Seeking Mothers Who Recently Gave Birth

Babies should come when they are ready. Most of the time they come on their own if they are given the chance. Induced labor is much harder than labor that come on its own. If you have a medical reason to induce then do it. Other wise let Mother Nature do what she has been doing for thousands of years. Pack your bags and have a babysitter ready for the older child. My earliest was 2 weeks late and one was 3 weeks late. They aren't as gooey when they are well cooked.

I'm in agreement with most of the moms here... be more afraid of getting induced! There are so many problems with getting induced and all the interventions it often leads to. I know you said you were induced with your first, but by doing so, without medical need, you're putting your baby at much higher risk of SO MANY things. It may be more convenient for you, but just think of the consequences if baby isn't ready! Then you'll REALLY be inconvenienced.

Besides, babies aren't about convenience...

My second child came totally naturally (my first came when she was ready too, but I had an epidural, episiotomy and vacuum assistance) and was actually more convenient as she came. My husband had LOTS of things going on around the time of my due date (school for his master's degree, military obligations, and 2 jobs) and our little one decided to unearth herself on the day when he only had one thing to call and cancel on, and that was the military thing. It worked out nicely because my labor started in the morning and he wasn't leaving for his prior engagement until after lunch time. I told him around 11am that he wouldn't be going anywhere... It was a very easy labor, everything lasted about 6 hours and I was very relaxed, only had to push for about 5 minutes. What a great experience. But then... I wanted a natural labor!

Besides, most labors don't just happen in an instant like everyone who hasn't had a baby seems to think. Most likely you'll be wondering for a while "is this actual labor?"... and eventually it will become apparent. You'll probably have time to make arrangements. Just make a plan and let people know of your intentions. Everything will work out fine. Your first child will be fine making a last minute trip to grandma's or the neighbor's house for a day or so. Birthdays happen every day.

You should be more terrified of induction than allowing labor to progress naturally! Inducing labor can lead to all sorts of other problems, not to mention that babies are not meant to be forced out early. Those last weeks inside you your baby is developing her lungs.
Not only that, but your due date is only an estimate, so your baby may be even less ready than you think.

You will actually find labor to be far more comfortable if you allow your sweet baby to make her debut when she is ready.

I understand that these days doctors often choose to induce, but believe me, that is *usually* a matter of convenience for them. Easier to schedule rather than have to get up in the middle of the night. Our society puts so much blind trust in doctors. They are not all-knowing and perfect - they are human like the rest of us!
(And yes, I understand that some women need to be induced for good reason, but those cases are in the minority.)

Dear K.,

Let nature take it's course. I was a week past due date and my doctor had me induced. Worst msitake ever, it caused my son to go in fetal distress and after 12 hrs and not being dialted and his heartbeat flatlined 3 times they had me do an emergency c-section. My baby was born with 30% survival rate. Since that pregnancy, the hospital would now allow me to do a vbac and consequently my other 2 births had to be done by scheduled c-section (I did not want c-section births as the recovery is much harder)
Tks and good luck!

most doctor's won't just induce for convinience sake. i worked mother/baby and labor/delivery for 4 years, and also have two children and due with my 3rd any day. my daughter was spontaneous and my son was induced due to large head and shoulders (that way we could easily transition to a c-sec. if needed). its harder on the babies to be induced and on your body, too. it is scary not to know when it will happen, but its honestly the best way for both of you. your due date is a guess, and if you try and induce at 38 weeks you could actually be delivering a 36 week old baby, and the chances for complications sky-rocket. also, you could go in for induction and have nothing happen if you're not far enough along, which just adds stress on both you and baby. i would very carefully consider why you think induction is best and why you were induced last time. is you went over your due date, then your doctor will do the same thing this time if you go past 40 weeks. but as i stated above, most doctors (ethical ones, anyways) will not induce just because you want them to.

Hi K., congrats on the upcoming new addition. While I totally understand your desire to be able to planthe birth of your second child, there are serious risks with being induced. No reputable doctor will put you and your baby at risk unless there is a medical reason to do so. Sorry to disappoint you. Just start figuring out your gameplan now, so that when you go into labor you can put it into action. Good luck!!!

As a mother who has had two drastically different birth experiences, I strongly urge you to educate yourself on the risks of induction and epidurals, which all too often lead to cesarean sections. There are so many awesome resources out there. Read: Ina May's Guide To Childbirth, Birthing From Within Watch: Ecstatic Birth, The Business Of Being Born, Birth As We Know It. Please, please. I know you're due so soon but remember that giving birth is a profound experience that you and your baby are never going to forget. I wish you well.

