Induction
chickybuns
Posts: 1,037 Member
So I was wondering what your experiences were with this. I am honestly really afraid to have to get induced, because the women I've talked to, it makes their labors more intense and more painful. I want to try my best to not use drugs. I know I'm worrying ahead here, but that's what I do. I'm currently 29 weeks pregnant, and what prompted this was they went ahead and scheduled most of my appointments. My EDD according to the doc's office is 11/20, and the last appointment made was 11/9, and she said she wasn't going to make another one because they often induce that week. As long as something is wrong and I truly NEED to be induced, not because it is convenient for the doctors (I'm due 2 days before Thanksgiving), I am going to refuse..do you think that is unreasonable? Especially if they try before I'm 40 weeks, I was almost 2 weeks late myself...procrastination started early 
From what I've read it's not abnormal to go to 41 or even 42 weeks, especially for first timers. Of course I will ask my doctor next appointment about this, and try not to worry until it gets closer, I just feel like he isn't going to come early...I hope not because I'll be done with school on 11/4! Sorry for the long rant ladies 
From what I've read it's not abnormal to go to 41 or even 42 weeks, especially for first timers. Of course I will ask my doctor next appointment about this, and try not to worry until it gets closer, I just feel like he isn't going to come early...I hope not because I'll be done with school on 11/4! Sorry for the long rant ladies 0
Replies
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I completely agree with you. I wouldn't want to be induced either, unless it was medically necessary. I am planning on letting this baby "cook" for as long as she needs, and if she goes over by a week or two, then she must need to be in there for some reason. I see a midwife now, and the most she'll do is strip membranes to induce labor, but she won't do it unless you are at 40 weeks.
I'm really surprised that they said they don't need any more appointments for you because they would typically induce that week. They should really have asked your opinion on that first, rather than assuming you'd do whatever they want.0 -
Definitely stand up for yourself and what you want. There are hospitals in this country with an almost 50% C-section rate because it's more convenient for the doctors. If you don't want to be induced then make sure you're firm, especially two whole weeks early!0
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I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. It was just the receptionist that said that, so I haven't actually discussed it with my doctor, but in talking with other women I know it's not uncommon to induce for convenience.0
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Completely reasonable to want to go at least to your EDD. I think those things are kinda unreliable anyways - they've come up with five(!) different due dates for me. Should be more of a due week, not single date. I don't want to be induced, either. Most doctors wont let you go past 42w, but like in my case, where I'm pretty sure they have my dates wrong, how do we know if I'm actually at 42w??! Once you get closer, you might try some of the natural labor inducing things. Not sure that they're effective but they don't hurt anything. I like the thought that baby will come when baby is ready, not when it's convenient for the doctor.0
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I am due 2 days after christmas and wonder if this will happen with me too with doctors wanting to take time off for christmas.... Although honestly i need to have the baby before the 1st of the year. My insurance deductible will restart and i know it sounds horrible but i just cannot afford another 3000 to pay0
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I am due 2 days after christmas and wonder if this will happen with me too with doctors wanting to take time off for christmas.... Although honestly i need to have the baby before the 1st of the year. My insurance deductible will restart and i know it sounds horrible but i just cannot afford another 3000 to pay
I completely understand, I'm glad mine was all in one year!
I have a few due dates too, the doctors office is saying 11/19 or 11/20, I think 11/17 because my cycles were shorter, and the u/s said 11/14...but I figured that was just because he was a little big.
Yes I kind of think due dates are silly took, because there is really a potential 5 week window, and it comes down to one day...haha0 -
Do not accept induction!!! It is the absolute worst in every way. I was induced and after the fourth day of no progress, it ended up in a c section. Pretty much everyone I know who gets induced ends up getting a c section because their body(as mine as well) wasn't ready. I had to be induced because I had gestational diabetes and the diabetes started improving near the very end and apparently it means the placenta isn't working as well. I didn't want to put my baby in danger so I accepted the induction. They did rounds of cervadil on me, which is something they insert and it is supposed to ripen your cervix,. It did nothing. Then the did pitocin, and after My body was just so not ready, and it was being forced. I have told my doctor that I really want to try for a VBAC this time, so that will more than likely mean going overdue, depending on medical circumstances(if I get diabetes agan etc). I told her I will not be induced, no matter what and even though I really don't want another c section, I would choose surgery over induction any day. It's your body, don't get pushed into being induced, when the baby is ready, he will come.0
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I am due 2 days after christmas and wonder if this will happen with me too with doctors wanting to take time off for christmas.... Although honestly i need to have the baby before the 1st of the year. My insurance deductible will restart and i know it sounds horrible but i just cannot afford another 3000 to pay
That doesn't sound horrible to me - I understand that! We've met all of our deductibles this year too, and I'm due mid-December. A girl I work with went into the hospital in labor on New Year's Eve and didn't have the baby until January 1, and one set of bills went to the prior year's deductible, and the other set went to the new year's deductible! Scary!0 -
I was induced with DD and it was intense but after I got to epi, it was like heaven. LOL. I wouldn't be afraid to do it again. I had a good experience. I was induced at 2pm, they broke my water around 430-5 and I was fully dilated at 10pm. Buuuut I got my epi late (7.5cm dilated) soo I couldn't feel the need to push and I didn't know if I was doing it right. LOL. once I started feeling the contractions a little better, she came out. I pushed for 3hr15mins. Yikes I think that was the worst part. I was so tired. lol0
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I was induced with DD and it was intense but after I got to epi, it was like heaven. LOL. I wouldn't be afraid to do it again. I had a good experience. I was induced at 2pm, they broke my water around 430-5 and I was fully dilated at 10pm. Buuuut I got my epi late (7.5cm dilated) soo I couldn't feel the need to push and I didn't know if I was doing it right. LOL. once I started feeling the contractions a little better, she came out. I pushed for 3hr15mins. Yikes I think that was the worst part. I was so tired. lol
How many weeks were you when they induced?0 -
I'm worried about this also. In my state, the c-section rate is extremely high due to the specifics of malpractice laws here, and it scares me.
