MW AROM vs OB pit-induction? lesser of two "evils"?

[nmm2112]

OK, which is the lesser of the two evils, a midwife artifically rupturing your bag of water or going to the hospital for a pit. induction?:

I'm 41wks+3 and my midwife will only provide care up to 42wks so, on Sunday if there's still no baby -"the plan" is to come in and pop the old water bag to get labor going. I'm just not feeling good about that. My baby is HIGH up there, I'm feeling great and am 2-3cm dialated and 75% effaced (I show "progress" every week)

My first two babies were hospital pit inductions (low amniotic fluid and "over due": supposidly) -- so I know how that works and honestly, it wasn't a bad experience but I just know so much more now and I really want a natural birth.

I'm getting an ultrasound tomorrow to make sure the baby and placenta are still looking good.

Maybe I'll just skip out on the AROM and "plan" to head to the hospital and take my time about getting there?:

Which do you think is worse, the AROM or pit - induction? It seems that OB's don't AROM until they've alreayd tried pit? so why do they go with Pit first, is that preferable?:

[alegna]

Honestly? I would never agree to either without medical reason. Can you "find" an old calendar and revise your due date?

-Angela

[Belle]

I agree with Angela. Especially with your baby being high up you are at risk for prolapse. I'd 'find' an old calendar too.

[bobandjess99]

Don't evict your baby! I'm sure the check is in the mail!!!!!

You KNOW that you go "overdue" with your babies....right??, if your first 2 were inductions due to "overdue"....so...for you, clearly this is NORMAL. So screw them, you cook babies longer than "average" ...why endanger your baby/deprive him/her of their rightful time in your womb just for their arbitrary timeline?

Tell the midwife and OB to go pleasure themselves and simply refuse BOTH procedures. This will mean refusing ALL internals (never did understand why any woman would allow these anyway?) because your midwife might just "accidentally" break your water otherwise...and it is SUPEREASY to refuse a pit induction..DON'T go to the hospital! They can't make you.
Stay at home, turn on your phone if need be, and just wait until you go into labor. (Preferably, push the baby out at home and stay there, but if you must, go to the hospital when your are SURE you are pretty far along) Be prepared for plenty of unpleasant, unecesary things to happen to your babe, since even the slightest hint of meconium or anything wrong will surely "earn" him/her vigorous suctioning, needle tests, a NICU stay, possibly a spinal tap....
This might sound harsh I've just seen this exact scenario happen a LOT recently to people i know and it breaks my heart...
I hope you are in a better situation with better caregivers and none of this happens to you....Try to make your decisions on what you truly believe to be the best for YOUR BABY...not your caregivers.

[MamaTaraX]

If my baby were low and my cervix ripe, I'd go with the AROM if I *had* to chose one. Please remember that no one can make you give birth. If you chose one or the other, that is okay, it isyour choice to make. But you also have the choice of doing absolutely nothing. No one can break your water ifyou don't take off your underwear and no one can induce you if you don't schedule it or show up. It sounds like you want neither of those options, and I cnanot blameyou. I woudn't either. I would tellyour care providers thatyou wish to wait until you hit 43 weeks. That is when research really shows more risk for postmaturity. Then you can decide what will be best at that point and leave nature be until then. You know you go over, you know your baby is high....these are signs that you need to give a little more time. Due dates are aribitrary numbers at best anyway. One final thought: if you chose either, please accept the responsibility of your actions. Be prepared for the choice you chose and the outcome that comes with it, good or bad. That's one of the wonderful things about planning your birth-- you decide what to do when and you own it. So many women don't own it and feel bad afterwards. If you ownyour choices, you can feel good about them later!

Namaste, Tara

[DreamsInDigital]

Honestly, if going beyond 42 weeks means you have to have a hospital birth, I would go with the AROM.
I would do anything to avoid having a hospital birth.
But see if you can revise your EDD. See if your midwife will calculate a Wood's EDD for you. It often will give you up to 5 extra days.

[nmm2112]

Update!

