Given this scenario, Would you consider induction?

tracenwalts

Just looking for some opinions on a possible 39 week induction... I'm still undecided on what to do.  A little info:  This is my third baby and both other labors were relatively quick.  My first labor was 7 hours, start to finish, my second was 4 hours (this includes an hour+ of pushing).  Although I don't know if I'm dilated or effaced yet, with my last two kids I was at 4-5cms and completely effaced at my last weekly OB appts. Being induced is appealing to me because- I live in Vermont, 35 mins from my hospital.  My husband works 90 mins from the hospital (an hour away from our home, in the other direction from the hospital).  We have two kids already and don't live near family, so having their care planned ahead of time would be helpful, and finally, the weather here can be awful this time of year, with terrible snowy/icy roads.  These reasons coupled with the likelihood of having a quick labor/delivery, makes me lean toward the induction.  However I know it comes with risks and in a perfect world I would wait until I went into labor on my own.  Thanks for listening!!

sleeping5beauty

I think that with all that you have going on to get you to the hospital safely, induction is a good idea. If you doctor is fine with it then I don't see a problem. Otherwise you could be laboring for almost 2 hours before your DH gets home to take you to the hospital, then you still would have to figure out what to do with your kids.

mrsadamc 05

In VT, in the winter, with no family near, DH 90 minutes away and a history of fast labor I would totally induce.  

I just think it is safer and guarantees you will deliver in the hospital.  

 

gekeler6

I really don't like the thought of induction if the baby and you are in good health and it's more for a convienency factor.  I think there is a way to figure out a good plan wthout bringing in induction into it.  You may not have as fast of a delivery as you are thinking.  I'm sure things will work out great without an induction.

andiandlou

I agree with mrsadamc.  I am in a similar situation, no close friends and family but my sister is coming to help 2 days before my due date...I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that little peanut holds on till then.  My first labor experience was LONG so I'm not really worried about any of the other stuff you have going on (DH working far away from Hospital, etc).  Good luck to you

Lisa9926

I'm being induced on Monday because or baby size and a very short delivery with my first as well.  There is nothing wrong with an induction and the risks aren't too high as long as you have a favorable cervix ( which it sounds like you did with the previous pregnancies).  I say go for it!  It's easier to plan with the kids, you can get an epidural earlier, and you don't have to be continually freaked out about giving birth in the car.

salt78

mrsadamc 05:

In VT, in the winter, with no family near, DH 90 minutes away and a history of fast labor I would totally induce.  

I just think it is safer and guarantees you will deliver in the hospital.  

Agree with all of these points. 

tracenwalts

Thank you so much for the opinions and support, I definitely needed to hear some more opinions.  Yes I have been afraid of delivering in the car on the side of the highway!! My reasons against induction- I just don't want to end up with a c section, plus I want to give the baby a chance to grow as much as possible, ideally until 40 weeks.  However, I had my first son 4 days early and my second son 6 days early, so this one might come sometime early too.  It's a difficult decision!!

LuckyBride06

In my situation, I'd never induce (1st baby was a C after 24hrs of labor). But if I had two deliveries like you, in your situation, I'd definitely strongly consider it!

caitlyn0216

I am a FTM and I am choosing induction at 40 weeks if he isn't here by then. My SO needs to be able to tell his boss approximately when he needs off and I am currently in school for nursing and would like to give my professor a good heads up. Also, the following week is my Spring Break for school, and I would love to be able to only have to miss one week of class, then Spring Break (which we are given off) before returning. Otherwise, I am looking at one week PP returning to class. I am comfortable with induction for *gasp* my convenience because that is what works best in our lives at this time. Many women will flame you for considering induction, but you need to make the decision best for you and your baby. It sounds like you already have your mind made up, mama.

MesmrEwe

I had an induction with both my kiddos and given your info if your OB is on board, I'd go for it!  It also helps that I was out in Malone, NY during an ice storm in terms of driving on the roads you're referring to, yea, that isn't exactly the middle of the city where the plows are out right away!  It's exactly NOT what I would want to be chancing if I was 39w PG!!

IMO an induction is FAR safer than delivering on the side of the road...  Inductions are not that bad nor scary, especially when you've had quick L&D's and are that ready to go at your last visits previously. 

kywalker

My Dr. says that at 39 weeks you can be induced for any reason at all. She induced me with my first at 39 weeks for three reasons, baby was getting big, she was going on vacation the day after my scheduled induction, and we live 1 hour and 1/2 away from the hospital. She is planning on inducing me this time too at 39 weeks if I haven't delivered by then but is going to try and get me to deliver sooner (scared baby will be too big at 39 weeks) and like it was said before as long as your cervix is ready it will be fine and should be an easy induction.  Good Luck!!!

JNoelleE

Although it may be convenient, I would never choose to induce unless there was a very good medical reason. I firmly believe the baby should come when it's ready, and unless the baby's health or my health were at stake I wouldn't mess with it.

[Deleted User]

caitlyn0216:

I am currently in school for nursing and would like to give my professor a good heads up. Also, the following week is my Spring Break for school, and I would love to be able to only have to miss one week of class, then Spring Break (which we are given off) before returning. Otherwise, I am looking at one week PP returning to class.

Good luck with that.

