Dr said im only going to 37-39 weeks

murray1234 · February 2015

My Last Pregnancy I went into labour at 39 weeks (to the day) and once my water broke it was 30 minutes till baby was born.

My Dr said this time He doesnt want me to go into labour on my own due to the fact if my water broke I more than likely wont make it to the hospital, let alone even out of the house.

so 37-39 weeks is all I will make it to depending on me diliating (usually 3-4 cm by 36 weeks)

has anyone else had to deal with this being induced early?

karaelaine1991 · February 2015

@murray1234, not sure if you're new here, but from 12PM-1PM on Thursdays is our hour of silence for our loss moms. If you'd like to show support, you can head on over to https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/12541072/2-26-hour-of-board-silence-12-1-est-for-june-loss-mommas-candle-thread#latest, but otherwise, please refrain from posting to show respect for these ladies.

sspyles · February 2015

I would be very uncomfortable with an induction based on quick labor. I would simply say no, and I would plan on heading to the hospital the minute my water broke or I had contractions. Every labor is different.

karaelaine1991 · February 2015

I would be very hesitant to flat out say no to my doctor's advice. Yes, early induction is (from my understanding) usually avoided, but it sounds like this doctor has his reasons for thinking it would be a good idea.

OP, in the labor and delivery thread, @sschwege posted an acronym that is useful when advocating for yourself during L&D. I'm going to repost it here - even if it's meant for L&D, I think it would be equally useful to you:

B- Benefits, what are the benefits of what you are suggesting?
R- Risks, what are the risks?
A-Alternative, are their any alternatives to what you are suggesting?
I- Intuition, what is your intuition telling you?
N-Nothing, what happens if we do nothing or do nothing right away?

I'd ask your doctor B, R, and A - and then, I'd seek a second opinion. It looks like you've already had several pregnancies. Is your current OB the one you've had for all four of your other children? If yes, then it sounds like you trust him a lot and he's done a good job in the past, and if that's the case, I know I personally would probably just go with whatever he's suggesting based on past experiences. But if you've had other doctors for any of your other children, it might not hurt to give them a call and see what their thoughts are. If they say something different than what your current OB is suggesting and their ideas sound better to you, then it might be a good idea to switch doctors. Bottom line, make the most informed choice based on what the professionals tell you - they've gone to LOTS of school for this and they're most familiar with your medical history. Good luck!

sspyles · February 2015

Ditto everything @catalinasmama said

Katerina&Baby · February 2015

I would talk to your doctor a bit more about this - you mentioned that timing will depend on your dilating but how far dilated would you have to be before your OB would want to do an induction? Could you push it a bit and just agree to get checked more frequently at a certain point? Also, how far along were your other births (you mentioned that your most recent was spontaneous labor at 39 weeks to the day) - if your babies tend to be "fully cooked" closer to the 39 week mark, I don't think I would be too concerned about scheduling an induction for 39 weeks. Is there another option here - could they maybe admit you at a certain dilation point for "hospital bed rest" and then wait for spontaneous labor? There might be an option that gets you as close as possible to spontaneous labor without risking a "side of the highway" delivery.

Full disclosure: I am definitely one of those people who would move heaven and earth to be in a hospital for birth (with all the doctors and fancy equipment) because that's just what I'm comfortable with. Even if I had a couple of plain vanilla, no issues births, I would still worry that maybe this time something could go wrong and I would want a full battalion of medical professionals there to help (this could also be because although my sister and I were apparently very easy labors and births, my little brother turned into a nightmare cord around his neck, serious distress situation).

sschwege · February 2015

What your doctor is suggesting is not a risk-free proposition here. So just as your doctor is worried about the risks associated with an unassisted birth, so too the risks associated with early induction should be factored in as well.

