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Natural Birth
About encouraging labor... (a little long)
With my first son I developed pre eclampsia at the very end of the pregnancy and was induced for it. The last few appointments my blood pressure has been creeping up and both my OB and I are seeing the writing on the wall. I'm hoping that we can put off Pre-e entirely by me doing as little as possible for the last 6-8 weeks, but I'm not sure it will be possible. At my appointment today we talked about how she would handle different scenarios.
If I develop mild pre-e she will induce between 37 and 39 weeks. I think this is the most likely option. Between my history and what my blood pressure is currently doing, I think it's very likely that it will develop at some point. If I develop severe pre-e she will induce immediately. I'm comfortable with this plan of action. So here's the question.
Would you start doing things to encourage labor earlier than normal? If so when? I'm referring to things like EPO, membrane sweeps, sex, and possibly nipple stimulation - not pitocin. Anything I can do to ripen my cervix before an induction is going to be beneficial and make the induction less likely to lead to a C-section. Thoughts?
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Re: About encouraging labor... (a little long)
As someone who was induced due to PreE for DS1, this is what I would do in your situation (this is just my opinion). I also don't know how many weeks along you are, that would change things.
Of course, number one priority is healthy mom and baby. For most babies that means being born after 37 weeks. At 37 weeks, I would start doing all these things to try to get labor started if I felt PreE was developing. Before 37 weeks, I would not do anything that might artificially induce labor before baby was ready (unless, of course, you develop severe PreE, then it's a different ball game).
But, encouraging your cervix to ripen before 37 weeks would be OK IMHO. I just wouldn't do anything to start contractions. So therefore, prior to 37 weeks I would have no problem with RRLT, sex, maybe EPO (I don't know much about what EPO does). I wouldn't start nipple stimulation or membrane sweeps until 37 weeks or later, though.
Good luck, and I hope the PreE never becomes an issue at all!
BFP#2: EDD 2/11/14, MMC confirmed 7/15/13 (growth stopped at 6 weeks), D&C @ 12 weeks 7/25/13