Induced early because baby is small

[smallplainblonde]

Baby has been measuring small since my 20 week scan so I had been having growth scans. At last week’s scan the baby’s growth has slowed down and is now on the 8th centile. Consultant said there was plenty of fluid around the baby and there didn’t appear to be any problems with the placenta.

At my checkup yesterday she told me because the baby was under the 10th centile they will likely induce me between 37 and 39 weeks, even if next week’s scan shows the baby is still growing. I’m 35 weeks now.

I was lucky to have a really straight forward and kind of quick labour with my first at 40 + 4 and was hoping for a similar experience this time! I’m terrified of being induced early. Does anyone have any experience of this?

If there are no placental problems and no risk for the baby to remain inside for a few more weeks I would ask more questions. The usual MO tends to be for small babies to spend as much time in the womb as possible.

DS2 was bouncing up and down around the 10th centile and was estimated at about 5lbs 13oz - DS1 had been closer to 9lbs. On my last weekly scan he hadn't grown any so I said I was happy to be induced at 37 weeks. In the event, he turned out to be 6lbs3 so not bad.

However in my case there was only one artery on the cord and I was concerned it wasn't enough to support him. When he was born, he lost grams of weight instead of ounces and then started piling weight on so it was the right decision for him. He was such a wee skinny thing when he was born and turned into a chubby baby with thigh rolls

I had remifential with the induction as I needed more pain relief but it was a couple of pushes and he was out once labour properly kicked off.

The usual MO tends to be for small babies to spend as much time in the womb as possible.

That's the case for premature babies but not for full term babies who are suspected of having growth restriction. It's a significant risk factor for placenta failure and stillbirth.

OP a baby below the 10th percentile on your own personalised growth chart would be viewed as having IUGR. The concern is that this means the risk of stillbirth goes up significantly. Unfortunately other than slowing growth you often don't get other warning signs of placental failure, it just goes and therefore as soon as they are full term it's judged safer to get them out. I was in a similar situation - cord pressure in my second pregnancy was high and then between 35-37 weeks growth seemed to be tailing off. I was reluctant to accept induction having had a previous spontaneous labour at 40 weeks but after discussing the risks I accepted induction at 37+1.

Induction was fine, baby was born safely and I have no regrets. Would I have preferred the home birth I was planning all other things being equal, sure. Will I ever know whether my baby would have been fine if I'd declined induction, no. Does the fact that the birth was induced now matter in the slightest? Nope. I did what I could with the information I and the doctors had, I'm healthy and so is my baby, and the rest stopped mattering at all straightaway.

I was the same but for the opposite reason as the baby was measuring large. I was terrified of induction too but in general had a good experience and wouldn't be too worried if I had to do it again. However when they broke my waters that put me into labour (which from that point was the same as my previous births) and I avoided the drip so have no experience of that

Please please get the induction as soon as you're able. By 37 weeks all the organs are developed and the baby should just be gaining weight, which it wont be able to do.

My DDs growth started slowing down at 30 weeks. It was my 3rd DC after two healthy babies and a planned homebirth. I had several episodes of reduced movements but she always started moving again by the time I was on the machine. I just knew something was wrong but the drs insisted i wait as my placenta was functioning. In the end I was so desperate for them to help I refused to leave the hospital so they induced me at 37 weeks to the day 'for my mental health', on my birthday. It was the best gift of my life.

When she came out she was incredibly skinny and discoloured and my placenta which had looked fine on the scans was a mess. The midwife said it could have failed at any time. She was in hospital tube fed for a week until she was strong enough to come home and is now eating an easter egg in the garden

for you I remember how scary this is, just now that as soon as babies out the drs know what they're dealing with and can help them.

They wanted my first to be c sec because of growth and breech from 50 to 9th but I refused from gut instinct and all fluid and placenta monitored and normal.
She came spontaneously and healthy at 39+4 after being told she would measure under 5lbs but was 6lbs 2oz
Second also had growth restriction measuring from 50 to 10th and came spontaneously after multiple refusals for induction, again normal placenta and fluid. Spontaneous labour at 40+9 and weighed 7lbs 12oz! All healthy and normal.
I would say its totally your call, I knew in my heart both were healthy and fine even if growing slowly.

Hi, inexperienced this - my baby’s small size was picked up around 33 weeks after reduced movements. I had regular monitoring and scans but she dropped to an estimated weight around the 2nd centile so the consultant recommended induction at 37 weeks. I know it sounds counter intuitive but the way they explain it is that they have no way of knowing what is going on with the placenta and if it is starting to fail even if all seems ok in the scans. Also small babies don’t always cope so well with labour so they are generally keen to intervene and manage the labour as much as possible which they can do with an induction.

They do emphasise that it’s your choice but if you decline they will likely want you in for monitoring every day. In the end although it wasn’t the birth experience I wanted i agreed to the induction as I wasn’t prepared to leave things to chance, but you may feel differently. My baby was born at 5lbs and at 5 months is still tiny so I think it was the right decision for me but it is different for everyone.

There’s a good book about induction by Sara Wickham which you might find helpful. Good luck - I know it’s scary but it sounds like you are having the best care.

Also - from what I’ve heard inductions with a 2nd baby tend to be really quick so it’s likely whatever they start you off with would get things moving. I had the full works including the drip and it was honestly ok! You will be fine.

I had a v similar experience with DS2, it was such a stressful pregnancy, he wasn’t even on the chart at 20 week scan and fortnightly scans followed. Medics expected that it was placental problem and that he would need to be delivered at 28 weeks but against predictions he continued to follow a normal growth curve (if there’s a problem with placenta this would normally drop off), just below the bottom of the chart. We saw various specialists but none could say why he was small and the possibilities ranged from nothing to horrendous. At 36 week scan fluid had dropped so they decided to induce him at 37 weeks. I won’t lie, it wasn’t fun (I’d had 2 babies without any pain relief at all before him) but it was fine and obviously worth it. He was born weighing 4lbs (0.4th centile) and totally fine apart from a bit of jaundice. Remained on 0.4th centile for a long time though and at 4 he was still below 2nd centile. He started growth hormone therapy at the age of 5 and has caught up on growth rapidly since!

Thank you so much to everyone for sharing. It’s great to hear other experiences and I’m glad all your lovely babies are ok.
Obviously my main priority is the baby so I agree with those saying to go with induction if that’s what is recommended. I know the doctors and midwives know what they’re doing.