Elective induction @ 38 weeks?

[Cattia]

I would also be inclined to wait a bit longer I doubt your body will be ready to deliver at 38 weeks, so could be a longer more painful labour than it needs to be.
If there were real medical issues then yes. Anyway either way it's your choice. You could hold on a bit longer to 39 weeks if you're that uncomfortable?
Personlly I don't understand why they induce so much in the US for no real reason. As soon as you hit your due date they seem to Induce when normal is 38-42 weeks x

This is a good point, if the baby wouldn't naturally come until nearer 42 weeks then 38 weeks is a whole month early which is quite a lot of developing time. On the other hand, I guess if your body naturally wanted to hold on to the baby then your cervix wouldn't be ready at 38 weeks so they wouldn't go ahead anyway.

 

[imaceful]

I am also on the 'I would wait' wagon.

I have terrible SPD, rib pain, no room for food (pure heartburn when I do eventually get to eat), unable to sleep due to pain, the list goes on! But this is my third pregnancy and sadly it's just how my body copes. Both of my girls came at 40+3 and were 9lb+ babies and I'm quite small framed. But both births I coped without any medical intervention or pain relief, and both myself and my girls were healthy and happy.

So I'm all for as natural as possible unless there is a medical reason otherwise. But each to their own

 

[MrsMcK04]

I would wait too. The baby has so much more growing and developing to do (brain, fat stores, lungs, feeding ability, etc). The closer (or past) 40 weeks would be so much better for the baby.

 

[mannymoo]

I was in a similar situation. Well sort of... My dr was going on leave and suggested being induced at 38 weeks or running the risk of going into labour naturally while he was away. He said he would definitely only induce if the cervix was soft and ripe. I came in this morning and all was looking good so we did the induction. Our little girl was born within 1 hour and 40 minutes of starting the process. Had epidural after only 30 mins, no pain at all and pushed for only 10 minutes. I have a happy healthy baby girl in my arms right now! Where I live, inductions are quite aggressive, but I know in other countries the induction can take days to progress. Listen to your dr when the time comes. I doubt he would try induce you if you or baby are not quite ready. And good luck! Xx

 

[Betheney]

I'm in a similar position.

I'm 35.5 and they want to do a stretch in sweep at 37.5 and then organise an induction which i beleive will be the week after.

I'm conflicted about it too.

On one hand though my son was induced at 33 weeks and the doctors and midwives all told me it would fail my cervix is highly unfavorable, long, thick and closed. But that they'd still prefer to try before a section. What do you know? It was a wonderful, quick and easy birth. A fantastic birth that i used zero pain relief for. My son was born breathing and screaming and breastfed for 2 years afterwards. obviously no one in their right mind would elect to have a baby at 33 weeks and i did for medical reasons. But i just keep thinking if my Body can do such a steller job of being induced at 33 weeks surely it'll be fine at 38.5 weeks?

I understand the conflict. This pregnancy is nothing like my first 2. I'm so fucking exhausted. i sleep all night and have 2 × 2 to 3 hr naps a day (yes my iron levels and vitD levels have been checked). I seem to spend an enormous amount of life asleep. My pelvic pain and joint pain is out of this world. I can barely stand long enough to make my two kids breakfast. I can't walk for longer than 30 mins without having to hobble back home and spend the rest of the day in excruciating pain recovering from that walk. It just fucking sucks! I spend 70% of my time resting my back to prevent further pain

I have a medical reason for an induction but it's still within my power to say No, but boy it's tempting