Past EDD Induction - Anyone go Against Dr. Advice?

capricelili

I'm 41wk 4dy past my due date and at my dr appointment my OB brought up wanting to induce me on Thursday because that is her next on call day. I really really don't want to be induced and don't even think my original due date is accurate based on my long cycles and my estimated date of conception. It just really bugged me that dr wasn't taking into consideration that baby is not stressed I have no red flags, and they haven't even checked the placenta levels because the machine was broken today and despite all this, it's just comes down to "we don't like to go past this day". She even brought up "for the baby's safety" which really really is what got me hot and bothered. I feel like I'm being made out to be a bad mom by my dr because Im going against their protocols and want to wait one more weekend. I'm really regretting my choice to go with an OB in a hospital setting. But it was later into my pregnancy that I realized I wanted a natural birth with minimal medical interventions. I guess I'm feeling very frustrated that my plan feels like it's coming across its first road block. I'm wondering if anyone had this situation and if you elected to postpone induction? Was your dr more supportive than mine was today? Or do they all go by the book? Did anyone out there go longer than 42 weeks? What's the longest? I had a friend tell me she went 3 weeks post due, I don't see my dr letting me do that.

rebeccabloomwood

I personally have never heard of anyone going past 42 weeks. I know you likely had a vision but they really do push for induction at 42 weeks for optimal health for baby. At that point, I'd get induced.

ktbkitten

I would get induced too. It is for everyone's safety at this point. I don't know of anyone going past 42 weeks.

sherbear82

The doctors were already talking about "assessing our options" and I wasn't even overdue yet. I was booked for appointments after my due date for this reason. It really stressed me out. My water broke the day after my due date and they wanted me to go in immediately "to see if my waters really did break." I knew that if I went in, I wasn't leaving without being induced, as my contractions hadn't started yet. We decided to wait for my labour to start on its own, and they gave us so much attitude on the phone. When we did arrive, 24 hours after my water had broken, they greeted us with, "Oh, you're the ones who chose not to come in." Once the baby was born, they did much additional testing on her because she had been born over 24 hours after my waters had broken. Everything was fine, and I'm glad I stuck to my guns and didn't get induced.

Is your estimated due date based at all on an early ultrasound?

Good luck!

paine0925

You do NOT have to do anything you don't want to - your doctor works for you, is paid by you, and can only provide suggestions and options. If baby is not in distress then you may wait. Like you said, your due date could be way off (many are!) so you may right "on time" and not late at all. Trust your gut mama, or at the very least seek a 2nd opinion from a midwife or doctor who is comfortable with natural birth. As long as their are no medical indications you should be induced, I support you waiting (I would do the same myself :-)

dmland17

I was in pretty much the same boat as you. My doctor actually scheduled the induction for the day she was in call before even telling me. I went back and forth agonizing over whether or not to cancel, but I felt like inducing (even though I felt bullied into it) was better than finding another OB at 40+ weeks pregnant. At the end of the day baby and I are happy and healthy. But I will say that nothing about my birth was natural, which was what I wanted. I was put on the highest level of pitocin my nurse had ever had a patient on. This resulted in contractions a minute or less apart and some not even ending before they peaked again. After 10 hours my husband told me "Nothing about this has been natural since we walked in the door so it's ok if you decide to take the epidural." I went ahead with the epidural and it was magical. Looking back I still have mixed feelings about being blindsided by my OB, but she is still the best doc I've had and my labor pains feel like a distant, not so bad, memory a month later. Go with your gut.

ForeverEverAfter

I'm part of a local crunchy moms group, and last week in discussing due dates, 3 mentioned going to 42+4 and 2 delivered at 43w. It was the first I'd heard of it, but they were under midwives, had frequent check ups and delivered naturally. Some thought their dates were wrong, one of the 43w ladies said her mom delivered 2 kids at 43w also.

Just so you know it does happen, but rarely. It's your choice, I'm guessing you've already tried all the natural methods of starting things. I personally would wait a bit as long as baby is fine because a natural birth was really important to me.

PregNancyClark

@capricelili you know what you want. You said you really really don't want to and you listed several reasons why it's not necessary yet. We went against some medical advice too, for logical reasons and for a limited amount of time.
I would say ask for a little more time and be calm about it. I knew in my heart that we weren't in danger yet, and we weren't. Everything worked out fine and i retained my natural birth plan with my husband's support.
Be smart, and be strong. Asking for a few more days may make all the difference. Good luck!!!

beansideirae

I've posted this on other threads, but when I was getting worried about going late my mom told me what my aunt said when she went to 43 weeks: "you can't induce me if you can't catch me!" they can't make you come in for an induction. if there's no medical reason then I'd stick to your guns. my other aunt was a MONTH late twice, healthy babies both times.

capricelili

Well I really hope I'm not a month late! I don't think I can hold out that long, but I can certainly ask for a few more days. They did base my original due date on an early ultrasound, but I think they were off a week just based on my records. Thanks for the advice and support ladies, it's just difficult going against the grain sometimes. I don't think induction is of the table yet so I better get educated on that and figure out how I can make the best if it if we end up going that route at the end of all this.