My doctor has told me he is going to induce me if I'm not in labor already at 40 weeks, and I'm really not sure how I feel about it.
Let us know what your decision is and how it works out when the time comes.0 -
I'm worried about this also. In my state, the c-section rate is extremely high due to the specifics of malpractice laws here, and it scares me.
My doctor has told me he is going to induce me if I'm not in labor already at 40 weeks, and I'm really not sure how I feel about it.
Let us know what your decision is and how it works out when the time comes.
That seems early to induce to me too, I feel like it should be at least a week after your due date before they try to induce. Our bodies know what they are doing, so why can't the doctors just trust that?0 -
I'm worried about this also. In my state, the c-section rate is extremely high due to the specifics of malpractice laws here, and it scares me.
My doctor has told me he is going to induce me if I'm not in labor already at 40 weeks, and I'm really not sure how I feel about it.
Let us know what your decision is and how it works out when the time comes.
That seems early to induce to me too, I feel like it should be at least a week after your due date before they try to induce. Our bodies know what they are doing, so why can't the doctors just trust that?
My doctor is worried because of my heart condition, so it may be warranted in my case, but it still makes me uncomfortable. I'd rather let my body decide when it's time, and be under supervision in case there's a medical need to go early or to push me harder. I want to at least TRY on my own first.0 -
I've also been doing some research on inductions, and most woman have told me that induction contractions are way worse than natural contractions, because induction contractions are more intense and are right on top of eachother, instead of being a bit more spaced apart like natural labor contractions.
My due date is next Friday, Sept 7th. And my doctor said if I make it to that appointment without going into labor on my own, then they will schedule my induction for the following week at 41 weeks.0 -
The info I am going to share is from my doctor and not all doctors agree. I have heard doctors wanting to induce based on convenience so that they do not have to come in the middle of the night or on holidays and weekends. I also believe there are some medical reasons for it also. With my son I was actually scheduled to be induced at 39 weeks due to how big he was. I was just lucky enough that 6 hours before I was supposed to go in my water broke on its own and my contractions were 1 min apart right after my water broke and I was not induced. Yes I have heard it is not comfortable being induced especially how they break your water. I have known 2 people who were induced recently and the first one had a normal labor and the other one did result in a c section because the baby was too big for her body. If they discuss induction you should ask why. My doctor told me he may induce me this time because he does not want the baby to be bigger than my last one (he was 8lbs 14oz) I have been told when babys are 9lbs and larger they are at a greater increase of developing diabetes its not a guarantee but a possibility. I would rather be induced than to lessen my childs odds. Yes I know its not a guarantee that they will never develop it but since I have no family history I would like to give them the best odds possible. I have also been told that early induction can be done also if there is an issue with the mother such as gestational diabetes and high blood pressure. My doctor only induces early if the size of the baby is an issue or if the mother has health issues. Otherwise he makes you wait till 42 weeks then that is as far as he waits. I would not want to go any farther than 42 weeks thought because I was really uncomfortable towards the end the last time.0
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The info I am going to share is from my doctor and not all doctors agree. I have heard doctors wanting to induce based on convenience so that they do not have to come in the middle of the night or on holidays and weekends. I also believe there are some medical reasons for it also. With my son I was actually scheduled to be induced at 39 weeks due to how big he was. I was just lucky enough that 6 hours before I was supposed to go in my water broke on its own and my contractions were 1 min apart right after my water broke and I was not induced. Yes I have heard it is not comfortable being induced especially how they break your water. I have known 2 people who were induced recently and the first one had a normal labor and the other one did result in a c section because the baby was too big for her body. If they discuss induction you should ask why. My doctor told me he may induce me this time because he does not want the baby to be bigger than my last one (he was 8lbs 14oz) I have been told when babys are 9lbs and larger they are at a greater increase of developing diabetes its not a guarantee but a possibility. I would rather be induced than to lessen my childs odds. Yes I know its not a guarantee that they will never develop it but since I have no family history I would like to give them the best odds possible. I have also been told that early induction can be done also if there is an issue with the mother such as gestational diabetes and high blood pressure. My doctor only induces early if the size of the baby is an issue or if the mother has health issues. Otherwise he makes you wait till 42 weeks then that is as far as he waits. I would not want to go any farther than 42 weeks thought because I was really uncomfortable towards the end the last time.
