Well, I'm 41 weeks pregnant today. Uni Spital insist that I should be induced on Monday (ie 10 days past my EDD). I really don't want to be induced. I've read up on it and as I and my baby are healthy, then waiting is no riskier than forcing my baby to arrive before it's ready.

So... what I want to know is this: What are the consequences if I refuse to be induced? Am I within my rights to do that here in Switzerland? Do the hospital still have a duty of care towards me if I refuse? Is it possible to change hospitals if not even at this late stage? Would the policy be any different in another hospital anyway? Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated!!

Maybe it is not what you want to hear but if they think you need to be induced (and there could be many reasons) I would go with their decision. They do this all the time.........
Hope it goes well whatever you decide

I was induced at 41 weeks 2 days. I didn't want to be induced but after speaking with my husband's sister who is a doctor and has delivered many babies (including 3 of her own) said that after 10 days overdue the risks associated with an ageing placenta far outweigh the risks of induction.

I found out that your placenta can stop functioning at any time after 41/42 weeks and you can't tell exactly when it will happen. You won't know it is happening. The placenta may come away - it that case you won't even be allowed to go into labour and will be an emergency c-section. It may also stop working during labour. Read up on this and decide what's best for your baby.

I went in overnight for a fully managed induction with my doctor present from the morning. After the miprosal gel didn't produce long enough contractions to open the cervix with a posterior baby I was put on a drip straight away (said to be better than letting the mother get tired). My baby came within 3 hours with help (didn't turn around) but no c-section. Next time (this October) if I am induced again I *may* consider an epidural. Many mums need to be induced anyway during labour when the contractions slow down.

Hi,

Induction can be necessary but sometimes it is not. When you feel it is not and your baby and you are healthy a later induction up to 3 weeks after the due date is possible. This would be the "extreme" other end of the spectrum. Remember that unless you were charting when you became pregnant your "due date" can be significantly off base. One more thing to remember is that inducing leads to higher rates of c-section. That being said sometimes it is the best course of action. The hospital can do nothing if you decide not to induce. Most hospitals have a 10 day after due-date induction policy.

Natural induction methods are a great alternative. Everyone's favourite is of course SEX. Lots and lots of sex. Both partners should orgasm as the hormones released from female orgasm are the exact ones doctors have tried to replicate and thus created the drug for induction. Sperm also have this same hormone and work to dilate the cervix. This is the most tried and true method. Try this six or seven times...an hour. (Okay that may be a lot...don't hurt yourself!)

Other methods are eating castor oil and there are also some various teas. Excersize also helps. So take a walk.

Good luck. Listen to your baby's heart rate. Always do what you think is right.

Induction works best when it is least needed (ie when labour was going to happen within 24 hours even without it) and often fails when it is needed the most.

What you need to know is that no one can force you to induce, in the end it is your call. Hospitals and doctors will often try to do impose it for various reasons which often have more to do with their own convenience, protocols and peace of mind than any compelling medical reason.

As others have said before, your due date may be completely wrong and you are perhaps not overdue at all. Even if you are 'overdue', that could just be a normal course of pregnancy for your body and your baby.

What you can do to get some reassurance that nothing is wrong is schedule an appointment to check if the baby is doing fine. If both you and your baby are healthy and you find a doctor (or even better a midwife) that supports you, then it is safe to wait a bit longer.

Your placenta will not just wither away and die leaving the baby without life support, this happens only when something is seriously wrong.

I know that it is a difficult thing to do at this moment, but try to relax. Tension can block labour. What Johanna wrote can really work: sex is a natural induction method, just make sure you are not using condoms becuse it is semen that acts as cervix softener. You can also talk to your baby, tell her that she is safe and ready to come out and ask her to help you avoid induction.

Remember that we labour the same way we live, but even if we normally approach issues by relying on our intellect rather than intuition we can change that mindframe for once.

Trust your 'inner primate', your instinctive self, switch off rationalising, forget worst-case scenarios and let your body do the job, and your labour may start immediately.

Do you have a trustworthy midwife who is looking after you daily? Most midwives have "secret" remedies to start labour, but you should not experiment on your own. I remember being threatened with induction and my midwife was going to give me a "Rizinus-Cocktail" (no idea what that might be in English), but I didnt' need it in the end.
I think what helped me was relaxing, admitting that I was s*** scared of giving birth, pep-talking to me and my baby and an aromatherapy oil that helped me to let go (I know that sounds silly myself, but I also know that you get VERY desperate...).
Clean the windows, then have a hot bath, a glass of red wine, sex afterwards and hopefully your little one will be on his/her way soon!

