Question about induction

MyBabeMaddie wrote: I totally understand scheduling in advance for a C-section... BUT, I've heard mixed thoughts about scheduling a date for induction just for the hell of it, I don't want to play God but the more I think about it I could be pregnant til as late as August 18 (thats 42 weeks) and I start school again on August 28, I can't take the semester off so I definitely have to go back... I talked to my doctor about the possibility of inducing me at 38 weeks (July 21) which would give me a whole month to recover and adjust to having a baby... Have you heard of doctors inducing patients to accomodate them? Are there any risks? Do u think it's wrong to "play God"? I don't have my own opinion on this i'm just confused by people I've asked...

PrairieMom replied: I've heard about it. I don't know that I really have an oponion on the subject. After 37 weeks the baby is considered full term, so I don't know that there is risk to the baby if you induce after that, I'm not sure. I do know that going later than 42 weeks can be dangerous to the baby. Maybe you will go early naturally and not have to worry about it? I would talk to your Dr. and see what your options are.

zdk753 replied: My now ex obgyn would induce as soon as baby was safe to come out. In fact normally he would push for you to be induced. I think it was more to suit his schedule than yours.

~*Just Me*~ replied: Sadly, yes, doctors DO induce for convenience's sake . People have to realize it's a BABY, and a baby should stay inside until s/he is ready to come out on their own, and not when it's "convenient" for everyone else.

Yes, I think it's wrong to "play God".

Kaitlin'smom replied:
I have to agree 100%

MyLuvBugs replied: I probably shouldn't answer this b/c I'm totally against induction, but....I say it is "playing God" as you say. If there were medical reasons, that's one thing. But I personally find it a little selfish (and I mean no offense) to "schedule" a child's birth around someone's schedule. And I don't mean that directly at you, I just believe that in general society is becoming a little too vain and selfish when it comes to birth and pregnancy. Everyone seems to be scheduling their kids around their schedules like it's an inconvenience to become a parent. KWIM?

I do understand that you have to start back to school, and stuff needs to get done. My cousin was in the exact same situation your in, and she had her son 8 days before going back to school. But at the same time, there's alot of other ways to "induce" yourself in a more naturally without medical intervention. Exercise everyday,have your membranes stripped around 39 weeks, and start acupuncture/pressure point massage when you get to 39 weeks as well. All can help bring on labor naturally without drugs. Make sense?

kayla's mama replied: I believe its "playing GOD"

When the baby is ready to come then its ready. I do not believe in the convience factor. If the timing of having the baby is not fitting in with your schedule then maybe you should have tried to concieve it when you would have had a summer break to have it, kwim. If it was unplanned then I would just deal with it. Hope that doesn't sound harsh but I am strongly, strongly against the convience factor when it comes to child birth.

I hope I didn't offend anyone.

jacobsmama replied: We get alot of patients who want to be induced either to get it over with or because of school or they are going to be in a wedding or something.

I was really suprised to see what you all thought about inductions and that it is like playing God.

What about when you plan a C-section..There is no way to truely no if the baby is ready or not and you choose when to have it so what is the difference?

I personally wouldn't want to be induced unless it was medically necessary, like with jacob I had to be because Of my BP but that was a few days before his due date.

JMO

ilovemybaby replied: I was induced at 42 weeks. I didn't want to be induced. Just because I wanted to go into labour naturally. But I didn't want to risk the babies health either.
I am so glad I was induced... that probably sounds weird LOL but I think it helped speed up the labour so much that my labour time was about 5 hours and delivery 14 minutes. I was worried about being in labour for so long like 24, 48 or 72 hours. I don't think I could have handled that.
The midwife told me that being induced can make things speed up and that it also makes contractions more painful... especially after your waters break. But I never had an epidural. I had one shot of Pethidine and wanted more but it was too soon after the last shot. The midwife said she could feel babies head and that there was no time left for Pethidine! LOL So that was it.

I think at 38 weeks the baby would be fine seeing as they say 37 weeks is full term. It sounds like you don't really have a choice so I would just go ahead with the induction.

I was due on the 4th of October and I wasn't born until the 29th! How is that for late? LOL They didn't do an Induction for my mother. Poor thing. I can't imagine being over 42 weeks pregnant. She was almost 44 weeks. I was born a very dry scaly baby... she said I looked like I had been sunburnt and was peeling.
And I was grey and my heart wasn't beating normally. So she didn't get to hold me at all. I was rushed straight to the NICU.

My3LilMonkeys replied:
ITA with this. I am also against scheduling C sections for convenience.


I did have an induction with Brooke - 10 days after my due date and after I had been having mild, painless contractions regularly for 2 weeks and I was 3 cm dilated - the Dr. felt that I needed a little help.