thanks for the info. I wouldn't want to go past 42 weeks either, but just didn't want to be induced until at least 41 weeks unless there was a medical reason for doing so. My baby is a little big they say, so I'm not sure if that will be a reason. But I've also heard the ultrasound estimations are not that accurate either.0 -
The standard both where I live and where I'm from is that mothers are induced 10 days after their due date. Honestly, though, I don't know anybody who has gotten that far without going into labour on their own.
For those of you who have doctors talking about early induction, that just sounds crazy to me! Unless there's a legit medical reason, of course.0 -
I agree that early induction should only be done for a medical reason and not for convienence for the doctor. With my son, I was given cervadil (sp?) to ripen my cervix at midnight 5 days after I was due. That started my labor at 2am, had to give me another cervadil at 4, got my epidural around 8. I was ready to push at 2:30 and he was born at 2:56. It was a pleasant experience and would do it again if i needed to.0
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So I was wondering what your experiences were with this. I am honestly really afraid to have to get induced, because the women I've talked to, it makes their labors more intense and more painful. I want to try my best to not use drugs. I know I'm worrying ahead here, but that's what I do. I'm currently 29 weeks pregnant, and what prompted this was they went ahead and scheduled most of my appointments. My EDD according to the doc's office is 11/20, and the last appointment made was 11/9, and she said she wasn't going to make another one because they often induce that week. As long as something is wrong and I truly NEED to be induced, not because it is convenient for the doctors (I'm due 2 days before Thanksgiving), I am going to refuse..do you think that is unreasonable? Especially if they try before I'm 40 weeks, I was almost 2 weeks late myself...procrastination started early From what I've read it's not abnormal to go to 41 or even 42 weeks, especially for first timers. Of course I will ask my doctor next appointment about this, and try not to worry until it gets closer, I just feel like he isn't going to come early...I hope not because I'll be done with school on 11/4! Sorry for the long rant ladies
Don't be scared about an induction. Of course no one can predict how they will go, but don't let the "horror" stories scare you. I'll tell you my induction story with my daughter 2 years ago. I was 41 wks when I was induced. When I went in for my 40 wk appointment the dr. advised that we set up an induction date for in a week just in case I didn't go on my own. I did not have ANY health or pregnancy issues, but they were thinking she'd be a little bigger than she was, and I am a small person. Of course I did not object to this (even though she only ended up at 7lbs 7 oz). I was glad to hear i'd be induced by 41 weeks. They started the pitocin at 5:30a.m. on 7/5 and she was born 8 hrs later at 1:24p.m. after only 45 minutes of pushing. I did have an epidural AND pain meds. Because of the pain meds I slept the majority of the morning and most of it is fuzzy. However when it was time to push I was wiiiiiiide awake lol. Even though I had the epidural I still felt the contractions, which helped me push, but did not feel any pain at my hoohoo.
Nor could I feel my legs, it was strange. Anyway just letting you know my not so horrible experience. I plan on the pain meds and epidural again this time. Kudos to anyone who can do it without!!!! I'm a wimp though. And I DEFINITELY wouldn't let them induce before 40 weeks! 0 -
I completely agree.. You should not be forced to be induced if there isn't a medical need for it... Yes, it's common for FTM to go into labor at 41 or 42 weeks. I would make it clear to your doctor that unless there is a medical reason for induction you will not agree to it. If they do schedule it just don't show up...they can't make you do anything especially if you and baby are fine... good luck!0
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Just wanted to add my 2 cents- I was induced with my daughter (at 40 weeks/4days) and don't regret it. Labor was long, but it wasn't any worse than other labors- from what I've gathered. But at 40 weeks/4 days I had not dilated at all and my baby was measuring big- she was 8 lbs 10 oz! ALSO, don't forget that the longer the baby is in the womb, the more at risk they are for ingesting meconium which can cause infections and even death. So while I don't think we should rush into induction, we also shouldn't leave the baby in too long and put him/her at risk.
