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?

It's such a personal decision and there will be positive and negative experiences and outcomes for both. I think reflecting on your health, how this pregnancy has felt, your risk aversion etc is super important.

I have birthed naturally without intervention at 41+3 (or 40+10 depending on how you count it) twice. I don't think I'd personally want to go over 42, that's where my risk limit ends I guess.

The first time they booked me in for an 'induction chat' at 41+4. I found out afterwards that had I gone in for the chat they would have very likely attempted to pressure me into having the induction there and then as it was booked in (apparently in case you decided on the day you wanted one they're prepared, but the pressuring you still feels unnecessary imo). I did have extra monitoring and scans as they said baby was measuring small (8lbs in the end) so they were keeping an eye on us.

The second time I accepted a sweep at 41+2 and otherwise managed to delay them even talking about next steps. I said I was aware of the risks and options and I'd let them know if I wanted to discuss it further. Baby arrived the morning after the sweep. I think I had one scan /extra monitoring between due date and babies birth, weirdly can't remember as well as I did the first time!!

Currently 40+3 with #3 and this time I said at 36 weeks that I know they had boxes to tick about induction discussions so could we have them there and then so they can say they've informed me and I will let them know if/when I'm ready to consider it after 41+3 based on my previous two experiences. Obviously keeping very aware of movements, how I'm feeling wtc.

I have my 40 week appointment tomorrow and I'm prepared that from the end of this week they'll want me to go in for regular monitoring and the comments/questions are going to increase. Had a scan a few weeks ago and the placenta is still looking great so that was reassuring, but feels right for me to go in so they can check things like that again now we're past due date.

With my first I accepted a sweep at 41+4 and then agreed to go in to be induced at 42 weeks; I had him at 42+1

With my second when I got to 41 they wanted to to do a sweep and I declined as it hadn't helped at all the previous time. I had an appointment booked for 41+4 at which they were going to try and talk me into the sweep but I woke up that morning and went into labour so no need!

With my third, in a different area of the country, they were weirdly pushy about sweeps and booking induction and so on from 39 weeks and got really sniffy when I made it clear there would be none of that and that my pattern was to go over the EDD and I had no interest in inducing labour earlier than was usual for me unless there was actual reason to do it. I went into labour and had him at 40+4 so never had to have a real fight with them but god, they were unpleasant and pushy about it.

Eta- of every woman on my mum's side of the family who I have known to give birth, only two have ever had a baby before 40 weeks; one was induced at 38 weeks due to concerns he was big, one was born to a 43 year old having her sixth baby. The norm for women in my family is very much to go past the EDD, often by a good week or more.

I can't fathom how educated women would see the statistical risks and think "nah I totally know my body better than these medical professionals who have seen what happens in all circumstances" and decide that it's a risk they're willing to take.

WHY do you think the medics advocate not to go this long? WHY do you think they "get pushy"?

And for those who waited against advice and had live babies, it's no different to taking your baby in the car without a car seat, not crashing and thinking people who use seatbelts are losers.

Don't be so fucking stupid.

I don't think strongly encouraging women to be induced at nearly 42 weeks is a 'tactic'. It's more likely hospital protocol and staff who have seen the worse that can happen.

A friend of mine had a very lucky near miss with going overdue. Went for monitoring, baby's heart rate very low, crash section and the baby survived. Would likely not have if her apt had been a few hours later.

I went to 40-17 once

I wasn’t declining induction I was choosing between induction and expectant management which were both offered to me as options past 40-10 by my midwife who was supportive of either choice.

I did actively decline sweeps as I was not in a mentally healthy enough position to accept any intimate examinations or procedures.

After 40-14 they were then full and couldn’t fit me in and didn’t do inductions over a weekend so I was booked in for the next induction slot on the Monday. I had the baby on the Sunday naturally without an induction.

If that makes me fucking stupid I guess I am fucking stupid.

I would go with the medical advice. They are there for a reason.
I had a baby at 41+2 and another at 39 weeks. Both had thick meconium in waters.

There are risks to both approaches.. It really isn't a case of if you wait and do nothing it's all risk, there's risks with waiting as there are risks with induction.

People need to do what they find is right for them and we need to be able to have calm and measured discussions about this without using language like 'I can't believe anyone would risk their baby's life'... That's not helpful in the slightest.

I say this as my midwives have been completely open with the risks of induction with me, and given the stats of stillbirth etc.. I am listening to them as well reading other material myself.

I dunno, I had an emergency induction with my youngest and wasn't allowed home after my appointment, it was really scary. But then they induced me straight away and left me for 5 days on a maternity ward because they had no spaces on the labour ward. I could have gone home for them 5 days instead of being stressed out of my mind, induced already so at risk of infection apart from anything else, staying in hospital, trying to sort child care, schools, partners work etc. he could have also worked that week instead of taking it off to deal with all of that and visiting me and relying on his dad for lifts (he doesn't drive and I was in hospital miles away and taxi was £15 each way) and then he could have had more than one day off after we returned home. It's not as simple as a statistical risk for every situation.

