I am 43, and at 34+2 with my second child. As before, i'm due to give birth at Queen Charlotte's Hospital in London. Just as in my first pregnancy, my notes have been annotated to say 'induce at 38 weeks'. Last time I refused, but I was induced at 39+2 after DS stopped moving for 48 hours. At that point, both DH and I felt that induction was very much the least of the evils on offer. It was very painful, but essentially fine. As a result, I'm not alarmist about induction nor against it per se. However, the pressure on me to accept an induction at 38 weeks is even greater this time around. It is literally the only thing anyone seems to want to talk about at my hospital appointments.
I'm not completely ruling it out, but I am very annoyed that, like last time, the level of debate and information about it is so very poor. Beyond airily telling that it is because of the risk of placental insufficiency in older mothers, no one (midwifes, registrar, senior house officer) is prepared to discuss it in detail. No one is offering detailed explanations of risks vs benefits, nor explaining why this policy is routine at QCH but not a NICE guideline or a routine practice at other hospitals. No one is offering a care plan running up to induction, e.g. doppler scans of placenta, nor a rationale for why it should be done in the week suggested.
I am someone who tends to the brisk and stoic where medical matters are concerned. I don't generally make a fuss and I am not lentil-weavery about childbirth at all- I just want to have things properly explained so DH and I can make our decision on a fully informed basis.
So, I'm due back at my 36 week appt. for another brow-beating. Please come and help me educate myself about age-related induction so I can ask the right questions next time. Any one actually had it properly explained? I am doing internet research (I've forgotten all the stuff I looked up last time) but thought I'd glean as much MN wisdom as possible too.
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Childbirth
Induction on grounds of maternal age: what do you all think?
EldritchCleavage · 16/08/2011 15:27
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