Requesting an induction

[flaiky]

I've just had such annoying news. My partner is starting a new job, which involves 6 weeks of mandatory full-time training. He was meant to start the training today but his DBS check took ridiculously long. He's now been put on the next session starting on 17 June. My due date is 22 June.

I'm a first time mum, and I'd hate to do the new born phase without him around to help. It's a really scary prospect. I'd genuinely prefer to be induced (or have a caesarean, I'm open to either) 2 weeks early. Is this something the midwives would agree to? How strict are they when it comes to these discussions/decisions?

I do have a history of depression and I'm already worried about the post-partum period, so I could stress that factor. I think I'll completely freak out if I'm alone most of the day, and if he can't properly help at night. Even just a week with him available would help enormously. And like, I don't even know if he'd be there for the birth with the current plan, the training is really strict...That would be so upsetting.

Op
I think you're nuts to consider either. Chances are you would go over on your first and inductions make for a generally harder labour and you'd be reckless to consider a c section considering your husband won't be around when you get ours it's still major surgery and you need more support not less after that.

Also, kindly OP, please don't stress anxiety and depression unless this really is a problem for you. Perinatal mental health teams are so under-resourced (I know as I am under one) so please only factor in and explain your mental health if this is a genuine concern - not so you can make a case to be induced early. I don't mean to appear harsh. Wish you all the best.

I'm sorry, but I really don't think they would. They might for severe mental health reasons, but that's about it. Even if you insist and repeatedly ask, without a medical reason, the earliest they are likely to consider inducing/elective C-section is 39 weeks to give baby's lungs the chance to mature.

I've also had two 37 week inductions. Both were fine, though jaundiced at birth. Needed the drip to even get a sniff of a contraction. I was lucky with my first and had my baby the day after induction was started. I was less lucky with my second and had my baby 5 days after induction was started. And that was with medical need. For what is effectively maternal request, you'd be bottom of the triage list, and could potentially have to wait longer.

I'm sorry it's such crappy timing. Has he talked to his new job about his impending parenthood? Strict or not, they'd have to have hearts of stone to not release someone for the birth of their child.

This!
I was induced with my first one at 41+2.
I'm expecting my second and asked my midwife if I could be induced at 40 weeks. She said they only offer induction if you have over 41 weeks (unless medical reasons).
I would not even consider the c section. You will be left alone with a baby who you can barely even lift? That sounds like a very bad idea.

Baby will come when they are ready, and your partner should ask for his new job to start the training later. He is entitled to a paternal leave by law - there is no way they can make him do the training or fire him because of that.
Or you need to ask someone (family members or friends) to stay with you and help you around the baby.

I was indued with my first because my husband was being deployed to Afghan in the army and wouldn’t meet his daughter for 9 weeks but they wouldn’t start my induction till her due date and that was that everything was ok and they did it very slow they didn’t rush to get me going to tock me 5 days to have her so you could ask but I’m unsure if they would do it or not

OP, can't your husband just tell his employer that that is when he will be on paternity leave and they need to put him on the next training session after that instead?

If your MH is bad enough to warrant an early birth do you really think induction would be the best option? Yes you may be booked in for let’s say 38 weeks. With it not being for a physical need you’ll be low down the list. Let’s say your induction gets pushed back so it doesn’t start for 3-4 days. Then once it starts there’s a wait for a bed in delivery so they can’t break your waters for another 2 days. Then another 24 hours for the baby to be born. This isn’t me being OTT, take a look through the childbirth threads and it’s pretty standard.
There is no way they will do a c section before 39 weeks, again unless babies health warrants it.
Your babies health is more important than slotting in around your DP job. It’s a different story if you go into labour spontaneously.

National guidelines say not to do an elective section before 39 weeks unless medically indicated due to lung maturation. It’s all very well saying a baby is term at 37 weeks but years ago I saw a baby born by elective section at 38 weeks, no risk factors. Died from RDS. That was before they gave steroids for lung maturation like they do now…….but they won’t give steroids Willy nilly to fit in with your husbands work.

Hi there it's a labour ward midwife with background in research. It's true induction carries more risk of a Caesarean but only for women with a risk factor for example gestational diabetes or high blood pressure. There is no increase of a CS for low risk women. However the woman is more likely to experience a medicalised birth for example epidural. I suggest you request an appointment with a Consultant obstetrician and put your foot down. Either they offer you an induction at 39 weeks or a Cs at 39 weeks. I reckon you will get your induction. In the meantime please consider ordering Why Induction Matters by Sarah Wickham or Induction by Rachel Reeves from Amazon. It would give you a very good idea how induction works and what to expect. I hope it helps

Surely your partner has legal right to two weeks paternity leave? I’d really prioritise baby in this case and try and find support elsewhere. Surly having a c-section could be worse as you’ll have likely longer recovery; and inductions are statistically linked to more c-sections

Can’t your husbands work do something to accommodate his paternity leave? We’re in a similar situation with my partner and his work are being great. He had an internal move but requires 5 weeks of training in the new job. He’ll be due to be signed off fully trained when I’m due but they’re just going to play it by ear and as he’s taking 4 weeks off they’re going to pick up with some shadowing shifts when he goes back so he can refresh himself on what he’s learned. They’re fully aware that he might just need to drop everything and leave work one day if I ring him and they’re incredibly supportive about it all. It would certainly be worth asking what your husbands work can do.

