Overdue & avoiding induction

[RhiChiChi]

Does anybody know what is the 'safest' timeframe to go over your due date? Whilst I am keen or more like hanging to meet my bubs I am now not sure about my OBS inducing me. (I go back to see him on Wednesday and this will probably be discussed) This is mainly b/c I want my body to go into spotaneous labour as I *think* it will be a better experience for me & bubs. OBS said he will induce if I am overdue anywhere b/t 8-14 days but does it matter or is it harmful to go 14 days past your EDD?

[Beach Mama]

i think once you are around 10 days over they can do an ultrasound to check the amniotic fluid levels, baby size and placenta to make sure all is ok.... 42 weeks is still full term and you will give yourself the best chance possible... I was induced at 10 over and my body was sooo not ready - needless to say i had a c/s ... birth story here if you are interested... Isabelle Jade's Birth Novel....
Good luck with it all and sending you lots of spontaneous labour vibes!!!!

[paradise lost]

They will usually send you for scans to check your placenta is still working ok after 41 weeks or so. If you don't want to be induced you can demand daily scans and decline induction - "forget" to go the induction appointment if necessary.

My DD was 11 days overdue and when she came out my placenta wasn't "old" looking at all, she didn't have any signs of being at all overdue (wrinkly, no vernix, long nails etc.) and the midwife said she looked as if she'd come exactly the day she was due.

My sister was born at 44+1 (in the 1960's) and though the placenta was "gritty" and old-looking she was absolutely fine.

[chocolatecatty]

Like everyone's said....as long as you get an ultrasound done to check bubs and fluid, you can refuse any inductions.

There's an article in 'The Age' online today about inductions...interesting.

Good luck!

[RhiChiChi]

Thanks gals!
I'll read your birth story Tan and the Age article.

[BellyBelly]

Yes its well known c/s risk is higher when having inductions, which can turn into failed inductions too. I talk about this in my article but many people find it very confronting so I wont post it LOL.

[RhiChiChi]

Kelly,

Can you please e-mail me the article? I will also e-mail you directly in case you don't see my post.

Thanks

[Claire]

I was induced 10 days over and had a cascade of intervention - I didn't really know I could go to 42 weeks and no midwifes told me. It was something I learnt after the event. I 'felt' that the baby would have arrived in another few days if I'd waited. Not something I can verify though lol!

For this baby I am at least going to 42 weeks without induction.

[paradise lost]

Claire i felt like this with DD - i was booked for an induction at 42, she came at 41+4. A lot of Obs want to induce at 41+3 and the thought of that made me hysterical - i KNEW she'd come after that but was pretty sure she'd come before 42. I got this feeling, i just wanted to stay in my little cocoon and do what i wanted to do, like my whole body and mind and feelings were focused inside, to the baby, and i knew it wouldn't be long.

[christy]

When I was overdue with Matilda the hospital booked me in for an induction at 14 days post EDD and at that point she was no where near the cervix so they delayed induction for 2 more days... She was still not very close but they were more willing to risk it then.

With Jovie I was trying for a VBAC and at 7 days post EDD they were threatening induction. I knew that my chances were low with intervention for my VBAC so I asked for more time. At first they were very unwilling to listen to me, but I had to be VERY firm and clear. My first request was to see if intervention was necessary, so I had a scan a few days later. In the meantime I had acupuncture twice & a massage to have more natural forms of induction. At the scan, my fluid levels were low, but maintainable and the placenta showed some signs of calcification, but not enough to warrant induction in the next day or two which they were pushing for. The OB wanted to have me back for an induction because of the "size" of my baby... the scan showed her at 10lb 11oz. So the OB booked me in for an induction the next day even though I said I would not have it. I went into spontaneous labour that night & was going into the ward with Jovie at the time of my appointment

[August]

hi there jooles

I came across a couple of very interesting comments on a midwives website regarding whether to induce labour or wait for labour to start spontaneously. Here are a couple of the reponses...

1. According to the medical literature, human gestation ranges from 36 to 44 weeks. That is a two-month range, not the EDC plus or minus 2 weeks. The mean length of time plus or minus one standard deviation gives the 38-42 weeks range, with 40 weeks the average, or mean. The mean has come to mean the right answer. Phooey! Here is an analogy: Few people actually have a 98.6 F temperature; that is an average. Some actually feel unwell if their temperature is 98.6 because their own body temperature is lower. Everyone has his or her own range. So it is with due dates.


2. It is important to talk about some of the foolishness some medical professionals are using to schedule birth, like "some women never go into labor on their own" (absolutely untrue); "your baby is overdue" (if you are a first-time mother that is what is supposed to happen); "your baby is too small" (a guess of a five pound birth weight in utero is most often shown to be incorrect when we actually have a baby to weigh); or one used often with older mothers, "your placenta is aging." I handle the last one by comparing the placenta to a refrigerator. Regardless the age of the fridge, as long as we are filling it up with food it does not matter how old the fridge is. The placenta does not have an expiration date on it. Every time you eat you are nourishing the placenta and your baby.

