Induction Question

Brzezink

I was wondering if any of you had a story similar to mine and would be willing to share the outcome or had any answers to my questions below.

I am scheduled to be induced this Monday at 11 days past my due date.  I have not dilated more than 1 cm and am barely effaced, so will be going to the hospital the night before to get a synthetic prostaglandin to ripen my cervix.  Baby is very happy and healthy, he was an estimated 9 lbs and 4 oz at the 40 week sonogram!  My doctor said that I am in the 'grey area' of whether I should have a c-section or not based on the baby's size.  

I have so many worries and questions such as: Will I end up needing a c-section (I have heard they are more common with an induction)?  Will my labor be more difficult because of the induction?  If I deliver vaginally will I have massive tearing because of his size?  Are sonogram weight estimates even close to being right, and since they estimated 9 lbs 4 oz over a week ago, how much bigger is he now?? 

Thank you all for your help and the sharing of your birth stories!  

Pockety

Yes C Sections are more likely with inductions, but that doesn't mean that they ARE likely, just that they're more likely than if you go into labor naturally.

Typically, sonograms have a margin of error of about 1lb. But it could go either way, bigger or smaller than estimated. Babies grow about a half a pound per week. But those are both approximate, not exact.

My first was 8lbs 2oz, delivered vaginally, no induction, 6 days after my due date. My good friend had a 9lb 7oz baby, with forceps to get him out, on her due date. We both ended up with 3rd degree tears. Hers was a bit worse than mine, but healed faster, so she was back to normal a few weeks before I was. She's already had another baby and is thinking about baby 3. I'm 37 weeks pregnant with baby 2. So, neither of us was overly traumatized by our tearing. Yes it was annoying and painful, but not as bad as I feared in my head beforehand.

Oh, and I was told my son would be smaller than 7lbs... I think the estimates are ridiculous.

kerbear135

I was induced and everything went smoothly. Ultrasound weight estimates can be off +/- 2lbs so I would definitely NOT schedule a c-section on the growth estimate alone...and there are women who have given birth to 9 and 10 lb babies vaginally. As for tearing, it isn't just your baby's weight that will determine that...DD was 8lbs 1 oz and I had a small 2nd degree tear...for what it's worth, it never bothered me and had healed just fine by my 6 week post-partum appt.

boymomstrong

I was induced with DS, and our weight estimates were 9-10lbs as well, and he was a WHOPPING 7lbs 1 oz, at 41 weeks!

I did end up in an emergency c section but I was also not dilating or effacing AT ALL! I even had my membranes stripped and my OB stretched me to a 1 a week before my induction, and still it took me 36 hours before my guy was here...

Also he flipped over sunny side up so I pushed for 2 hours before baby started showing distress. If you have to be induced or have a csection my recommendation is to wait as long as possible! let nature do its think and baby will come when baby wants. The only reason we induced me at 41 weeks was because my husband was deploying a few days later... We had tried for 5 years to have our DS and we did not want him to miss it. 

We are working on baby #2 now, and we both agree, that either this baby comes on its own or its a csection. I dont want an induction again,,,, 

Good luck!

Dani428

I was induced and it all went smoothly for me. It was the day after her due date and done mainly because of my high BP. She was a big girl at 8lbs 10oz and I only got a 2nd degree tear and it didn't really bother me to be honest. Once pitocin started labor was unbearable for me so I got an epidural (which I was very against but do NOT regret it). From then it was all awesome. If I had to be induced again I'd be fine with it and not that nervous. Whatever will be will be. GL