Would you induce?

[prettypixels]

If so, when?

I'm not talking about the herbal stuff.... I'm talking about the big guns in hospital. I'm *very* apprehensive about the idea of going over 42 wks (which is Friday for me) and would love to hear what some of the other still-pregnant-mamas are thinking about this. (I'm apprehensive due to risks of stillbirth, etc, increasing after 42 wks... *not* because of my care provider.)

[lifescholar]

I have totally been there!!

My son was due July 9th, 2005. I was admitted for induction at 41 wks 3 days, and gave birth to him on July 22, at 41 wks 6 days.

My decision to go ahead with an induction was based on the knowledge that I acquired about the risks of being over 42 weeks, as well as my intuition. I felt very in tune with my baby, and I felt that he needed to come out.

When he was born, he was a bit dehydrated, and I am convinced that he should have weighed more than he did. He was incredibly skinny, and was pretty much starving for the first couple of days.

I didn't see the placenta, and I wish that I had, because it would have given me an even clearer sense of what the situation was.

If my body had been showing any signs of imminent labour (other than having painless Braxton Hicks every 8-15 minutes for 8 days straight!), I wouldn't have done it, but my cervix was barely even starting to soften, so I felt that it was time to get things moving.

Trust yourself. Request the least intervention needed. If a gel will work, then great. If you end up on oxytocin, request that it be turned down or off at some point, to see if your body will continue to labour on its own.

Most of all, don't feel guilty about it. Having a natural labour was very important to me, but having a healthy baby was the MOST important thing. I may have suffered from having such a difficult, medical labour, but in the long run, I think I did the right thing for my son, and that's all that matters.

Sending you HUGE labour vibes, so that this will happen naturally, but if not, I wish you the best possible induction!!

[steffanie3]

I wouldn't, but I am going for a VBAC so it is advised against.

[autumn_faune]

I'm at 41w5d now, so right there with ya. I wouldn't, but I'm giving some serious consideration to cimifuga and caulophyllum, possibly even membrane stripping. However, I also know the women in my family tend to "cook em long"... always right around the 42w mark. DD was actually 43w5d. But I never felt the need for her to be out like I do this time.... I don't know what I'll do. Probably try to talk dh into taking me to town tomorrow for eggplant parmigiana to see if that won't work.

[prettypixels]

Autumn, we were out on the town tonight in search of eggplant parmigiana! Shouldn't be so difficult except every where was CRAZY with post-holiday crowds. Finally found some but it was pretty awful...

I think I'd go completely bonkers if I tried to wait until 43w!

[swampwitch]

Jumping in from new posts to say that I had an induction in October due to a medical indication of potential complication. I have a very low-intervention OB (she's a MW in a white coat) so when she explained what the deal was, I trusted that she was sincerely looking out for our health. All that to say, I was induced with cervadil b/c there was nothing going on with the cervix. After nearly 12 hours and no progression for 4 hours, we started pitocin. It certainly intensified the contractions, but I still went no meds. Anywho, just wanted to offer a "you can do it!" if you do decide to induce. I was pissed and scared when I was told we needed to induce, thinking that my hope for a natural childbirth was crushed. Nope, just redirected. I ended up laboring at the hospital instead of at home.

ETA: I was 41 weeks and a day.

[prettypixels]

Lifescholar, thanks for a great post. I really appreciate it, and I agree... a natural homebirth is so important to me, but making sure baby and I are ok takes priority over that.

Hopefully she'll come on out tonight or tomorrow before I have to go in for my next monitoring session...the increased monitoring is *driving me batty* and making me very nervous and tense. I'm glad for it on the one hand but.. well I just wish this little one would come on out and say hi!

[mlh]

Originally Posted by steffanie3

I wouldn't, but I am going for a VBAC so it is advised against.

steffanie, why do they advise against it? i am going for a vbac also. just wondering what the medical reason is for not inducing if you have had a previous ceserean section.
thanks

[ndunn]

I would avoid alot of poking and prodding from the hospital...personally it would make me more stressed out, know what I mean?

Anyway, are you sure of your dates? That would be one thing I would talk about first before ever considering induction.

[mary3mama]

My 1st son was a c/s; my second son was my VBAC. My labor was augmented via pitocin and the whole hospital interventionist route. Would I do it again, maybe not, but it was 'where' I was then -- more than 3 years ago and only 13 months after the loss of my 2nd pregnancy at 21 weeks; so I was vulnerable and scared and emotionally very raw.

My daughter (16 days old now) was my 2nd VBAC and my first homebirth. Thankfully all was well and she was born at exactly 39 weeks, so we never had to start thinking about anything further.