Hello K.,

I've worked in the field of obstetrics as a Perinatal Instructor for the past 28 years. Inductions don't usually pose any problems. A lot of my expectant moms choose to be induced. And, as you know, many times inductions are medically indicated, as well.
Just keep in mind that ...
Anytime you "tamper with Mother Nature", you may bump into a snag or two. Some inductions end up in a C-section, primarily due to "failure to progress".

Have a healthy, happy baby ... that sleeps all night!!
~M.

Got a spare minute or two? My blog could use a few readers! Comments are especially welcomed. Thank you.
http://M.-writeon.blogspot.com

I was induced with my first (2 weeks past her due date) and the induction was so painful. With my second I had a C-section 5 days early. The new research out is that babies born before their due date, even by days aren't as healthy as full term babies. My own children are the epitome of this. My oldest, full term + baby has always been healthy and has no allergies. My second, slightly preterm little girl is always getting sick, has allergies and is tiny. She is 3 1/2 and just reached 30 pounds, fully clothed, before her past illness where she didn't eat anything of substance for days. I would urge all mommies to give their babies the best start and not induce a premature birth. Unfortunately, doctors don't always do what is best and often do what is easiest for their patients.

There are many things, as you already know, as a mom you sacrifice. One of them will be to put your fears aside and let baby come out when baby is ready. There is a reason baby either wants to come out earlier or later than expected. And, how would you feel if you chose to induce then found out that baby's lungs weren't fully developed (those are the last things to develop)? You would have to live with your decision.

I was induced with my last baby because I was a week over due and the baby was huge (and I am kind of little). The doctor was very concerned that if I didn't get induced, I would end up with a C-section. Each week I was dilated more and more and had been having contractions for 3 weeks. By the time I went in for induction, I was dilated to a 4. For some reason my body didn't go into full blown labor. (Although eventually it would have) I ended up with a 10 lb 7 oz baby with his umbilical cord tied in knotts. My point is that there was a need for the induction for the safety of both of us. I would never have induced otherwise. My labor was more intense than the first one with non-stop contractions off the chart. You have a much higher chance of having a C-section when you are induced because you are put on a time clock and if you do not give birth within 24 hours, they are going to take the baby after all of that intense labor. Your babies lungs or other organs might not be developed so you could be compromising the health of your child. Also, if you are not dilated to at least a 2 when they induce you, the induction has a good chance of not working. It is meant to trigger labor in someone that is almost there. My best friend got induced with 2 of her kids due to illness during pregnancy. The doctor refused to induce her until she was dilated to a 2. If you are not dilated at all, your likelihood of having a c-section just went up.

I know you want everything to go smoothly, but when you have kids (as you should know) things never go as planned. Just make a plan and have several back ups. When you go into labor, you will have plenty of time to figure things out. My first labor was 24 hours and the second one with induction was still 8 hours! My best friend was taking my daughter and she just accepted that she might get a call at 3 in the morning. That's what happens. You'll be ok! Plus just think of the fun stories you'll share with your kiddos when they are older! I wish you good luck and happy birthing.

Hi K.,

I induced with my second daughter, but only because I was not able to hold the ambiotic fluids. I held on for as long as I could and we induced on my actual due date. You have to be sure baby is fully prepared to come out. What is the surprise? There is a baby in there who will be coming out in about a month. Let your fears go and have a healthy baby.

Hi K.,
I have given birth 4 times (my youngest is 2 yrs old) and each time was a bit different. From my experience and in my opinion being induced, while kind of convient since you know the approximate time, is more intense. I was induced with my first and last pregnancy (due to medical problems) and it is definetly a harder labor. I had all of my boys all natuaral without pain killers, my fastest easiest labor was my 3rd son. I waited until my body went into labor on it's own, he was a week late. My first contraction woke me up at about 4am and I was at the hospital soon after and he was born at about 7:30am. I think that the natural way your body progresses through labor is a better way for your body if you can go that route. Being anxious and nervous is perfectly normal, maybe a refresher birthing class or something like that may help you relax, or have you ever thought about having a doula? I have never used one but have heard that they can be extremely helpful...

Stay positive, relax as much as possilbe and take care of yourself Mommy! You can do it!!! message me anytime if you need anything at all, or have any questions.

Smile Always, L.

I had to be induced with the first and then with the second my plan was to be induced only and only if I was more than 5 days overdue, because my husband had to be out of town 7 days after my due date and didn't want him to miss it. I was not wanting to be induced the 2nd time, when I was induced it was so much more painful I realized than going into natural labor! The day I was scheduled to be induced I went into labor on my own, and you have plenty of signs and time to get to the hospital, with my bloody show to contractions, my water even broke in the car on my way to the hospital to be induced! It was so much better the second time, not as painful and a lot less time in labor to give birth. I would recommend you see if you can do it naturally rather than being induced it was way better that way for me! I wish you lots of luck!

I agree with everyone else. Things do tend to go more smoothly, on yourself and baby, if you let nature take its course. I also agree with the doula advice. go to www.dona.org or www.alace.org to find one.

