41 weeks pregnant second induction

[MsP1992]

Hi,

I’m 41 + 2 days pregnant with my second child. I’m booked in for my induction tomorrow and I’m dreading it!

I asked if my induction could be delayed by a few days and settled on 10 days after my due date.

I was induced with my son and it was a very low process ending with me being on the drip.

I really want a water birth this time round and for it to be as natural as possible 🥹.

Does anybody have experience of a positive second induction / tips for how I can get my water birth 🤞🏼

thanks!

I was induced for my second baby at 39 weeks for medical reasons and it was so easy. I had a rough first birth - very long labour, needed epidural, drip, 25 stitch episiotomy and ventouse. Baby was on SCBUfor a week.

Second baby - induced at 39 weeks with a pessary, first 12 hours nothing happened, second 12 hours very minor contractions, then all kicked off and baby was here six hours later with G&A only. Only needed two stitches and was walking to the toilet within 30 mins of delivery. Healed quickly. Amazing experience.

I think when you've given birth before induction is much easier as your body just knows what to do!

Yes Iv had 2 inductions at 37 weeks.
First 2 pessaries, ARM, 2 hour active labour.
Second ARM, drip and 1 hour active labour. I preferred the drop induction!

Good luck.

I had an induction with my second.. very reluctantly!! But it was honestly the most amazing experience still! I had a failed propress and needed ARM and the drip so contractions were intense but I stuck to my original plan of just gas and air and had him within 7 hours!

fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly for you 💗

Hopefully as it's second baby and you are overdue, the induction will work with just the pessary to tip you over the edge into labour. In the trust where I gave birth and also work, if the pessary alone gets you into active labour then you can labour and birth in the midwife led unit where the water births happen. This is as long as there is an absence of other risk factors that then require CTG monitoring etc, although some units have portable waterproof units they can use. Will keep everything crossed for you 🤞

You can still decline it.

I declined mine at 41+5. They didn't let me decline over the phone and I had to go in where they put quite a lot of pressure on. I think they hope that once you're in you'll just go for it. Lo and behold baby was born naturally the next morning at 41+6 so I'm glad I stuck to my guns.

I would question that 41 weeks is 'overdue' @Nursemumma92 . Unfortunately, those of us who naturally have longer pregnancies come up against this; all my DM's pregnancies (6) were more than 40 weeks, as were both of mine. Rant over...

My sister managed to keep away from hospital until 40 weeks + 17 days and I manage 40 weeks + 14 days for my number two, at which point I didn't need an induction! I know this is all a bit beside the point, but it still bothers me that there is so much pressure on women to have pregnancies induced because of NHS protocols.

I had 2 inductions, both were fine and the second was easier. There are good reasons for inductions - the risks to the baby go up the longer you of overdue. Nothing more important than a healthy baby and delivery in my view. Good luck, I hope it passes quickly!

You could decline the induction and have some extra monitoring if that would give you peace of mind.

I'm sure baby is absolutely fine, and unless it's you who is desperate to have the induction I just would just wait until 42 weeks and reassess.

I have absolutely no idea whatsoever why my post has cats in it! 😂😂😂😂

I assume you’ve had a sweep? I think a sweep possibly kicked mine off with my second. First was induced at 12 days over, and second was going to be induced at 10 but I went into labour a few hours after a sweep and had him at 9 days over. Personally it also depends on if everything about your pregnancy is low risk including your age. If you’re over 38 I would be uncomfortable waiting until 10 days over; but I couldn’t get them to agree any earlier with my second. The placenta was a little ofd with my 1st when he was born which could have been ageing, the cord snapped- might have been ageing too. Basically at that point you know they are fully cooked and could thrive on the outside, but from moment to moment anything could happen inside so I’d rather have baby out in my arms where I can see and hold them to know they are perfect and healthy. I am not trying to stress you out, more saying look at it as welcoming your healthy beautiful baby into the world, they are ready for it.

Posters are saying if you carry longer that should be treated as normal, and that’s not unreasonable. But I am not sure an individual knows if they should be someone who can carry longer, I would have said I was one of those people with naturally longer gestation with babies born at 12 and 9 days over, but my 3rd was born at 38 weeks the same size as the others at over 8lbs and came out so awake and hungry she left hickeys all over my Dh doing newborn skin to skin while I had the placenta delivered. There is no way she needed a second longer inside.

Totally understand that @MsP1992, when I said overdue I just that as you are full term that your cervix is likely to be fairly favourable so it may just need the pessary to get you into labour rather than an ARM and drip induction- increasing the likelihood of birthing in a midwife led unit. This is as opposed to being induced at 37 weeks for example, where the body is unlikely to be ready to labour and will need more intervention.

I also fall into the mindset of a pregnancy not having an exact time that it should end for everyone and agree that declining the induction is a possibility. You do whatever you feel comfortable with- I declined induction at 41 weeks which my midwife tried to book me in for as there were empty beds and agreed to one at 42 weeks. I gave birth 41+2 spontaneously.

All the best with your birth x

I wasn’t keen on induction with my second after the drip the first time. I went in at 40+5, after pushing back the induction by a week, had one pessary and was in the water pool 8 hours later for a much more pleasant experience. Baby arrived about an hour later and I was home within 21 hours in total. It was altogether a very positive experience, good luck!