bnwillia3

I did an induction at 41 + 2, with baby coming the next day at 41+3. We decided to do the induction as my fluid was dropping and went below 5. I didn't feel pressured at all, which was nice, and we only needed gel to get things going. Baby handled everything like a champ and I had the vaginal delivery I wanted. so inductions can work out, but I definitely empathize with your desire to only do it if medically necessary. If baby, you, and placenta are all strong - I say give it another day or two. Is this your first baby? The average for FTM is 10 days post due date, so you aren't even THAT late by those standards.

capricelili

@bnwillia3 yes, this is my first. It sounds like you had a good experience. I hope I can have the same. I'm not informed on induction methods at all either since I was trying to avoid them. But I will look into minimal interventions first if we do have an induction. I hadn't heard of the gel, I was thinking that cervadil tampon thing first. This is my first so I'm nervous enough as it is without adding induction stress to the situration. I really don't know why they jump to induction right away without even checking the placenta. Hopefully that looks good tomorrow. Thanks for sharing your story, made me feel better actually maybe mine will go well also if we go that route, I feel like it's getting so close anyway. Like I just need a little nudge.

KissMeImScottish

@capricelili, just wanted to reassure you that induction doesn't have to be scary or bad at all. I had gestational hypertension, so I was induced at 39 weeks exactly. My husband and I got to the hospital around 3:30 in the morning (it was such a crazy week for babies that we volunteered to come in at an ungodly hour if there was a bed). They started me on cervadil (a tiny pill that they just put up near the cervix to soften it - I couldn't even feel it) and a Foley bulb, which did not feel great, but it got things moving for me, since I was only at a 1 when I came in. It took my body about 5 hours to go from that 1 to a 3 or 4. Once the bulb came out, I felt so much better and was able to just hang out and let contractions happen. Around 10:30 or 11:00, they told me they were going to start a low dose of pitocin, and offered me the epidural, which I had said I wanted. They were very accommodating to my wants. I elected for the epidural a bit sooner than I planned, since the anesthetist was heading into a c section. It worked perfectly, I didn't feel any pain but was able to feel mild tightening in my abdomen to let me know I was having contractions. They upped my pitocin slowly and broke my water, and around 11 pm, I started to have a very sore back. Turns out I was having back labor, since W was sunny side up. They simply upped the epidural a bit and I was good to go. I took a three hour nap, and around 4, they checked me and I was fully effaced and dilated. They gave me an hour for baby to drop deeper in the birth canal, and around 5, I started pushing. It was super easy, I felt no pain but could feel each contraction so I was able to take the lead on when I needed to push, without any intervention. An hour later, W was born. I had three minor tears that have healed up just fine and were inconveniences more than anything.

My induction was perfect and honestly, I spent most of it bored and watching HGTV. I have a perfectly healthy little boy, I came out of it in good shape, and I was left with the feeling of "I would absolutely do this again". Induction is made out to be a super scary process, but for me, it definitely wasn't, and even though we evicted my son a week early, he was born screaming with an APGAR of 9 at a very healthy 8lbs 7ozs and 20.5 inches long. Hopefully, this allays some of your fears a little bit!

ElleMF728

I wouldn't feel comfortable going past 42 weeks. I know that you may not like to hear it but it is riskier if you choose to go past that date, your doctor is obligated to tell you this. She is likely protecting herself against any liability should you choose to go against her advice.

booksandcleverness81

I was 41+3 when I went into labor and I had an induction scheduled for two days later because we decided not to go over 42, but my MIL's yoga teacher (random) told her that she went 43 with all 3 of her kids and they were all fine, so it does happen, some women just gestate longer and that's normal for them. That being said- I would consider induction near the end of the week with minimal methods like a foley bulb to see if you can get your body to start laboring naturally. I wanted a totally natural birth too, and I agreed to this because it was a less medicated option. To me not risking the complications from being too late term was more important than having the "picture perfect natural birth" I had dreamed of. In the end I went into labor 3 days after a good nst and u/s which showed plenty of fluid and a healthy looking placenta, but after 24 hrs of labor baby's heart rate dropped too low for too long and they had to do an emer-c. My Dr. told me yesterday that the diagnostics on my placenta showed that even though it had looked good on the scans, it was starting to degrade and the stress of labor lessened its functionality even more, which is probably what caused the problem with his heart which resulted in my c/s. Not trying to scare you, but just so you know there can still be problems post-term which may not show in testing and that you should be weary of. Good luck, I'm sure everything will be fine in the end, so listen to your gut and do what you think is right! 

tlc11934

My OB said the risk for still birth significantly increases after 42 weeks. I was induced at 40+6. He didn't even let me get to 41 because I'm old (34). Do what you're comfortable with!

petitechouchou

When my OB told me I had to be induced at 41 weeks due to diet controlled GD, I was in tears. All the scans said everything was great so I wasn't sure why I had to be induced. I wanted an unmedicated birth and I was so scared, as a FTM, that I wouldn't be able to do it if induced. In the end, I thought better safe than sorry and followed doctor's orders.

The whole process was actually not bad, just super long. I told them my birth plan, asked them to not mention any pain relief options unless I asked for them myself. I was barely 1cm dilated when I arrived at the hospital and not fully effaced. I had both the foley and the pitocin, and I was able to stick to my plan of unmedicated birth. It is possible, despite their interventions. So don't lose out hope if you decide to go in.