When i was 37 weeks i was sick of being pregnant so i asked my OB if she could induce me and she said that was fine and scheduled it for 38.5 weeks. Funny thing is the baby came the night before the induction was supposed to take place...inducing causes stronger contractions closer together that can be pretty intense. Natural labor progresses so your body can handle it a little better. Dont worry about the labor part of this experience before you know it you'll have a beautiful baby girl with faint memories of labor...

Hi I have 3 live children whom i was induced with them all. I loved being induced and my last 2 I was induced prematurely due to my medical condition. My son was born at 34 weeks 3 days and my daughter at 35 weeks 1 day. From the beginning of each we planned to induce me before 36 weeks.
I would ask to be induced even if there wasn't a good reason for it. The worst the dr can say is no. Good luck.

My son is now 4 wks and I was induced with him. Basically I was in the same situation, I have a 5 yr old, and my husband works almost an hour from our house so i asked my dr if she would induce me. She said yes, but wouldn't do it a day sooner than 39 wks. Just ask your dr and explain why. Seems like lots of moms get induced these days. Good luck.

Hi K.,
I delivered 3 weeks ago. My OB suggested a "convenience" induction. I had an induction with my 1st and vowed to never do it again. Simply put, it jolted my body into something it was not ready for yet. It was not a pleasant experience. So, with this latest baby (my 3rd), I literally "got busy" and did the au naturale approach to start contractions- SEX! I was skeptical that it would work, but 1 hour after we were done, I went into labor and the baby was born 4 hours later.

I guess you could say trying this was like planning, b/c we chose to have sex, knowing it could induce labor. Happily, it worked like a charm and I didn't have to worry about induction, delivering late, etc.

You will do great! Just relax and have faith in the belief that your body will let you know when it is ready. I would say to forgo the induction and let nature take it's course. With whatever your decision, good luck and enjoy your 6 yr old as much as possible. After the new baby comes, one on one time is very hard to come by. Take care!!

let nature take it course. if you had to be induced with your first child then you will most likely get induced with this baby. if you want to be prepared have your bag packed and in the car. if you were scared about labor and delivery why didnt you sign up for a birthing class to refresh you. i was late 1 week and 1 day with my daughter. i tried to get my dr to induce me the day after my due date (which i had a drs appt on). he didnt want to induce because he wasnt the dr on call and he wanted to deliver (which he didnt get to do because he was in 2 back to back emergency c sections and came in 5 mins after she was born). just be calm and dont stress over it. look at the pros and cons of delivery and know what can go wrong. i know in my birthing class i was the youngest mom in there and the only one not scared of labor. good luck!

I'll let you know what my OB says after I see her this next week - LOL! I was induced with my daughter due to PIH. It was a breeze: less than 4 hours and no epidural. I'm hoping I can do something similar this time. I do know the actual due date because we did IVF. I was in the hospital at 28 weeks due to high b/p and protein in my urine and was given the steroid shots at that time, so the lungs are not a worry.

Saw the peri today and he said as long as I hit 34 weeks, which is next Sat., I should be fine. I'm pg with twins, Baby A is vertex, and the placenta is no longer previa, so a vaginal birth will be possible, thank goodness! My OB is with me on the vaginal birth, but I'm not sure what she'll say if I want to set a date and be induced. We have no family near by and the whole child care issue would be a lot easier if we knew the date ahead of time. We'll see.

Just some insight from my experience. I had dangerously low amniotic fluid and was induced a day after my due date. My baby girl obviously wasn't ready and my body wasn't either because after 22 hours of labor I was only dilated to 2cm. They finally agreed to give me an epidural (they want to wait till at least 4cm) because I was contracting every 30 seconds and throwing up from so much pain. they baby's heart rate was dropping too because of all the stress and I was on oxygen. they almost decided on a C section and finally my body cooperated and started to dilate. Still though I was in labor for 33 of the longest most painful hours of my life! My baby was worth the pain but I would give anything to not be induced next time and go into labor on my own. Just my thoughts and experience. Good Luck.

I'm just hoping I can offer you a litte bit of comfort about the "surprise" factor in case you do not need to be induced. I am not the kind of person who likes surprises, in any area of life. But I have had 2 babies and I waited until they were ready to come, both were very late. The waiting and not knowing drove me nuts! It is a little odd, when I think of it, that such a life-changing event should come on you without warning, but it is amazing how quickly you adjust to the surprise. The best thing you can do is try to relax and not be anxious. If you have taken a childbirth class, practice what you have been taught, read books about childbirth, and try to relax while you are waiting. Anxiety alone can inhibit the natural process during childbirth. Just think, a couple of months from now (worst case :), it will all be over and you will have your beautiful baby in your arms!