Can I/should I say no to being induced?

[Kitcaty]

I'm 40 weeks on Friday and have a midwife appointment. At my last appointment she said that she would offer me a sweep at the 40 week appointment if nothing has happened. I have decided to not have this done and give the baby a chance to come in her own time.
I'm worried that if I go over they will want to talk me into having an induction. I don't really want any interventions and would rather leave things to happen naturally as the baby obviously isn't ready to come yet if Labour hasn't started on its own. I've heard that induction can lead to other interventions but that past 42 weeks it can be dangerous to the baby not to be induced as the placenta can start breaking down. Also, my measurements indicate that if she's born on her due date she'll be 8.7-9lbs and I'm worried that if she goes past due date she'll be huge! This is my first baby.
Just wondering if anyone has any experiences of being induced or not being induced that they'd like to share to help me make my mind up. Thanks and cross your fingers she comes before Friday :)

I had similar worries, really didn't want to be induced as thought I'd probably end up with an emergency section given I was predicted a big baby and him not being ready to come out. But I let my midwife book the induction at my 40 week appointment for 40+12. An increased risk of stillbirth was a greater concern to me than a difficult birth and I'd rather just get him out. He arrived on his own at 40+4 as it turns out and was only 8lbs 1, so a pretty normal weight.

My sister's baby stayed in till 42 weeks. He grew a lot in those last two weeks and his skin was all dried out and crispy - something to do with all the grease they are coated in going away.

The community midwives where I live really push induction as soon as you go overdue which totally ruined the last few weeks of pregnancy. I refused to let the book an induction in for me but said I'd be very happy to go to the day assessment unit and talk to a doctor. Finally they let me do this and I wish I'd gone sooner. No pressure at the hospital rational helpful discussion. I was already in labour by then but it was a very long slow labour ended in a section, inducing earlier wouldn't have changed the outcome. I did wish I'd seen them at the hospital sooner though because they were so good.
I did have the drip during labour and that was very painful so if you do decide to be induced discuss what will happen and pain relief first good luck x

Me personally, I wouldn't bother with a sweep at 40 weeks. I would consider it at 41 weeks maybe if I was genuinely uncomfortable, but I would try other things too, like reflexology. The whole placenta failing thing is largely just rubbish and incredibly rare. There is a small statistical increase in risk of stillbirth after your 42nd week (that doens't mean the very second you hit 42+0 though), but you do have to weigh that against the risks of intervention, which while unlikely to cause stillbirth, can cause all sorts of other complications for you and baby. It's unlikely though you'd go past 42 weeks though anyway. Personally, for myself though, I wouldn't want an induction and wouldn't consent to one just because I was post-dates, everything else being fine. But I would try everything else in the meantime first if it's something you're considering: nipple stimulation/expressing, sex, reflexology/acupuncture, massage, a sweep, etc. and see what happens.

I believe that if it is really important to you, you can get a test to check that the placenta is functioning well and that it is safe to carry on.

I would take the induction.

The hospital dated me 5 days earlier than my actual due date. I knew exactly when DS was conceived so I refused induction and had daily checks instead. He came at 40+15 on hosp records but by my dates he was only 10 days over. Midwife said he didn't look like such a late baby, skin wasn't dry etc when she did the last home visit. I was glad I refused.

Thanks everyone, really helpful x

I was induced at 40+3 because my baby was going to be over 4 kilos. Was really painful and ended in an EMCS. She was born at 3.6 kilos. I wish I’d waited a few more days before agreeing to intervention.

I refused induction with dc1 & was born at 15 days last due date & no problem. DC3 my blood pressure was high so agreed to induction at 40+3. I knew in my head he wasn’t ready & he wasn’t. Long drawn out labour that ended with emergency csection. Go back & check when you think your due date is & go from that. I had reflexology with dc2 & he came at 40+10.

I was induced at 42 weeks exactly - went in at 41+6 but they were too busy so didn't actually start the process until the early hours of the following morning. I had a straightforward vaginal birth of 10lb DS within 12 hours of the pessary going in so it doesn't have to mean lots of interventions and trauma. I was also sure that I would want a difficult induction even if it ended in EMCS over a stillbirth, even if the risk is only increased by a small amount it wasn't one I was willing to take.

