Experiences of going past 41 weeks and declining induction

[MCMP13]

How far overdue did you go with your baby?

Pregnant with my second and hoping to go naturally due to a bad induction experience. I got induced at 39 weeks for measuring ‘too big’ but turned out to be very average weight.

Ive read a lot on NHS website lately as the time is coming around and our trust offers induction at 41 weeks. Has anyone had experience going past 41 weeks or declining induction? (Unless medically necessary of course, I don’t want to put myself or baby in any danger) If you get to a certain point do you get extra monitoring or whatever?

Like @TheBlueKoalaand @EasternStandard, I also know of someone who ignored professional advice and was delivered of a stillborn at 42 weeks. It’s just not worth the risk.

Both my kids arrived at 40+10 having declined induction at 40weeks, I think acupuncture helped as an induction technique both times which I had in last four weeks of pregnancy. I went into labour naturally but would have accepted induction at 41 weeks if I wasn’t already in labour (long labours both times). I ended up having an epidural and oxytocin to move labour along both times and in retrospect given this would now say to my younger self that an induction would have been fine for me at 40 weeks. My younger boy was very big and might have been better if he was born earlier (he got shoulder dystocia during the birth but the team were incredible at dealing with this and he and I were fine). Listen carefully to your medical advisors. Wishing you best of luck.

I was induced at 41+3 due to medical advice not to wait any longer and my child weighed 9,92 pounds. I'm glad I didn't wait any longer. I'd always listen to medical professionals...better to be safe than sorry.

Baby 1: sweeps at 41 and 41+5. Arrived at 42 weeks (i think, she's 17 now). 9lb 13oz large haemorrhage.
Baby 2: arrived at 41+4. Can't remember if I had a sweep or not. 9lb15oz smaller haemorrhage.
Baby 3: very, very vigorous sweep at 42 weeks. Baby arrived next day but in thick meconium and at 10lb 8oz. We were kept in almost a week and he was given two kinds of antibiotics and scans as they were concerned about sepsis (with scant reason). It was an awful time full of lots of pressure by staff on me to separate from the babh and pretty much every other things they could do to create negative test results which would justify the ABs.

I'm not sure if this is a path I'd take again or not. I was quite old when I had my children (33-42) but my pelvic floor has been destroyed by the big babies. My organs are all in weird places now! My veins also took a big hit. For my first child, hospitals normalised birth and hands off was supported, but it really wasn't by the last time and the pressure for them to be in control of everything was immense leading to perhaps worse outcomes than just letting them do what they wanted.

Same, another one with a friend who refused induction after 41 weeks, her lovely baby stopped breathing a few days later and she went on to deliver at 42 weeks (after having to be induced anyhow). Was utterly devastating.

For all the women on this thread who thankfully had happy endings, the risk increases each day after 41 weeks. So it's all about weighing up the risk and deciding if it's one you'd be willing to take.

I was going to decline induction, but it didnt end up being relevant. Here are some things that I concluded from the research I did at the time. Feel free to ask for some links if you want them.

1. The evidence that the placenta starts to lose function after 42 weeks is based on studies which have shown similar changes in the placenta of stillborn and otherwise compromised babies to the placentae of babies born later in pregnancy. Part 42 weeks I think. However the research doesnt conclusively show that these changes are related to the problem. It could be incidental. for me, it does seem like there is evidence that the placenta could be less efficient post 42 weeks, so this was "pro induction" for me, especially considering that I might need my placenta to withstand an induction or augmentation at some point.

2. The monitoring that they would offer is of limited use. In my hospital, they offer daily CTG monitoring up until 42 weeks, and then a scan, and then daily monitoring. They never had anyone go past 43 weeks in recent time so in theory, thought scans would be offered weekly.
   The only thing that has real predictive ability is the scan, so I could potentially be going 7 days without any clinical assessment that could really tell me how well things were going better than I could monitor myself via fetal movements/my own wellbeing.
   You see, in research, CTG has not been shown to lower the chance of stillbirth (even in high risk women) but is one of the only ways to continually monitor the baby's heart rate in labour so is the most ethical recommendation when either mother or baby has risk factors.
   Popping in daily for a CTG can tell us that right now, the baby seems ok but it can't tell me that it will still be ok that night with any real certainty. There is value in having several days to compare and you might see a decline which a doctor can point out and you act on it. But I was told that when something terrible has happened and the person has had daily monitoring post dates, there often wasn't that sign at all. There was nothing to show that the baby would be okay one night but not the next night despite CTGs on both days.
   This told me that if I decline induction, I am doing so because I believe the risk of stillbirth due to baby being post term is acceptably low enough, NOT because I believe that daily monitoring will be able to reliably predict if the placenta is not functioning well.

I ultimately decided that I would see how I felt physically and emotionally right at that time. I went into spontaneous labour befire I got there. Just!

.

Uclh policy was to induce at 10 days over. Ds1 was born at 12 days over. I would never want to go later than 10 days over, after 40+3ish I count kicks very carefully and am so aware that baby is fully cooked, ready for birth, very healthy on all known metrics and while they’re inside you as time goes on that can change so suddenly and there’s usually nothing you can do. I want them outside and born so I can see them and know they are ok. My placenta was going a bit funny when ds1 was born, I’m so glad he came out healthy and safe. Ds2 I accepted a sweep and he was born that night at 9 days over, I’d have gone in for induction the day after. Dd was perfect when born at 38.5 weeks.

