"I am so disappointed"

I was booked in to have an induction based on a medical condition and was told it would be Saturday.  The midwife that booked it for me said it might be pushed to Sunday depending on if they have a backlog.  When I told my husband he immediately booked the week off so he wouldn’t have to worry about rushing out of work or not being available to get to the hospital quickly when we got the call.  

I was fully prepared for it to be delayed a day due to them being busy but by Monday I still had no call from the hospital.  I really didn’t want to call and ask for an update as I know how busy the NHS are but by Monday when we still hadn’t heard anything I called and was told there is a backlog, I am still on the list and someone will phone me.  They said I should call them back if the baby’s movements change.  I felt better about this knowing I hadn’t been forgotten about but I had to call them, no one has been in touch with me.

Now Wednesday and still no phone call, I have absolutely no idea what is going on.  This is our first baby and I really don’t know much about the induction process or if it's normal to be delayed this long.  I spoke to my community midwife who has been brilliant through the whole pregnancy, she was shocked I hadn’t been taken in yet so this can’t be normal.  

I have got to the stage now where I feel I’m not going to get a call at all, I’ve clearly been moved down the list and I’m either going to have to wait for my baby to come on it’s own or wait until there is something wrong with my baby’s movements before I will be taken in.  I totally understand that there will be people with more urgent inductions required but it’s now been 7 days from the date I was advised I should have an induction.  

This has just caused so much stress and anxiety, I feel like we have just been watching the phone for the last 5 days and counting.  I feel so frustrated and upset that I was advised to have an induction and it’s now not being taken seriously.  On top of this my husband having taken the week off to make sure he could be available quickly means he now has less time after the baby comes.  I am so disappointed this is how the final weeks of my pregnancy have gone.  

Please stop advising women it’s important for them to have an induction if they are then not followed through seriously.  I really feel like I won’t be taken in unless my baby stops moving which is just such a worry.  This is just causing extra anxiety and stress to pregnant women, especially as a first time parent and not knowing what to expect.  It seems that the hospital clearly can’t facilitate all of the inductions they are booking in.  

I don’t blame the staff, everyone I have dealt with or spoken to throughout my pregnancy so far have been nothing but professional and helpful.  I am just so disappointed and am dreading going into labour, if they have such a backlog what sort of care are we going to get when the time actually comes.