Anyone else have doctors that encourage induction?

[PhotoPassion]

I'm 39+2 and I've had 2 doctors tell me that I can schedule an induction anytime I want now that I'm 39 weeks. I don't have any medical reason to do so and thought it was strange. I might consider it the closer I get to 41 weeks as they made me feel like it was almost unusual to go that long. This is my third and both of my others were technically induced after my water broke both times (38 and 40 weeks).

Just wondered if anyone else's doctors seem to be super encouraging about elective inductions.

 

[Elsa50501]

No personal experience with this, as my first came after my water broke at 37 and a half weeks. But your post reminded me of research I had heard about this past winter on the subject. I went back and found the article, in healthy pregnancy babies in the study electively induced between 39weeks and 39 +4 aneeded less intervention and did just as well on the apgar scale ratings. Your OBs office might be going off the new research. (https://www.mdedge.com/obgynnews/article/157700/obstetrics/elective-induction-39-weeks-good-idea)

 

[PhotoPassion]

I read that as well. I guess it probably wouldn't make much difference for me since I've already had pitocin in my last two pregnancies. Just hoping for the excitement of a natural labor this time but also anxious to meet her sooner!

 

[Calially]

When I was pregnant I had to be admitted to hospital for reduced movements at 40+1, when I was in there the nurse looking after me explained that although everything looked fine on the trace, the change in behaviour could be due to the fact that once you reach 40 weeks the placenta can stop doing it's job as well as before that point. This could be why doctors are now wanting to induce before 40 weeks, so as to avoid issues that could easily have been avoided

 

[PhotoPassion]

Well maybe we will be meeting baby girl on her due date then

 

[glong88]

I have been in twice with reduced movements and today at 38 plus 4 bring induced

 

[PhotoPassion]

Good luck!

 

[lilmisscaviar]

No but honestly I wish they would. I've had several ultrasounds that showed I'm carrying a big baby but they won't induce me unless a scan shows the baby over 11 lbs, which is ridiculous imo since I had a hard time pushing out my 9 pounder and also because they warned me that scans aren't always accurate with weight at this stage. I do think that inductions should only be used when medically necessary, not as a choice, and find it a bit strange that they've given you that option. However since your last births were induced, that could be why. They told me that another reason that they won't induce me is because I have a "proven pelvis" from my last four. What they don't seem to understand is that all pregnancies are different and just because it went one way last time doesn't mean that it will go that same way again.

 

[noon_child]

I went back and found the article, in healthy pregnancy babies in the study electively induced between 39weeks and 39 +4 aneeded less intervention and did just as well on the apgar scale ratings. Your OBs office might be going off the new research. (https://www.mdedge.com/obgynnews/article/157700/obstetrics/elective-induction-39-weeks-good-idea)

I've just read this article, and I think what's interesting is that it isn't a comparison in health between women induced at 39 weeks and women not induced at all, but between women induced at 39 weeks and women who either labour spontaneously OR have to be induced because their baby becomes distressed, there is an emergency or they reach 42 weeks gestation. So basically some of the data that makes induction at 39weeks look good is from babies and mothers who have undergone emergency procedures. Their conclusion is therefore that early medical intervention does away with the guess work of which mother might get pre-eclampsia, which child might grow too large and get stuck, which mothers might need emergency c-section due to a distressed baby etc. If you just induce everyone at 39 weeks you weed out the variables, you have known risk factors. On average the outcomes may look better (because in some cases it is being compared to emergency situations) but ALL women will have to be in hospital rather than at a midwife unit or home birth, all women will probably have to labour in bed, perhaps without the freedom to chose their own birthing position, induction often results in more intense contractions increasing pain medication/epidurals used. Compared to a spontaneous labour the elective induction will have more interventions associated (that's the previous research cited in this paper) BUT you can cut out the uncertainty of needing an energy intervention when no spontaneous about occurs which makes overall less emergencies and less interventions.

 

[Livvy]

I agree with previous poster. It's not really objective research. But yes, my doctor is almost obsessive about induction and it annoys me. I'm not even at my due date yet and he's already been talking about it, and told me if I have reduced movements they'll just induce no questions asked.