MSE pregnancy club II

kathy72

sarahmoon wrote: »

kathy72 wrote: »

Kathy good luck, I don't frequent this thread much now as my wee one is 8 months old now, although I had the mirena coil removed before my third and was pregnant within a month!!

Thanks Sarah...great news about the mirena removal. Hope I'm lucky too!!!!

Kathy

miss_be

Hi Guys,

I haven't been on for ages but I just wanted to post about something that I feel is important for everyone to know.

It is this - if you go overdue you do not have to be induced, as long as the baby is ok and growing properly inside you and that you don't have any health problems.

The reason I'm letting you know this is because sometimes, not always, inducement is not the best thing to make women to give birth. In fact some women who are induced take longer to go into labour, go on to have a longer birth that can be more painful, and you are more likely to need an assisted delivery eg forceps, ventuose or a caesarean.

If you feel that you are not ready to give birth 7 days, 14 days or even more after your due date then you can say to the hospital team that you don't want to be induced.

If you give birth at 42 weeks the risks to the baby can be:
• they could have a low Apgar score (colour of the baby, whether they're breathing well etc)
• they are more likely to pass menconium (this is rarely a problem unless the baby inhales it which can cause breathing problems).
• the risk of death is also very slightly increased

These risks rise slightly if you give birth at 43 weeks but generally studies show that if you are at 41 weeks giving birth naturally is in your favour with little or no problems. Six women out of 10 give birth in the next 3 days and nine out of 10 women will have their baby in the next 7 days again with little or no problems.

If you are overdue and strong enough to say no to inducement then your baby will need to be monitored at 10 days, 12 days, 14 days and then every day thereafter (this may vary from hospital to hospital). They might: give you a CTG scan where your baby’s heart beat is monitored, an ultrasound to assess the amount of amniotic fluid there is and you will be asked to keep a check on the babies movements. If problems show up on any of these checks then you will probably need to be induced as it is seen as necessary to the health of you and your baby.

Here is a website that has impartial information about all of it. It is a homebirth website but it has relevant information about going overdue.

http://www.homebirth.org.uk/overdue.htm

I was offered a sweep at 8 days overdue and an induction at 10 days overdue that I both refused. The most difficult thing was saying that I didn’t want to have these things done. The consultant was quite persuasive with what could go wrong. They are trained to be on the cautious side and recommend inducement regardless of the woman’s situation, as it is easier for them to monitor. I still felt that I didn’t need to be induced as it wouldn’t help me at all and stuck to my guns.

I went into labour 11 days overdue, had a completely uncomplicated birth, to a baby that was not hairy and did not have cracked skin, she was perfectly cooked and my dates were spot on too.

My advice is this: if you feel that you don’t need to be induced then don’t do it, realize that you don’t HAVE to do it. If, however, there are any complications then it is important to go with the advice that the consultant gives and if that means inducement then go with it.

It would also be great if you could please inform any other pregnant ladies about this information as it’s not readily known about and can save some women and babies unnecessary birth turmoil.

Of course, please do your own research about it and don’t take my word for it. I am biased to women giving birth naturally but this doesn’t suit everyone. I just want everyone to have the birth that they deserve and that gives the baby the best chance in life.

I hope this helps. x

lostbuckaroos

Thanks Miss Be - I'm dreadiing anything that might mean more chance of a C section as we have no family over here who could help out if I were out of action for 6 weeks. I'll keep trying all the natural alternatives though!

Sheel

Well , daughter had her sweep on Friday , but nothing happening as yet. She'll be induced next Saturday if nothing happens before then.

It says on her notes 'not effaced' and 1cm dilated so it doen't sound as if labour is imminent.

debecca and cluuuur , anything to report?

cluuuuur

Thanks miss_be. I've been told that if I don't go into labour 12 days after I'm due, I'll be induced, which isn't helping my stress levels - an overnight stay in hospital with labour starting alone - OH isn't allowed back to the hospital until I'm in established labour.

Two days overdue now and I've tried everything (safe) to encourage things along. Membrane sweep on Friday. Grr....!

Fingers crossed for your daughter Sheel.

rjh090384

our hospital standardly induces at 10 days. i would prefer to go naturally because if i get induced i am not allowed in the swanky new water birth section of our hospital. i am drinking raspberry tea and cleaning and may try the sex later if the mood so takes me. not due until saturday but sooooo ready!!

Sheel

cluuuuur wrote: »

Fingers crossed for your daughter Sheel.

Thanks. Doesn't look like the sweep has worked . nothing doing as yet

honeybe21

well have physio tomorrow and dreading the 2 bus journeys to the hospital my oh has been having to carry me up the stairs ive actually gotten bigger since the pic i posted and i defo know its not from eating to much i have 2 small meals a day ad crave ice.ive been having to sleep on the sofa some nights im so praying they can help me tomorrow im fed up now.

lostbuckaroos

Good luck tomorrow honeybe - if they don't offer ask for a support belt and crutches. Also, try holding all your pelvic floor & tummy muscles in when you walk - it might give you a bit more stability. Also (sorry if it's tmi) if it's at the front you hurt, sit with some ice chips on the bone as you munch to see if it numbs the pain.

carol9uk

hi hope you are okay. have they given you an idea what size baby you are having. i was told hes on his way to be 8lb. i am not as slim as you.