Really want to avoid induction!

[EsmeRoseUpNorth]

Hi!
40+5 today and had a second unsuccessful sweep!
They've booked me in for induction on Monday and I really don't want to do it!
Any tips from anyone on how to get labour started?
I know the usual ways (sex, pineapple et al) but would love to hear anything that isn't the usual - have tried pretty much everything bar castor oil!
Thanks!

You can refuse an induction if you don't want one. It's completely up to you

I was induced with baby one at 41+6. It was fine, I had the pessary at 11am and he was born the following morning at 5am. That being said, I plan to refuse induction for a while longer this time round if it comes to it. I wasn’t really aware I could the first time. You can say no to induction and go in for daily monitoring instead. They could be out a few days with the due date. I think I’d wait till 42+2 or 3 before agreeing to induction this time. So just remember you can wait if you want to. Induction will make your birth more ‘medical’ as they will want to monitor you and baby throughout. Which is not ideal.

And unfortunately I tried EVERYTHING to make him come naturally and nothing worked haha.

I waited till 42 weeks, sweeps never worked, waters broke the day before induction was booked. Maybe just hold off being induced?

There's nothing that will start labor other than induction and that's not always successful either. You always have the right to decline an induction.
Induction is not too bad but I would say an epidural is the way to go if you have the hormone drip. That drip makes contractions much worse than natural labor, it also made me vomit.
If you do start before Monday, sex really kicks labor up a gear.

You can decline induction, FWIW.

The only ways to encourage labour that have any evidence backing are sex and nipple stimulation. Staying active and relaxed is a good idea though. Have a long walk, do some vigorous housework, watch a comedy.

I'd ask them to wait another week or so. Daily monitoring is fine. My spontaneous labour began at 40+13, he just needed a few more days.

Sex before both of my labours and bouncing on my birthing ball to keep my contractions going when they felt like they were easing. DD1 born at 40+5 and DD2 born at 40+2. No idea if I would have gone into labour exactly then anyway though.

Oh. Your age is potentially a relevant factor though. Going significantly over is riskier if you are over 40, so the NHS will encourage induction sooner in that circumstance.

I avoided it by saying no. Had a lovely spontaneous birth at 42+2. You'll very probably go into labour before 42 weeks but remember that induction is your decision and yours only. Check out Sarah Wickham online for evidence around the risks of going past 42 weeks and the risks of induction.

So assuming that you don't go into labour before Monday (and you well might, lots of babies are born at 41 weeks gestation), do you know precisely what your concerns are about induction?

I ask because 1 in 5 babies in the UK are induced, so it's pretty routine. I was induced at my request with both of my children and they were very straightforward deliveries.

And yes as pp says, age is a factor in the risks of going over 41 weeks. If you've been offered an induction at 40+10, I'm guessing that you're under 38?

@ScarfaceCwaw

You can decline induction, FWIW.

The only ways to encourage labour that have any evidence backing are sex and nipple stimulation. Staying active and relaxed is a good idea though. Have a long walk, do some vigorous housework, watch a comedy.

I've spent too much time looking at various research papers on pregnancy related topics, and remember reading one on the effectiveness of nipple stimulation. It does seem to be the most effective solution, while most of the other recommendations that are often given have no or only extremely weak evidence behind them (spicy food etc). We're taking about several fairly long sessions per day though (at least 10 min). The release of oxytocin is the mechanism behind it kickstarting labour.

I'd be cautious declining an induction if you're on the older side, like me. There was a relatively recent well designed study in one of the Scandinavian counties that looked at the risk of stillbirth and other complications when women were allowed to go over 41 weeks. There is definitely a higher risk for older women beyond 41 weeks.

Nipple stimulation got things started for me but I definitely started too late and ended up being induced at 40+10. You have to do it for some time so it can be a bit tedious but might be worth a go!

Evening primrose oil capsules got things started for me. First night (39+6) I took 2 orally and 1 vaginally before bed, the next night I was feeling a bit weird so only took 2 orally and contractions started the next day at 5am and my waters broke at 9am. I really think it was the EPO.

Walking up hills and bouncing on a large ball.

Induction isn't always bad. I was induced on both of mine, 1st one wasn't great but nothing critical and followed same path as many first babies - the whole cascade of Interventions... Second one was good though. Only intervention was the gel. I had established contractions & delivered without drip or epidural.