Are there actually any medical benefits to this or are they just trying to prevent a traumatic birth?

[usernoidea]

Hi. Just had scan at 38 weeks - baby measuring mid 9lbs . The hospital are keen to induce me on or before due date because of size and my age (I'm an old 37?!)
Any advice on this? Or any medical reason why they're suggesting induction or risk to baby if I don't accept induction?
I'm keen to go naturally but obviously wouldn't put my baby or me at risk ....
All advice / knowledge greatly appreciated. Thanks x

Another one here who would refuse induction. DD was born by induction 4 weeks ago and it is horrific. Wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

Induction can be subjective though I honestly didn't find it as bad as I expected and I had back to back contracts because my uterus over reacted to the prostaglandins. But I do understand its to do with pain thresholds too!

I wouldn't have an induction without a good enough reason for it

Scans are often wrong (like 2lb either way)! My first was 9.5 at home, consultant Insisted on a hospital for my second saying she was measuring at over 10lb, they gave me sweeps two weeks before my due date every couple of days (which just made my fanny feel like shit)! she was born in 40mins a week after my dd (had no pain until 8cm), an(d was my smallest baby at 8lb 9 , I ddnt even push, honest to god I had a wee , stood up and she plopped out 😅

My third baby they said i was measuring small for dates , had a home birth - she was 10lbs !! Thus followed more scans for my fourth baby , who they said would be over 11lb- she was my 2nd smallest at 8lb 12!
I'm now pregnant with my fifth, they can keep their scans and guesses, ur age really has Nothing to do with how well u can deliver !
Good luck, my advice is - stick it to da man, and birth ur way ! 😉

On a side note , I trained as a midwife - births which are started with intervention aka induced labors are much more likely to end up with an assisted delivery (forceps / breaking ur waters/ sections) they r also longer and more painful (lots of research done on this area, just google) . These male consultants who advise induction at the drop of the hat,have no idea how bloody painful they are ,or they'd think twice ! Unless there's a medical reason y they think it wud b dangerous for u to birth a 'big' baby, id avoid it like the plague. The body is a wondrous thing, believe in it 😊

You need to ask for more detail about the risks they are trying to mitigate, really. You can only make a decision if they put you in possession of the available information.

I might be prepared to set a date for induction. That doesn't mean you have to go through with it. They can scan you again.

I had an emergency c section with my first baby. When I was pregnant with my second baby I was HUGE! They were supportive in allowing me a natural birth but when I went 4 days overdue everyone got worried and I had a growth scan there and then. My baby was looking at being 10lb 6 and they recommended another c section to avoid further birth trauma (I won't go into details about the first but she was over 9lb too). I was heartbroken but went with their advice. It was a good decision for me as he was over 10lb. So they were accurate with the scan but there is a big margin for error too. Personally I go with the medical professionals opinions but I do think it down to the individual. Everyone has a scary birth story or have heard of one. I'm a strong believer in positive birth and how much it can help. Unfortunately my first birth prevented me from feeling positive. Good luck. Follow your instincts x

Ds was estimated to be 7lb oz - he was 9lb 7oz

Dd estimated 11lb 2oz - she was 8lb 4oz.

I honestly don't know anyone who's had an accurate estimation!

I would ask an experienced midwife to estimate the weight by having a good feel or your bump (my midwives got it right within 2-3 oz both times).

Another wise midwife also told me that in a normal, healthy pregnancy, women very, very rarely grow babies they can't deliver. Nature is a clever thing x

Do you look big? My son was born at 9lb 4 oz. I looked giagantic compare to my pregnancy with dd. MWs kept ignoring me when I told them that I was too big. My son was born, it was very traumatic and painful he came out with his hand forward and the damage he did to my body will require couple of surgeries to repair. When he was born he also had low sugar. I would definetly listen to your doctors and not worry about him being oldest in class. We were lucky our son was alright at the end but it was scary and our story could of been different.

Induction is dangerous. I'd never agree to it.

If there's a medical need for the baby to be born then I'd go straight to elcs.

Can I just counsel to caution about saying 'never' in this context?
No doubt induction has risks, no argument there.
And it IS a very personal choice.

Fwiw, I had a lovely induction (and an lovely emCS, and 2x lovely VBACs, so no axe to grind wrt mode of delivery)

My consultant told me that growth scans were accurate to worse than +- 10% and she wouldn't rely on them too much.
I'm 38+2 and have a scan at 39 weeks - the midwife says I'm measuring 'a bit big' but there's a fibroid in with him hence them doing the growth scans. I'm really hoping they don't suggest induction for me - I'm mentally expecting a big baby, I was over 9lb and forceps my younger sister was 11lb 7oz and a natural birth on gas and air. I'm a bit smaller than my mum but I'm fully expecting this baby to be 9lb + and I'd resist an induction purely on that basis - but that's based on family history and my own body shape/size. The induction is likely to be more painful, therefore more likely to require epidural and therefore forceps and an episiotomy, I'm not sure if that's worse that the damage potentially done by a birth to a larger baby but with less likelihood of interventions.
OP I think you really need to get your consultant and midwife to be clear on what their recommendations are an why, your health, your comfort, the babies health etc. Then you can make your own informed decision.

