early induction

[zeldasmummy]

Hi,
my daughter is 36 years old and 36 weeks pregnant and has just come back from a checkup scan .she has been told she has to go back into the hospital tomorrow to be induced. This is because the baby is small. Its her first child and my first grandchild so you can imagine its quite a worry.

As this has happened all so quickly and unexpectedly my daughter didn't ask any details of how labour will be induced etc or wether baby will need to be cared for in the neo natal unit when born. I expect it will be explained to her tomorrow.

so wondered if anyone here could give any advice of how labour is usually started . Its a long while since I had my daughter and my labour started normally and so I have no idea how these things work out. also am I right in thinking that nowadays babies born at 36 weeks are classed as full term.

Im meeting up with my daughter later and it would be nice if I could offer her some reassurance or advice ..thanks

 

[Ella1979]

Babies born before 37 weeks are considered pre-term. However, at 36 weeks they're likely to be ready for birth and a reasonable weight. I know some babies born at 36 weeks that haven't needed neonatal care, but my daughter did (she weighed just 3lb 11oz and they have to be over 4lb and feeding well before being discharged home, at the hospital I was at). So your daughter's baby may need neonatal care, especially if there's a worry over being small - but I found the nurses amazing and so supportive.

I don't have any experience of induction. However, they've obviously decided this is the best thing to do.

I'm sure everything will be absolutely fine xx

 

[purpleslurple]

I was induced due to being overdue and they used the propess pessary. This method is a single pessary left in for 24 hours - with me, I started contractions about 6 hours after the pessary had been inserted but the lady in the next bed who was only 37 weeks took 13 hours to start.

There is another method using 8 hour pessaries where a new one is inserted every 8 hours for 24 hours. If the pessaries don't start the labour then they use an intravenous drip to try and start things off.

Your daughter will hopefully be well looked after and have her baby in her arms very soon. Hope all goes well xxx

 

[mum2b410]

I has an induction at 42 weeks with my first. They use the pessaries to start off with- insert one then monitor babies heart rate for a bit and if ok they let u home for 6 hours. Come back and if no progress a second pessary is inserted. Repeat monitoring and then sent home overnight to see if things start. If no progress the next day they discuss option of c-section but can try a third pessary if baby is doing ok. As long as u dilate a bit (2cm) they can then break your waters and see if labour starts from there. If nothing from all the above they start u on the hormone drip to get contractions going. If u don't dilate at all and they can't break waters I think they just say induction has failed and its a c-section.
Differing hospitals follow different policies with induction but generally its pessaries, waters being broken and the hormone drip. How well it goes I think really depends on how baby responds and how ready your body us for it anyway!
It might b worth looking at your daughters hospitals website- they may have details on their induction process on there?

Best of luck to your daughter with her induction and hope u r cuddling your first grandchild v soon

 

[zeldasmummy]

Thank you for all the replies. I feel a lot better now. Just off to see my daughter now so I will let you know how she gets on tomorrow. Thank you

 

[katiee24]

Hoping she has had baby by now and that she had an okay labour and mum and baby are fine xx