Very well said!

Someone also made the great comment that once your due date comes and goes you are not "overdue" but are simply "due". Great way to think it of I believe, as don't they say that if you are anxious about being over than it may well be counteracting labour starting. IYKWIM?

If you are happy and comfortable to wait a bit longer then I hope your caregivers will be supportive of this.

All the best to your and your bubs.

[RhiChiChi]

I'm glad to know that people have waited and all has been well - my greatest fear is that I will be putting bubs or me at risk of something, such as stillbirth etc.... I did some research via Google (not sure how reliable) and risk of stillbirth increases as you are pg longer but something like 1 in 3,000, so still a risk but less than what I was thinking. Thanks August Moon for posting those comments.
I will be seeing OBS tomorrow and see what he says. I have Gestational Diabetes and he said their was no need to induce me early as it was controlled via diet & exercise but did mention that he usually induces from 8-14 days past your EDD. If all is ok he may suggest coming back next week, which I am now ok with.(I wasn't originally thrilled going too far past my EDD)
DH is coming with me to this appt and if OBS suggests induction I will discuss my fears of not being induced and being induced and see what he says. Ultimately though I know that it is my choice and can refuse induction if I want to.
Thanks again to all

[Pandora]

I was born at 44+1 and I reckon I turned out OK!
No major health issues etc apart from being rather scaly at birth.

I went over with DS and was refused an u/s to monitor placenta, instead advised I would be threatening the life of my unborn child go go past 41+3.

I hope your OBS let you have the monitoring as I was induced, and while my induction was pretty smooth and I had a VB, I don't think DS was ready as here was still vernix (sp?)

[Julie Doula]

This arrived in my inbox today, from a list in America. Is it the same article as the one in the Age? Happy to email it to anyone interested.

"Caesarean risk higher when labour induced

Renee Switzer
June 17, 2007

FIRST-time mothers have a higher risk of needing a caesarean if their baby
is induced, new Melbourne research shows.

Experts are looking closely at the potential link between induction and
caesareans as one way of reducing the increasing caesarean rate."

Hope all goes really well for you, Jooleshere, keep us posted.

[RhiChiChi]

Just to update you all........ went to my OBS today who checked bubs and did an internal to 'see' what is happening. Well my cervix is still closed. We discussed what to do next and OBS said, no point in induction cos it will fail and then you have the possiblity of having to have a c-sect. Told him I wanted to avoid a c-sect if it is safe for bubs & me to continue the pg. (which it is) The issue is he goes on holidays for 1 week as of Friday, so he has referred me to a colleague (Dr Kemper, whom I have heard is a great OBS too) on Monday to see if things have changed and if my cervix is more favourable. I am ok with this, although I would have preferred to be seeing my OBS and if need be make a joint decision on whether we need to consider induction next week or not. If OBS suggests induction, I will push for it being as close to Friday 29th as possible to give my body the best chance of going into spontaneous labour, I will then be 14 days past EDD and also what is another couple of days?? I asked if there was anything I could do to get things going and he said nothing that is nice to say (DTD). I told him we tried that last week but obviously it didn't work cos my body wasn't ready. He also said that on avg you need 200mls of sperm and that would mean DTD 40 times! I told him I was not that desperate................. haha.
Thanks again for all your posts......... I guess bubs is cosy inside (crappy melbourne weather)

[paradise lost]

Joolshere,

If you're not that desperate that's a good thing! I was and we DTD more in the last week (5 times i think, maybe 4 though) that we had during my entire PG! It's the same with pineapple - to get a decent dose you have to eat something like 18 whole pineapples in one go!

But hey, no matter what he says, every little helps!

Remember that the closer you get to EDD+14 the more likely it is bubs will be born, so don't lose heart. DD came at 40+11 and i was SO glad at the time, but in retrospect i can't imagine her coming any other day (April Fools! The midwives thought DP was joking when he called and asked them to attend!) and it just seems "right" that she came when she did.

Remember that with monitoring you can go past 42 weeks too, if you want to. As others here have said, before induction was a real option quite a few babies came later than expected, and things were ok. It's so much safer nowadays as they can monitor how well your placenta works. If you feel everything is ok, bubs is still moving and you don't feel worried, then generally it's a safe bet that everything is fine in there

Enjoy these last few days hon. Life is SO different (and wonderful, but challenging too as all change is) once the baby arrives.



Bec

[Julie Doula]

I asked if there was anything I could do to get things going and he said nothing that is nice to say (DTD).

If you're interested in natural ways to "induce" labour (i.e. give things a gentle 'nudge'), there's a few things you can safely try other than *DTD* ... let me know if you're interested and I'll happily post here the ones I've heard of.

[Enchanted]

Julie Doula- I'd like to hear your ideas!! Hopefully I won't have to use them though!!