Induction/C-Section from 37 weeks, experiences?

[JungleRun21]

Looking for anyones experiences of induction or sections at 37 weeks.

I'm having a complicated pregnancy and am under the care of fetal medicine. They have suggested considering getting baby out from 37 weeks as this is classed a full term.
Risk factors are pre-eclampsia as Ive suffered this before, gestational diabetes, my age and the fact baby had a cardiac abnormality.
Baby's growth is currently normal.
I am diet controlled for diabetes at the moment.

I had pre-eclampsia before and had an induction which I must say wasnt the best experience. It was all very dramatoc with a really prolonged recovery which I can't face going through again.

Has anyone been advised to deliver at 37 weeks and what were your experiences?

Advised to deliver just after 37 weeks. They pushed induction but was going nowhere. After nearly 48 hours of next to no progress I insisted on a section. In hindsight I should have refused induction and gone straight for a section. Would have been a better experience.

Baby was fine. Some feeding issues (breastfeeding) and subsequent jaundice. But otherwise healthy.

The important part of that story is that I assume you have had a vaginal delivery previously. That massively increases the chances of the induction being successful, as well as reducing the chances of your baby having breathing problems (increased if less than 39/40, esp if diabetes and/or caesarean).

If this baby has a cardiac problem then are they expected to need transfer to a unit with cardiology? Don’t underestimate the advantages of a quick recovery and being able to drive if your baby is going to need a lot of care.

I did have a vaginal delivery before. Whilst the labour was quick (less than a couple of hours) it was chaotic and very scary with a prolonged recovery spanning a couple of months.
Hence Im not keen on an induction.

From what we have been advised, we dont need transferring to a specialist cardiac centre. Just checks following birth a couple of weeks later as long as there are no complocations during the birth.
Lickily DH has a decent paternity package so will be around to help alot following the birth.

This is why I am torn though. I feel I need something scheduled almost and the certainty of having people aroubd when I need them. But the recovery is worrying, especially with a toddler.

I have a 4 week old who was born at 36+4. She was meant to come at 37 weeks as agreed with my consultant (I’m type 1 diabetic and baby was moving less and less as well as failing ctg monitoring). I went in for my usual monitoring at 36+1 and after yet again an hour on the machine it still didn’t pass so I was taken to triage and a consultant agreed to start my induction that evening. I have had 3 normal deliveries previously so was half certain the induction would work plus I was also contracting every 5-10 mins prior to the induction starting (braxton hicks but they were strong and regular and being picked up by the machine) 24 hours with the pessary in my cervix still didn’t change and it was all becoming unbearable for me so I told the doctors I wanted a c section. This had been on the cards for me from the get go as I had an awful induction with my previous daughter. Anyways I had the c section but it was discovered in recovery that I was actually haemorrhaging so they pulled the bell and I was rushed back into theatre and I had a balloon put in. Baby was also struggling to breathe so was rushed to nicu before I’d even left theatre from the c section. She had a lot of fluid on the lungs and was being treated for a suspected sepsis infection plus she had a few episodes of low blood sugar which was expected as im diabetic. She also had to be put under the lamp for jaundice. She was discharged from neonatal at 3 days old but was back in the children’s ward 2 days later and kept in again being treated for jaundice as her bilirubin levels were just under transfusion level. C section recovery wise it’s been a breeze tbh and by far easier than the normal deliveries. I actually drove myself from the hospital on day 3 and was out shopping in the town centre by day 4. I wish I had skipped the induction and went straight for the c section as I had always wanted, it was my partner who wanted me to have natural and obviously the midwives and my consultant all said how difficult a c section recovery is ect and were swaying me to go with the induction.

Just to add i only had a haemorrhage because as my consultant said my daughter was a biggish baby 9.2 which I guess is big for 36 weeks so the size of her plus the fluid stretched my uterus and I was bleeding from where the placenta was plus my uterus had stopped contracting. I would 100% opt straight for a c section again if I were to ever have anymore x

Similar story here. Induction at 37 weeks as low amniotic fluid. It failed. Ended up with a C-section four days later, in hindsight I wish I had gone straight for section after the first issue with the pessary (I had stop start labour with pessaries as baby kept getting distressed with them, I assume this is relatively rare). In my case he just wasn't ready to come out. But my friend had a textbook induction at 37 weeks for pre-eclampsia and all was fine and normal vaginal delivery. You could always start induction but agree that you want a C-section after 24 hours if no progress etc? I wish I'd stuck to that and not been convinced to keep going with induction tbh.

Despite the slog of a birth, baby was absolutely fine and I breastfed no probs.

All the best x

I was induced at 38 weeks with DC3 as I needed to have him in a specialist hospital over an hour away. I dreaded it as I had been induced with DC1 too for failure to progress and it was horrible, and I also took a while to recover postnatally. However the induction at 38 weeks was much smoother and actually went ok. It was my third vaginal birth but DC2 was 14 at the time so I thought my body might have forgotten what to do! Was actually nowhere near as bad as I thought though, so hopefully will be the same for you. I think first birth is usually the most difficult. Good luck op and fingers crossed for a smooth delivery

I was induced at 37 weeks, first baby. I was apprehensive and was open to a section if needed. 6 hours of the pessary didn’t do anything, but then I started contracting and baby was born in the pool with wireless monitoring 4 hours later. Baby was a bit shocked (small and clearly not ready to be born, but safer out than in), but recovered quickly. I recovered super quick. Baby was under 0.4th centile until 6 months, now tall and slim.

My advice would be to make sure your birthing partner knows exactly what you would like so they can advocate for you.