Worried about induction (advice needed)

AndromedaEclipse

I'm 41 weeks today according to the hospital (they used a wheel and didn't count leap year).  I had an NST on Tuesday, and baby was doing fine.  I was having "moderate, irregular contractions" while I was on the monitor.  I haven't really had big contractions at all, just a few.  My OB appointment is today, and I'm worried about the induction conversation.  At this point, I'm inclined to only have my water broken as induction rather than using pitocin.   I'm avoiding pitocin because I've heard it makes labor so much more painful, and I really don't want an epidural.  My membranes were stripped once, but my OB doesn't believe in it.  A midwife covering for him did it.

The complication is that my health insurance (100% coverage) drops out June 30, though we have DH's insurance (80% coverage).  At 42 weeks (according to the hospital), that'll be June 28th.  Induction can take a few days from what I've heard, and if I end up with a c-section, that'll put me into July.  DH and I saved up money so that I can stay home for the year, so we could technically afford it, but I might have to find a part time job to make it through the year.

What would you do in my situation?  Wait it out without concern for insurance? Ask him to break my water early? Schedule something?

perplexed59

I personally wouldn't let the insurance factor into it. In my opinion money shouldn't dictate how or when your baby comes. Your baby will come when it is ready. I would be concerned about breaking the water because most times they like to see you deliver by a certain point and then things could go crazy with interventions. Also having your water broke doesn't guarantee contractions. If you doctor isn't willing you let you wait it out any farther I would be asking for Cervidil which may put you into labour. As long as your baby is doing fine there is no need to rush the arrival. Some babies take longer to get ready and sometimes dates are off. Good luck!!!

AndromedaEclipse

I know that insurance shouldn't factor in, but it's in the back of my mind.  I'm already 3 cm as of last week and I was 70% effaced and -2 station as of two weeks ago.  This kid just won't come!

AmyRI

I wasn't induced, so I don't have any direct experience. But I labored to 8.5 with my waters still intact. After they ruptured, the contractions got so so so much worse. I am hoping that they don't rupture first this time, because it was a cake walk to get almost fully dilated before they broke and then I had less than an hour of super hard contractions.

I'd also be super paranoid about the 24 hour clock once your water is broken. Even if your doc will give you more than 24 hours, you still have a higher risk of infection. It's not something I would chance.

Can you talk to your doc about starting with cervadil? And then moving to super small dose of pitocin, and turning off the pitocin once you have a steady contraction pattern?

I also wouldn't worry about insurance. If you're that concerned about it, ask to be induced on the last possible day you're comfortable with it (the 27th).

Hope you don't need an induction!

footnotegirl

Don't worry about Pitocin so much. I had induction with Pitocin and still delivered without epidural or any other painkillers.

I'd say go for having your water broken first, but be aware that if that doesn't work within a reasonable time, they will most likely switch you to Pitocin. 

AndromedaEclipse

They'll give me 48 hours after my water breaks, and risk of infection goes up mostly if you have frequent checks.  I'd like to do this the old fashioned way (wait it out, go into labor naturally), I'm just getting worried.

drpayne

I'm not much into old wives tales BUT I did two things the day I went into labor.  I picked up an herbal tincture my midwife recommended called Mother's Star and used it as directed (added it to my water) and had my membranes stripped.  I'll never know if those things helped since I was 9 days overdue anyway.  I will say a friend of mine tried the tincture when she was overdue and it did nothing... but it certainly can't hurt to try it.  Will the midwife strip membranes again if you ask?

AndromedaEclipse

Unfortunately, I don't ever get to see the midwife.  The only reason I got her was my OB was out on a call.  I haven't heard of Mother's Star before.  I'm doing EVERYTHING else though (EPO, raspberry leaf tea, birth ball, etc).

canoz

perplexed59:

I personally wouldn't let the insurance factor into it. In my opinion money shouldn't dictate how or when your baby comes. Your baby will come when it is ready. I would be concerned about breaking the water because most times they like to see you deliver by a certain point and then things could go crazy with interventions. Also having your water broke doesn't guarantee contractions. If you doctor isn't willing you let you wait it out any farther I would be asking for Cervidil which may put you into labour. As long as your baby is doing fine there is no need to rush the arrival. Some babies take longer to get ready and sometimes dates are off. Good luck!!!

My water broke naturally (PROM) and I was allowed to go three day before inducing. I was still induced and never had one contraction over the three days. I won't lie and say that the pictocin was awesome because it wasn't. And it did lead to an epidural and vaccuum extraction in my case. But, like another PP said, you can still have a med free birth with pictocin. The contractions will just be that much more intense.

If you can wait it out for another week I would. I know the insurance thing does factor in your mind and it is completely up to you but personally I wouldn't rush things.

3rdat40

I would also recommend trying Cervadil. I had natural childbirth with both of my children, and with my second, I was induced using Cervadil. It worked amazingly well for me. I had the gel pack inserted at 9 AM, and my baby was born at 10:50 AM! The reason I was induced is because we suspected that my water broke, but it seemed to be a "pinhole" that was leaking a bit here and there, not a full break. My midwife told me that sometimes a pinhole can heal itself, but after a few days of periodic little trickles, I decided to go ahead with the induction. It was 10 AM before the contractions started getting bad, and I delivered my beautiful baby only 50 minutes later, so it was a great natural birth!

