Induced? Not if I cant help it. Advice Please!

[Kaylene]

How safe do you think it would be if I just didn’t go to the Dr for a week? Im booked in for Wed for my final check up and induced Friday. That’s 10 days over. What if she's just not ready? Don’t get me wrong, Yes I want her out and yes she really is a big baby and yes Ive had enough, but a traumatic forced birth isn’t what Im interested in. I would like her to come on her own terms, naturally like my first baby.

What would happen if I just didn’t go? Is it detrimental for baby to go over her due date by how far?

What do you think?

K

ALSO: Were you induced? What method and how did you and baby go?

[mrsmac]

I have been induced twice and naturally once, the natural was a much nicer experience and more relaxed but the 2nd induction wasn't too bad and certainly wasn't filled with intervention like my 1st birth was. I would keep getting checked because they need to make sure that the placenta is still nourishing the baby ( I will not go into horror stories here but I know a couple)

[Kaylene]

( I will not go into horror stories here but I know a couple)

A couple of horror stories of over due babies left to long or induced horror stories?

K

[SamanthaP]

The best indicator of your baby's health is something you can monitor yourself - baby's movements. 10 kicks by 6pm if you haven't felt that, then you might want to do something else. You don't have to go to your doctor's appointment at all. It's up to you to decide what you're happy doing and only you can decide that. 37-42 weeks is considered term. Good on you for not wanting to buy into the medical paranoia about being "overdue"! If you are worried at any stage then contact your doctor.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Go on Wednesday then "forget" to go in Friday. Or just tell them to cancel Friday as yo won't be turning up. I wish I had "forgotten" my induction but DH was too eager!

[Kaylene]

Ryn, can I ask how you went with your induction? What happened? Sorry if Im being too nosey.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

It was stupid... I was already in labour but was induced anyway and I hated being in that hospital... there's a link to the story in my sig and also on p33 (or 31... can't remember off-hand) of my pregnancy journal, also in my sig.

[mrsmac]

Babies left too late stories kaylene.
Maybe as Ryn suggested go in Wednesday and let them know that you really do not want to be induced.

[Liz]

Yeah, I dont think I'd skip a dr's appointment, but you certainly have the right to say you don't want the induction -yet-. I'd negotiate with the dr that you're happy to have more regular checkups etc to make sure bub is still ok, but would rather wait for a spontaneous labour. Look up some natural induction methods and tell the dr you are trying these first.

All the best! I'll send some labour vibes your way!

[Snacks]

Yup, I'd go Wed and say you won't be having an induction on Fri. Anyway, here's hoping your baby arrives before you have to worry about it! *labour vibes* heading your way

[Beach Mama]

Could you ask if there is a possibility to go to the Monday? Stupid hospital policy not to induce over weekends, I was exactly the same and asked what would happen if we left it to the Monday to be induced and the answer was that they would monitor me on Thursday/Friday and potentially over the weekend too and then I would 'check in' on Sunday night and be induced on Monday morning. I sooooo wish I had done this, we went with the Thrursday night/Friday scenario and I simply wasnt ready and ended up in c/s I know that the same thing may have happened but that extra 4 days may have made a big difference.

I know at that point that I had other issues that made me not want to sit around on the weekend being monitored (being a bridesmaid in a wedding ) sounds like a lame reason to induce now but by then my BP was starting to go up because I was stressing out. If I was you I would tell them you will not turn up (what can they do?) and what you can put into place for a 14 days over induction if needed.
Sorry for the ramble but you sound really determined and I hope you get the labour you want hun. Good luck!

[Phteven]

I think it's best to kepp appointments but remeber that you don't have to consent to any procedures that you don't want.
It's possible to get ultraounds to check the health of the placenta so if he pressures you to induce you can ask to see the evidence.

I'm sending oodles of labour vibes - hopefully you'll go into labour before it becomes an issue.

[Trillian]

Kaylene, I was in the same boat as you a few weeks ago. My Dr wasn't keen to let me go past 41wks and wanted to induce me 4 days past dates. I didn't want this either and negotiated with him to wait until I was 42wks after a scan I had in his rooms at 40wks showed that bubs was fine and fluid levels were good. In the end I did go into labour on the morning of my first induction date (4days past dates) and I consented to ARM to help establish labour. In hindsight this was a good thing as the placenta was a little gritty when it was checked after the birth, so it concerned me what could have happened if I went too far past dates. With my third birth I had my waters broken and then syncto induction as labour didn't start on it's own. It was a very hard birth with a bad result for me (retained placenta and post partum haemorrage) but bubs was fine.

