My Doc told me yest they will prob induce me because of my age......is this normal?

Hi everyone

Hoping to get some insight on being induced

I have done a Calmbirth class but my brain is mush and of little use to me right now!

I am only 32 weeks 4 days pregnant and the Doctor is talking about inducing me because of my age. I am 39. He said he isnt comfortable letting me go over my due date.

I really didnt want to be hooked up to drips and/or machines during labour if I could help it.

Can anyone advice a way I can get through an inducement without too much intervention? Will the doctor and midwife need me to tell them not to do certain things?? I trust doctors know more than me as I never went to MEd school, but I dont want it to be done in a way because it is easier.

I am not against drugs and intervention, but only if it is necessary. I want to do everything I can for my baby's positive birth experience.I just dont want to feel like I could have done more.

CT

I was 37 when I gave birth to my last child, it was a high risk pregnancy and there was no talk about induction, I delivered naturally.

Regards,
Dianne

CT, you being induced is not necessary. Your doctor has no reason to induce you, I would be laughing in that doctors face. Simply tell him you won't be induced until you're overdue :hug:

Just say no. Ask him to show you research that indicates that you should be induced, not just his 'opinion'.

Tell him that as it is your baby and your body and the fact that things are all going to plan you wont be induced until its medically appropriate!

And OMG because of your age like hell this doctor sounds like he is planning all his new mums to deliver when he wants so he can play golf or go on holidays !

I would just say 'no' also you could ask him to explain why your age makes you higher risk. Sounds like he is doing it for his own convenience.

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Just say no. Ask him to show you research that indicates that you should be induced, not just his 'opinion'.

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There is some research on this one, I remember seeing it last year.

But I would still just say no.

I wouldn't give consent for this. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do.


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Hi CT,

I have never heard of age being a barrier to avoid going past your due date. Pity your Dr isn't going to wait and see how your pg progresses rather than going by your age.

I know of gfs whom have been of similar age (37 & 38 yo) and all were allowed to go into labour spontaneously & past their EDD (up to 10-14 days, all being well with themselves and their baby and they were seeing an OBS in a private hospital)

At the end of the day whilst your Dr can suggest induction, c-sect etc... it is ultimately your choice and you need to be comfortable with their suggestion if you decide to go down that path. I would try to find some reputable evidence that there is no reason (unless you find otherwise) to be induced. Really, if you are induced you want your body/cervix to be favourable for induction otherwise it may fail & you could end up having a c-sect. (not saying it will happen, but the chances increase dramatically). I had a chat to my OBS last week about my emerg. c-sect and he conceeded it was due to my cervix being less than favourable (he didn't induce me, another OBS did) and that is why I probably ended up with a c-sect (there was no other evidence to suggest otherwise in my birth notes).

I hope that you can find some direction on which way you want to go & are supported.

Sorry I cannot point you in the direction to find the information you are after, hopefully someone may be able to.

Best of luck

As Audax says, there are actually increased risks of older mothers having sleeping babies so his concern is not completely unjustified.

Having said that, I had DD1 at 37, DD2 at 38 and am almost 42 for this baby. I was induced with DD1 due to my blood pressure but DD2 was 9 days overdue with absolutely not discussion of induction. The only talk of induction this time - and that "induction" is going no further than rupturing membranes - has been because I'm concerned about not getting to the hospital on time and giving birth in the car. At no stage has my OB suggested that because of my age I should not go overdue.

Speak to your OB and voice your concerns. If you do go ahead with the induction, then all I can say is that mine was long and very drawn out. I chose the speed at which things progressed, and you should too. I wanted to give my baby every chance of being born with minimal intervention. You need to keep moving as much as you can, tell them you want cordless monitoring that allows you to stay on your feet moving, in the shower etc. If that's not possible (and I don't know why it wouldn't be), then tell them you will not submit to constant monitoring but will return to your bed every X minutes for checking but in the meantime you will remain mobile. You can choose the speed of your drip. You can choose how long you wait for that drip to be inserted from insertion of gels and membrane rupturing. Even if you go ahead with the induction, YOU are still in control.