Well, I had an ultrasound : today to confirm that the baby was doing well and there was plenty of fluid and the placenta looked great too. So, that's good - the baby is still pretty small for "gestatoinal age" only about 6lbs5oz and the ultrasound measurements gave a date of 6/30 for a due date! But, I know how inaccurate that is this late in the game. The femur length was the only close measurement giving a 39wk gestational age

More importantly, the baby is still doing it's practice breathing which according to the midwife and ultrasound tech - babies stop their practice breathing just a few days before they signal the body it's time to deliver. So, it seems this baby wants to stay put for AT LEAST a few more days, if not more...

I just have to see what the midwifew says on Friday - but, I don't think she'll beable to continue care after the 42wk mark .... hmmmmm where are my old calenders.....

[Belle]

Originally Posted by nmm2112

Well, I had an ultrasound : today to confirm that the baby was doing well and there was plenty of fluid and the placenta looked great too. So, that's good - the baby is still pretty small for "gestatoinal age" only about 6lbs5oz and the ultrasound measurements gave a date of 6/30 for a due date! But, I know how inaccurate that is this late in the game. The femur length was the only close measurement giving a 39wk gestational age

More importantly, the baby is still doing it's practice breathing which according to the midwife and ultrasound tech - babies stop their practice breathing just a few days before they signal the body it's time to deliver. So, it seems this baby wants to stay put for AT LEAST a few more days, if not more...

I just have to see what the midwifew says on Friday - but, I don't think she'll beable to continue care after the 42wk mark .... hmmmmm where are my old calenders.....

I'm glad the U/S went well. Maybe you'll be able to buy some more time with that U/S that puts your edd at 6/30. I hope that you're able to find your old calendar.

[boscopup]

OBs will sometimes move the EDD if the u/s shows a vast difference from the actual EDD (and a month off is pretty vast to me!!!). So you might ask your midwife if she can move the EDD based on the u/s. That covers her legally (I'm sure the 42 week "deadline" is probably a legal requirement for her), and gives your baby some extra time to cook. Especially if the baby is not even 7 lbs, it's obviously not overdue.

Also, what was the original EDD based on? LMP? If you have long cycles, I'd get that EDD moved ASAP if it was based off LMP. I know I have 35 day cycles, and the "wheel" had me due 11/14, but I'm really due 11/23. I ovulate a good bit later than day 14! I had a "dating" u/s done around 7 weeks that confirmed my dating (my chart now says 11/21 - close enough). If you didn't have a dating u/s done, you should be able to recalculate your EDD somehow.

[Eman'smom]

If my choices were AROM and homebirth vs induction at the hospital I'd take the AROM. I know it's not the IDEAL but sometimes there are no perfect choices.

That said I'd see if you could adjust your due date at bit with the midwife, either because you have longer cycles or because the ultrasound showed the baby isn't quite ready yet. Even a couple of days could make the difference.

Good luck.

[cottonwood]

If my baby was deeply engaged, and I really wanted that midwife there, I would concede to AROM. If the baby wasn't deeply engaged, I would say absolutely 'no' to the AROM. If the midwife dropped me and I chose to go the hospital, I would say absolutely 'no' to the pit.

[mysticmomma]

You don't have to go get a pit induction (or any other kind for that matter). Just because your mw will no longer care for you mediccally, perhaps she can be your doula at a hospital birth. Your baby doesn't have to be born right now unless something medically is going on and it sounds like everything is perfect. So, I'd refuse the arom, and if the mw doesn't want to continue care or move the edc, I'd just go to the hospital when I felt like it when I was in labor. I guess I'm saying, just because you don't have your mw anymore doesn't mean you have to go the next day to get pitocin. just don't go.

[PancakeGoddess]

If I had to choose, I'd take the MW AROM. For me, that would be risky but still better than hospital birth, especially because in my past 3 labors, ROM always kicks things into gear very seriously. Once my waters broke on their own before any contractions and labor was definitely kicked in within 5 minutes. So I'd be hopeful about that method.