Obstetric Cholestasis - I want to refuse induction and go full term!

[browneyedchik]

As a mother of 2 and one on the way, ofcourse I want what's best for my kids. How do I know what medical textbook or NHS protocol is best when my gut instinct says otherwise?

I had a textbook pregnancy with my little girl, everything was perfect. My next pregnancy and delivery was completely opposite. When I deloped Obstetric cholestasis at 35 weeks and was told that I had a small risk of stillbirth if I chose to go full term, of course I wanted to ensure a 100% chance for my son. However, I was very torn. Something just didn't feel right about the whole thing and I felt like my baby was going to be ripped out of me when it wasn't ready. When neither he, nor I wanted it. Sentimental billab*t aside, even the day I went in for an induction at 37 weeks, I was ready to change my mind and spoke with the consultant. He told me they did not know that much about the condition and the induction was standard proceedure that 90% of patients with OC agreed to.
To make a long story short (too late) I gave the bureaucracy of medical practice the benefit of the doubt (as most concerned parents would) and went ahead with an induction which left me in utter agony, and almost cost my son's life. When the synthetic contractions broke my waters, since the baby wasn't ready or in position to come out, the cord prolapsed and my son's head came down on it, depriving him of oxygen. I could see his heart rate going down from 160 to 30 before I was surrounded by people wheeling me into theatre for an emergency c-section via general anesthesia (which I actively tried to refuse as I was terrified and everything was happening do fast). The next thing I knew someone was handing me this baby. I knew he was mine and was thankful he was alive, but he could have been any one's. It took over a year for me to come to terms with it. Even though logic and reason dictated that this was my baby, I could not bond, instinctively. This caused months of guilt and depression.

Now I'm pregnant with my 3rd and dreading OC as I will not go through with another induction.

I would also like to know if anyone else went full term with it. Thank you.

 

[v2007]

I am so sorry you had such an awful delivery with your son.

I had a friend who lost her baby to OC

It was undiagnosed but if you get it and it is diagnosed I genuinely can't see the reason why you can't have a natural delivery.

As long as they monitor your liver function then I would push for a natural birth and if any problems develop they can tell you what is happeneing instead of you just feeling like no-one is listening.



V xxx

 

[browneyedchik]

Thanks for the support V, that is what I was thinking. Why not go full term with monitoring?

Sorry to hear about your friend's loss.

xx

 

[michelle81200]

I have been diagnosed with oc as well. I am going ahead with the induction at 37 weeks. Part of me knows it is prob going to be terrible... I have spent a lot of time reading medical journals etc.... And from what I have read oc can get really bad without warning, primarily in the last three weeks. Numbers can double and even triple in a day. There is still so much not understood that they take the baby early as one of the only reliable ways to prevent still birth. There is even a lot of controversy surrounding whether monitoring really helps. Of course I will keep monitoring, but I feel that my blood is poisoning the baby and at 37 weeks I feel she is safer out of my body than in it. Of course we all have to make our own decisions regarding this. I just thought I would put in my two cents on what I have learned so far.

 

[browneyedchik]

All best wishes and positive vibes your way! Hope it's all smooth sailing for you. It was for a friend of mine who also had OC and was induced at 37 weeks. She had an epidural (because prostin gel intensifies the pain of contractions) and had an easy, pain free delivery with only ventouse assistance.

I do not have OC yet. However, there is a 50% chance I'll get it again but lets just hope I don't - white witch-craft, incensory prayer,meditation exercises, whatever you've got! LOL

Good Luck.

Good Luck

 

[BabiesOneDay]

I have a friend that is pregnant with OC. She's not been all that thrilled with the pregnancy or the thought of having a baby when she's single and not very financially stable. I digress... my concern is that her story keeps changing as to when she's due and how long she can go etc. Initially she was told she would be induced- that this is protocol. Idk how much research she has done on this condition, but I've done a lot and while I too would be unhappy with the thought of induction over a natural delivery- safety matters most. She keeps wanting to push off the delivery for a variety of reasons that do not matter in the grand scheme of things as much as her baby's health. First she said she would turn 37 weeks on a certain day, but then she later tells me she'd really like to wait (for financial reasons) til like two weeks past that, but that the dr told her she could pick the induction date, but it had to be between 37 and 38 weeks and not a day over 38. Still she keeps pushing she wants to go later than that. Then she changes her story and says she will turn 37 weeks five days later than what she originally said (which I think would be odd for a due date to change that much this far along-she's about 8 months now). Now she says the DR told her she can wait it out and go as long as she wants- even to full term. Like there are no risks involved. I understand some people choose to, but she's making it seem like it's just as safe as being induced at 37 weeks. I asked how they would monitor her because I know someone else who had OC with three pregnancies and all three were very risky, she had to be induced early and toward the end was on bed rest and monitored with ultrasound almost every day in the last weeks. My friend now tells me they will continue with two dr appts a week and one or two stress tests each week. I expressed concern over this because I'm under the impression that anything can go wrong with the baby at any point between those stress tests.. she says no- that the risk of stillbirth or any problems is gradual- like something the dr could predict. Is this so? I mean, if that's true then all women with OC should be able to safely carry to term with OC with weekly monitoring, right?

