Getting Induced at 37 weeks, small baby

[jadelouiselaird]

Hi Everyone

I have been having growth scans since 28 weeks due to baby measuring small. i went for one on Monday (36 weeks) and she has dipped below the line so they want to induce me on sunday at 37 weeks.

Has anyone been induced around 37 weeks that could share any experiences. What did your baby weigh, how long did it take? Or any advice in General

Feeling very nervous

My measurements are small so watching this in case anyone has any advice x

I had an elective section at 37 weeks due to growth concerns
(ELCS as I'd had a previous EMCS). I'd had fortnightly scans from 20-28 weeks, then every two-three weeks. She was born at 6lb2 at 37+1! Obviously this was a really lucky case, they thought she'd had a late growth spurt, and the scan at 35 weeks had suggested increased growth. She did lose 14% due to a severe missed tongue tie but she was otherwise perfectly healthy. I did have the two steroid injections which also probably helped.

Not 37 weeks, but I had a very prem baby at 2lbs. He wasn’t growing properly at all. He’s 9 yrs now and is still tiny but growing, I celebrated last month when I ordered an age 7 onesie and it fit!! Your baby may be a bit smaller but it just means you get the amazing newborn snuggles for longer, hope everything goes really well for you. Congratulations x

I was induced at 37 weeks with DD1. Like your experience, the last growth scan showed her weight as having dropped below the lowest centile line.

I was induced on the Tuesday and all it took was one pessary, she was born the following evening at 8pm and weighed 5lbs. She was a dinky wee dot! Absolutely nothing wrong with her health-wise though, just tiny. We were discharged the following afternoon and never had any problems, she put on weight like a champ.

Best of luck, OP! 💕

37 weeks is classed as full term anyway so your baby is unlikely to need extra care even if they are small. I had my baby completely spontaneously at 36 weeks and he was 7lbs despite a growth scan the day before putting him at 5lbs something, so I'd also be wary of the accuracy of the scans. The only differences were that he still had some of the fur covering on him which apparently comes off in the womb during week 37, and he was slightly delayed with things in the initial few months where 3-4 weeks makes a lot of difference to life, but he's fine now a year or so later.

I was induced at 36+2. 2 lots of 24 hour pessaries, a 24 hour cook balloon and finally ARM and drip at 36+6.

Baby was born 12 hours after I was hooked up to the drip. Baby was delivered by forceps as I was too exhausted to keep pushing, one tug and she flew out. Weighed 6lb5 which I think was just above 50th centile? No problems after birth other than a touch of jaundice and we had to wake her to feed for a week or two.

My advice would be to have the epidural very early on so you can rest as you will need all your energy for pushing at the end. Mine failed and by that point I was fully dilated, no time for anything else.

Good luck!