Thank you all of you for your speedy replies and reassuring words! Especially ljm. I feel a bit calmer now. I have read a lot about it and am very sure that I do not want to be induced. I'm sort of thinking I might print off the research papers that I've looked at and take them with me to the hospital on Monday. Perhaps that will lend some weight to my objections?

In the meantime... I'll try and persuade my DH that it's time for some bedroom action...

I was in your exact situation with my first pregnancy and was finally induced 11 days over at the Uni Spital. On Monday when you go to the Unispital get them to monitor you and baby for a couple of hours, if all is okay then I don't see the need to induced you. If you agree to go into the clinic every day from Monday and get monitored, I'm guessing they will agree to wait a little longer.

Let us know how you get on and you never know, it could all kick-off this weekend

The emotional side of things is important - I went overdue with all my children...with the third one the night before he was born I woke up and went outside in the garden and talked to him and the stars, told him that it was time to be born, that we were ready for him, and that it really was a nice place to be...and went back to bed...

I woke up the next morning around 5am in labour, and had him around 10:30...

Fear is not a good thing...it works against the natural hormones that trigger and sustain the labour.

I was induced with my other two children - all 3 posterior labours with backpain, and the first two with epidurals.

I didn't want to use gas due to previous bad experience at the dentist (I don't like feeling off my face)...and agreed to Pethidine (but won't do that ever again - I was off with the pixies for about 2 hours)...but I found the epidural very effective...

The only concern with synthetic hormones to speed labour is that things can get very fast and out of control, on the flipside, epidurals can slow everything down and make it very controlled, then make it hard to push the baby out.

I found this information helpful - on the day I made my own decisions, and am still happy with those decisions, although I would choose a spontaneous, unmedicated, waterbirth with midwife support, if I was to do it a fourth time (my third birth was far and away an improvement on my two induced/augmented labours)...but I don't think they were 'bad' births either...hard to describe...

Really, they cannot force you to have an induction - but you should expect your medical advisor (obstetrician/midwife) to be able to explain clearly your options, consequences and risks/benefits...

My children were overdue and born 4.2, 3.8 and whopping 4.7kg, all without needing a c-section - but I have to admit with the first birth it really did take every inch of determination to push her out against the effects of the epidural...

Oh, and another tip - have a long-hard look at your 'due' dates - you might be able to buy time by arguing that the dates are wrong - if you know your conception date, that is the most reliable, after that they rely on the ultrasound (mine were not accurate as my babies measured bigger than average so theoretically 'due' earlier)...especially if you had a 9 week ultrasound....

With my second bubs contractions started 5 hours before I was due to go into hospital for an induction....so try to relax and take it easy...

What is it that specifically bothers you about induction ??

They are most likely telling you this for your own, and the babys safety.

It is no biggie. I was induced 3 times (3 kids).

People forget that 100 years ago people used to get in a lot more trouble during childbirth. I assume this is your first - just go with the flow.

Even in the end, if you "didn't want" a caesarian, or suction cap or whatever and the doc advises it half way through, they don't do it for fun, they do it for safety. Birth isn't always like the websites say.. trust the doc.. and trust your partner.

and enjoy these last few days without having someone shouting at you

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11. Knowing deep down that you gave your dreams a fair chance. – Most of the time the only difference between a dream that came true and one that didn’t, is a person who wouldn’t give up and one who did.

bugger, I should have tried that
but my kids STILL don't listen to me

I'm not the OP, but I was scared that an induction would increase my chances of having a c-section.

My husband's sister told me that I will get over a c-section, but I will never get over a stillbirth. She hasn't - and that happened to her 16 years ago. I have known people who have had their placenta stop working - just like that. One had bleeding and the baby could be saved ASAP, the other sadly lost her baby at 36 weeks. I personally don't care if the birth turns out less than ideal, as long as the baby is born safe. I agree with Rangatiranui, you really need to trust your doctor and follow their recomendations, not just for the induction but the whole delivery process. They will only do what is best for your baby. Inductions, interventions and c-sections are hospital policies under certain circumstances for a reason.