I agree with your sentiments 100%. I will do anything and have any level of intervention that my OB tells me is medically required for the health and safety of me and/or my baby but having had an induction and a natural, drug free birth I would strongly suggest you try to avoid an induction if you can.

Good luck.

this is going to sound ridiculous (and if you knew me outside of being pregnant you would be amazed!) but I never even considered saying 'no'. how stupid do I feel??? this pregnancy has made me too soft !! ;-)


Right, so next visit (which is likely to be a different doctor anyway as every time it is a different one) I will be armed with a list of what I want to happen, or not happen and will challenge what they tell me. I have told DP what i want in terms of drugs and intevention but I know as soon as he sees me in pain he will want them to make it stop, so I had better make it clear to the doctors!

I talked to DP about being induced and he felt the same way as me. If the lodger wasnt ready to come out, making him come out early didnt feel right. I want my cervix to have as much time as it needs to fulfil its job. drips freak me out and putting anything in my spine makes me feel queasy, but if it comes down to it and there are problems, I will allow it all. I cant beleive I didnt think I could say no...........

Thanks to all of you for your replies. I was feeling a little overwhelmed and as usual BB has given me some knowledge and confidence to go forth with :-) thanks all!

CT

It's not ridiculous, you just were bombarded with an ultimatum and you needed time to process it!
Definately make it clear to your DH, Drs & write a birth plan and give it to the hospital with backup copies in your birth bag. GL

Stick to your guns & make sure you let them know exactly what you're thinking next time you see them.
If they insist on induction make sure you find out what they are planning to do... gels? breaking your waters? drip? etc. So then you can make a fully informed decision. Go in armed with a list of questions, I know I always forget so I write them down & take them with me.

Calmbirth can be applied to inductions & c/s too. So speak to the person you did Calmbirth through, they'll be able to give you a hand with that if you need it. It's more just about the breathing & keeping focused, so will benefit you whatever happens.

I was induced twice, once at 9 days overdue and then 2 days early due to diabetes. I would have preferred to go into labour naturally as you are very restricted being induced with the drip, the ECG monitor or whatever it is called. Means less option for labouring positions. My SIL was 40 with her last and no one ever mentioned being induced to her!

It sounds like you are going to a public hospital? If this is right and you think you are not being heard by the OB's, then you can access a hospital social worker or patient advocate. They are best placed to hear your concerns about your care, and assist you in getting the type of care that you are after.

It's funny how when in the face of doctors we tend to lose our normal ability to advocate for ourselves. I'm the same with hairdressers!

FWIW, I was induced twice due to high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia. It's a hard way to labour - I would have much preferred to go into labour on my own and let my body be in charge.

im just going to echo what everyone else has said. ive never seen or heard of any reason why being 39 would mean you should be induced. ive heard of ladies 45+ going weeks over the due date. pregnancy is perfectly safe and normal up till 42 or even 43 weeks. just 40 weeks is the average. not a deadline!

with daily fetal monitoring, weekly scans to check amnio levels and blood flow/placenta condition your pregnancy can continue safely till you baby is finished growing and your body is ready. you CAN say no to anything you dont feel comfortable with, i didnt with my first birth, DH was soft, like you think your DH will be and i had a cascade of intervention and post birth complications and we both were not keen to go through it again the second time. My second birth i was supported, educated and confident with what i wanted and i had a great birth!! i loved it!!

be confident and educated .... and happy birthing! :)

FabFiona - it is a public hospital I am going to, and supposedly a teaching hospital so maybe it means they can get some 'teaching' and 'learning' done during my labour??? I will only be allowing very few people in there with me during the event. I havent done this before and the last thing I want is someone asking me stupid questions or staring at my bits. It wont really help with me trying to relax and use the calmbirth ideals!

oh....and I am the same as you with hairdressers...all I manage to get across is 'no layering!!'........