 

[palmwildlife]

As a mother of 2 and one on the way, ofcourse I want what's best for my kids. How do I know what medical textbook or NHS protocol is best when my gut instinct says otherwise?

I had a textbook pregnancy with my little girl, everything was perfect. My next pregnancy and delivery was completely opposite. When I deloped Obstetric cholestasis at 35 weeks and was told that I had a small risk of stillbirth if I chose to go full term, of course I wanted to ensure a 100% chance for my son. However, I was very torn. Something just didn't feel right about the whole thing and I felt like my baby was going to be ripped out of me when it wasn't ready. When neither he, nor I wanted it. Sentimental billab*t aside, even the day I went in for an induction at 37 weeks, I was ready to change my mind and spoke with the consultant. He told me they did not know that much about the condition and the induction was standard proceedure that 90% of patients with OC agreed to.
To make a long story short (too late) I gave the bureaucracy of medical practice the benefit of the doubt (as most concerned parents would) and went ahead with an induction which left me in utter agony, and almost cost my son's life. When the synthetic contractions broke my waters, since the baby wasn't ready or in position to come out, the cord prolapsed and my son's head came down on it, depriving him of oxygen. I could see his heart rate going down from 160 to 30 before I was surrounded by people wheeling me into theatre for an emergency c-section via general anesthesia (which I actively tried to refuse as I was terrified and everything was happening do fast). The next thing I knew someone was handing me this baby. I knew he was mine and was thankful he was alive, but he could have been any one's. It took over a year for me to come to terms with it. Even though logic and reason dictated that this was my baby, I could not bond, instinctively. This caused months of guilt and depression.

Now I'm pregnant with my 3rd and dreading OC as I will not go through with another induction.

I would also like to know if anyone else went full term with it. Thank you.

I have just had my second child with OC diagnosed at 37 weeks with high bile acids (60). I refused induction of any kind due to my instinct even though medical advice was to induce straight away. I took 250mg Urso and accepted fetal monitoring and although planned for hospital birth my son arrived 2 weeks ago with a natural spontaneous birth at home before any ambulance or midwife could reach me and was completely healthy with no problems and has been putting on weight like a normal baby for last week.

My first child was born after a second membrane sweep at 41 weeks. I had borderline OC with him but took no medication. Again I refused Induction of labour immediately but we got scared by this point as I'd only just been diagnosed and already felt we'd left things too late and had booked in for it after the weekend. Luckily after a 5.5 hour labour he arrived safely although he was a smaller baby than my second and we had to spend a week in special baby care with him the next day when we noticed he had come down with something. This was due to a possible infection and hypoglycaemia NOT due to the cholestasis. I feel that I was much more tired from the pregnancy with the first and the itching even though my bile acid levels were lower and I took longer to recover from the first birth.

I would say trust your instincts and you still have a choice but when there is any risk of stillbirth flagged up this is the hardest thing/decision I have ever had to make and every person is different. It does seem that not many people have all the facts at hand when they feel pressured into induction though.

I don't know what I will do if I get pregnant with same condition if having a 3rd child. I am enjoying my 2 healthy boys for now and not worrying.

Wishing you well.

 

[palmwildlife]

I meant to say my 2nd child arrived at 39 weeks after the 2 weeks of OC diagnosis.

 

[sugarplumbum]

With DS1 in 2002 I was diagnosed at about 35 weeks and my levels were pretty high, they kept me in for about 2 weeks daily monitoring, then booked the induction for 37 weeks. It was a bloody stressful labour, with his heartraet dropping too, with about 20 people in the room!

DS2 again OC kicked in about 34/35 weeks and I recognised the symptoms straight away. Had daily monitoring (had to go back and forth to antenatal unit) and put on Urso, he was induced at 38 weeks.

With DD, I again got OC, but it was nowhere near as high or as bad as the boys, but again booked in for induction at 38 weeks just in case it spiked.

In 2002 it was relatively unknown, it seems to be around more now but that is probably more down to health professionals being aware of it and mums knowing to report itching. But there is still so much more research they can do.

If I get OC again in this pregnancy, (If I get far enough for it to start) I personally would rather be induced around 38 weeks and know that although little one may rather be in there a little longer. But each women is different and obviously it all depends on how high your levels are....wishing you the best of luck with your pregnancy and birth!

x

 

[Matilda85]

I had oc and i was induced at almost 38 weeks. It wasn't the birth i had imagined but my little man is here safe and well so i don't mind. Another of my friends had it and she had to have an emergency section because her levels jumped so quickly. My obstetrician said it's really from 38 weeks on that it poses the highest risk of stillbirth. Personally with my next pregnancy if i get it again i will definitely opt to have baby early even if it's by a section.

 

[BettyBoop152]

I can't offer any advice as I have never been through anything like this but wanted to offer a hug and to also say I can totally understand why you would feel the way you did after waking up xxx

 

[chocolatecat]

It sounds like an awful situation to be in.

Having no experience the only thing that springs to mind is having an elective c-section at 37 weeks? I'm sure that would be very different to being induced/having a section under general anathetic. I can see you're worried about him coming earlier than he wants, but the risk of leaving him seems very great. An elective, controlled section might be a low risk compromise between medical advice and your gut instinct?