To be induced, or not to be induced (41+3)?

[Flowersflowers121]

I'm currently 38+6 and just had my hospital call and book in my induction for 41+3 (if nothing happens naturally beforehand of course).

I know everybody's experiences will be different, but just wanted to get some opinions on whether (if all is well with me and baby) I could try and hold out a little longer or if just accepting the induction is best?

(For extra info, I've been offered a sweep for 40+3, and 2 more after that before the induction date. I had also planned to go to my local midwife led unit instead of the hospital ideally but appreciate that plans change and am open to this if necessary).

Thanks, everyone! <3

My son was born at 41+3 after a sweep the day before, but my NHS trusts policy is to suggest induction at 41+5. It's a postcode lottery, so if I were you I'd ask for it to be postponed, as long as you're comfortable with that. You can always refuse induction.

Mine we’re both more than 10 days late and my hospital wouldn’t induce until either 12 or 14 days late, I can’t remember. I’d have bitten their hand off if they’d offered me an induction at 41+3, those last few days are a struggle both physically and psychologically. But that may not be your preference, I think up to 12 days late is probably fine. My second baby’s cord had gone a bit funny, I think probably due to being so overdue so personally wouldn’t push my luck with waiting too long.

This website is very good. Can’t remember the exact statistics but the risk of still birth increases as you get closer to 2 weeks overdue.

I went into labour spontaneously at 9 days overdue, but I was going to have an induction if I hadn’t gone into labour by 12 days over.

https://evidencebasedbirth.com/

Thanks, guys! All really helpful points :) xx

It’s completely up to you. They can’t make you have an induction, you just need to weigh up the risks and make a decision that’s right for you and baby.

Mine have all been late. I was induced with my first at 12 days over and he came eventually two days later
I've gone into labour naturally with the other 3
With my 4th and last I was really wanting to have her at a midwife led place but had an induction booked for 42 weeks (Xmas Eve!) At a hospital
I ended up having a sweep at 9 days over and she came on her own 2 days later. 11 days late but I got to have her at the midwife led place
In my area that seem to be really anti sweeps and I had to beg for one even though overdue. I know other people that have had them prior to their due dates!
If it were me, I'd be induced on the day they suggest but fingers crossed baby will come on their own before this
It's hard when you're overdue. I've always got to the point where I just wanted them out

They can't force you to be Induced but they can make it very difficult to decline! I had to go in to decline the appointment in person, at which point they lay it on quite thick, Hoping you'll just stay and have it. This was at 41+5 after convincing my midwife to book it in later than protocol (41+3)
Baby arrived the next morning at 41+6 so I guess the induction would have 'worked' but I'm glad I waited.

I think you need to pick a date you're comfortable with and stick to your guns, for me it probably would have been 42+2ish and I would have had to go in for daily monitoring (fine by me)

@Scroobydoo what if you just hadn't turned up? Can't induce you then.

You may want to factor in your age, young and healthy do what you want, older mum possibly safer to induce.

I did not enjoy my induction at 39+3 and hope for the next one to let labour come on naturally. But if i'm still pregnant at 41w I'll 100% be accepting an induction before week 42, and my reasons are because of a study carried out in Sweden, looking at inductions vs letting labour occur naturally after 40w. The study had to be suspended because of the number of stillbirths from women who were not induced and who's labour did not start in time. It's not worth waiting past 42w in my opinion.

Link: www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/oct/28/post-term-pregnancy-research-cancelled-babies-die-sweden

I would. I had IUGR due to the placenta not working well, was induced at 39 weeks, and to quote my midwife 'Are you a smoker? Because this is a poor placenta'.

Now the same thing happens when left too long - the placenta stops working well. I would not take that risk.

To make it clear - I was not a smoker. But the placenta was small with bad blood flow, the cord was weedy, which I was told happens due to the age of it as well as the condition IUGR. It could not be detected by a scan. It's just not worth the risk!

My baby was 18 days overdue when I finally gave in and accepted an induction. Had I known it would be needed eventually I would probably have gone for it sooner, but I was hoping not to need it. The pressure became quite intense to go ahead, with daily scans at the hospital and a meeting with the consultant who said “We want to have a baby alive at the end of this don’t we Mrs BigTom?”. I believe the chances of a stillbirth after 10 days overdue increase to 1 in 200 but the consultant was oddly reluctant to share the research showing this to be the case. My view was that this was pretty long odds. I would probably feel differently if I had to make the decision today though.

The midwife also claimed the baby was going to be over 10 pounds. She was nearer 8 lol.

@BouncingWorms you're quite right! I don't think I was thinking straight after 4 sleepless nights of contractions that just stopped in the day, and as a ftm was probably worried about what they might think if I didn't turn up. I wanted a home birth so was desperate to stay on their good books!

If it happens again this time round I'm definitely just going to ring up and not go in.