You could have the option of requesting that you dont have your waters broken first as once they are broken, you are committed to the induction and are only given x amount of hrs for labour to establish itself. Do you know if your cervix is favourable or have started to dilate yet? If not this might give you a bit of leverage and you can say you will agree only if things are favourable for an induction. Or you could request a stetch and sweep at your appointment to see if that moves things along - it may work it may not. Alternatively you can ask to have daily monitoring via CTG to make sure that bubs is fine and it might buy you a few more days too.

Good luck, it's not an easy decision to make, but you will make the right choice for you.

[BellyBelly]

I know plenty of women who 'forget' to turn up for inductions

[Bathsheba]

I was 10 days overdue with my first and my doctor threatened an induction for a particular date... I went into natural labour the night before the induction was booked. My baby and placenta was fine but it was a traumatic birth. No signs of baby being over cooked though.

My second baby was also overdue but because my 1st had been overdue my Ob let me go a bit longer than he usually did. I can't remember by how many days. I ended up accepting an induction because I didn't realise that they were usually more traumatic. I liked the idea of knowing when my baby was going to be born which in retrospect was a bit silly. Fortunately my Ob was very "low intervention" and actually told me I didn't need some of the interventions I was asking for in the throes of labour. Eg my 1st baby had been born with the assistance of the vacuum and so I started crying out for that but my Ob said to me that I could do it by myself. I've since found out that this is quite rare.

My third pregnancy was complicated with life threatening cholestasis. This meant that my baby could die very quickly due to a build up of bile salts in our systems. I was given no option other than to be induced at 37 weeks. I was very nervous as my other babies were late arrivals and I had myself convinced that maybe this baby wasn't ready. But as I said I was given no choice. I didn't want to be induced but I had to go with it. it was another long labour with a very slow final stage (baby was born with his arm up around his head) but all was well and he was my biggest baby weighing in a 9 pounds.

I agree with the others. Go to your appointments. Listen to a heart beat. Feel for regular kicks and start some of the natural labour starters (there's heaps here in BB). I suspect that you will go into labour naturally on the weekend. *labour vibes to you*

[paradise lost]

I went 11 days overdue and was booked for induction at EDD+14. I allowed them to make the appointment for me but forced my ob to write on my notes at my last appointment (it was a thursday, baby came saturday, induction would have been tuesday) "Does not consent to pitocin drip under any circumstances" "no internals without express consent" and "no amniotomy without discussion" so he could see that he wasn't going to be doing his standard burst-that-hook-up-that-inject-that-and-wait induction with me . I think he was more relieved i didn't need an induction than i was

So if i were you, if you want bubs checked out to make sure all is well then you hould have that - it's their job. But they can't make you do anything, so don't worry. My mum was SURE of her dates with my sister who was born at 43+6 was very overdue looking but completely healthy. Mum kept going for the appointment, hearing the heart etc. then getting "shy" of having an internal and promising to come in to be induced, forgetting, coming in a day late to hear the heart blah blah blah. Sister was born at home after a 4 DAY labour. LOL.

Bx

[Liviam]

I was induced with my DD and I don't have a traumatic story at all. Actually my birth was beautiful. Like everything in life there are good and traumatic induced births and good and traumatic natural births.
I completely understand wanting to go into labour naturally (I did too) and not wanting heaps of medical interventions but can you negoiate limited induction. Like they can break your waters but that's it or you'll only have the drip.
Definitely do not miss your dr's appts but go and talk to him about your options and what you would like and see if there is a middle ground like extra monitoring that the girls have mentioned.
Best of luck. Let us know how you go. Fingers crossed you'll do it all yourself.

[Kaylene]

Hi all

Wow… Thank you so much for all your guidance. I’m overwhelmed at the support, you have all made my decision easier. I also feel more empowered for tomorrow.

You are all right, I have decided to keep my appt tomorrow; I am taking hubby and MIL with me for support. I’m going to request another scan to check the placenta, fluid, etc. if he thinks induction is necessary before the weekend. I know she’s fine; she’s had the hick-ups most of the day, poor thing. Also last night when I was trying to get comfortable, she booted me and re-cracked my ribs… OUCH!

Today the positive signs are: I have my appetite back and have been able to keep my food down. I feel rested for the first time in months ( I didn’t even dream last night - amazing). My whole body is numb with muscle relaxant hormones, it hurts to stretch any muscle, AND my belly button has popped back out (another story see re-set button). It’s got to be close now.

Wish me luck tomorrow.

Thought I might share this with you. My GIL (Gran In Law) made me laugh today she told me to drink a glass of cod liver oil. I don’t know why but back when she had a memory I suppose it might be like having a hot curry? When I asked her if that’s what she did she said Oh no, I would never do that…. LOL…

Keep sending those labour vibes ladies, I really need them..

Hugs
K


Ryn: Sorry to hear they did that to you, that is exactly what happened to a dear friend of mine and after 13 months she still has flashbacks. I hope your next is a beautiful as my first labour Thankyou for sharing your story.