Induction at 36 weeks

[scarednoob]

Hi all

After a couple of weeks of monitoring with GD and a large baby on board, the hospital now wants me in from tonight for steroids and induction at 36 weeks on Tuesday.

I just want what's best for the baby; I want her here safely. But there has been all this stuff recently about how even birth at 37-38 weeks can reduce a baby's IQ and increase risk of academic and behavioural problems and I am wondering why, if the monitoring is good every day, we can't push on for at least 1-2 more weeks, even if it means a c section - I could opt for a c section now anyway, if I wanted to. But then I think I have to trust the doctors. And it's driving me mad trying to make the right decision!

Has anyone been in this position? What did you do? Or has anyone had a 36weeker or earlier - am I right to worry about potentially getting her out too early and not giving her little brain chance to grow?

Thanks ladies!

My DS3 was born at 30+5 by emcs. He's now a happy little 2.5 year old - hit all his development milestones, is managing quite happily in 2 languages (we live abroad) and has passed all his neurological tests with flying colours. He's part of a study for very premature babies, so has been regularly checked for various thinfs since he was born, and so far nothing has come up.

Speaking as someone who's had some pretty horrendous pregnancies (including an unexplained stillbirth at 37 weeks), I would always say to go with the doctor's advice - they wouldn't recommend anything that didn't have yours/the baby's beat interests at heart.

thank you, those are very wise words and I will take them to heart.

I am so so sorry for your loss, that must have been beyond devastating. glad your ds3 is doing so well!

My youngest 2 boys were born at 35+3 and 36+6. I had a similar choice to you as my waters broke at 35 weeks both times and I had to decide, with the help of the drs, whether to have them evicted or try and keep them in. I chose to do what the dr recommended. DS4 was born by C-section. He spent 4 weeks in the neonatal unit and he has hydrocephalus as a result of his prematurity. It would have been riskier to leave him in any longer though. With DS5 the consultant encouraged me to wait and have twice weekly monitoring. 9 days after my waters broke I got an infection so I had an induction, and when that failed I had a C-section. DS5 was very poorly at birth because of his prematurity and nearly needed to be on a ventilator. He recovered quickly though and only needed to spend 5 days in the neonatal unit and then 3 on the ward with me. He has had no long lasting side effects from being early. I still feel that I made the best decision for him at the time. Although with hindsight it would have been better for me to go straight to C-section because the induction didn't work. I'm glad I tried though and it would have been a better option if it had worked.

I had DS by emcs at 36+1 and he's doing well now. We had some mild problems such as jaundice, funny breathing but he could breathe unaided, and he couldn't feed from breast or bottle. We were in for just over a week.

It depends on what your doctors say and the risks / benefits of waiting to deliver or not. They should know best but don't be afraid to ask all your questions - I find writing a list helps so I don't get sidetracked and ask everything I want to.

My dd was unexpected and 36 weeks. 5lb 14, fed normally and home the next morning. No steroids, scbu were ready but unneeded. Good luck!

Oh and dd was induced too (infection and waters had gone). It was my second but was ok on just gas and around 7 hours from the start

I had my DS at 34+1 spontaneous labour no reason why! He spent 10 days in nicu and is a very healthy mischievous 1 year old. He is wonderful :)

My DD was born recently at 36 weeks, quite unexpectedly after my waters broke in the night. She needed to spend a week in the neo natal unit as she had a hemathorax (air round the lung, I think that's how you spell it!) It was a shock to me when she was taken to the neo natal unit, I just presumed when she was born as her weight was so good (6 lbs 3 oz) she would be fine.

She is 6 weeks now and doing really well

Thanks guys. Sorry for the upcoming rant but i'm so stressed and worried sick. I'm not enjoying it so far - 4 CTGs have pleased midwives but not me as her little baseline heartrate has gone from about 135 to 115 with several dips below 110 and some big drops of more than 25 beats a minute; i keep pushing it and the midwives keep asking the doctors and coming back saying it's fine - I know they are all really busy but it feels like various different stressed people are just giving it a cursory glance.

Then there's the blood sugar. Having been diet controlled with boredom but not v much difficulty, the steroids have sent my blood sugar mental. Avoid carbs, the midwife says. Then they bring round the breakfast trolley and the 2 choices are cereal or toast. Of course I get that it's an NHS ward not a 5 star hotel, I'm not moaning at the staff, but it's so frustrating to be told to eat a decent breakfast with zero carbs and then be offered only 100% carbs! So had to go out and spend £20 on scrambled eggs on toast with no toast and mushrooms on toast with no toast (stupid chelsea & westminster, there's nothing but posh stuff around the hospital!).

Despite that and lots of water and a 20 minute walk, blood sugars gone up again to 7.5 after an hour. I am dreading them putting me on a drip as then I'll be stuck here and can't even escape for a walk!

Add to this the panic that I'm doing the wrong thing and hurting my baby by inducing her early and terrified of the induction itself (the women on this ward keep moaning like porn stars and begging the midwives to stop please please stop) I'm a complete nervous wreck.

Just one thing about the low iq risk thing.

I might not explain this very well... Think about the two sets of babies:

1. Babies induced by 38 weeks
2. Babies induced at 40 weeks plus.

Now your second set of babies are generally only being induced because they are late to the party, with no other health issues...but your first set of babies is going to include ones induced for all sorts of reasons. Babies like mine for example - I have placenta Previa so I am not allowed to go into labour. He's growing well and hopefully no other issues. Also babies like yours. Seems fine, just the diabetes makes it better to have him out fast....

But that first set will also include lots of babies who need to be out of the womb pronto because they have really serious issues. Those babies are much more likely to have really serious problems and drag the average for the set as a whole down.

So the statistic is great as a whole, but it doesn't tell you much about your specific baby, if you see what I mean.

They should be giving you a decent bloody breakfast by the way - I know it's not the Hilton but they can't be giving diabetics bloody toast! What are they doing on the diabetes wards?? Speak to the ward sister and request some eggs or something (if nothing else it'll distract you from the moaning )

Good luck!!

Thank you, your posts always make me feel so much better!! That makes a lot of sense. I just panic that I am making the wrong choices for her, but I can only do what the experts advise. After all, I'm a lawyer - I wouldn't go to the doctors for legal advice, so there is no way that google and I should be advising myself on medical stuff!

If I can get up and walk I don't really mind breakfast as it makes me do some exercise but if they chain me to a drip I will have to demand something else. After my earlier panic, actually sugars dropped to 4.9 by this afternoon so well under the threshold - HOPE tomorrow is the same then no drip!

Are you still down for a c section? Do you know when yet? Can't wait til all these babies we've been reading about for a while are safely here!

In triage once again with reduced movements, the monitor was reading fine but I only felt him once. Seeing as this is my third episode since 28 weeks I have to stay in overnight to be monitored, midwife has said if he starts moving more and I'm happy with his movements I should be able to go home so hopefully he gets wriggling! Up here by myself as boyfriend wasn't aloud to come. Will be a long day/night by myself! Atleast I'm in the best place possible to monitor my little man!

32+1

@scarednoob I’m in a similar position - I’ve got GD and the hospital are talking about induction. Do they want to induce you because they’re worried the baby will get too big? How much does your baby weigh now and are you monitoring your diet and keeping your blood sugars down?

My baby is looking large and head size is almost off the scale. I’m trying to eat a low carb diet but am not getting it right every time. I’ve been told I can go full term but only if the baby doesn’t grow too big and I get my sugars under control.

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