~*Just Me*~ replied:
Oh, don't get me started on elective C-sections! That really me!! Drives me nuts to hear a mom-to-be say that she's scared of labor, or some other excuse. Ummm....EDUCATE yourself!! Won't learn anything if you don't read about it!

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: I just have to point out that I find it sad that anyone can judge another as to HOW or when they want to have a child. It's like BF, I feel fortunate that we have choices these days. Not for convenience sake, but for the fact that it's MY body and MY baby, I should be able to do as I please as long as I'm not harming anyone either of us in the process. Although my doctor asked if I wanted to schedule an induction, I opted not to, but I certainly wouldn't judge anyone who did. I know some doctors may suggest one for their own convenience, but they can't force you to have one without your consent, so IMO, you have the option to say yes or no. Simple as that.

I had an induction with Wil for a medical reason. That's all I will say. And if I HAD to go back to school so soon after giving birth, I would most likely schedule an induction.

Edward's Mommy replied: I was told that they won't induce unless there is something wrong or if they need you to dialate. I wasn't dialating so they had to induce me, by that time I had been in labor for 14 hours and was only 2 centimeters. But after 29 hours, I only got to 8 centimeters and needed a C-section anyway.

ilovemybaby replied: I would never have a c section because of being scared of labour/pain. You are gonna have pain with a c section anyway. Which is worse? It's major abdominal surgery DUH
That's what Britney Spears did. IMO if you are that scared of labour then why are you pregnant? Sure, I was scared. So scared I cried about it before I went to the hospital and worried about it all the time during my pregnancy. But the benefits outweigh the pain. You forget about it soon after!

I won't judge anyone for opting for c section or induction because they have responsibilities/requirements they have to keep.
I don't agree with doing it just because you don't want to do the hard part.

Brias3 replied: I actually had considered induction at 40 weeks with my second because my doctor was going to be out of town and I definitely wanted to have him oversee the birth if I didn't go into labor by the time frame he was going to be leaving in. Luckily, Aliyah came early so it was a non-issue. However with Mason, I had placenta previa so I had a planned cesarean nearly five weeks before he was due.

I really don't have an opinion one way or another. I do believe that a baby should be born when he or she is ready but if they are in the full-term stage and a circumstance arises in which you might want/need an induction, to each his own then.

edited to make sense

MyLuvBugs replied:
C-section planning and induction are the same in my book. Too much planning!! Unless there is a life or death emergency, I WON"T be having either (knock on wood) (I've probably totally jinxed myself now huh!?!?!)

jacobsmama replied:
Girl you shouldn't have said that!!! haha

No you will be fine!!! I have my fingers crossed for ya!

MyLuvBugs replied:
I don't know if it's "judging", but maybe it is. The line is fuzzy sometimes. But when someone says "Well, I have a 12 o'clock meeting on Wednesday, so let's get this kid out of me today so that I can attend it." That to me is selfish. JMHO. It's like they're just having kids to say they've been there, done that. Instead of relishing in the fact that they are parents, and enjoying their new child. KWIM? It's people like that, that really irk me into being against planning induction or planning a c-section. But for people that have medical issues and need to have either done, I'm all for it. Make sense?

kayla's mama replied:

In my previous post this is what I was really trying to say, it just came out all wrong

It did sound like I was judging and I'm sorry if that offended anyone. I was induced but it was for medical reasons not convience for me or the doc.

1lilpeanut2love replied:
I am sorry Brandi but I TOTALLY AGREED with you. You made your point and you made a good one at that!!

kayla's mama replied:

Thank you

luvmykids replied:
If I remember correctly, Sarah, you're young and doing this by yourself, right? Having said that, I think I can see why it's of such concern to you to be able to go back to school. I don't mean being a young, single mom is any kind of excuse or cop out for stuff parents have to sacrifice, but I think I can see why you might consider this. I'm sure your finishing school is a little more of a pressure situation right now, being a means to provide well for you and your child, and there are lots of reasons why you can't miss the semester after baby arrives without jeopardizing all kinds of things, acceptance into programs, scholarship funding, whatever the case may be.

So, to get to my point, I don't agree with inducing for "convenience" but I think in your case thats not really what this is, I think in your case it's more of a necessity than that. Yes, you could go 42 weeks and have the baby a few days before school and survive, but if I were in your shoes I'm pretty sure as long as there was no risk to baby, I'd be thinking about it too.

Hope everything else is going well with your pg.

