How many of you were induced and it ended up in c-section?

[Northerner]

Thanks Sorcha, some very good points to bear in mind!

Sorry to be a bit thick, but what's 'Type 1.5 LADA'....?

This is a slow-onset form of Type 1 diabetes. LADA stands for 'Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults. It basically means that you slowly lose beta cell function, and therefore insulin production, due to an autoimmune attack. Several of our members are Type 1.5. Type 1, especially in young people and children, tends to come on very quickly.

 

[Babysaurus]

Aha! Thanks Northerner!

 

[beckyp]

I appreciate that I'm really late with this post and haven't read the previous posts so don't know what the general consensus is but wanted to put my bit in!

I was 38 weeks and induced which ended up with an emergency c-section.

Throughout my pregnancy I asked for an elective but was refused. My hospital said they don't just 'do' csections as they cost so much more money than inductions - seems ridiculous considering such a high percentage end up with them anyway - surely this costs more? I wasn't aware of the statistics at the time and even tried blagging my way through a conversation with my obs that I knew of x many diabetics having failed inductions and why should I put myself through it etc. I actually went through a baby forum and printed a list (much like this one) and worked out the percentage - I had waaaaaay too much time!). My obs basically said that unless it was medically necessary to put myself through surgery (i.e. the baby being so big that it was necessary or putting myself or the baby at risk) then it wouldn't happen. She also said that statistics are based on a hospital average - not generally on the NHS - which would explain why I could never find this information on the internet myself or through the hospital.

In hindsight I'm pleased. I was exhausted from being induced but I really wish that it had worked. The reason for the failed induction had nothing to do with the diabetes and it could've happened to anyone. My daughter decided to look towards the light (I can't remember the medical term for it) and it meant that an ecs was needed. I dilated 8cm and we were all set but unfortunately the little blighter decided to change the plan - she likes bright lights now too!

Personally I found the recovery from the cs fine - not as bad as I was told to expect at all. You clearly already know that the recovery time is much quicker with an uncomplicated vaginal delivery and hopefully you'll be home much quicker to spend time with your baby. Bear in mind that an cs will mean that you can't drive for 6 weeks, you can't hoover (that drove me nuts when husband went back to work!) and you'll struggle to lift your own baby in the early days - that's the hardest bit. It complicates things when you're recovering from major surgery - lets not forget that they cut through 8 layers of skin to pull that baby out! It also means that you'll be more likely to have a section if you have another - that's what I've been told but I don't know how true it is.

My only bit of advice to you is to pack your bag for worst case scenario and hope for the best - I would definitely opt for an induction though.

I hope the rest of your pregnancy progresses smoothly.

 

[Babysaurus]

Hi Becky,
Thanks for your response. The reason I originally asked the question was due to seeing on here that so many of us seemed to end up with sections, and then I was told the stats by the obs lady about it being '60/70% likely to end up with one anyway.'

Ideally, I would like to have a sucessful induction far more than I would a section, but I am increasingly aware of the fact that this looks more unlikely than likely. I am also concerned that I will have days of induction and therefore be exhausted and then find a section even harder to cope with in the event that I need one anyway.

I started a similar conversation with the last obs I spoke to and she was saying that vaginal deliveries are easier for recovery etc etc (you can guess) but then I showed her a print out I found from the British Medical Journal about why so many diabetics have a hard time - http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/40859/ (this is not the one from the BMJ, but it says the same thing.) Our uterine contractions are significantly weaker due to being diabetic, which is why so many of us can only get to a certain point and this is despite all the drugs (and stronger doses make no difference.) This may hopefully shed a different light on things - what it did do at the time was get the obs to suggest that perhaps we do an examination and see where things lie (so to speak) and, if things are in a 'favourable' position try to induce, but have an early cut off point of either 12 or, at a push, 24 hours. This sounds far better to me than their initial talk of what 'normally' happened with diabetics which was 3 days of pessaries (with one 'rest day' in the middle) which get the cervix open enough for them to break the waters and then they put the drip in - this sounded bloody awful, and even more so because it still may go to section anyway. The 12 / 24 hours idea sounds far better as, like I say, I would like to give it a try but I don't want to be in there for days with them trying and trying! Esp as, now I have read, the drugs aren't as effective with me as they would be with non-diabetics.

However, the obs I discussed this with (she knew nothing of the BMJ research, and neither did the other obs she showed it to) said they would not discuss properly until the final scan which is a week on Wednesday due to the old chestnut of the baby being the size of a small cow (not quite their words!) We shall see...

 

[Babysaurus]

ps I realise the reason you ended up with a section wasn't neccessarily a diabetic one!

 

[PhoebeC]

Babysaurus i think what your saying sounds great.

My labour was emergancy induction and still took 36 hours. I have never been so tired and poorly. I thought i would die.

If they would have said after 24 hours about a section id have had one. But i understand now why they didnt.

It took me a week to recover and get out of hospital as it was, so with a section i think it would have been longer. And trying to get sugars controlled in hospital is so hard. So im glad what happened happened.

However if id have been well i would have asked for section.