Oh and of course if the scan suggested there was any risk to the baby, reduced placenta function or something I'd be in there like a shot for the induction.

Thanks so much for taking the time to those of you who replied.
I'm keen to get the facts next week when I visit the obstetrics dept.
I've never been keen to be induced at all so they'd have to give me a lot of conclusive reasons before I would even consider this as an option
Thanks again X

As other PP have said, ask for evidence to back up their claims - don't accept their advice based on the latest policy.

Good luck.

I had GD in my last pregnancy. It was very well controlled, but based in growth scans they insisted that baby would be at least 9lb. I was induced at 39/40 and dd was 7lb and absolutely tiny. It took the medical staff several hours to convince me she was ok. Neither of my ds has been so small (both 7lb 15oz).
Whilst I have every faith in midwives, doctors and sonographers, I don't think the growth scans are particularly accurate.

Hi user I was induced not because of weight but because of reduced moements at 40+4 I was in hospital on the Monday for a scan to see what was happening and I was scanned they told me my baby would be about 8 - 81/2lb and they where pretty much on the ball he was born the Tuesday weighing 8lb6 they don't always get it wrong... I do believe though that the reason I ended up needing forceps and other interventions was because I was induced but that's just my opinion on things. Go through it all and do what's best for you good luck with whatever you decided

My son was scanned at 3pm and predicted to be 8-9lbs. He was born four hours later and didn't even reach seven pounds.

I have an August baby and she's done very well but I'd also opt for September if I was you, if everything is safe.

This is exactly what happened to me. They said my baby would be huge, she was exactly 7lb. Everybody kept telling me not to worry and giving me tons of stories about them being wrong about the sizes but I was still a little doubtful. I think they say they can be a couple of pounds off either side. It's not really that accurate, so don't go by sizes. There's no point. They could predict a 7 who comes as a 9 or the other way round.

They were pressuring me quite a lot actually. I spoke to them about the risks. I was told
-there's more chance of tearing or needing forceps.
-Higher chances of baby having its shoulder dislocated.
-Slightly higher chances you'd need an emcs than somebody with a little baby.
Other reasons, but those were more related to difficulties in my own pregnancy.

For me personally, these didn't sound like a big enough risk to have the c section if I could help it.
For you, you have to weigh up the pros and cons of both.
Both really do have lots of good and bad points.
If you do have a c section, it doesn't have to be really difficult and painful recovery. Just depends, some have it quite easy others have it very hard. Both will have recovery time, just different types of recovery.

"Induction is dangerous ido never agree to it"
If Induction was so dangerous many women and babys would be dead..
Yes there can be complications, risk of assisted delivery, c section
No need for scare mongering though

Growth scans are known to be really unreliable, I personally would be wary of being induced purely on the back of one without any other evidence that there are problems or it's likely to cause them.

Having said that, I was induced early with DD1 as I had preeclampsia and it was absolutely fine. First contraction to delivery was 12 hours, I had an epidural but no other interventions, and it was all very straightforward.

Induction is dangerous. I'd never agree to it.

If there's a medical need for the baby to be born then I'd go straight to elcs.

How would a C section be any safer? They both have complications that could arise.

I have had two big babies, 10lb 6 and 10lb 8. Both induced because they were overdue (15 days late and 11 days late). I don't want the same to happen this time. Hoping for an induction between 39-40 weeks depending on what growth scans say. Inaccurate last time though they told me my second baby would be nowhere near as big as the first

Just to be Devils advocate here- I had a growth scan with my first - they measured her at 7lbs 13 and she was born the following day (no induction just chance) at 7lbs 14 so they were pretty accurate.

Could you not ask for another scan next week to help make a decision?

If you can try not to be induced they induced me as I was 41+6 and let's say I wished they'd left me to have a natural birth but everyone is different they may have got the weight wrong but only you know which is the right way to go

I had two large babies and both times different consultants said that, unless the woman has a very small pelvis, size alone is not a reason for induction. Anecdotally, I probably had the easiest (and in on case the quickest) births of any of my friends and my babies were 9.9 and 10.6. And I was 37 and 41. They were both a bit late.

If you don't want to be induced, and there is!'t an immediate medical need for it, suggest that you are frequently monitored past your due date so any potential problems are picked up quickly.