If I can this time, I'd rather not be induced just because I'd like to experience it the "natural" way. But let me just add my experience and say- it's really not as bad as people say.0 -
I guess if I was totally set on getting an epidural, I would not be as concerned. My main concern is that if I get induced, it will be more difficult to not get an epidural or other pain medications.0
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Induction does increase your risk of c-section, either from "failure to progress" because your body is not ready or because pitocin can cause fetal distress, leading to an "emergency c-section." A pitocin drip requires you to be on continuous electronic fetal monitoring because of the risk of fetal distress. Having to be hooked up to the monitor and unable to move around as you wish makes the contractions more difficult to handle (in addition to pitocin making contractions more painful.)
Then when you get the epidural to handle the pain, you often have to push the baby out while lying flat on your back with your feet in stirrups--the absolutely worst way to deliver a baby! It's no wonder baby "got stuck" or was "too big"!
(I don't think I would have been able to push out my 9lb 6oz boy lying on my back. No way. But squatting opened up my pelvis and allowed him to come on out with no cuts or forceps or vacuums. Just a minor tear.)
Lying flat on your back also gets less oxygen to baby (compressing your abdominal aorta and sometimes baby's umbilical cord), resulting in heart rate drops, leading to a c-section.
I believe that pitocin and epidurals both have their place...in limited situations. In my opinion, used routinely, especially together=bad combination. A c-section is not just another way to deliver a baby. It is a major abdominal surgery. It carries increased risks for both mama and baby. There's a reason why NICU nurses must be present at all c-sections, even scheduled ones.
That being said, I have had a hospital induction before that was "natural". My OB was very open and supportive of my desire for a natural birth, and because the baby did not seem to be in any distress, he allowed me to go to 42 weeks without intervening. Since I was having contractions that were irregular, my cervix was dilated, and the baby's head was engaged in my pelvis, we decided to just break my water to see if that would pick the contractions up. I asked for no pitocin unless I didn't progress after that and no IV fluids, preferring to drink liquids to stay hydrated instead. (I did consent to a heplock for emergency access). Because I did not have pitocin, I was allowed intermittent doppler monitoring for baby's heart tones and only had to be hooked up to the fetal monitor briefly every hour. Which allowed me to walk the halls, get into whatever positions were comfortable, and even use the whirlpool.
Baby was here in 4 hours with no interventions at all, other than the amniotomy and a heplock.
(Sorry, wanted to edit for clarification.)0 -
I was induced because at my due date I had zero signs that labor was coming. From the time I was induced (2 days after due date), it was 24 hours exactly when my daughter was born. She was over 8 1/2lbs so I was a bit thankful we didn't wait too much longer.
I thought it was easy and obviously everyone has a different experience or different reasons for being induced, so I guess you need to figure out what's best for your situation and be sure to trust your doctor (hopefully you already do)0 -
I went to 43 1/2 weeks with my second - she was beautiful, perfect, and 8 lbs 1 oz - it felt like I was pregnant foreeeeeever, but I was glad the docs/midwife didn't "force things", and just let her do what she needed to do. I had NST monitoring twice a week, then every other day until she came, but she was doing great and so was I, and it all worked out just fine. Now of course my docs say "WHAT doctor let you do THAT?!?" but I wouldn't go back and change it for the world. 0
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I just got a phone call from my doctor's office, I'm 40 weeks and 4 days, and they have me scheduled to come in on Thursday morning to get gel on my cervix, then Friday at 5am to start the pitocin if the gel doesn't kick start me into labor.
I AM SO NERVOUS!0 -
I just got a phone call from my doctor's office, I'm 40 weeks and 4 days, and they have me scheduled to come in on Thursday morning to get gel on my cervix, then Friday at 5am to start the pitocin if the gel doesn't kick start me into labor.
I AM SO NERVOUS!
Good luck! Hope all goes well for you...0 -
I just got a phone call from my doctor's office, I'm 40 weeks and 4 days, and they have me scheduled to come in on Thursday morning to get gel on my cervix, then Friday at 5am to start the pitocin if the gel doesn't kick start me into labor.
I AM SO NERVOUS!
good luck, hope your baby decides to come on their own!0 -
I'll be thinking about you! Looking forward to seeing the happy announcement!I just got a phone call from my doctor's office, I'm 40 weeks and 4 days, and they have me scheduled to come in on Thursday morning to get gel on my cervix, then Friday at 5am to start the pitocin if the gel doesn't kick start me into labor.
I AM SO NERVOUS!0 -
I just got a phone call from my doctor's office, I'm 40 weeks and 4 days, and they have me scheduled to come in on Thursday morning to get gel on my cervix, then Friday at 5am to start the pitocin if the gel doesn't kick start me into labor.
I AM SO NERVOUS!
*hugs* I'll be thinking good thoughts for you.0
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