Anyone 41-42 weeks pregnant and feeling like this?

[i123i]

Hi all,

I'm 41w+2, and although I would love for baby to come asap, I'm also happy to wait for it to happen naturally when the baby is ready. I'd like to use the midwife led birth centre. However I'm now getting massive pressure from the midwife to book an induction at 41w+5 (they have no slots left on the following days as I did ask to push the date to closer to 42w/on 42w...). Induction would have to be on the labour ward.

I have zero risk factors, and thankfully the pregnancy has been healthy so far. I'm getting really frustrated that the system is so fixated on these dates and not "letting" you go past a certain date, especially when they actually brought my due date forward by 4 days from what it was originally (based on my LMP and ovulation).

Anyway, I guess I just wanted to check in and see how anyone else here is feeling who is also at this stage of pregnancy :) ....

Bumping this, hoping there are others in a similar position who can sympathise!! 🙏🏻😅

Just sympathising as I have GD (diet controlled) and baby was initially a bit small but now well in normal range. I’m getting ready to start what I expect to be a bit of a fight to get back on the the low risk pathway and hopefully give birth in the birth centre as long as there are no risks to me or the baby. Avoiding an early induction is something I’m quite set on too.

Sending you support - with no risk factors at all , it’s absolutely your right ( and the most natural thing in the world for your baby) to give them time to come. I can imagine that by the time you get to 40+ weeks ( I’m currently 35 weeks) that pressure really ramps up. I really feel for you and hope you can correct the health professionals that are talking about what they’ll “let” you do - ultimately it is your choice , we’re just often not encouraged to think in that way.

did this scenario come up in your midwife app when your where running through your birth plan out of interest ?

I feel for you. It's some years since my baby was born. I was 40 weeks on 9/4 and baby arrived on 25/4. I did not want to be induced but when I got to 42 weeks I was practically forced in. In the end after pessaries not working they put me on a drip and broke the waters.
It was a bit traumatic at the time. As he was my 3rd I felt comfortable enough with my previous experiences to sit it out but nobody was supportive of my waiting

@Circe22 - thanks for the reply! I would say you'd definitely be entitled to push for the birth centre and also to push back any induction date if possible. It's tricky going against protocol but it's also good to feel you have some say in what happens to you.

No, they didn't discuss induction in my midwife appointments until now. I've had a different midwife at every single appointment so I think they assume someone else has covered various things. My appointments have all been short and cursory with the usual checks eg urine and BP, but never any proper discussions. My birth plan was never discussed other than that I want it to be in the birth centre.... but in my last appointment I've said I'd like to try and avoid induction (this is when they said I should book it in anyway for 41w+5 as it's policy, and also can't use birth centre from 42 w).... hence the frustration!

Good luck with your discussions!!

@Magissa - thanks for the sympathy. I'm impressed you went that long without caving in to the pressure to induce, well done. Sorry to hear it was traumatic (although it all turned out well in the end!). The unnaturally ramped up nature of it/the trauma is my primary concern. The vast majority of induction stories I've heard/read about have been pretty traumatic and quite a lot end up in emergency c-sections too, so all that induction pain for "nothing".

I know there are positive induction stories out there but it feels like the minority.

Staying strong for now 🙏🏻

I feel you! I went to 41 + 6 and they wanted me to come in the following day to be induced. I really hoped to avoid it so pulled out all the stops on that day to make baby arrive. I thought it was bonkers when I knew this baby would come when they were ready.

@Yayasisterhood - glad to know you felt the same, although sorry you had that unnecessary pressure too. Did you get induced in the end? I feel like I've tried every single "natural" way to encourage baby out (except swallowing castor oil 🤢) !

I've been there - it's torture! Sorry to say this, but the pressure to induce near 41 weeks is because they did a study recently where they looked at the outcomes of babies induced at 40-41 weeks Vs those left past 41 weeks and had to stop the study early because the risk of stillbirth after 41 weeks began to ramp up too much.

I was induced at 41+2 and it was really, really positive. Much better than my spontaneous labour of my elcs for breech baby.

@i123i how did you get on? I am 41+1 have an induction booked for 41+5 but I soo want it to happen naturally

This. Sorry OP but there is a reason they’re so pushy about not allowing babies to stay in past 42 weeks. Please, please, please research the risks properly before you make a decision.

Hello! I went to 43 + 2, and a very healthy strong boy was born that evening via elective C section, weighing 9 lbs 5 oz.

The placenta was lovely and healthy too, and he was too. Despite what the staff and others had been saying were the risks of going this far into the pregnancy. (A failing placenta etc...).

I opted to try the non-hormonal balloon induction on 43 + 1 (it stays in for 24 hours) which wasn't painful at all, but it had zero effect on opening my cervix. So rather than proceed to the next induction step (the Syntocin drip and forcing my cervix open/breaking my waters) I opted to have a c section. I had heard too many bad induction stories with long long labours which ended in c section or infection....

I didn't get the pessary as I was having mild irregular contractions when they checked me at 43 + 1 and they didn't want to risk hyperstimulation of the uterus. I'm really glad I didn't get the pessary even though recovery from a c section is pretty tough.

Looking back I wish I had gone in for less monitoring than I did after 42 weeks (they asked me to come in every day for CTG monitoring and then speak to a consultant every time about the still birth risks....!!). It did NOTHING for my oxytocin levels to encourage natural birth, so next time I would only go in every few days for a check.

Keep us updated. I'm sure whatever you choose is the right thing for you and a healthy baby ❤️❤️

Good luck!!!