Scheduled Inductions?

Mrs.Salt&Pepper

Are any of you having a scheduled induction for no medical reason? My doctor offered this option to me, and I am not sure what to do. This is my second child and of course I would love this LO to be here ASAP but I want to be sure I am ready. Anyone else have a scheduled induction for before their due date for no medical reason? How did it go, if you've already done it? My doc said we could schedule it for sometime after I turn 39 weeks. 

jamiecal

TBH it would make me uncomfortable to induce before due date, but at the same time it sounds so tempting to just be done. I'm surprised they are offering you that option, and I'm interested to hear what others have experienced.  My OB hasn't mentioned induction at all at this point.

RedSaffron

I'm a FTM and your doctor offering an induction without a medical reason makes me scratch my head. As much as this pregnancy is getting more and more uncomfortable, I wouldn't want to induce before my due date for no reason. I would deny the offer and let my body do its thang.ETA:words

BuckeyeANG

My OB has said we could induce after 39w since my cervix is favorable, but I told her I'd prefer to go into labor on my own and want to wait til at least 40+weeks to induce. FTR, I was induced at 40w with my first child, and it went fine. That's not always the case though, obviously.

jblank03

FTM so that might be different, but my Dr won't induce for a non-medical reason really at all... They said they don't like you to go more than 1 wk past the due date, but I believe that's due to the size of the baby and fluid levels that become a concern, so then it becomes a medical reason. 

I'd definitely want to wait and have my body start things off on its own if at all possible, even though the thought if knowing exactly when it's going to happen (like not having an awkward water breaking moment in the grocery store!) is enticing

Roses87

RedSaffron said:

I'm a FTM and your doctor offering an induction without no medical reason makes me scratch my head. As much as this pregnancy is getting more and more uncomfortable, I wouldn't want to induce before my due date for no reason. I would deny the offer and let my body do its thang.

I personally think it's wrong. But it is oh so common, especially around holidays.

KrystalCrockett

Mine offered it out of the blue last week as well.  I would be 39w5d on the day he does his.  I am not 100%, but I don't think I am going to.  There are just so issues that can come up that if you can avoid them, it's best. Of course, it's a personal choice at this point. 

My doc will let me go just past 40w before he insists. With my DD I went in labor on my own at 39w3d, so hoping that's what happens again this time. 

dland0201

My doctor scheduled my induction for 41 weeks. She said going to 42 is okay but generally doesn't like to go that long.

SandFHasse

The hospital that I will be delivering it doesn't allow inductions before 41 weeks without a medical reason. If it was an option before my due date I'd probably choose not to because I'd like to go into labor myself.

megngregk

I posted about this the other day, but my OB does not like to let her patients go over 40w. She believes that the placenta starts to break down too rapidly, and there is no real benefit to going over especially if LO is measuring on time/ahead (obviously I'm not a Dr, this is her view as well as my previous OBs). She will also induce at 39w, but only if the cervix is favorable and the mom-to-be has no objections. So, I don't know how common it is for people to take up the offer, but I don't think it's necessarily an uncommon practice.

megs12914

I would wait but I also feel kind of cheated out of some of my time. My baby was born at 33 weeks 5 days by c/s because he was breach and that was as long as my body could hold on.

tesskerr

Not induction, but I will be getting a stretch and sweep at 39w5d. I don't think I would/could be induced for no reason until 41w at least

joshsmandy

My first one was induced a week early because my dr was going on vacation and I didn't want another dr. This LO is being induced a week early so that I can get the the orthopedic surgeon that I want for her feet because he needs to do assessments immediately after delivery and he is going on vacation the day after my due date.

waterlily2k2

I was medically induced for this one and my first. I was 37wks with DS1, and zero progress across the board at the start. It was a very long and difficult labor. With this one (almost 39w), I was a tight 4cm 70-80% effaced and already contracting every 3-4 min at the start of pit. This one went MUCH faster and smoother. So I agree with pp's. Unless there's a medical necessity and/or you've already progressed some, I would wait. I'm surprised they'd even mention an induction early if there's no medical reason to.

SunflowersBride

Nope, I already discussed the induction policy with my OB, and they typically induce around 41 weeks, but will let me go to 42 if no problems. I personally still feel fine and have no problems continuing until baby is ready to come on his own. I would prefer to use induction as a last resort.

bethughknee

I would not induce before my due date without a medical reason. Just like @SunflowersBride, I would like to avoid induction altogether so in the event I pass my due date, I will be fighting as long as I can to go into labor on my own.

It really is a head scratcher why your OB is offering this at all. Why wouldn't he/she just want to let your body do what it's built to do if you have no medical need for all the intervention? My OB asked me this morning if I was hoping to go into labor before next week for the tax break (she was joking) and she actually high-fived me when I said "No because I won't be 39 weeks until Jan 2 and I'm hoping she stays put at least until then. After that, I'm on her schedule." I'm serious. She high. fived. me.