Good luck and best wishes to you!

MangomamaFL

Most babies are born before 42 weeks. It is likely that your baby will be born before June 28 (I hope). Is there any loose ends you need to "tie up before the birth"?

I am pretty sure that disagreeing with my husband over the birth place and just having a flu run it's course in my house delayed the birth of my daughter.

We switch birth place at 40 weeks and 3 days. Our daughter was born at 41 weeks and 1 day.

 

drpayne

AndromedaEclipse:

Unfortunately, I don't ever get to see the midwife.  The only reason I got her was my OB was out on a call.  I haven't heard of Mother's Star before.  I'm doing EVERYTHING else though (EPO, raspberry leaf tea, birth ball, etc).

I live in Austin so herb bars aren't hard to find...  You might check near you?  I think that what it was called but if you just ask them about things to help start labor they'll know if they have it. 

poison489

Have you been trying other natural methods to get labor going?  It is my opinion that babies do not come until they are ready and it shouldn't be forced any earlier.  I would not ask the doctor to break your water.  As others have mentioned, it will not necessarily start labor.  My water  broke early with my son, I was only 1.5 cm dilated.  Things crawled a long, and the hospital started putting a lot of pressure on me to get pitocin.  I was in labor for 40 more hours before I had my son.  The doctors kept on trying to say that I was failing to progress.  Both DS and myself were doing fine, so we stuck to our guns and avoided a c-section. 

 Be patient, your baby will be here soon.

AndromedaEclipse

I know that patience is the key.  DH and I were trying to figure out if there's anything still bothering me about this birth, but couldn't come up with it.  I told the OB I want to wait until 42 weeks, and I have an NST and u/s tomorrow.  I have a follow up on Monday, so that should help us figure out what's going to happen.

NineTwentyOhEight

I remember my OB telling me that while people always say Pitocin makes contractions nuts, it's actually not any worse than real contractions during transition and super active labor. I don't know about that because I did it on my own, but I would say, try your hardest to let it happen naturally.

That said though, if it were me, I'd be freaking out about insurance. My hospital billed $30K for my med free vaginal delivery. I only had to pay $500. I can't even imagine what the cost would have been if I'd had to have interventions and no way would I want to be responsible for 20% of that...so like, if you have to be induced anyway because it goes past 42 weeks then you'd have to pay 20% of a delivery that *might* result in more intervention...I don't know if I'd risk it...I am sorry I'm not being helpful here...I guess I'd at least want to know the worst case situation in terms of dollars and then figure out what I was willing to tolerate. I'd be so mad if I waited and waited then still had to have help to go into labor and then was stuck paying for it...if I'm perfectly honest, I'd schedule induction a week before the insurance change and hope I'd go into labor on my own before that (but that is like today right?)

AndromedaEclipse

I looked it up today, and an uncomplicated birth could be anywhere from $900 to $3500.  We could deal with it, but it wouldn't be easy.  We'll find out on Monday whether or not I'll be induced.

Ktande22

Just to weigh in.. We were trying for Natural, we were 2 weeks late,  at 5 days late started getting the Drs pressuring to induce.  Finally they pressured me into it at 16 days late.. at 15 days they did a balloon proceedure (inflate a balloon w/ water above cervix) not that fun induced a few hrs of labor)  got me to 4 cm and went to the hospital the next day for induction.  Broke water immediately started pictocin immediately.  All day they just increased and increased it was terrible!  I was having contractions that were sooooo horrible 1 minute apart for hrs.. at 7 hrs i got an epidural bc i couldnt take it.. At 9 pm they checked and i was still only 5 cm.  bc of induction and water breaking and checking they basically had me on the clock.  @ midnight they said i hadnt progressed just effaced a bit more.. then said baby was sideways.. probably bc they broke my water and the baby was sort of stuck w/ no fluid to help her move... So by 12:30 I was in for a C-Section.  I will always be stuck w/ wondering if my experience would have been better had I just waited for natural labor to start.  Wished I had advocated for myself more to not start pictocin or break my water.  Just wanted to share bc after a bad birth experience I feel like I relived the whole thing over and over again in my mind wishing and thinking about how I could have made it different!  Also had great NST and ultrasounds right at 14 days late and they said everything looked awesome.. 

Only you can make the call w/ the money but I'd say if you've saved for that year you might find its worth paying some for a better experience...  

I read something recently about Pineapple helping(maybe a wives tale but sometimes it keeps you occupied to try things)  the other thing ive heard is doing lots of squats to open the pelvis ive heard you can really help labor along by stretching and squatting and maybe that will open the way for baby to put more pressure and induce labor.. thats what im trying next time around anyways!! 

AndromedaEclipse

I've tried every natural induction technique there is except caster oil.  I know it's best for me to not get medically induced.  I'm just so uncomfortable right now.  I keep telling myself it's what's best for the baby, but it's really hard. </whining>