Induced at 40 wks for small baby

[thinkingoutloud2]

I'm currently 37+5 and have been having growth scans for the last couple of months as baby is measuring below 5th percentile. Everything looks fine, placenta, cord, fluid, etc. It's a symmetrically small baby. My first was only 6lb 14oz born naturally at 41 weeks.
I have another scan and a sweep booked in for 39+3 days, and they want to induce me on my due date if I haven't gone into labour already.

Has anyone had a similar experience to this? How was your experience of being induced for a second baby?

I'm just not sure what to make of it all, and how worried or not to be?!

Hi Thinking, I had a scan 2 days before dd was born because they thought she was breech. They said she was 7lb something (5 years ago so can't remember exactly). She was born naturally 2 days later at 5lb12!
With ds I had regular growth scans, due to dd being small & was told he was 8lb 3. He was born 5 weeks ago at 7lb4. My point being growth scans don't seem very accurate to me! Have they said they are concerned about something specific? Why do they need to induce you?
I was induced first time round due to waters breaking & nothing happening. It is intense from the start but she was born in just under 6 hours so fairly quick.
I would ask a few more questions on what exactly they are concerned about & why they what to induce you.

The reason for advising that SGA (small for gestational age) babies should be induced if not already delivered by 40/40 is because there is enough evidence to suggest these babies are more likely to have tissue and organ damage if left over 40weeks. Obviously they take into consideration dopplers, liquor volume, etc and this helps make the decision to when birth should take place and how, Ie. If dopplers abnormal they might deliver at 36weeks.

obviously scans are notoriously inaccurate, although generally better at detecting small babies compared to large babies. And you have a history of small baby so more likely to happen again. I'm guessing you have had serial growth scans due to previous SGA baby? And this baby has been small consistently as opposed to growth restricted (sudden drop in size)

Hopefully as this is your 2nd baby your induction shouldn't be too long. However, you just never know.

I have been induced twice. My first DD was for SGA and my second DD was for hypertension.

With DD1, it was a very long induction. I had the pessary Friday morning. I was barely 1cm by Sat night. Had my water broke that night and drip and she was born 9.30 Sunday.

With DD2 it was much much easier. I had the pessary around 4pm, had my waters broke at 11pm ish and straight after my waters went my body just knew what to do. I didn't need the drip because labour happened naturally and she was born at 12 midday.

And I was induced slightly early with both of them.

I'm sure your body will know what to

Thanks everyone. x