Induction at 38 weeks

I am so tired and drained and just done with being pregnant. I am having episodes of anxiety and honestly can’t wait for this to be over

How can I ask them to induce me at 38 weeks 😭

Low risk pregnancy and everything has been ok so far no concerns but am just done if full term is 38 weeks I want this baby out then

Any advice?

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37 weeks is full term and you don't have to have a reason, it's your baby and your birth so it's your choice

I'm 37+1 and had an appointment today due to the pain I'm in, I can barely walk or look after my children at home which is making me very depressed, I'm technically housebound.

I was told induction is too early as could end up with complications and wont normally get a baby out before 39 weeks unless medical reason to do so.

They have booked me an appointment with a consultant next week when I'm 38+4 and said they will give me a date at that appointment that I can be induced and said it could possibly be on the same day. It seems like people are told different things all the time. I'm sorry your feeling like this, it's horrible😫

I mean this in the nicest way possible, my advice would be to let your baby come when they are ready

Pregnancy isn't easy, especially them final weeks, but I'm a strong believer that induction and intervention should be reserved for medical necessity

I can't imagine they would induce you electively before 39w at least anyway given that you are low risk with no concerns

Ask now but they likely won’t schedule an elective induction until 39 weeks

Just want to let you know you’re not alone! I’m 36+3, my next appointment is at 37+0 and I’m going to ask if it’s at all possible to schedule an induction asap because I’m also quite miserable. I understand wanting to let the baby come when they’re ready, but if they’re full term and you’re really suffering - your pain and discomfort matters & should be considered in the decision! Hoping for both of us they can at least give us a date so we know when the pain will end 🤞🏻

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Induction experience

I just wanted to share my experience with being induced as I wasn’t sure what to expect and thought it may help others.

I opted for the foley balloon which was inserted at 8am Saturday morning, I had to stay in hospital due to hypertension and protein urine however usually you can just go home once this has been done. The insertion of the balloon was not painful, was slightly uncomfortable as there was slight pressure. I actually found having the cervix checked prior to be worse (again not painful at this point just uncomfortable) The balloon had little effect and after having it removed I was still only 1cm. Removal also was pain free and hardly even noticeable.

I then had my first dose of the gel and definitely noticed a difference, I started experiencing period like cramps almost immediately however they were light and manageable. After 6 hours I had another cervix check and although my cervix was soft it was still only 1cm and was only open at the front. I had another dose of the gel and felt an increase in pressure and more intense cramping where I now required pain relief (codeine). After another 6 hours I had another cervix check and I had now dilated to 2-3cm however was still quite difficult to get all the way through so a third gel was recommended which I agreed to.

Almost immediately I noticed the difference and was in considerable pain, I had paracetamol and codeine however the contractions had now become intense and a lot closer together (around 3 minutes apart). After a couple of hours I had my last cervix check and was 4cm and taken down to the Labour ward to have my waters broken and an epidural.

I had been in my room for approx 20minutes when my waters broke by themselves and I was now 10cm and actively pushing…. There was no time for the epidural and my beautiful girl arrived into the world within 2 minutes of pushing.

All in all I would say the cramps/contractions were manageable up until the third gel where it became pretty unbearable however it was for a very short time a gas and air helped take the edge off. The worst part about any of it was actually the later cervix checks where after stimulating the cervix my contractions were at their most painful.

If I had to be induced again I would skip the balloon and opt for the gels immediately as thy had a quicker effect and I would have been out a lot sooner if I had done this to begin with.

One more thing, I’ve never believed when people say “you forget the pain once they’re here” but I can honestly say this is true. It’s been 4 days and I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

Anyone else experiencing this?

Gave birth (vagina) 5 days ago and yesterday morning and this morning getting lot of pain in my right bottom side and lower back