Anyone declined induction at 42 weeks?

[Sleeplessem]

Hi,

Anyone declined induction at 42 weeks for being post dates?

How did it go? Did you have a conversation with a consultant?

When did you go into spontaneous labour?

Xx

@SplodgeWaddler

I’ve had an induction, it honestly wasn’t that bad. I’m sorry for your loss OP but to be perfectly frank you need to put it behind you and focus on this pregnancy and getting the baby out alive and healthy.

I’ve not had a loss (outside of my dad) sure it’s not your intention but that’s quite dismissive, past experience informs future decisions and my experience was quite traumatic.

You seem quite concerned about the potential c section “recovery” with a toddler? Just to reassure, an emergency c section may have a long recovery time but a planned c section is generally very easy to recover from. I had a planned section with a 20 month old at home. Op on the Friday, out of hospital on the Saturday, playground with toddler followed by bbq on the Sunday. Breastfed with ease for 18 months.
I then had another c section when I had a 3 and a 2 year old at home. Put the next day, lunch in the pub the following, walking the buggy down to nursery on the 3rd day. Again easy feeding.

A planned c section doesn’t mean it’s all going to be hard.

No but wish I had, ended up with emergency C-section and have never been the same as had adverse reaction to the pessary with lasting effects. I wish I’d had an elective C-Section, hindsight n all that.

Ah that’s really reassuring @Peanutbuttercupisyum thank you! Everyone I’ve spoken to who’s had a section as painted it as the worst thing in the world.

My husband isn’t the most understanding when it comes to pain though; this really worries me about the section too.

@Sleeplessem if you’re the poster I’m thinking of, you’re under a lot of pressure right now and I know you’re scared. Making these choices when heavily pregnant and lacking in support is hard.

I had an elective c section and it was absolutely fine. I recovered really well and was changing baby on the floor (on a mat) etc by week 2. I would gently say that statistically going over 42 weeks isn’t a good idea and that you are risking your babies life. Please don’t let midwives scare you about c sections (if this is preferable to an induction for you with your triggers), mine was really calm and I’d have another in a heartbeat to be honest. I pushed for my c section (many reasons, all very personal) and I’m glad I did.

I had traumatic induction with my DD (to the extent that I complained about the poor and unsafe care I received and the Trust upheld my complaint and apologised). When I was pregnant with DS I went overdue. I had a sweep at 41+0 and the midwife said I was 3cm and soft. Thankfully that night I went into labour and I had DS. It was not traumatic at all and a million times better than my induction. I was aware that my Trusts policy was to induce at 41 + 5 but I would have declined and insisted on a c-section as there was no way I could have risked the same physical and mental damage caused by my first induction again.

I have been where you are (almost).

Second baby, really didn’t want to be induced, was preparing to refuse induction and ask for monitoring instead. Did everything to try and get baby to come but in the end consented to induction at 42 weeks - I was huge and uncomfortable, had had a few “false alarms”, loads of Brixton Hicks etc. Also hospital an hour away so daily monitoring would be a huge faff especially with looking after 3yo dd. Also didn’t want c section because of recovery and 3yo to look after.

Anyway back story my first baby wasn’t induced but birth was quite traumatic and I felt I had no control. But the biggest barrier for me in that birth was FEAR. My fearfulness is what led to the traumatic bits and A big tear. So I practiced hypnobirthing for my second and it’s the best thing I did. It took away the fear, gave me power and control.

So my induction at 42w, just the pessary was enough. Covid times so same rules as you dh was not allowed in til active labour. In the end I actually preferred doing the labouring by myself. Went into my own little zone. As I said hospital an hour away so actually DH only made it for the last 10 mins!

When it came time to deliver, the lovely midwife looking after me got a consultant to ok me going to the MLU and having the water birth I had specified a preference for in my birth plan.(MLU was just one floor down in the same hospital). Consultant said because the only reason I was induced was being post dates that was fine. The water was amazing. This birth was such a healing thing for me, it healed some of the trauma from the first birth. I’d do that second birth again any day of the week. It was really positive. I heavily credit the hypnobirthing for that.

So baby was 9lbs 7oz, had long fingernails and absolutely no vernix. Placenta still healthy but midwives were sure he was definitely 42 weeks (I thought they had my dates slightly out).

I am so glad I opted for induction. You have to do what’s right for you but I just wanted to add this perspective as I understand where you are completely.

The absolute biggest thing I would do is try to find a way to get rid of the fear. It might hold you back in labour.

