Thank you so much to everyone that has replied so far, its so nice to have the extra support from those that have been there.

I have absolutley no choice (at this stage) in regards to being induced as my baby has gastroschisis which was diagnosed at my 18wk scan.

Gastroschisis is a abdominal wall defect where the baby's tummy has not fused and part of the bowel is exposed. It floats in the amnotic fluid unprotected and any damage is most likely to become worse between 37-40wks (when it becomes a bit squishy!). So induction is for the best. The baby will require surgery as soon as possible after birth to correct this. I will be delivering at John Hunter Hospital in Nescastle NSW (3 hour drive from home).

Of course the longer he stays put, the better. I want to suggest that I am willing to stay from 37wks for daily check ups, but from what I can gather so far, the surgeons/doctors cannot really tell what they are dealing with, eg. how good/bad it is until the baby is born. So its a matter of waiting to see how it unfolds.

This is my first baby. My little boy was to be due in august, a day before my 27th birthday, but if all goes super well I may have him home by then.

I was not originally not going to make any solid birth plans, I have looked forward to being a mother all my life, and see a women's body as designed for childbirth, so I was just going to go with the flow! Up until now I had no fear of the birth.

Now because my body is going to be made to do something it is not ready for I want to figure out the best way will be, for me and especially for the baby, while hopefully still having some sort of say in what happens to us!

Thanks again for your support so far everyone, I will keep you posted on how we go.

Love August x