Just my experience also, I’m 37+2 my baby is engaged and they won’t even do a sweep until next week. I did ask this morning when I had an appointment because I’m having twinges and the pressure is quite bad now so think I’m going soon anyway but they won’t do a sweep until after 38 weeks in my area and that’s only if you’re showing favourable signs like me.

@Peonies12 @SarahB88

If the training is for a new job that he is starting, it's quite possible that he hasn't told them his wife is expecting a baby in June.

He really does need to tell them as soon as possible.

If he doesn't tell them, nothing can or will be done about it. If he does tell them, they might be able to delay his training for a while, or even re-jig things so he can start the training tomorrow and only have missed the first two days.

@flaiky What you perhaps don't understand, if this is your first baby, is that the newborn stage actually lasts quite a while. Most people would probably say that the first three months is the newborn stage.

In any case, even if your medical team agrees to induce you or do an elective C-section at 39 weeks and you have your baby on that day, the idea that it will be fine for your husband to go away for 6 weeks for work less than a fortnight later is pretty unrealistic. Especially if you end up having a C-section and can't drive or lift anything heavy for a while.

Has your partner actually told his new employer about the baby? Has he discussed paternity leave with them?

I've had four inductions 3 were done 38+0.
All mine was out the same day. Induction can be Brutal but I coped fine.
Just used gas and air I went on the drip for 2 of them. No stitches no tears no forceps was all okay. Research all about inductions you can before asking for one.

If you have reduced movements in our trust 3 episodes or more. They will ask you to let them induce you.

This is exactly what my partner has just done, he started a new job yesterday and I'm 37 weeks today. He was scheduled to be in training six hours away over my due date, he just told them when he is and isn't available and they've worked around it.

This kind of reads as though you are suggesting that the OP present at hospital three times with "reduced movements".

I really hope that's not what you're suggesting. If there is no medical reason for induction, the baby is better off staying inside until at least 39 weeks.

It also varies trust to trust. I was in six times for reduced movements and it wasn't until a presentation scan at 38 weeks happened to show slowed growth that they said they would prefer to induce me. That close to the finish line I wasn't prepared to risk anything going wrong (turns out my placenta was small). For what it's worth I was holding her six hours after the induction started (only had a pessary) so she was ready and so was my body, but they told me to pack enough for a five day stay!

I probably should have been induced earlier for the same reason, but we didn't realise my son was so small until after he was out (after a failed induction and emergency C-section). He was 6lb at almost 40 weeks.

It was a surprise for me as I only had the scan as she had been breech and we were seeing if it was looking like a c section or if she had turned - I hadn't even considered an induction! But pleased they spotted it. Would've been horrific if something had gone wrong at that point. Hope your little one was fine too x

He was absolutely fine, thank you. I too am glad they got him out when they did, even if it wasn't the birth I had been hoping for.

I get it's a shit situation, but it's not one worth risking the health of you or your baby over

I get it wouldn't literally be classed as premature, but birth being early and forced if not ready may still cause issues

Presuming he can't get paternity leave during the training period, do you have anyone else who can help you?

There's a big difference between a baby coming spontaneously at 37 weeks and one being evicted at that point. Some babies just need longer to cook. If you have one of those it's going to be asking for trouble for both of you.

@FTMaz totally agree.

With respect OP, I know it's a shit situation but your priorities are in the wrong order.

This is the health of your unborn child.

It is best for them to stay where they are until they are ready. As PP said lots of babies have to have medications to mature their lungs even at 37/38 weeks.

It isn't worth it because your husband has to attend training. I highly doubt an induction would be granted in this case anyway.

As another PP said, please only cite your mental health if it is a genuine concern for you and you are actually worried about the impact birthing your baby at 40+ weeks it will have on your mental health and your baby's wellbeing. Our perinatal mental health teams are struggling beyond measure at the moment.

Please don't lie about reduced movements. You will be given a higher priority than you should be, which could put other mums and babies at increased risk. My c-section kept being pushed back because other higher priority emergencies kept coming in. Which meant my waters had been broken for more than 48 hours and my baby needed iv antibiotics. Fine if the emergencies were genuine (which in my case I would think the y probably were) but not if people were lying about reduced movements or other things to get induced or a c-section.

@elliejjtiny Are you mentally okay? Who's lied about inductions?

@flaiky In my Trust, you'd need to have it signed off by a Consultant at 38 weeks gestation to intervene so it may need escalated from the midwife.

Is there any way the training could be postponed to the next session if its already had to be postponed once anyway? It's worth asking HR if not already explored.

I was induced at 40 weeks with my first and I was nowhere near ready so I failed to progress and ended up in EMCS. I have no stats to support this but it seems reasonable to me that an induction at 38 weeks would greatly increase the cascade of intervention, prolonged induction and same result.

I think its reasonable to discuss all the pros and cons with a doctor and see what they say - they'd be far more open (depending on baby's growth to date) to consider intervention at 39 weeks over 38 which could be the compromise.