Induction on Saturday!

[gds05]

I'm going to be 39 weeks on Saturday, I had a growth scan yesterday and doctors have offered an induction if I would like one. The alternative is wait to see if I go into labour naturally but will require scans every week and CTG monitoring 2x a week.

I'm extremely conflicted on what to do. The doctor didn't strongly advise either option. My baby's growth has been inconsistent throughout my pregnancy, 2 weeks ago he dropped to 10th centile, yesterday he is around the 20th centile so there has been some growth. Previous scans show he was small then grown, then small again. I know these scans can also be incredibly inaccurate. I have been in 2x over 2 days last week due to reduced movements as well.

It doesn't help that all I seem to find is stories of how awful inductions are! I know only I can make this decision but as this is my first pregnancy its incredibly overwhelming with the added stress that my hospital is over an hour away due to my local hospital being closed by CQC.

In your circumstances I would be wanting to get baby out ASAP. There’s an AMA thread on here. OP refused an induction at 41 weeks about 10 years ago. Her baby sadly passed away.

What worked for me when I had my son was eating a full pineapple for breakfast. Advice from a midwife that lived in my st. He was born that day at 10 past 5. Has to be fresh pineapple though not tinned.

The doctor hasn't advised either option, he just gave me those 2 to choose from. He was happy that baby has grown, however he is only weight 6lbs2oz at 38+4 weeks pregnant, rather than the average 7lbs1oz for this stage.

He just said induction at 39 weeks or wait it out but requires monitoring 2x week. It is exhausting doing an hours drive each way for 2x a week but I know that's not a reason for an induction.

I was induced at 38+2 when slowed growth was picked up almost by accident on a presentation scan as she had been breech at 37+6. I'd also had episodes of reduced movements. They scanned on the Friday and said the same as you've been told and suggested inducing on Monday, but that if I came in over the weekend with reduced movements they would want to induce immediately.
The induction was super fast and super smooth. 2cm to holding the baby in 40 mins, didn't even have time to read my trashy mags! I'm so pleased I did. She was healthy, but the placenta was shown to be small once delivered which wasn't picked up before. I dread to think what could have happened if I waited. I wasn't prepared to risk her that close to the end.

No experience of being in that position OP, but just wanted to share that my induction was fine. Had one 24 hour pessary and didn’t need anything else. Once I was 2cm everything happened pretty quickly 😂 It was my second baby.

I know it’s different with a second baby but I had an induction that was completely and utterly fine. 11 hrs, no worse pain than my first which was spontaneous, no other interventions beyond the initial internal gel.

The only non-negotiable I went in with was that I was not having the hormonal drip without an epidural already administered. Not promised, not “it’s coming”, not “let’s see how you get on” but literally in my back and working before I gave consent to the drip.
That was just based on what I’d read and experiences from people I know. But in the end I didn’t need it anyway and all was good!

I've heard mixed stuff about inductions but mostly that if your body can get going with the pessaries and sweeps then should be OK, but the worst is the hormonal drip as it can be turned up too fast and you can be in agony for hours leading to sections!

Perhaps get eating pineapple, walking up and down the stairs, flicking your nipples 😆 and see how the pessaries go. It's a bit shit your local hosp is an hour away though!!! So you can't even really go home and go back etc.

The scans are hugely inaccurate though but if you're having reduced movements I would err on side of caution! Inductions aren't all bad! Perhaps if you wanted a middle ground you could wait half a week and when you go in for monitoring you could say you want to start the process with a sweep or something. Or have the sweep and then go home, go back in for monitoring and then just induce.

what percentile was your baby on if you don’t mind me asking?

mines gone from 25th to 50th to 10th now to 20th. I was an average size baby as was my husband.

His movements have been fine since Monday, I’ve had cramping on and off since Thursday last week but they don’t seem to be progressing just like period cramps. I walk loads at least 5 miles a day due to having an active dog, been eating dates, I do pregnancy core workouts everyday. On the Doppler scans the cord was fine and blood flow at every scan but I do wonder why he is small.

She was tracking on the 75th and then stalled between scans (I'd had a few due to the previous reduced movements but the last incidence of that was at about 32 weeks I think). Born at 38+2 weighing 7lbs 8oz. The issue was that the growth slowed, not that she was small. And it sounds like your baby's growth is erratic too. The sonographer told me that the scan only shows that everything is ok in that exact moment. It doesn't say that it was ok before or will be after. Once born she only lost 2% of her body weight, regained that within five days and immediately shot up to the 91st centile 😂

Oh and I was also the same as you, very fit and walking 5-7 miles a day.

In your position i would absolutely take the option of induction. Just wanted to say though that the growth scans can be widely inaccurate. I had growth scans all the way through with DC2. She was born at 40+1 at 8lb 3oz.