I think how you are going about it all is great. Im proud of you for the control you have taken.
xx

 

[Babysaurus]

Blame the pregnancy hormones Phoebe, but you've just brought a tear to my eye! Thank you!

I can't believe I have, possibly, just two weeks left. It has gone SO slowly in some ways but now also seems like it's been sprung upon me!

 

[RuthieG]

Hi All

I am reading all this with interest. Babysaurus - have your growth scans up to now been all fine? I have another on Tuesday and feel (for no reason really) that the baby may have had a massive growth spurt. That will still only be 30 weeks so I hope not!

I am going to ask a few questions about what exactly 'induction' means because 3 days sounds horrendous. I am still hoping for my dream of going into spontaneous labour at 37 1/2 weeks but better not rely too heavily on that happening!

I hate the thought of a C-section but know it is a distinct possibility.

All your stories and similar feelings are a great comfort so thanks everyone

 

[Babysaurus]

Last growth scan the baby had gone to close to the top line of the graph. This upset me a bit, but I have since calmed down as various HCP's have said it could be a growth spurt, or a biggish baby (as the readings are not especially accurate.) Also, hubby has a son who was 9lb's at birth and, his sister in law told me this as if it was a good thing (shudder), none of the babies born in his family have been under 8lb 8oz!

The 3 day, well four if you include the 'rest day', was what I was told as sort of the worst case scenario, but also that that was pretty likely especially considering it's my first baby (they have more success with subsequent.) Also, bear in mind that's just for the pessaries to 'ripen your cervix' and doesn't even include the drip which, I think, really kicks things off. I am also thinking that blood sugar control under those circumstances is going to be tough, and the longer you are in there the more room there is for things to awry with that too so I am interested to see how they deal with that (as I am not keen on the idea of a sliding scale for the best part of a week!!)

Currently my bump is quite high up and I don't feel as if it (sorry - he or she!) is likely to drop down soon which I am thinking isn't all that good either, although I may be wrong there and things can change overnight...? I am very glad that the obs I spoke to last suggested an examination to see how things were looking before we even started, as it seems to me that this means she realises that there is no point trying their usual chain of events if the odds are increasingly against us before we even start.

Ruthie, like you I hated the idea of a c-section (esp re the recovery side of things) but I am coming round to the idea now. I am also starting to think that, now I have come this far, I just want to get the baby out as quickly and 'easily' (if that is the right word) as possible with the least room for trauma, drama and / or blood sugar complications for either me or the baby.

I will keep you all posted about how it goes next week. It should be an interesting one! I am yet to even suggest outright if a section is the better option considering so not sure of the response! I am going to ask about the ins and outs of everything they suggest, and also the success rates and why. I shall also make clear that I am not pushing for a section per se, but instead desperate to avoid an eventual section due to labour not progressing or similar as I think this would be far harder to recover from (the ladies accounts on here have also shown me that.)

 

[Monkey]

Babysaurus/Ruthie, I can only write a short reply now, but I'd heard heaps of tales about 3 day inductions, and was prepared for the worst.

In all honesty, mine took 20hours from first (and only!) prostin pessary to him being born by c-section. In that time, I got to 10cm and pushed for 2 hours, so it was hardly slow!

I know there's no guarantee (altho my mw was convinced that my hand expressing colostrum from 37w helped ready my body) but just wanted to give a tiny glimmer of reassurance.

 

[Smit]

Hi, I haven't got around to birth story yet, baby keeping me mega busy! Just want to agree with monkey, i also got told induction could take 3 days but i got the pessary at 5.30pm, cervix was unfavorable and I started contracting within half an hour. Turns out that the pessary made my cervix contract constantly and never stopped to give me a rest. Doctors said it was a bad reaction to pessary. I laboured for 24 hours and got to 7cm. But every time they put on the hormone drip, babies heart rate went way too low. I also developed plus 2 protein in my urine and blood. In the end I needed an emergency section to get him out and to be honest by then I didn't care. I'll post full story shortly. Glad i tried induction though and know section wasn't diabetes related.Xx

 

[Babysaurus]

Smit! I have been wondering how you're getting on - looking forward to an eventual update (but realise if you have other stuff currently going on!)

Especially encouraged by the fact that your cervix was deemed 'unfavourable' but then the pessary worked straight away. Hopefully this is not especially unusual...? Another point to add to my list of questions I think!

 

[DaisyDuke]

I was induced at 38 weeks and 5 days.I had one pessery at 9.30am and another at 4.30pm. They discovered at 11.00pm they were able to break my waters, I gave birth at 11.55pm so took less than an hour for labour and birth.I didn't need forceps or anything,was supossed to go on sliding scale but there was no time.Baby was fine and had no problems.

 

[PhoebeC]

I was induced at 38 weeks and 5 days.I had one pessery at 9.30am and another at 4.30pm. They discovered at 11.00pm they were able to break my waters, I gave birth at 11.55pm so took less than an hour for labour and birth.I didn't need forceps or anything,was supossed to go on sliding scale but there was no time.Baby was fine and had no problems.

Oh thats nice and quick.

I had one pessarie and with the second they put me on the drip,which really started it off, i was only 34 weeks so dont think my body was ready at all.

My poor body 🙂 xx