3rd Trimester

Induction vs Scheduled C-Section

I'm usually a lurker and don't post often but have a question for you ladies... 

I went to my 38 week appt today and due to the fact that I have zero progress and the baby is still 'very high up' according to the OB, she began talking to me about what to expect if I go past my due date.  Basically, she said that they will only let me go to 41 weeks and at that time, they'll want to either attempt an induction or schedule a c-section.  According to her, they won't attempt an induction if I'm not showing at least a little bit of dilation/progress. In that case, I would go straight to a scheduled c-section.  Of course, I want my LO to come on his own and don't want to face an induction or scheduled c-section but was wondering if this 'rule' was standard with other OBs. 

Re: Induction vs Scheduled C-Section

  • I'm in the exact same boat at 38 weeks with no progress and still very high up! 

    I didn't see my regular doctor today so we won't discuss induction until next week though...

  • Every OB is different, or, rather, every hospital policy is different. It is disturbing they're so quick to jump to a c-section because things are moving slowly... You'd still, technically, have a week left, provided all is going well and baby is not stressed... But, I guess it's not too surprising since it's an OB. (And I mean no offense to you in the least... This kind of thing just strikes a nerve with me and my experience with the OB I 'fired.')
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  • My midwife said she didn't want me to go past 41 weeks either. She also said that she didn't want to attempt an induction if "conditions weren't favorable." Last we checked, I was 2 cm and 50% effaced and that was pushing it for her, but we tried anyway. I go in tomorrow for round 2 and hopefully it'll take this time. She said if it doesn't, I'm looking at a c-section but, of course, we'll do whatever we can to avoid that. So, all that to say, yeah, it's kind of the same with my midwife.
  • i'm in the same boat as you. 39wks, and as of last Thursday, no progress what so ever.  not dilated at all.  nothing.

    she sending me for a biophysical profile on Friday, i assume to assess the development of the baby... i guess she'll let us know our options after that, b/c she has said nothing about induction or c/s as of yet. (and my choice is neither of those, of course.)

  • I think it depends on the hospital but I know with my hospital they try to avoid c-sections unless absolutely necessary. 1st of all, it is considered a major surgery and 2ndly there's a longer recovery time (6 weeks versus a few days). An induction is definitely not ideal (hopefully you go on your own in the next two weeks or so and it's completely normal to be a week overdue, especially if this is your 1st baby) but an induction is better IMO than a c-section. Sometimes a little pitocin is all your body needs to get going in the right direction..the only pitfall would be if it didn't work after a certain amount of time, they'd have to do a c-section anyway...anyway, not sure if this is helping you or not! Your hospital probably has different policies/standards than my hospital...GL!
  • First, they can't force you to do either. You have until 42 weeks. You have every right to say NO, unless baby shows signs that they need to come out.

    I would have a vaginal birth over a c-section any day. But you must also know that induction increases your chances of having a c-section because not every woman's body responds to induction methods. They cannot force you into c-section if it is not medically necessary to do one.

    And it's not fair for her to assume that you should go straight to a c-section if you're not dilated/progressing on your own. There are ways to be induced if you're not dilated yet, by ripening your cervix. 

    Don't stress yourself out about it- you've still got time. Just relax, finish nesting and walk, walk, walk!

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  • imageJessie0706:
    But, I guess it's not too surprising since it's an OB. (And I mean no offense to you in the least... This kind of thing just strikes a nerve with me and my experience with the OB I 'fired.')

    Amen and amen. I currently have an OB. I've tried switching and finding someone else to no avail (preferably a midwife). It's too late for me to switch, of course, but this type of stuff definitely makes me angry. Reading all the comments on this about how all these OBs are saying the same thing is making my BP rise. Informed consent is all I have to say.

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  • I think that what you were told is pretty standard among most OBs.  The reason they would skip an induction would be if your cervix is not favorable.  Pitocin isn't going to do anything for you if your cervix is not already progressing.  Unfortunately most OBs won't risk going over 41 weeks and won't try other means of induction before jumping right to a c/s, which is why I worked hard to find a doctor that would allow me to go all the way to 42 weeks and try every means of induction other than Pitocin.

    The others are right; they cannot make you do anything you aren't comfortable with.  If you feel like pushing back on the doc, you could ask about a foley bulb induction (where they manually dilate your cervix overnight before starting pitocin) and letting you go past 41 weeks.  I had an induction scheduled for 41 weeks 6 days, and ended up going into labor at 41 weeks 3 days on my own! It can happen!

  • imageJessie0706:
    Every OB is different, or, rather, every hospital policy is different. It is disturbing they're so quick to jump to a c-section because things are moving slowly... You'd still, technically, have a week left, provided all is going well and baby is not stressed... But, I guess it's not too surprising since it's an OB. (And I mean no offense to you in the least... This kind of thing just strikes a nerve with me and my experience with the OB I 'fired.')

    That's quite the generalization don't you think.  My OB does everything he can to avoid a c/s.  I only had my c/s because DS turned breech 5 days before my edd.  A growth u/s that day indicated that DS would be almost 8lbs so my OB advised against an external version.  When DS wound up being 5lbs 12oz, my OB apologized for not trying to turn DS.

    Just because you had a bad experience with an OB, doesn't give you the right to trash the whole profession.

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