Caulophyllum and Cimifuga, taken alternately, can be a way to tone the uterus in preparation for labor -- or can get labor started if one is already ripe. There are other remedies, such as Pulsatilla, for a labor that is starting and stopping. There are others as well, but I wouldn't take any of them without consulting a homeopath or at least a homeopathy-friendly midwife.

[steffanie3]

Originally Posted by mlh

steffanie, why do they advise against it? i am going for a vbac also. just wondering what the medical reason is for not inducing if you have had a previous ceserean section.
thanks

The potential for rupture raises, I think because of the extra stress and intensity.

[prettypixels]

Originally Posted by ndunn

I would avoid alot of poking and prodding from the hospital...personally it would make me more stressed out, know what I mean?

Anyway, are you sure of your dates? That would be one thing I would talk about first before ever considering induction.

Yes, I'm positive of my dates, and have measured exactly right throughout.

Poking and prodding in hospital is exactly why my *choice* is to birth at home. But my BIGGER choice is healthy baby... and at some point my body won't be the best home for this baby anymore.

Right now I'm happy to keep trying at least through the weekend, but if I'm still pregnant on Monday... *sigh*

Come on out, baby!!!!!!

[lifescholar]

Good luck!! Have you tried the teas yet?? Those were the one thing I didn't try (well, besides sex, only because I was single! lol), and now I wish I had!

Hope to hear good news soon!

[Twilight]

I might go ahead and induce, based on my own history. DD1 was born at 40w 4d and her placenta was already starting to calcify and show signs of age. Knowing that, I'd be uncomfortable with one of my pregnancies going to 42w. I think different women handle going "overdue" differently. Ask an OB for some tests for the baby's well-being... an ultrasound and a non-stress test come to mind, but there might be others... and maybe reassuring results will tell you that you can hold out a bit longer.

I hope yours comes out soon so you don't even need to make the choice! it's a tough one, isn't it? You want to do the right thing for the baby, above all, but it's very hard to know what that is.

[Fuamami]

Hey Prettypixels, don't know if you're still here, but have you tried castor oil? I've heard people on here say that it can cause uterine rupture, but I've never found any research to back that up. You might be able to, I know you're a researcher!

Anyway, I've used it with both of my previous pregnancies. I took it with my dd because I was just antsy, and it seemed to work, and I took it with my ds because my grandmother was dying and I wanted my mom to be able to be with me to help me, but she needed to go to her mom. Both times, I had a baby in my arms within 24 hours. I have a special recipe if you want more info.

[my_baby_love]

I just wanted to add that you might want to look into acupressure or acupuncture too. In our childbirth class, the teacher (a doula) said that she'd never known anyone to try acupuncture who didn't go into labor within 24 hours. I know I was able to find the acupressure points just by doing a search online and maybe your dh/dp could even massage some of them for you since I think they are around the ankles. Good luck and I hope you don't have to make a decision about medical induction. I'm sending labor vibes your way!

[paradoxia13]

Originally Posted by want2beamama

In our childbirth class, the teacher (a doula) said that she'd never known anyone to try acupuncture who didn't go into labor within 24 hours.

I wish that were true for me! I had acupuncture on Tuesday, and on Wednesday to get this labor started, and I'm still sitting here waiting on Thursday. :

~heather

[roadfamily6now]

I would never induce. Just my personal choice and opinion.

I cook mine long too, and also am a VBAC so inductions are just asking for trouble

[sunnmama]

Originally Posted by natensarah

I have a special recipe if you want more info.

Could you post or pm me that recipe?

I am only just 39 wks 5 days.....but I have been diagnosed with GD and my doc is not going to give me a lot of time before pushing inducement. Right now I am 2 cm dilated, and 80% effaced, so he feels I am "ripe". I go in Tuesday (40 wks 2 days) for an ultrasound to check on the baby. I'd love to have the baby before that! He said that, if the ultrasound looked good, he would be comfy waiting another week.....

Never thought I would consider castor oil, but I'm feeling desperate!

[prettypixels]

My MW mentioned castor oil at our appt yesterday. (I *had* actually considered it before... my husband said "Don't do it! People use that as a punishment!" )

Anyways, my MW said, if you do castor oil... "Take a shot of vodka. Then do a shot of castor oil. Then another shot of vodka. When you wake up, you'll be in active labor!" !

OK, I thought that was hilarious!

But I still might try it! Be glad to see your recipe natensarah

She did strip my membranes yesterday and stretched me to 3cm dilated. I'm 100% effaced! So we are on our way, just... going... very... slowwwwwly! :

I also found out last night that if I were to go to hospital, I don't think I'd be allowed to labor at all.... as I had a sonogram which guesstimated baby weight at 10lbs, they'd go straight to c-section without passing go. : I don't think the baby is actually that big anyways (neither does the MW based on head size, body size, etc), but that is very very annoying. I'd rather do castor oil than a c-section!