I was over due, but 38 weeks seems really early to me.

Wools, when are you due BTW?

OP posts:

Original poster

fatfox · 09/10/2006 13:05

ps. QC have also calculated my EDD as 1 week earlier tha I have - that would mean they would be inducing at 37 weeks, by my calculation

I'm just really uncomfortable about it and would rather let baby come out naturally if at all poss'

OP posts:

dueat44 · 09/10/2006 13:08

tlboho - I was 37 when my placenta failed. But I had had a difficult pregnancy (gestational diabetes and early rupture of membranes at 30.5 wks) which I'm sure had an impact.

kittywits · 09/10/2006 13:24

fatfox, from my understanding and experience of friends induced labours there is a much, much higher chance of it all going belly up. If you and baby are ok, don't do it.

Mumpbump · 09/10/2006 13:41

I think any time after 37 weeks is technically full term. They thought my ds had a restricted growth rate - born at 7lb 1oz so he was alright in the end - and wanted to induce when I was 39+6. I held out until 39+1 when I woke up and didn't feel him move for a couple of hours. It was awful thinking that the worst might have happened. I think it's a personal choice for you and they can't MAKE you because legally you have to consent to whatever treatment they suggest, but there is an associated risk and they are simply protecting their position in recommending the most prudent and cautious course of action...

Mumpbump · 09/10/2006 13:42

Sorry - 40+1!

divastrop · 09/10/2006 14:00

my understanding as i have had it spelled out many times is that induction at 38 weeks carries its own risks-i dont know what % but its a fair few,result in emergency sections cos the induction doesnt work.
i could understand it if u had problems in previous pg and i could maybe understand them wanting to deliver at 40 weeks but my last 2 inductions at 38 weeks were long and drawn out cos ds and dd2 simply werent ready to be born.obviously they had to do it cos of high bp but i think inducing at 38 weeks just cos of ur age and what 'might' happen is playing god imo.

lemonaid · 09/10/2006 14:09

Yes, they can send big burly ambulencemen round to your house to strap you doown and induce you

Or, in other words, no they can't. And probably, if you insist and sign a waiver form, they won't push it.

Can you ask them to give you the figures that support their policy? What kind of scans for placental blood flow would they do if you elect to go past 38 (really 37) weeks? Do they do any kind of assessment against your Bishop score to predict how likely induction is to succeed, or just push ahead regardless?

Twohootsandapumpkin · 09/10/2006 14:11

I had blood flow monitoring at hospital as I had low fluid from about 34 weeks (I believe to this day that I lost fluid at 25 weeks and ended up in hospital for a few days but they said I hadn't??). I had to go to the hospital every other day for scans/dopplers (I was 29 btw). It became a nightmare in the end as DH had to go to work and it was hard work getting to the hospital myself at such a late stage in pregnancy (I was pampered as this was my first pregnancy ).

In the end I was induced at 39 wks (only needed one pessary) so not too bad and it was fine. I was v worried having been given some awful stories about inductions causing more intervention etc but I went in with a positive state of mind that I was going to have an active birth etc and I think it helped. (Prob didn't do a jot physically but helped mentally).

Ask about the monitoring if you'd rather wait but I am with some women on here. If they won't monitor frequently (and they SHOULD) then an induction may be the safest course.

Good luck x

wools · 09/10/2006 17:41

Fatfox, my consultant is Professor Bennett. I'm due this Thursday 12th. I'm a bit apprehensive about this appointment I have on Wednesday - as I have a funny feeling they might try and persuade me towards induction.

Original poster

fatfox · 09/10/2006 18:01

Wools - let me know what happens!

Hate the thought of the inducion leading to an emergency C section, specially as I've had two normal deliveries - despite being a geriatric. All seems very high risk and uneccessary to me.

I asked again today and they reckon that if I get really arsey I can get them to "agree" to book an induction in for 40 weeks as opposed to 38

I really didn't realise Queen Charlottes were so interventionist. In fact the main reason I chose QC was so I could give birth in their lovely birth centre, as I'm likely to be a straightforward case etc! All a bit irrelevant if I end up being induced in a delivery room!

Am starting to feel now!

OP posts:

wools · 11/10/2006 17:46

Fatfox - just wanted to let you know I had my hospital appointment today. As I feared, they tried to convince me to have an induction tomorrow on my due date. Have managed to persuade them to give me another week although I did have to be scanned today to check placenta blood flow and amniotic fluid levels and have to go back every other day until induction for a CTG. The doctor I saw today couldn't believe that the hospital had agreed to let things happen naturally this time - she made me feel like a liar and did confirm what you said about 38 weeks for women aged 40 plus.

Anyway, good luck with everything and I hope you can talk them around.

juuule · 11/10/2006 18:20

I had my last baby at 43y9m and nobody mentioned inducing me before or on my due date. I was induced at 40+14 and I was quite happy with that. The hospital was very relaxed about leaving it the 2 weeks over. I also had a baby at age 40 who arrived spontaneously 2 days late. According to what you have been told I would have been induced with that one, which I wouldn't have been happy about. All my babies have been late.

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