To Induce or Not to Induce

[olivebranch]

Hi everyone, I'm new here but I thought this was a great online community. So hello!

I'm currently in Week 40, my official due date is tomorrow. I've been dilated to 3 cm and 50% effaced since just before Easter - I thought FOR SURE baby girl would be here by now. Unfortunately I've just been having a lot of irregular and uncomfortable contractions, sleepless nights, loose bowels, and no appetite for going on three weeks.

We went to the hospital this past Saturday because I finally had consistent contractions 3-4 minutes apart, but they wound up sending us home after 4 hours of monitoring because I just wasn't progressing down there, and she's still up pretty high apparently. My membranes have not ruptured yet, either.

So my doctor is asking me whether I want to be induced. The baby is fine, she's not overly large and seems pretty content in there, so it's not a matter for her concern. I'm just becoming exhausted from constantly being on alert for weeks and really not getting proper rest. It's my first pregnancy/delivery, and the whole affair has really been textbook, I've just heard mixed reactions about induction. I had been hoping to avoid an epidural but I've heard that induction brings on pretty hard labor and my doc actually laughed when I mentioned that I still planned on going au natural.

Any thoughts or suggestions? I've looked over the "natural" ways of induction, but it seems like they're all pretty much myths - we still have sex almost nightly, however, and I've stayed fairly active through the days (though there are only so many times a week you can vacuum the carpets and Swiffer the kitchen - I'm starting to come unscrewed). I'm particularly interested in others' experiences with induction. Any advice is appreciated!

 

[JennieyL]

Hello! and welcome!
I am just at 31 weeks right now with my first child so I cant really tell you my story on induction but my friend was just induced not to long ago! she went for 14 hours of labour and not progressing past 5 cm's and had to go in for a C-section, working at a hospital and in the OR I can tell you that if you are induced into labour they say the chances of having a c-section are higher then if you just go into labour on your own, I dont know how much higher its just what I have noticed working there! but it all depends on your body! If your baby is happy and healty in there then maybe you should just try and wait it out, Who am I to say anything because at 40 weeks I will be trying everything to get *It* out of me as soon as possible! I dont know where you are but where i am from they will only let you go 10 days overdue before you have to be induced.
Good luck!

 

[JJF]

My waters broke with my first and I had her in my arms in 4 hours and my second I was induced and had him in my arms in 4 hours so it seems I have quick labor either way so it could go either way for you if your induced. I felt that my labors were fairly similar but I did have an eipideral with both. I was dialated to a 7 though when I got to hospital with first (had been walking around for WEEKS at a 3 and then got further and further dialated up until the BIG day) and I was dialated to a 5 when I went in 12 days early for my induction.

I can see how some ladies are scared to do it since their bodies may not be 'ready' but there is just NO way to know how you will do with the pitosin/cytosin and all that jazz. I enjoyed having my babies early and would have been tired and CRANKY if they were late so I can imagine how tired you must be.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[olivebranch]

I've been fairly reasonable throughout the pregnancy and now I'm getting really cranky - of course the hubby is bearing the brunt of my frustration.

Thanks for sharing! It makes me feel a little more comfortable with induction, I figured I'd give her ONE more week to make her debut. I really wish my water would just break and make things easier for me, because at this point normal contractions aren't enough to send me back to the hospital after this weekend.

 

[laura3103]

I was induced at 41 weeks and was 3 cm dilated they broke my waters to bring things on an it only took 3 hours 50 mins from breaking my waters to holding my baby but having my waters broke didn't hurt but my labour was all in my back to due to the way my baby was lying.

 

[mommydrgnfly]

crap with my last two sons i was induced at 41 weeks.. don't remember how dilated i was.. my sons are now 3 and 5... lol have bad memory.. good luck and keep us updated.

 

[marley2580]

I understand that you're getting really tired, but sometimes slow labour and intermittent contractions are a good thing - it's usually to get your baby in the right position for birth. Personally I wouldn't be induced but I can understand that you're getting a bit fed up. Why not give it another few days, she's not going to stay in there forever.