Beckoes - thats what I want to walk away with...i want to LOVE the experience which ever way it goes. We all want the ideal situation but it rarely happens in life, I just want to feel confident and calm and happy with the path it takes.

I finished work today so next week is 'birth plan' week. I just need some quiet time to gather my thoughts and to be able to focus on how I feel about everything and write it clearly so there is no mistake in interpretting my wishes.

Thanks again ladies. I love the support on BB.

CT

With ds1 my Ob made the same comment - he wouldn't want to 'let me' go over my due date because of my age. I was 36! Dh and I both went "hmmm", and decided that we would NOT be doing that. It was just his standard approach, it didn't mean we had to agree. If there were other medical reasons that would be something else, but JUST because of age when everything was going swimmingly? Nuh-uh! We didn't have to argue as it turned out because ds rocked up some 5 days early.
With ds2 My (new) Ob didn't even mention inducing by due date or because of age - and I was then 38! So it really does vary from dr to dr.
With this next one I will probably have just turned 41, and I have no intention of doing such a thing either if it comes to that!

Goodluck! And congratulations!

I'm going to say one word - Doula. Get one now. It will be worth every cent and make your birth what you want it to be.


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There was lots of hoo haa in the media about this a few weeks ago, I was one of the people interviewed for the story. Have a read of this:

Cookies must be enabled | Herald Sun

There was lots of hoo haa in the media about this a few weeks ago, I was one of the people interviewed for the story. Have a read of this:

Inductions and women over 40 | Herald Sun

I think the others have discussed abt the need/in this case potential no-need for induction. But if you do end up having one it doesn't mean you need to be strapped to bed. Just perservere & push for options that could let you move around. I was induced but had natural birth. But I was lucky because my IM guided us through what to ask/question. We knew a bit already but could never know 100%. Simple things like - wireless monitoring (if they need to monitor), can they monitor intermittently instead of continuous monitoring, can I shower to manage my pain, etc. the key is ASK & question. Don't be dishearten. All the best!


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Even if you didn't want to employ a doula for birth support, a doula can help with the birth preparation. Writing a proper birth plan and making informed decisions can be overwhelming, a doula can help with this.

Your calmbirth will help you will labour techniques, the more you relax, the less it will hurt. Deep breathing and water can make an enormous difference, as can calm support people. Staying home as long as possible, and allowing yourself to slip into the zone. If you feel you need an experienced support - do consider a doula you click with.

A doula can also provide information support (as well as emotional and physicial if you want it) for you and your partner.

Any intervention requires consent, which is where the informed decision comes in. Starting now, as you work on your birth plan, is when you make your informed decision. This way if you get 'fed up', the temptation of an unnecessary intervention (for convienience) is easier to avoid. You can remind yourself that it is not medically warrented. And 39 is hardly old.

It is also important to understand what risk really means. Studies may show an increased risk of still birth...but it is important to know what this really means. You are not 'overdue' before 42 weeks - the due date is Estimated - not Expiry. So follow your instincts, make informed decisions in your birth plan and make sure your birth team is on board.

xoxoxo
This is your Journey. You don't need permission, or to 'be allowed', to birth your way.

thanks Ladies! and thanks Kelly for the article, it was very helpful. I am taking my mum with me next visit so that will help me to speak up (aren't mum's great!) and I feel like I have information enough to ask questions and to push for 'medical' reasons why they believe it is a better way to go, and then challenge them on it ;-)

as you're going public & will prob see a diff ob next visit you may find that the ob doesnt mention it or think it's necessary. well, that was my experience! otherwise, start psyching yourself up to ask questions/say no.

fwiw ive been induced & had a spontaneous labour & they were very different. if you can avoid the induction that would be good but if it does happen, you can get lots of good advice here to help make it as positive as possible :hug:

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I ws 41 when I held off on induction and my baby was born still. I think listening to drs might sometimes be sensible. There was no reason to induce me except my age. I held off for three too may days to induction and lost my baby.