My advice is to listen to the professionals - people who deliver babies all the time.

If I had gone with the "I'll listen to my body and do it my way" method I wouldn't have the healthy son I have been blessed with.

I would never have forgiven myself.

This was actually what happened to me. There was nothing wrong; the placenta had just run its course. We left the pregnancy to run until my doctor decided the baby was on its safe limits and there was enough oomph left in the placenta to get through the birth (you also need the placenta for other functions during the birth and if it's too whacked out it's not going to fulfil these functions and then you are in trouble).

It's all well and good to talk about primate instincts but in those good old days when mothers had to rely on their instincts at such a critical time the infant mortality rate was massive. Surely no coincidence?

other 'natural' (i.e. non-medical) ways that could help give things a gentle kick-start and potentially avoid a medical induction are (prolonged) nipple stimulation (releases oxytocin - the hormone that causes contractions), acupuncture, homeopathy, abdominal massage with essential oils, colonic irrigation (to relieve any potential abdominal obstructions)... but as far as I'm concerned, sex is by far the most effective

all these (bar the sex ) were methods offered to me by the midwife when my labour stagnated (after my waters had broken) in the unispital. Unfortunately in the limited window of time the doctors allowed me to try, they didn't work for me, and I was then medically induced (with a synthetic oxytocin drip)...

..but I also feel that at that point in time I was highly stressed and emotionally not in the right place (much of this I attribute to the pressure of 'you must dilate x cm within x amount of time or else'), so I also feel strongly that, as other posters have already mentioned, your emotional state of mind and wellbeing, and your ability to relax are extremely paramount. As someone else already said, I had also previously read that these 'natural' methods will only kick-start something that is close to being ready to start of its own accord anyway.

Good luck, I hope everything (whether induced or not) goes smoothly and you soon have a safe delivery of your healthy little bundle of joy!

Thanks for your post swisspea - I just tried your method, I went for a nice brisk walk around Irchel park telling the baby about the trees and the birds and how nice it is out here! Hopefully, that will help. Tried sex last night too

As for what bothers me about induction - it does bring on a stronger labour and that brings with it certain risks. I'm well aware of the risk of the placenta failing, but as far as I can tell from my research it is a small risk that does not increase significantly until after 43 weeks. So it's a case of balancing the risks of induction against that risk. I'm healthy, the baby is healthy, so I'd rather wait a while. I've read lots about it, and feel well informed of the risks both ways.

The doctor did not give me ANY reason for induction other than it is hospital policy to induce all women after 10 days. To my mind this is a poor reason. I have a slightly longer menstrual period than average - I told her this and she just dismissed it. Of course if there is some real medical reason OF COURSE I would happily accept induction. I'm not against interventions, just interventions with no reasons!

Thank you all again for your comments and sharing your experiences. I guess what I really want to know is if I refuse to be induced on Monday would they continue to monitor me and give me antenatel care, or can they tell me to get lost?!

This relates to the UK.

My mother lied about the last date of her period, because her two children previous to me were "late", and she didn't want the pressure to induce. I was born 10 days late, but officially on time.

My sister just had her first baby, and again there was talk of induction. At 9 days late other issues arose and she had cesaerean.

It's really important, I think, to not be pressured. The natural ways of inducing are more fun - lots of sex and curry. ( Actually, these things should be done frequently outside of the need to drop the sprog). Though with my wife, it seems that a loud rock concert did the trick. Do listen to the experts - often they do know what they're talking about, that's why they're called "experts!" - make an informed choice.

My youngest is now 12, and I still get gooey about babies. But now I'm looking forward to being a grandad!

btw, I wonder if ElieDeLeuze has picked up the Swiss habit of worshipping the doctor. She seems to be groaning anyone who suggests anything other than total slavish obedience to the doctors. With my first born and second born, if we'd followed the doctors, we wouldn't have either of them. So maybe I'm baised. And I like doctors.

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Down with racism. Long live miscegenation!

They're not going to tell you to get lost. They will probably monitor you closely because its your first birth. By the time you've had a few they more or less let you get on with it.

Helpful hint: when they tell you to stop pushing, stop pushing! It may stop a tear.. (TMI?)

hey look, I earned another "groan" from that sad sad person http://www.englishforum.ch/members/1...iedeleuze.html

get a grip

The funny part is how he goes back through and deletes the posts he made that were groaned at.