Reduced movements always need heeding though

I had more or less the same with my little girl. Slow growth all the way through, 2 weekly scans, 2x weekly ctgs and was in a few times with reduced movement. Blood flow and placenta always looked fine on the scan. Ended up in EMCS but every day I’m so grateful I did as she had an extremely short cord which was causing her heart rate to slow and be in distress. I don’t even want to think what could have happened if she didn’t come out when she did. You know your body and your baby if something doesn’t feel right please take the induction x

Also getting induced Saturday when I will be 38 weeks. Super nervous for baby but happy for the extra caution x

My baby started showing slowing growth around 34 weeks, the scans were all over the place at first showing 50th centile, then 5th centile, then 10th and then below 10th. After being offered induction I paid for a private scan and this measurement was actually the most accurate, he was 5lb 10oz at 39+3.

Could this be an option if you feel you need another opinion? I did start the induction but opted for a csection before the hormone drip when he showed signed of distress.

Thank you. I’ve always questioned them why is he small! His head is small, and has been on every scan. His femur is also smaller which to me doesn’t make sense as I’m 5ft8 & my husband is 6ft!

When I went in with reduced movements it was that he was moving but LESS than usual and not as strong as usual. I went in last Saturday & this Monday for it. I have been in previously at 28 weeks for reduced movements as well.

I just worry about making the right decision as Saturday is only 2 days away and the fact the doctor didn’t insist on the induction he just said I can have one because I said I’m worried about the growth x

I was called in for an induction at 36+6 with my second because of my health (liver issues, low platelets and really extreme fatigue) and risk of still birth.
It was fine. I had a sweep at 36+6 which started the contractions. This almost put into labour. I had not been so unwell I would have given this more time to work as it was I only had the energy for a relatively quick induction. I had the pessetry in for 4h of the 24h it could have been in as I was now in labour and at risk of hyper stimulation.
I laboured well whilst on my feet but my health limited this after a while I had to lie down all the time and labour stalled. They broke my waters and everything went quickly from there. He went into distress at the end but he was born with the cord around his neck and this was probably the cause rather than the induction. He had occasional decelerations in heart rate even before they started the induction and didn't start it until they determine of they were regular or not.
He was 6lb12 at 37+1 and based on his growth scans at this gestation he should have been more like 5lb12-6lb so they aren't always accurate.

The worrying is absolutely awful and I totally know how your feeling and what your going through! She was the exact same always had a smaller head and the femurs were 3rd percentile!
The way I seen it was that they can do a lot more for baby on the outside than they can while inside. Most likely everything will be fine but there is always that small chance that maybe not and it’s not a chance I would not want to take.
You know your body, you know your baby and you know your pattern of movements.
sorry if it sounds like I’m pushing for the induction it’s just I’ve been through same thing and my heart goes out to you❤️ your going to be great mum and whatever you decide to do please do update x

I really appreciate that thank you!

My husband actually just told me at the growth scan yesterday that he heard the sonographer mutter that she over estimated the femur, so if she did that then what other measurements are over estimated?! I personally didn’t hear but I wasn’t anxious. It did feel quite rushed as well as it was a locum, compared to my scan 2 weeks ago where she took her time and I was in there for at least 20 minutes, yesterday was about 5 x

If you can afford it I would get a private scan for their opinion, I felt the same with some of my nhs scans. On the one before my induction they forgot to do the Doppler? I asked if it could be redone and was told their policy was not to redo scans which I’m sure was a load of rubbish, I’m pregnant again and dopplers were forgotten at my 20 week scan and the consultant just sent me downstairs to have them done.

But ultimately at 39 weeks they’ll be safer out where doctors can see what’s going on than in!

Scans are never 100% accurate there is a margin for error bigger and smaller which makes the worry even worse. Some sonographers just have no empathy most of the time you come of out scans more worried than when you went in!
Have a good chat with your husband so you can let your hospital know what you would like to do x

I can afford it but unfortunately I live in rural area so no where nearby that does it!

I think reading all the comments I feel more confident about the induction as I guess I’ll constantly be worrying otherwise

I had an induction at 41 weeks OP due to a bleed. The induction itself was a long process for me and I ended up with an emergency c section. I know others who were induced and had a speedy delivery.

The main thing is I was monitored carefully and came away with a healthy baby.

Before you agree to induction Id ask your midwife to do a sweep and see what your Bishops score is. This gives you a “how likely is induction to work” score.

Also ask if they have beds free on the labour ward. Lots of times they get women in for induction but there is no bed for them on the labour ward so they just sit on the antenatal ward getting more and more sleep deprived. I’ve seen posts on here where women are waiting a week!

This happened to me and I ended up with a emergency C-Section and then hallucinating from the lack of sleep.

Also, don’t be afraid of a C-Section. I wish I had skipped induction (my Bishops score was middling) and gone straight for a C-section. Recovery was physically totally fine but would have been so much easier mentally without starting off impossibly sleep deprived before the baby even arrive!

Unfortunately I’m not due to see my midwife and she’s currently off sick, so I won’t be able to see anyone tomorrow before Saturday.

Pointless asking if there are labour ward beds free as induction usually takes days so even if the beds are free when you go in that's meaningless.
What's the actual reason for the induction? As 20th centile is normal so there must be something else.

As stated, the growth has been inconsistent and episodes of reduced movements.