I am a full-time student too, and I thought I could go back a week or two after delivery.  A week after delivery, I knew that idea was pretty far-fetched.  I ended up taking the rest of the semester off.  I'm not saying you can't do it...but one or two weeks is no time at all.  I was still so sore a week later that I couldn't stand for more than 10 minutes.  Hope for the best, but, honestly, prepare to delay your education a little.  In the end, having that time with my baby to get BFing established and to bond was way more important than delaying graduation by a few months.  For those first couple of months, having a new baby is quite enough on your plate.

shannm

In your situation, I would be communicating really well with my OB.  If your body is showing signs of being ready, then induction probably will work for you.  I had an unplanned induction last time that didn't work and I did have a section.  It wasn't bad but not what I had planned.

skibunny59

I think this is a very personal decision and one you have to make on your own.  You're going to get a lot of different responses and opinions on here but in the end you have to do what you think is right for your family.  I personally wouldn't induce for any reason but I'm not in your shoes and I don't have to live your life so it's difficult for me to tell you what you should do.

ljtvirkus

gekeler6:

I really don't like the thought of induction if the baby and you are in good health and it's more for a convienency factor.  I think there is a way to figure out a good plan wthout bringing in induction into it.  You may not have as fast of a delivery as you are thinking.  I'm sure things will work out great without an induction.

I agree

Kristinmo

Maybe. 

But I would be having a long conversation with my OB about how induction was going to work and what the plan was if it didn't work. I say that because it won't work if your body isnt ready.  With DS I had a failed pitocin induction at 41 weeks because my body just wasn't ready despite being dilated to a 3 since 37 weeks. Because they didn't break my water when I didn't progress I could just go home instea of having a c/s. 

At the time I was pissed because I just wanted to be done. After a successful induction a week later (DS was born only 3 hours after starting pitocin) I am very thankful to my OB.

So while I may consent to pitocin, I would not consent to having my water broken unless medically necessary.  

lakermommy24

Well I am in a similar situation. I have a 5 year old and 2 year old ...deliveries with them weren't near as fast as yours . Daughters was 22 hours but my Son's was like 8 hours. I live an hour and a half from the hospital and am in WV so winter here is nothing to mess with either in the mountains (although it's been nice the past week) . I have always been totally against induction unless it was very necessary because of all the bad things I have heard and I'm so scared of having a C-section also. I have had high blood pressure for about the past 10 weeks and was told at my 39 week appt. Yesterday that he wants to induce Sat. morning since they aren't able to keep my blood pressure down and they don't want it to get any worse. At 1st I was really upset because it's not what I wanted , but now after accepting it I am actually so much more calm and less anxious , I don't have to worry about getting the kids somewhere quick when I go into labor , waiting for DH to get home to get me , and although I didn't have my kids as quick as you did before I am still scared to death of not making it to the hospital or DH speeding and driving crazy in a panic to get there and having an accident . So now that all those worries are gone I am so much more relaxed and able to enjoy just being home and getting everything ready and the kids prepared , as much as I was against it before I would say if you have things you are stressing over (like you are) then I would go for it because the stress isn't good on you either and even my blood pressure has dropped a little since I have accepted being induced . Of course this is 4 days before my EDD , if it was sooner than that I would probably still be very upset about it. My daughter came 5 days before hers and my my son 3 weeks before his due date and they were both very healthy my Son at 3 weeks early still weighed 8 lbs 3 ounces and I still think his due date was just messed up somehow! Anyways good luck to you , as someone who a day or 2 ago would have told you NO WAY , I will now tell you that it might be something you would like to really consider!! 

LilyPotter218

With those things in mind, I think you are absolutely doing the right thing considering induction. I would be too.

My mom likes to say that her first (me) fell out. Her water broke at home, she took a quick shower, and I was born within 2.5 hours. She was barely in the hospital for an hour before I was out. When she got pregnant with my sister, her OB strongly advised her to schedule an induction afraid she would not make it to the hospital at all, and that was only a 20 min drive.  

I've lived in upstate NY and know what snow up there can be like. No way I would be messing with that. I say go for the induction.

sunnyday016

Yes, I'd do it. 

doctor girlfriend

gekeler6:

I really don't like the thought of induction if the baby and you are in good health and it's more for a convienency factor.  I think there is a way to figure out a good plan wthout bringing in induction into it.  You may not have as fast of a delivery as you are thinking.  I'm sure things will work out great without an induction.

 

this. i would never consider a voluntary induction. last time, my water broke and the hospital gave me 6 hours to start natural contractions before forcing induction on me. it was a snowball of unwanted invasiveness from that point on, and was simply terrible.

these things have a way of working out. you never know what will happen! 

acooper18

For everyone saying no because of the health of her and the baby...

I'd rather be in a hospital with a baby 1 week early than in a car accident or stuck at home while in labor, with no way to get to the hospital and a history of short labors. It is 'healthier' for her to be induced, even if not for a medical reason.

spunkyprincessmande

I think the decision is up to you and I can totally see why you would want to do it.

But for me, I want to avoid an induction at all costs.  I just believe that the baby should come when the baby is ready.  Plus, induction is not fun (I know, I know, labor is not fun) and I just hate how limiting it is and the complications that can come with it.  For me, I would risk the inconvenience and not do the induction unless medically necessary.

Is that the closest hospital to you?  If there was a true emergency could you deliver somewhere closer or is there really no other option?

hillbillysunshine

acooper18:

For everyone saying no because of the health of her and the baby...

I'd rather be in a hospital with a baby 1 week early than in a car accident or stuck at home while in labor, with no way to get to the hospital and a history of short labors. It is 'healthier' for her to be induced, even if not for a medical reason.

Great point.  This.