All the best op

I’ve had 2 c-sections, one emergency and one planned. Recovery is really not that bad after a planned one. After the emergency one though it was awful it’s true. Still it saved our lives so I’m ok with it.

I cannot imagine choosing not to have either a) an induction or b) a c-section at 42 weeks. The consequences of that risk are just so catastrophic.
Also “I’ve done my research (on the internet and on mummy blogs) is not the same
as the decade or so of study your obstetrician has done.

My cousin gives birth late, with the exception of her third baby who came at 38 weeks. Her other three were born at 43 weeks. She used to attend daily monitoring and was always prepared to go in for induction if any small issues presented themselves.

I don't know if your hospital has them but ds3 hospital had a supervisor of midwife who was amazing. She listened and helped me make a birth plan I was happy with. My birth didn't go according to plan, but I felt so much better having had plan. It was a very good plan, life just got in the way.

I give birth early and I have had a stillbirth. The strange thing, I felt more like a person while giving birth to my true ds2 than I have had with my other births. Other births, they hyper focused on the baby. Which is not a bad thing. It would be nicer if women get more attention too. It is not only baby who needs care, the women matter to. The focus should be healthy mom and healthy baby. Not alive baby and an alive mom. We need both to be alive and healthy, not just alive.

If it is not to late to switch, is there any neighbouring hospital that allow partners to accompany you during the induction process?

OP, Reading through your responses, it sounds like a lot of your responses raise concerns with the care you received at one particular hospital. Have you thought about transferring your care to a different local hospital (if you have one in the area?) just a thought, which may help to ease your concerns. Staff shortages are rife most places yes, however different hospitals seem to have different covid restrictions, and may have different (better?) postnatal care provision. For example, the hospital I work at would 100% take into consideration the fact that you laboured quickly during your last induction, and would like allocate you a side room for your IOL process so your partner can stay with you etc.

At this gestation you would need to be urgently seen by a Midwife and/or Consultant to discuss your care plans, but might be worth it, as a lot of what you have described sounds like it may be down to one particular Trusts' way of working

I understand wanting your birth to go a certain way op absolutely. For me everything went wrong. I had to be induced had a infection fever spiked. Emergency c section alone after being told my daughter and I were in serious danger. It was not any where near what I wanted our experience to be. But we both made it and that's all that matters. Just trying to say gently as much as we want to control our birth experience sometimes it's out of our control. Best of luck

People are offered induction to save lives, not out of convenience. We forget how many women and babies used to die, and still do in the developing world, from "over term" pregnancy.
Your choice though.

I have had 3 c-sections and one vbac. My healing after c-sections were not bad. My doctor likes to credit the fact I was more mobile after the c-sections. With my second c-section my breast hurt more than my c-section scar. My scar and the surrounding area were numb for some months.

Why can’t you have a partner there if you have an induction? It makes no sense. I would go to the hospital with all your concerns and see if they will give you the setting you require. Seems odd to me there’s different rules for induction - try and get the setting you want xo

My Dsis refused induction of her 2nd. DN spent 10 days in NICU with meconium aspiration, if it wasn't for modern medicine she would have died.

Thankfully she is fine now (Aged 6), but it was a horribly stressful week and traumatic for DN1 as Mummy was in hospital for such a long time. I have never told Dsis this but almost certainly would have been avoided by an earlier induction.

@Athrawes

People are offered induction to save lives, not out of convenience. We forget how many women and babies used to die, and still do in the developing world, from "over term" pregnancy. Your choice though.

I mean, I was told I'd been booked in for 40+12 as it was hospital policy. Not because anything was wrong. It's not always a last resort.

@BudgeSquare

I don't really understand how you can weigh it up with, on the one hand, you've spent £1000 on a doula which would be wasted and you might get post natal depression if your husband isn't there, when the other hand is that your baby might not survive. How can you consider those things in any way equivalent?

I'm thinking the same.

My mental health is pretty shite, but it would never ever come before my child.

Can I just check, it's not the induction you are concerned about, it is the fact you have to be alone. Is this a covid rule?

I had discussed with my midwife that I would refuse induction and would opt for a c section if required medically from the start.
In France a woman's due date is 41 weeks. Due dates are an estimation based on a very old decision by scientists that didn't include exactly where the 40 weeks should be counted from in relation to a previous period (starting or end day) and there has been a lot of debate since.
Th NICE guidelines did go out for consultation to reduce the date of suggested induction to 41 weeks or 39 if you had certain risk factors which included race. They have since been revised due to the backlash in both the birthing community and the scientific one. The research was patchy at best.
I have heard experience from other women that they have explained that they will not go for induction due to being alone and previous experience and they have been allowed someone to support them as an exception. That was in my trust though and it has been a bit of a lottery.

