My OB says they typically induce at 41 weeks unless there are no complications and the mother would prefer to not to be induced at that point. She said I could wait up until 42 weeks as long as baby is okay, fluid levels are okay, etc. I have heard that being induced causes contractions to come on quickly and more severely. When were you induced? Would you wait if there are no complications?
Re: You induced? Did anyone go past 41 weeks?
I had an emergency c-section at 36 weeks, but my OB wouldn't have let me go past 41 weeks if I'd made it that far. Past 40 weeks, the risk of stillbirth increases dramatically because the placenta, for lack of a better way to explain it, starts to "go bad." I'd take the induction if it were me.
I did not want to be induced either because I wanted a natural med-free birth but I was scheduled for induction at 41 weeks because fluid levels dropped by half in 1 week. If there were no complications i.e. fluid levels were fine, I would've waited. The day of induction, I went into labor on my own and ended up having a natural med-free birth
Best wishes for a safe and quick labor/delivery!
My doctors also typically induced at 41 weeks but would let you go a few days longer as long as there were no complications. My plans were to let it go as long as possible and avoid an induction because I was planning to go drug-free. I had heard the same thing about the contractions being much worse.
I was technically induced at 40 weeks, 1 day because my water had been broken for over 24 hours. I have nothing to compare it to but the contractions were intense, even before I dilated much. I ended up stalling at 5 cm and having a c-section.
I was induced with both girls due to pre-e the first time and blood pressure issues the second. My first one ended in a c section after 2 hours of pushing (and I was told would have been a c section no matter what since it wasn't failure to progress). My second resulted in a successful VBAC. My dr used the lowest dose of pitocin she could in order to jump start my labor (I was already 4 cm when I went to the hospital) and then weaned me off the pitocin and let my body do the rest. I did have an epi at her recommedation (planned to go med free) and was very glad I did since it saved my energy for the pushing stage, which was very long and drawn out for me (3 hours and we had to use forceps in the end). While neither induction was a walk in the park, labor never is, and I have two beautiful little girls who arrived safely, which is what matters the most IMO.
I would be hesitant to go past 41 weeks as the risk of stillbirth sharply increases at that point.
I was scheduled to be induced at 41w5d but delivered at 41w3d. I wouldn't have wanted to be induced sooner.
Yes, it makes contractions harder. I still did it with no pain meds, so it's not like it's going to kill you.
ETA - I realized that wasn't clear. I went into labor on my own but was given pitocin 20 hours later (it didn't work).
I was induced at 41 weeks 3 days. I tried to stall even longer, but an ultrasound showed low amniotic fluid. The contractions were painful, but I had all back labor so that didn't help.
The baby also couldn't handle the contractions. Her heartrate kept going down. I ended up having a c-section 36 hours after the start of my induction. I never dilated past 2 cm though.
I waited as long as I could and to avoid being induced: my doctors agreed that just over 41 w was the max they felt comfortable with, though they had offered to induce even as early as 40 w. After several appointments w/ZERO progress (including my last appt. at 41 w 2 d) we scheduled the induction for 41 w 4 d. I was crushed as we neared that point b/c I was terrified of being induced.
Finally, I just surrendered to the idea that we needed to get baby out and if we needed an induction to get us there, well, then so be it. And I was relieved. Disappointed, but relieved. And then, to everyone's surprise, I went into labor on my own that night (41 w 3 d) and voila: baby was born 9 hours later, just 24 hours before the induction was set to start: magic, eh?