This idea would make me extremely uncomfortable and this is coming from someone who had what they labeled a 'precipitous birth' with my second, DS was born in triage, I laid down so they could check me and DH could see the head, so we barely made it. I understand the worry and I have some of those same worries myself. Having your water break before contractions start is more the exception than the rule, I think it's something like 10-15% of labors start with water breaking. Most women have contractions first, for some women their water never breaks. So the odds are in your favor that contractions will start first and that will give you time to get to the hospital before your water breaks. Plus, who is to say that your past labor will be what your future labor looks like? I asked about having another 'precipitous birth' and basically was told that although I am at an increased risk of it happening again, there is just no way to predict.

I would be asking more questions at this point and would be seeking a second opinion.

klkonwi · February 2015

Ok I'm sorry but I have to agree with Dr. Advice here. Your labors are usually much faster each child. You can never know exactly how things will go but it is unusual that a dr will induce before 39 weeks unless they realllllly think it's necessary. There are standards per ACOG and also new mandates that most hospitals have that they would have to document and go AGAINST. If he's willing to buck the system then it's probably legit. Ps we don't know all OP's medical history either.....

klkonwi · February 2015

Have to add a few things. There are worse things that could happen to you OP from an unprepared home/car birth than having a 37 week infant in a hospital with a well equipped NICU. God forbid you hemorrhage... Also your husband, the triage nurse, the ER nurse and or the poor admissions lady do NOT want to deliver your baby...... It creates a shit storm!

any who I gave way more than my two cents.

carry on.

sspyles · February 2015

klkonwi said:
Ok I'm sorry but I have to agree with Dr. Advice here. Your labors are usually much faster each child. You can never know exactly how things will go but it is unusual that a dr will induce before 39 weeks unless they realllllly think it's necessary. There are standards per ACOG and also new mandates that most hospitals have that they would have to document and go AGAINST. If he's willing to buck the system then it's probably legit. Ps we don't know all OP's medical history either.....

My first labor was 19 hours. My second almost 34. There is no "usually" when it comes to birth.

OP you've gotten some great advice! Ultimately, you have to weigh the risks and benefits and see what works best for you and your family. Good luck!

jessila9 · February 2015

My mom had really quick labors. My brother was 7 hours, my sister was 2 hours, and if I hadn't been breach she was ready to go in 30 minutes. The hospital for when I was born was 1 1/2 hours away from where my parents lived so her midwife had her lie and say her water had broken. When she got checked in the MW broke her water and she was ready to go. I was born on my due date because of that.
Knowing that you already had a quick delivery with your last one, I would err of the side of caution. Your doctor is concerned because they don't want you giving birth in the car or at home. Obviously, continue the conversation with your doctor to see if there is some sort of agreement you can come to.

KonaCoffeeBean · February 2015

You've received a lot of great advice, and obviously, the opinions vary greatly. You still have 3 months, and I'm sure everyone would agree there is just no harm in getting a second opinion.

devyns2nd · February 2015

@klkowni is a L&D nurse so I'm pretty sure when she says "usually" she means it by experience and not just what she read on Google.

I was induced at 37 weeks and my DD was perfect and healthy. If you delivered in 30 mins it would be smart to be prepared. Unless you aren't afraid of delivering that quick again.

My goal is to deliver at 37 weeks and my Dr may induce me. I have to avoid c-section if at all possible. My Dr feels that at 37 weeks that my best shot because I have big babies and little cash here is already ahead. I trust my Dr to take care of us. So I will most likely be induced at 37 weeks as well.

ktjohnson87 · February 2015

This is a difficult decision and I would definitely get a second opinion. The growth your baby does in uterine is so valuable. I would be very hesitant to take that away unless it was really necessary. But having my baby without my midwife present would be very scary. Good luck with your decision!

hswan26 · February 2015

I was induced at 38 weeks with DD because the doctor was afraid I would have a short labor and I was group b strep positive so I needed a course of antibiotics during labor. I will NOT allow myself to be induced early this time for sonething like that. DD had colic and digestive issues for 10 months that I don't know of she would have had if she cooked a little longer.

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