I had an induction at 41+1 for reduced movements and suspicious CTG. ended up with a CS at 9cm for infection and abnormal CTG. he was also 10lb 5oz. I had been booked for an induction at 41+5 which was my choice, no pressure.
This time planning on booking induction for 40+4 because I would like him out by 41weeks due to previous infection.

Declining sweeps due to increased risk of infection, plus think they are pretty pointless. Don’t ask on mumsnet what you should do. Discuss it with your partner and your midwife and come to a plan

I had 2 very different experiences, both involving going over due date. First child I was 9 days over and my waters broke but I didnt labour. Due to risk of infection I was induced 2 days later but whilst I fully dialated baby didnt progress down birth canal so EMCS for me.

Second child, again overdue and consultants wanted to induce/sweep. I refused both, I wanted the baby to come when it was ready! I was prepared for daily monitoring at 42 weeks (I was pretty close to hospital so not a biggie) but baby decided at 41 + 2 to come of own accord and I had a quick labour and natural birth with minimal intervention.

I believe that baby will come when ready and that unless there is a medical reason to do so (as in my first baby), let nature take its course.
Good luck with whatever you decide and stick to your guns!

Was induced with my first and I asked for help in labour with forceps as I knew she was stuck.

No complications for me or baby and Induction doesn't cause complications as far as my consultant has told me - only if there is a medical issue already it can aggrevate it.

Will be induced with this baby too but I'm happy with that.

Mine DS came at 40+10 and the predicted size they will be is only an estimate and often wrong!

My dd came naturally at 40+10 and like you I was not keen on an induction at all.

I believe that our bodies grow babies that are the right size for us, and that a baby should stay in as long as he/she wants. I also don't buy into the whole "at 42 weeks the placenta is compromised" argument, as the gestational length of pregnancies varies from country to country, with many including France having a technically longer gestational length.

I wish I had said no to my induction! My waters went and nothing happened for 24 hours so I was induced. However by the time I got to the hospital I'd started getting twinges and truly believe if I had waited another 24 hours he would have come on his own! The risk of infection made me say yes as I didn't want anything to harm my baby but looking back I wish I'd said no!! That being said... after being induced I still had a straight forward vaginal delivery with no intervention and no complications

Evidence based birth is a really good site. Scroll to the bottom to read summaries of the most important research.

I went over due with DC1.

Had a sweep at 40 weeks which had zero effect. Another sweep at 41 weeks, also no effect.

They were pressuring me for an induction from 40+5 and I relented at 41+4. Long, boring pessary induction that failed. I wasn’t even favourable for a drip after 4 days.

I’d had enough of it all by 42 weeks and had a c-section. No adverse effects to me or my (whopping 10lb 4 iz!) baby. Although he had absolutely enormous shoulders...I can’t imagine how he could have been born vaginally and the surgeon agreed. It would’ve been rough!

I wouldn’t worry or be pressurised at 40 weeks, to be honest. But I had ‘after 41 weeks) as a sort of cut off point for being stubborn and 42 weeks as ‘get this baby out!’ in my head...

I declined a sweep at 40 weeks hoping nature would step in. At 40+7 weeks I accepted a sweep as I'd been in the day unit due to high BP, I hoped this would kick start things. It didn't. I didn't want to be induced but at 40+13 I was and had DD at 40+14. I was aware of the risks so went with the induction. DD was 7lb 11oz.

First baby, got induced at 41+5 with vaginal pessary. They put it in around 10am and I gave birth at 7.50pm. Got epidural (which btw was fantastic and I wholeheartedly recommend). No complications, vaginal birth, pushed the baby out in 10 mins.

I second that penguin! Epidural was great and pushed him out in 30 mins!

A dear friend had a stillbirth of an otherwise perfect baby at 41+3. She was unaware of the risk. I would now find it too anxiety-inducing to go more than a few days overdue.

Mindutopia I think you might be wrong about the increased risk of stillbirth and knowing far to many people who have had a stillbirth I don't think you can say that lightly. I read something recently that said countries who routinely induced around 38 weeks rather than even 40 weeks had half the stillbirth rate of the UK. So they were discussing how many lives would be saved by changing the induction benchmark even to 40 weeks.

GreyClouds, very good site, thank you for that