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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Advice needed; should I accept induction at 40+10 tomorrow?

88 replies

Johno85 · 16/07/2017 08:08

Hi ladies. The title says it all really. I was due on 7th July with our first baby. He's not budging. So far have tried a fair few things to bring on labour. Had one stretch and sweep last Wednesday which spurred on some cramping and a tiny bit of a show but I've just had intermittent cramps since then. MW said that my cervix "wasn't doing much" at the time.

I'm booked in for an induction tomorrow at 10:30 but the midwife did mention that if baby and I are ok then they may offer to let me go to 40+12. My parents flew over from abroad on my due date and are due to fly home on Thursday but are now talking about potentially changing their flights. Obviously that won't affect our decision too much.

I've read so many pros and cons and now just left stumped at what to do. Any advice would be really great. Thanks in advance x

OP posts:

FormerlyFrikadela01 · 16/07/2017 13:59

Entriely your choice. However I'll be another one to say that inductions isn't the huge cascade of intervention it's often made out to be.
I had the prostaglandin gel. Labour started 12ish hours after gel was inserted and I had DS 5hrs 38minutes after that with only gas and air. Don't get me wrong it was unbelievably painful but it felt like no time at all to me.

willymcwill · 16/07/2017 14:01

Personally I'd ask for another sweep tomorrow and then give it a couple more days prior to induction, in the hope that things started moving. I'd also be walking miles and spending as much time as possible on the birth ball. I did find reflexology helpful last time (was trying for VBA2C but had a section booked for 40+7 as induction contraindicated for me)

takemetomars · 16/07/2017 14:05

Another one here with an easy labour following induction. Much less painful but much quicker than my first 'natural' labour

Note3 · 16/07/2017 14:10

I was induced at 42 weeks exactly with first. It was my smallest baby but worst labour and resulted in epidural, episiotomy and is my least fond labour memory.

Dc2 - arrived hours before induction due to start at 42 weeks. Short labour, biggest baby, gas and air only, small tear, good memory

Dc3 - arrived on time, extremely quick labour, barely time for gas and air, again good memory. I was expecting baby to arrive at 42 weeks like the others and by this time they'd changed their guidance and whereas with first two they didn't induce until 42+0 by the time I had third it was induction at 41+3...i planned to refuse induction until 42 weeks (provided there were no noticeable concerns) it's just baby had other ideas!

SandysMam · 16/07/2017 15:18

I had a wonderful birth after induction....way better than my first natural one, not always a bad move.
Hopefully you are out having a really long walk, for me far and away the best way to start labour. Good luck!

allegretto · 16/07/2017 15:22

If you are dead set against an epidural I would wait. I was induced at 40 + 10 without pain relief and it was hard!

Okite · 16/07/2017 15:29

I've been both induced (for foetal distress) and refused induction in a very long pregnancy (40+18).
I had the synto drip and managed fine on just gas and air - I had mobile monitoring and was upright and active throughout.
On my very long pregnancy I had daily monitoring after 40+12 and the baby and placenta were fine throughout. I had a home water birth, no problems at all.
Remember that induction is offered, it's up to you whether you want to accept the offer or not and you can change your mind either way if you want to.

amelie427 · 16/07/2017 15:31

Induction doesn't have to be a dirty word. When you're in labour you can still abide by all the same breathing techniques etc.
I was induced with my DS, had no pain relief or intervention. It was fine - as 'fine' as childbirth can be anyway. Admittedly I didn't get to the Syntocin stage- I had the pessary and two doses of gel. Took 2 days for labour to get going but once it did it was all over in 12 hours.

neddle · 16/07/2017 15:39

I've had five children and the earliest was born at 40+5.
I was induced with my first, purely for being postdates and it was my longest hardest labour.
1st: 40+13, 8 hr labour
2nd: 40+8, 1 hour labour
3rd: 40+8, 2hr 40 labour
4th: 40+14, 2hr 10 labour
5th: 40+5, 4hr labour

My cycles are longer than the 28 days they base the 40 weeks of pregnancy on. Which obviously means that my pregnancy would be longer too.

FoxyinherRoxy · 16/07/2017 15:44

Personally I would wait.

I went 40 + 14. I would have lost my homebirth if I had to be induced which bothered me. I had acupuncture - which included some sort of electric charge (still don't understand that one) on 40 + 13. Was 4cm dilated the next morning (I went for my 5 th sweep) then she was born that evening.

MW would have let me go to 40 + 17 max.

Good luck x

happymumof4crazykids · 16/07/2017 15:59

I've had 2 spontaneous labours and two induced. Both of my induced labours were at 38 weeks and were fast but very painful. My spontaneous were at 37 weeks and 40+3 they were long, painful and tiring. I would happily be induced again.

GoodBadOrIndifferent · 16/07/2017 16:06

My induction was fine.
The reason they want baby out is that the placenta can be insufficient at later gestations and the stillbirth rate (though still low) increases sharply at 41 weeks ish.

NameChange30 · 16/07/2017 17:26

I don't have time to dig out the data but it's not a sharp increase in risk at 41 weeks. The risk does increase but it's still small overall. Obviously it's a personal choice as to whether it's an acceptable level.

A few people have mentioned walking to bring on labour. There's no evidence for it. In my antenatal classes they told us the only thing with evidence to show that it works is having sex. (And it did work for me, although that's just anecdata.)

Original poster

Johno85 · 16/07/2017 19:11

Hi ladies. Have practically thrown the kitchen sink at it today; dtd , walking, chilli festival to name a few. Thank you for your varied and thorough experience and advice. I'm going to go to the appointment tomorrow morning with an open mind and see what the hospital suggest and go with my gut instinct on the day. Will update this post x

OP posts:

TeaPleaseBob · 16/07/2017 19:41

I'm another one with a positive induction experience. I was induced st 35 weeks due to preeclampsia. Had pessary, waters broken and straight on drip. No option for epidural as my platelets were too low due to HELLP syndrome and I knew I wouldn't want pethidine etc as can't even take codeine without vomiting.

I needed constant monitoring so laboured on my back on a bed (would have loved water birth in midwife led unit but was not to be) with paracetamol and gas and air for pain relief. It was honestly fine, I had a very quick labour (waters broken 9ish and DD born 11.40) so induction doesn't always mean long drawn out labour.

Hope tomorrow's appointment goes well and good luck!

Starlight2345 · 16/07/2017 19:49

I think there will always be positive and negative experiences..Myself I was induceded at 39 weeks..Waters broke 4 hours after pessary inserted and DS born 2 hours 19 minutes later with just gas and air.

I do say listen to the DRs advice ..glad you are going with an open mind.

Oly5 · 16/07/2017 19:50

Another one whose induction was fine. Personally, I was not happy with the increasing risk of stillbirth from holding out. I decided the process wasn't about me really, it was about delivering a healthy baby with no problems. So was happy to be induced.
It's a personal decision.

NameChange30 · 16/07/2017 19:58

Agree that it's a personal decision. And my decision was that the birth was about me as well as the baby. Obviously his safety was crucial but my wellbeing was important too.

I was also hoping for a water birth and was forced to labour on my back on a bed They wanted to monitor the baby which I didn't question but I do wish I had insisted on mobile monitoring or at least a more comfortable position (I had PGP and on my back was the worst possible position for me, even said it in my birth plan but the midwife clearly didn't care )

FellOutOfBed2wice · 16/07/2017 20:06

By sheer coincidence both my daughters were born at 39+6, the first was spontaneous labour and the second was induction (drop) because of medical reasons. I would say that the contractions with DD2 were faster to become really bad and closer together, but it all moved on much swifter too. It certainly wasn't so much worse than DD1 that it would put me off induction again- it was just quicker and more intense.

FellOutOfBed2wice · 16/07/2017 20:06

Drip obv not drop.

PocketNiffler · 16/07/2017 20:17

I was induced at 40+12, all was going calmly on the pessary until my waters broke and they were "thick" with meconium (technical term!).

This then set off a cascade of interventions. I've wondered since whether I'd actually have been better off being induced earlier? As if baby hadn't been distressed (meconium, common in overdue babies apparently) then maybe the pessary would have just tipped me into labour? But maybe the induction stressed him out?

bringonyourwreckingball · 16/07/2017 20:25

I had both of mine at 40+17. Personally I wouldn't be induced just because of the date if you are being monitored and everything looks fine. I had a sweep which did nothing and induction took forever meaning I was left exhausted from hours of constant non-productive contractions - dd1 eventually born by forceps, dd2 crash c-section under GA

Penhacked · 16/07/2017 20:30

Two babies at 40 +10 and 40+12. Some people just gestate longer. I was happy (ok gritted teeth!) to watch, monitor and wait knowing this fact. I agree I was so stressed about induction I think a planned c section may have been better, there are a lot of horror stories out there about induction with pessaries and drips. I do think those last few days are worth waiting up to 42 weeks. You are not an average of a statistic.

Penhacked · 16/07/2017 20:31

Also your parents were daft to book flights and DO NOT let this factor in AT ALL!!!

NameChange30 · 16/07/2017 20:32

Pocket
Meconium in the waters can be a sign of distress but not necessarily; it can also be normal for overdue babies, as their bowel is fully developed. I know this because I had meconium in my waters when they broke at 40+11 (that's why I had continuous monitoring). DS wasn't in distress, but they had to monitor in case he became distressed - apparently if they do, and there's meconium in the waters, there's a risk they might swallow or inhale some, which can make them ill.

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