LabPupLuv

I wouldn't want to induce before my body started labor on its own for exactly what @waterlily2k2 just mentioned. If you start off at 0% dilated/effaced, the labor is longer, more painful and more likely to end in a section. Just waiting even a week longer can make allllll the difference. Plus, the induction drugs can cause your baby to be in distress. I am being forced to induce at 39 weeks 4 days and I fought to gave it pushed from 38 weeks and 6 days. They refuse to wait any longer and won't let me reach 40. If I'm still not contracting by then and am 0% dilated/effaced, I might beg for section since I know I will probably end up with one anyway after a hard labor for 24 hours...

MrsGraham06

I guess I've had enough reason to be induced, so it hasn't bothered me any. It's just something my OB talked to me about, and I've only had 1 "early" induction.

This time, LO is not staying head down, so I may end up with a c/s. Or, we might induce. Either way, it will probably be before my due date, since she's starting to get concerned about my abdominal wall. (basically, I don't have one)

sleepymonkey

My ob will induce after 39 weeks if you want but it's not something he just volunteers unless you ask. I wouldn't even entertain the idea of an induction for non-medical reasons before 40w. I'm actually being induced for non-medical reasons on 12/31 at 40w2d because my ob does not want me going past 41w and he will be out of town for a week starting 1/2.  He didn't push the induction and would have let me wait to go to 41w before being induced by another ob but I did not want a doctor that I had never met delivering my first baby if I could avoid it.

ScarlettDahlia

If I didn't have medical reasons, I wouldn't induce until after our EDD. 

I'm being induced at 37+2 and am having concerns about that, even though I've had three different doctors (including the MFM) tell me that LO should be fine. 

miam4

Some weeks ago I asked my doctor about induction and he said that only after 41 weeks because he likes to wait the baby to come naturally, unless someone has a medical condition then it is another situation.
I have gestational diabetes that is getting hard to get it low during fasting, I've been having headaches, I've been dizzy, cramping bad, and my back hurts since I fell down the stairs at 30 weeks. Yesterday was kind of hard to drive... so I will get induced this weekend. I am worried with everything I saw online about getting induced, but with all this I don't have anywhere to run...

jessicacss

I was induced at 39 weeks with Chloe.  I was so over the pregnancy at that point.  I went to the ER when I was 38 weeks, Saturday night I thought I was in labor (nope, just BH).  The L&D nurse literally yelled at me, "how are you already 38 weeks, and don't have an induction date?!?" So, I kept my appointment with my dr that was scheduled for Wednesday.  When I told her this, she said that I had already slowly started dilating for the past couple weeks, as well as effacing, so she said we can schedule you to get induced this weekend! I was excited to have an actual, finite end in sight.  So I went on Sunday at 6 pm, like they told me, and I was at 3 cm, the MW told me I could get my epidural right then if I wanted.  I had a successful induction, Chloe came on Monday morning, just after my OB got to the hospital.

From what I understand, it is very common for women to get induced in South Florida.  Two of my friends got induced before I did, and they both ended up with c-sections. I think it had more to do with the fact that they hadn't actually started effacing or dilating.  

worleygirl

I was induced at 38.3 due to pre-e. It wasn't a great experience although I was able to deliver vaginally. My bp is fine this time and my Dr has not mentioned induction before due date. He just said if we get close to due date we will schedule bc he won't let me go past 41 weeks. I'm ok with this.

Stella2008

I guess I am in the minority here, but I already have a induction date set (with my doctors suggestion and approval) for 1/13 (due date is 1/17) purely for scheduling and convenience. This is my 3rd baby, and I've been induced with all 3 right around 39 weeks. With Dd1, I had PUPPS and was induced at 39w1d but was also showing a favorable cervix and DD was born with a pit induction in 12 hours. With DD2 we induced purely for convenience and scheduling (had a 2 year old at home and no family close by) and it was again, great. Showing progress (38 weeks I was 2-3 cm, 75% eff and baby was -1 station) and induction was with pit and labor was less than 7 hours (pit started at 4:30am, water broken at 9am, baby born at 9:55 am). This time, same deal. I'm already showing progress (2-3 cm dilated and 50% effaced with baby at -1 station at 36 week check), so we have the induction scheduled.

For me, the stress of figuring out who will watch our kids if I were to go into labor early as well as getting to the hospital quickly (we live in a big city and hospital is 20min away in no traffic) is much greater than any induction "risks". I also am confident in my doctor that she would not recommend/proceed with the induction if she did not feel me or baby were ready. Dr also mentioned that she feels this is a good idea because with #2, I went from 4cm to 10cm in less than an hour after they broke my water and she (jokingly) said she did not want me to be one of those ladies "who has her baby on the expressway on the way to the hospital".

I'm just hoping I get to my I induction date!