As I explained in my post, when I had my older 3 (youngest being 5!) it was routine to offer induction at +14. Now it’s +7. My babies are all big and overdue, that’s just the way it is, why not give my body the time to naturally go into labour? Why are C-csections at my hospital more common than vaginal births (surprise surprise!)?

We aren’t talking when there is a medical reason, obviously!

The procedure has changed because the evidence has become stronger. More babies die if left longer.

That IS the medical reason.

Very dangerous. Know a couple of people who nearly died from bleeding. Nope.

I was induced at 41+. Because I was geriatric they monitored me beforehand and I kept on delaying it, saying the baby wasn’t ready to come out yet (no idea why!). He arrived with the cord around his neck and having swallowed meconia and had to be resuscitated. It was terrifying and I feel very guilty though I don’t know if delaying it was necessarily the issue.

You are 100% wrong! The evidence actually states that despite induction being used in most births, stillbirth rates have not changed at all since the increase of Induction.

Gestation - Chance of NOT having a stillbirth
39 weeks - 99.9%
40 weeks - 99.8–99.9%
41 weeks - 99.8%
42 weeks - 99.4–99.7%

So the argument of having an induction to reduce stillbiirth, doesn't stand. Please do provide evidence of otherwise.

I was induced with my first at 42 weeks and it was awful. Never again.

By the time I had my second, the hospital policy was induction at 41 weeks (!). There was no way I was letting them put me through that again.

So I said they could book me a c section for 42 weeks instead. I went into labour naturally at 40+2.

I think the drive to induce everyone is awful for women, so many awful births start with an induction. Women need to be given time to have their babies naturally.

It is the next great maternity scandal.

In Kenya the stillbirth rate is 16-19 per 1000, vs 3.9 per 1000 in the UK.

Do you think the rate of still birth in Kenya is due to the length of women’s pregnancies, or due to its population often having limited access to modern medical care during their pregnancies and births?

I was booked for induction for 41&6 and went into labour early hours of that morning but still needed the induction as I never progressed despite contracting every 2 minutes 😂 she was born bang on 42 weeks. Of course I would have loved to avoid induction but it was for the best. It wasn’t the most pleasant of experiences but I had an open mind and trusted my doctor and doctor through out. I don’t plan on having any more but if I did I’d try for a natural and if not I’d want an elective xxx

My midwife for my first said they induce at 42 weeks but I would have declined if she'd suggested it before then. She also made me aware that I was entitled to request increased monitoring if I preferred that to induction.
I had a sweep at 41+2 and baby was born 41+6 though I went into labour 41+4 and as it was so long I did end up on the drip. I think even the sweep got things moving when I wasn't really ready yet.
I didn't want an induction at all, and statistically felt comfortable going to 42 weeks. I only consented to the sweep because I was worried about being pushed into an induction at 42 weeks though I believe my midwife would have been supportive if I needed her to be. But I had been convinced my whole pregnancy that my baby would be 'late', so I was prepared to go to 42 weeks at least.
My midwife for my second child was a different breed. She was offering sweeps from 38 weeks which I declined. She said she wouldn't bother to see me again until 41 weeks if I wasn't interested in a sweep!

Exactly this, I would be very surprised if there was any evidence it was based on due date calculation

Having had a stillborn at 39+5 (he died at 39+3) I'm very risk adverse. It turns out I had undiagnosed gestational diabetes. My GTT was clear at 28wks. I had my 3 living children at 37 wks via planned section with no issues.

I would always listen to the medical professionals. All they want is a healthy mum and baby.

I'm really sorry you faced that. Having worked in NICU, I'm similarly risk averse. When DD2 stopped growing at 35 weeks, the registrar wanted to 'watch and wait' with CTGs every few days. I said I wanted to be induced. She insisted that she had 'far worse cases'. I asked if she could guarantee that my baby would still be healthy when they next checked on me. She admitted she couldn't. I repeated that I wanted to be induced. The Consultant came across and said that both positions were reasonable, but as Mum I had the final say. I was induced the next morning.

ALL my babies they said were massive and ALL of them that they estimated to be 13+lb were less than 8!!!

my 1st I refused induction and he was born at 42 weeks 6 days and was the most chilled out baby I’ve ever seen. The one that came out of the sunroof at 36 weeks was a nightmare and showed why we leave them in there as long as possible

@Peonies12stillbirth rate in Kenya is 19 in 1000 pregnancies. In the UK it’s 3.

Yes but how can that be attributed to their different due date calculation? Surely it’s attributed to the lack of accessible healthcare
france considers 41 weeks the due date.

"The risk of stillbirth only increases after 40+14"

Sadly not true. I would recommend reading the NICE guidelines on Induction of Labour for actual evidence based medicine (over any book or podcast which will not be peer reviewed, however "official" they might sound).

NICE recommends that mothers are advised that "some risks associated with a pregnancy continuing beyond 41+0 weeks may increase over time and these include:
• increased likelihood of caesarean birth
• increased likelihood of the baby needing admission to a neonatal intensive care unit
• increased likelihood of stillbirth and neonatal death. [2021]"

The data is at appendix A, the risks remain quite low but it's simply wrong to say they don't arise until 42 weeks.

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng207