To be Induced or not?

[bashabates89]

Just looking for a bit of advice really!

I am 39+1 and have today been for a growth scan! Baby is estimated to weigh a whopping 9lbs 6ozs.

They have given me the choice between being induced or waiting for him to come naturally. I am starting to panic that if I leave him he will be a 10lbs + baby. He is head down but not engaged. I have also been losing my plug since Sunday.

What would you do given then choice?

I was induced with Ds and it was absolutely fine. I would go with your gut feeling. good luck

Ds2 was 10lb and the delivery wasn't much different then a smaller baby (he got a tiny bit stuck at the shoulders but was quite easily freed by the midwife). Induction isn't too bad, if you have to have the drip you should be offered pain relief straight away

I personally would wait.

I was induced at 40+14 in the end with my known big baby (11lb but no one was expecting quite that big). But it was only because of dates rather than size. I wouldn't have consented to being induced early for size. You could start with labour anytime now realistically.

As an aside my experiences with induction - I've had 2 - were fine and still lovely births.

Id be induced, purely because by 39 weeks I've usually had enough of being pregnant so I'd of jumped at the chance, they could have got his weight wrong (said dd1 was 9lb at 35 weeks but was 8lb 1oz full term), totally up to you but I personally would choose induction

I would say wait, but that's just because of my own experience with being induced.

Also these size/weight prediction scans are not that accurate. DS was estimated at 9lb on due date. When he was born 14 days later he was 6lb 14oz, so they got it just a tiny bit wrong!

Thanks everyone. I am petrified either way, I just need to work out which option is best for me and baby.

All I ever hear are horror stories when it comes to induction. I think I might wait until my actual due date and if nothing has happened maybe have another think about it all.

Fingers crossed that after losing my plug on Sunday, natural labour isn't far off!

Hello! One thing about weight estimates, is they are exactly that.

There are many who will tell you they have been told 9lb and a 7lb baby pops out two weeks later

I'd agree with PP, weight estimates are notoriously inaccurate. There's no way I'd agree to an induction if that was the only reason for it.
I was induced for foetal distress in my first labour, and while it was not what I wanted at all, I pushed for it to be as close to what I wanted as possible - so I had remote monitoring so I could be off the bed, and stayed upright throughout labour and delivery. The worst bit about induction is that with continuous monitoring, they generally want you flat on your back and motionless, which is about the worst thing you can do for pain in labour.

I started to labour with my first son but they made me breathe through the contraction (due to midwife not being ready ) which slowed my labour down to the point of needing a drip induction.

Second labour my waters broke then nothing happened so I was induced via drip again.

From experience induction after you've naturally started labour is far less painful, although I managed both with just g&a.

Since you've started to lose you're plug I'd wait it out in your situation.