I refused an induction up until 42 weeks but wanted to give birth in the midwife led unit and they won't accept anyone over 42 weeks so I agreed to an induction in the proviso that if I went into labour from the pessary that day (which I did) that I get to use the MLU. They had also gotten my dates wrong (midwives even admitted that the date they said I was at my dating scan didn't add up the to the due date they'd given me, but carried on regardless).

I ended up in labour for 2 days on the labour ward as the MLU still didn't accept me and eventually had a c section. Baby was fine and I recovered v quickly from the section.

I'm now pregnant again and have opted for an elective section as I can't face all that waiting and uncertainty again.

Good luck with whatever you decide. There are risks in all aspects of childbirth and some countries don't class you as full term until 42 weeks as opposed to our 40 week cutoff 🤷‍♀️.

This might not be ethical but if you threaten to not be induced unless your partner can be with you they might let you? I was offered a private room when I threatened to discharge myself.
Also I imagine in your third labour they will start with arm so you'll be in a delivery room rather than induction ward so that might help you argue for your partner to be present.

I had two inductions at 42 weeks, the first one was very quick induced at 4pm (can't now remember what it was but no drip or anything) and my easiest labour by far and dd born before 11pm but it was only the last hour that I'd describe it as active labour . Second time pessary inserted at lunchtime and it really was like a natural labour as it built up really gradually so that I was uncomfortable that evening and night but baby wasn't born till following lunchtime. Waters went naturally and I was taken to delivery suite at 8am and baby born at midday. Dh wasn't with me overnight but was from when I went to delivery suite (this is ten years ago so pre covid) but as others have said I think my two just needed a nudge to get going it was not a traumatic experience (I'm not sure my dates were totally right either so I may have been more 41 weeks but again it just got things going and didn't feel very medicalised )

‘I don't really understand how you can weigh it up with, on the one hand, you've spent £1000 on a doula which would be wasted and you might get post natal depression if your husband isn't there, when the other hand is that your baby might not survive. How can you consider those things in any way equivalent?’

Could not agree more. I’ve had 4 inductions for being over term. Some needed no interventions, others did. All resulted in 4 healthy babies. I don’t think you are fully appreciating the risks of going over term. Doctors and midwives have very good reason for not wanting women to go past 42 weeks.

My husband isn’t the most understanding when it comes to pain though; this really worries me about the section too.
What does this mean? Do you think your husband would not step up and actually parent and look after you, so you need to have the fastest recovery? If so, you need to seriously look at who you are married to.

In these circumstances I would go for an elective. I would not delay delivery. The only person i know personally who refused an induction had a still birth.

I mean, I was told I'd been booked in for 40+12 as it was hospital policy. Not because anything was wrong. It's not always a last resort
And why do you think this was actually made hospital policy? You need to thibknthese things through. Policirsnare created in response to situations. The situation was how many babies and women died as a result of going over these dates. The policy wasn't created just because.

I’ve looked at all the local hospitals to me, I’d only be eligible to use 2 due to post code. One induced at 41 weeks and the other at 42 so I’m at the one that gives you the longest anyway.

Yes given a choice I wouldn’t chose an induction (with no other factors) but who would? But I’ve had one before and do consider myself lucky in how it turned out, so there’s no reason to believe I wouldn’t be the same this time around. It’s the fact that the hospital have the no partner rule and make you stay on ward after. This does worry me particularly based on my past experience. The hospital is a mixed bag, amazing infant feeding team and MLU, but pretty poor delivery suite and maternity ward.

I’m not equating still birth and the vague potential of maybe getting pnd and 1k spent on a doula as the same thing, of course not, that’s stupid. There is a big difference between 42+1 and 43 and having expectant management and acting accordingly or having a planned section at 42 weeks. To be crystal clear, my husband won’t be there anyway due to childcare, so I’m not saying him not being there will trigger pnd rather I had it before I’m more likely to get it this time (combined with the fact I’ve had a v tumultuous pregnancy).

‘ What does this mean? Do you think your husband would not step up and actually parent and look after you, so you need to have the fastest recovery? If so, you need to seriously look at who you are married to’. - yes that’s what I’m saying and yes I know… but this is a whole other tragedy