CAMSMOM1 replied: I was induced at 41 weeks. (not c-section, but pitocin). Even though I had high hopes to go into labor on my own, my baby was 9 pounds and if we waited any longer, I would have to get a c-section...which I didn't want. Let me tell you, the pitocin is NO FUN! The contractions were back to back, and very painful. My body didn't respond to pitocin for a long time, so they kept uping the dose, and I was maxed out when I finally started labor. And it was a long labor too!

I feel that every moment in the womb is vital and important to the babies development. In a week's time, it can help the babies lungs develope, ect. I believe there is 40 weeks in the womb for a reason. But it doesnt always work out that way, due to medical reasons.

Honestly, what's 2 weeks difference going to make? Even though at 40 weeks I was really ready, and wanted the baby out....waiting a week longer wasn't to unbearable.

Like Rae said, you have to make the right decision for your baby. And only you can decide what to do. But I do know that most OB's wont' admit you unless you are having medical problems.

Edward's Mommy replied: I used to have a friend who wanted to be induced a week before her due date. And they wouldn't do it. She went past her due date. She has an 11 pound baby, and when he was born the doctor said "Wow, this baby looks small, maybe he'll a little early!"

MyBabeMaddie replied: I didn't think this was such a heated topic, however, I agree with some and disagree with others. I totally agree with those who look down on women who plan C-sections just to be afraid of labor, i'm 22 weeks and i'm already scared to death but I will have my baby vaginally (lets hope).. Anyways I couldn't help but to take some things personally, maybe its just my hormones, but i just want to clear things up. I would NEVER do anything to harm my baby and if there was even the tiniest doubt in my doctor's mind about inducing me at 38 weeks I wouldn't do it.. Anyways, when I asked her yesterday at my appointment, she said that it's "too hard to induce a first time mother 2 weeks early, 50% of the time it leads to C-sections" so I know thats out. I guess having her 2 weeks early would be convienent for me but it would also be convenient for her too. That 2 extra weeks would give us a whole month to bond together, for me to get to know her and her to get to know me. Being that I've never given birth before how am I to know that you can't just get up and run a marathon the next day... Well i've read and listened to people who have gone through it and I know/have heard IT HURTS! You need time to recover... Normally maternity leave is what, 6 weeks? I dont know, I just don't want people to think i'm think i'm this horrible person or horrible mother because i want to take advantage of modern medicine and induce my labor. Just my luck it will be the HOTTEST summer ever, and i'm going to 42 weeks. I believe in God and I know that he has a plan for me so if i'm not meant to have my baby in July, or be induced by the Doctor, I know its what He wanted. Ok I'm rambling now, if you think i'm a horrible person now I'm sorry I just have a rough road ahead of me and I'm trying to do whats best for me and my baby, but I would put any of her needs in front of my own ...

kayla's mama replied: I don't think you are a horrible person Sorry if my posts made you feel that way I was just stating whrer I stand on the question.

I'm wishing you the best of luck and a healthy

Bee_Kay replied: My best friend will be induced on April 13th.
She goes to a clinic in a different town (a couple hours away) and that is the choice she and her doctor made.

I am not sure if I agree or disagree with it as it is her choice.

But, I don't see you as a horrible person. You have your reasons and those are yours

Good luck!

MyLuvBugs replied:
Oh Sweetie. No one here thinks that you're a bad mom or a bad person. That's not what we were all posting at all. I'm sorry that you've taken it that way. You asked what was thought of scheduling an induction, and we all were just expressing our opinions. None of it was ment directly at you, just generalizations and opinions. KWIM? Do what is best for you and your baby, ok? No one knows better than you. My only suggestion (and it's just a suggestion) is to look for other more natural ways to "induce" your labor, ok? You'll do great in labor, and it's nothing to fear. Yes there's pain, but after a week, you'll be like....what was I afraid of.

PrairieMom replied:
very well said.

ilovemybaby replied: I do not think you are being selfish or that you are a bad mother. I think you are doing what you think is best. And that's what we all do.

I agree that God has a plan and finishing school may not be in that plan right now.
If your doctor does not want to induce or do a c section then you might not have any choice but to wait... and that's ok. Really, you will be ok!
Is there any way you can put your schooling on hold so that when you go back you can start where you left off and still get whatever scholarships or qualifications you would get? I think here in NZ you can do that. Or you can go on leave for so long. Would you be able to start in the next semester instead of the one in April?
You will always have the chance to go back to school. But you will never have a second chance to spend the first month with your newborn. KWIM?

I never want to have another induction (not because of a bad experience ... just makes contractions more painful) if I can help it. But if I go to 42 weeks like I did with Abby then I wouldn't want to wait any longer. Just like there can be complications delivering early there are complications/risks if you are over baking a baby IMO