My pregnancies went to 41+4 and 41+3 and I was refused an induction before that (I think my trust only induced at 41+5 at that time although I think it’s earlier now). First had meconium in the water and second the cord snapped, and I was told the cord wasn’t in great shape. There are risks to delaying.

A Swedish study was halted because of the risks of later induction. As somebody who went to 40+13 for all three of my daughters (my son was very punctual and was born on his due date), and had very good births, I would now be much more concerned about waiting. If one of my DDs was pregnant, and 41 weeks +, I would be advising them to have an induction, despite my good experiences.

Many of us on here have had very successful inductions, myself included. My induction was a far more positive experience than my non induced delivery, which ended in me getting PTSD.

I wouldn't advise it. There was a tiktoker who did the same as you by refusing induction past 42 weeks and her baby died.

My youngest was born technically at 42 plus 2 after induction. However, and its a big However, there was literally no way ny due date was right. The dates they used from scan size meant he was conceived whilst my ex husband was abroad so I knew they were 4 days out which made me 41 plus 5 really. I was really disappointed to need an induction but honestly it was fine and far fewer interventions than my none induced firstborn.

Baby was 11lb 8!

You need to acknowledge the risks and work out your circumstances and what is an acceptable level of risk for you

I went to 42. Lot of meconium at birth but super easy labour. We were both green from head to foot. Less painful than a leg wax (great drugs).

My son’s cord snapped, the one born 41+5, now I remember it. His cord snapped, had a true knot in it and the placenta was a bit oddly granular textured and grey toned- I was very anaemic after the birth and I think it had just eaten my iron and there wasn’t enough left. At 8lbs 4 he was big for my size too. I was so happy he was out safe and was determined never to go that late again.

I could have written this myself a week ago! Was pregnant with my 2nd - also measuring big etc - offered sweeps from 39 weeks but I declined. They booked me in for an induction at 41+6 - could have gone earlier but I wanted him to come on his own terms so waited as long as possible! He ended up arriving at 41+1 weeks - 10lbs 6! So much bigger than they thought, but everything was well - quick labour, smooth delivery - all in a birth centre! So stick to your guns if you want to wait and obviously baby is moving around okay!

This is definitely a tactic unfortunately

This was 20 years ago.
I went to 43 + 2

I was just very very hormonal and scared of induction and maniacly determined to go into labour. I refused to let them near me.

In the end I was induced and had a very medicalised birth, because that was what was necessary to get my baby safely born. That would have been the case at 38 or 43 🤷🏼

I retrospect, I was insane to take such risks. What was I thinking?? I am very lucky everything turned out okay. I should have trusted the medical advice.

By asking here you'll get many stories of people being fine and horror stories also. It's up to your medical/pregnancy history, your dates, and how comfortable you are with the facts presented to you and risk levels.

In my case I declined induction and had one at 41+6 at 8lbs and another at 41+5 at 9lb10 (home birth) I did have sweeps the day before with both of them. No meconium, healthy placentas etc.

So based on my own history of having 'late' babies and the fact the NHS have dated me a week ahead this time (I know when I ovulated) I will be comfortable waiting until 42weeks this time.

You need to do what feels comfortable for you

This is great advice.. There is some great information out there to help people decide if they feel that Induction is the right thing for them. People need to weigh up the pros/cons themselves.

Lovely to hear that you had a homebirth - I am planning a homebirth too... My home assessment is in 5 weeks, feeling super blessed to have an amazing community midwife team who have had around 17 homebirths between them themselves and their job is to attend homebirths 💖

Just be prepared to hear medical staff you’ll kill your baby etc - yes they resort to those tactics

How is your pregnancy going, OP? How have your scans been so far? Any high BP? Any other prgenancy issues? Have you had any growth scans? How risk averse are you normally in life?

You can do lots of research (and i see Sara Wickham has been mentioned above - yes, read her info but take it with a pinch of salt as well. I personally find her quite problematic on one issue which makes me less sure about the rest of the advice she gives out) and think about your own biases as well. All my rational thinking went out the window towards the end of my pregnancies! I didnt go for an induction as I decided just to request an ELCS instead - but ive never made it to due date with either of my DC so i felt much more comfortable about that choice.

Also think about where your line would be - would you accept induction at 41+3? What about 41+5? Would you prefer a ELCS over an induction? I found it helpful to have "gates" in my mind about what I was willing to accept when.

You could also arrange to have a "birth options" discussion with a consultant midwife. I had one and the consultant midwife was amazing - really unbiased, all the facts without any emotive language, even happy to discuss pros and cons of vaginal breech birth with me for one of my DC (I quickly discounted that though). She really helped me to feel more at ease with my decision and helped me put together a plan for what we would do.

With my third I went to 42+3. This was with independent midwives for a planned home birth so the just kept a close eye. If he hadn’t arrived when he did I would have gone in for a scan. The problem is ‘medically necessary’ is up for interpretation and many women are coerced into them. With my first they wanted to book an induction even before my due date. Be clear and firm and challenge induction just on the basis of dates. The soaring rate of C sections is in large part down to the rise in routine inductions and the subsequent issues these cause. Mine was a 9lb er when he arrived- no tearing at all.

I’m not sure this is helpful. There are risks.

I just cannot believe anyone would risk their baby’s life by being so adamant about this. Surely the only thing that matters is the delivery of a healthy baby? Of course there are risks!!

For some it will. I can't remember the name but last year watched a tiktoker so determined to wait and not be induced. The baby died at 42 weeks I think.