Morning Ladies,
So I'm currently 36 weeks pregnant with DC no 2. I'm classed as being high risk due to antibodies found in my blood at around 20 weeks (I'm rhesus negative) and I've been having scans and blood tests every few weeks at the hospital.
Anyway, all my scans and blood tests have gone really well, baby appears to be in perfect health according to the consultant. However I've still had continuous monitoring & he is still not keen on letting me go past my due date, just to be on the safe side. At my last scan he said he was very happy with baby but when I come back (when I'll be 38+2) he is going to schedule in an induction date for the following week, but of course there is every chance I may go into labour naturally before that point.
Of course if an induction at 39 weeks is what the consultant thinks is best for my baby's health I'm not going to question it. However after a negative experience being induced with DD I'd rather not go down that route again if it can be avoided. I was induced with her at 10 days overdue, I hated staying on the induction ward the night before, got no sleep, was knackered during labour and the propess sent my uterus into hyper-stimulation, so my entire labour was basically one contraction after another with no break in between. Plus I hated being stuck in bed, strapped up to all the monitors and machines and not being able to move much throughout the labour, I just felt really out of control in general tbh.
I voiced my concerns to the consultant about being induced early. I told him in the end with DD I only needed the pessary and didn't have to go down more invasive methods of induction thankfully, but I was already 10 days past my due date ... I asked the doctor if he thought my body would respond aswell to the pessary at only 39 weeks, he said there's a good chance, as I've already had a baby before. Anyone that's been induced more than once, was your second or subsequent inductions quicker/more straight forward? How far along we're you?
I'd really rather not be induced at all, but if I have to be I'd really rather not go onto the hormone drip!
Obviously at only 36 weeks I'd rather baby stay in there at least another week or two longer, but if he could come just slightly ahead of schedule and I can avoid induction that would be great! Anyone got any suggestions of how to naturally induce labour? I tried raspberry leaf tea with DD, obviously didn't work to induce labour, but her birth was fairly quick & pushing stage was only half an hour so maybe it did something. Is it worth another go? Also, evening primrose oil. I've a bottle of tablets of it sitting in my cupboard, anyone had any success with these? Seems to be conflicting advice on it when I've researched it online? How much and when should I start taking them? Any other methods that you would reccomend? I know that it's a long shot me going into labour naturally before my due date, especially after going over with DD. But I'm willing to give almost anything a go ...
Obviously a healthy baby is top of my priorities, so if I need to be induced then so be it. Just wanted a bit of advice 