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June 2012 Moms
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Starting to worry

StephenW4StephenW4
in June 2012 Moms

Just had my 39 week appt. today, even though I'm actually 39w 4d, and got conflicting news. I am finally 1cm dilated and 40% effaced (the good news).  The only problem is that LO was estimated at 9lbs on Friday, so Dr. is worried she's might be too big for my petite frame (I'm only 5'2") and wants to schedule an induction for 41 weeks (the bad news).  She said if I'm not at least 3cm dilated at the time of the induction next Friday, she'd rather just do a c-section because more than 50% of inductions with a non-open cervix end up in a c-section anyway.  

I really want to have a natural labor w/o any drugs/medical intervention, so I'm getting really anxious and worried that I'll end up with a c-section.  I have another u/s next Wed, a weekly checkup Thurs, and then the induction would be Friday or Saturday.   And if at the u/s, they estimate her to have gained even more weight and say she's close to 10lbs, she would want to skip induction all together and go straight for a c-section. :-(

Technically LO isn't due til Friday, and I guess since I'm finally 1cm dilated, that means I'm making progress and I could go into natural labor at any point, but I'm still really nervous about the possibility of being induced and/or ending up with a c-section.  :-

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Re: Starting to worry

  • GeekFantasyGeekFantasy member

    Well, as an aside... ultrasounds this late in pregnancy have a tendency to be waaaaay off.  By a pound or more.  So maybe that's the case, and you'll go into labor naturally and everything will be peachy ;)

    That said, I am terrified of induction.  I know how high the c-section rate is with them and it scares me to death.  So you're not alone in your fears!  Here's hoping you get some better news next time! 

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  • Sawyerplus1Sawyerplus1 member
    Well, it's your body and should be your decision. For starters, as PP said, weight estimates at this point can be way off. And secondly, as a first time mom, you (and your dr) haven't given your pelvis a chance to 'prove itself'. MANY women deliver large babies vaginally, and being petite doesn't mean your pelvis is small either. Not only that, but there are ways during labor and delivery to help open your pelvis wider, like squatting, using a birth stool, or being on your hands and knees. If it were me, I wouldn't accept an induction OR c-section based solely on LOs weight estimate without first doing everything I could to let things happen naturally. And your dr can't force you to either. Good luck with whatever happens, and don't be afraid to advocate for yourself! 
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  • Davesgrl2011Davesgrl2011 member

    imageSawyerplus1:
    Well, it's your body and should be your decision. For starters, as PP said, weight estimates at this point can be way off. And secondly, as a first time mom, you (and your dr) haven't given your pelvis a chance to 'prove itself'. MANY women deliver large babies vaginally, and being petite doesn't mean your pelvis is small either. Not only that, but there are ways during labor and delivery to help open your pelvis wider, like squatting, using a birth stool, or being on your hands and knees. If it were me, I wouldn't accept an induction OR c-section based solely on LOs weight estimate without first doing everything I could to let things happen naturally. And your dr can't force you to either. Good luck with whatever happens, and don't be afraid to advocate for yourself! 

    This is what I was going to say.  I think doctors are WAY to quick to "decide" that a woman should have a c-section.  I will give you a quick story:

    My friend was due in December.  She had GD, but was well controlled with diet.  Her OB kept insisting that her baby was going to be too big to deliver if she went full term and scheduled tons of growth u/s that contradicted themselves (sometimes baby was too big, too small, just right lol).  So my friend "agreed" to an induction almost a month early.  The induction didn't work because her body was just not ready (obviously, at 36 weeks it wouldn't be) and she was in hard labor for 18 hours before the OB "decided" to give her a c-section because , surprise surprise, the baby was in distress.  End of story- the baby was born at less than 6 pounds (she was told he was over 8 pounds at 36 weeks) and had to spend 4 weeks in the NICU. 

    Moral of this story- she needed to advocate for herself.  The U/S and the OB were off by more than two pounds.  You need to at least get a second opinion!  Don't be shy, this is your body and your baby! 

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  • notfrancienotfrancie

    I am all for getting a second opinion, especially if you feel rushed or uncomfortable or pressured into doing something against your instinct.  That said, I am also all for being flexible with your birth plan.  Once you feel fully informed, don't let your 'ideal' be some kind of roadblock to the healthiest, safest choice for you and your LO.  Try to keep an open mind if you can.    

    The good news is that you will get to hold your LO so soon :).  WIshing you peace and good luck with the decision.

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  • jjt616jjt616 member
    First of all make the decision that you are comfortable with. Talk with your dr and share our concerns and see if you can come up with something in the middle. Also be open to ways other than what you would like. I wanted to go completely natural. Well I ended up getting induced at 39 weeks because my amniotic fluid had been dangerously low for two weeks. I had already started dialating before the induction so my labor went fast once I was induced. However her heart rate was getting low during labor so I could only lay on my right side or her heart rate would go down. Because of that I couldn't do the exercises and walking and squatting that I had prepared to do to work through the pain. So it got really bad and I ended up getting an epideral which I thought I never would have done. They also had to use the vacuum real quick to get her out too which was something I didn't want done. However, bottom line.....she was born safely and healthy and regardless what happened or how I gave birth, her health is all that matters.
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  • triagain2triagain2 member

    I am a former labor and delivery nurse and I would tell your doctor to take her c-section and shove it up her ass. This kind of doctor is why I left obstetrics. I find the field SO UNETHICAL! While I cannot guarantee you won't labor for 24 hours and then require a c-section for failure to progress, I can guarantee that you will be a guaranteed c-section if you sign up for one! Especially based on an estimate that is most likely incorrect.

    Yes if you end up having a c-section after a long drawn out labor it will be more miserable than if you just scheduled it, but I'd take the chance. Also you are 1 cm. If you were closed, thick and high at 41 weeks, I'd lean more towards a c-section but I still would trial labor. Thats just me though.

    GL! (and fire your doctor, regardless of the outcome. Even if you labor, I bet she will push you towards a c-section pretty early in the process). I've worked with too many doctors just like yours.

    TTC #3 since Feb 2014 DS 1: 2010 DS 2: 2012
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