Should I Wait for the Induction?

Wait for labor to come naturally! Having an induction increases your risk of complications such as cesarean section, forceps delivery, additional medication augmentation, infection, and many others! Having a big baby is not a valid reason to induce- in fact the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists recommends against it! If the baby waits another 7 days it is not because he is "getting too big". It's because he is finishing growing- he is not ready to be born yet or he would be born!

Of course many people will tell you that they were induced and were fine (me included)but it is less than pleasant. Meds dripping, constantly having vaginal exams, being put on the clock for labor progress. Don't do it!

The average pregnancy lasts 41 weeks and 1 day. The risk of stillbirth goes up sharply at 43 weeks- not 41 weeks like many OBs say. Good luck to you!

My advice is to discuss it with your doctor and pick what you are most comfortable with.

Both my children were induced - one at 41 weeks and one at 40 weeks. I had no problems with either and thought birth was not too bad.

In terms of if the baby will fit, the doctor can tell you whether or not they think that is an issue. But even if it is a possiblity the only way to figure that out is to go into labor. Even though women's bodies are made for giving birth - some have smaller pelvic areas so it is an issue. With my first (it changes once you've already had a baby) space was an issue - he was breech until 39 weeks because of space issues. In the end the only thing was to try to have him naturally. Luckily he fit - if he had been a 1/2 lb bigger he wouldn't have!

But whether you believe induction is good, bad or ok, you have to do what you are comfortable with and the best way to determine that, in my opinion is to sit down with your doctor and discuss your options and what is going on with your preganancy.

Good luck.

If you can POSSIBLY avoid it, I would avoid an induction at all. If you look at the statistics, most docs start to get antsy after 41 weeks because the risk of a stillbirth goes up from 2 per 1000 to 2.2 per 1000. (this number is about 3 per 1000 for women over 35). Yes, this is an incredibly small risk. The general consensus now is that the risks associated with induction start to outweigh the risks associated with carrying a pregnancy post term after 41 or 42 weeks (depending on who you talk to). But guess what? It's still less than half a percent!! (email me and I'll send you the Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology article that I'm getting these stats from - it will make you feel better to see the data).

But inductions carry a higher risk of c-section, failure to progress, etc. Plus, they can initiate the "cascade of interventions" that you may not want. Basically, they drastically increase your risk of having a very medicalized birth.

The baby will NOT get "too big" - babies come out when they're ready, and if you completely trust your body to do the job, it is really really unlikely that it will be too big. This is borne out by the statistics - how else could some midwifery practices have a 2% c-section rate? (and these do exist - compared to our current nationwide rate of 30%)

So if it were me, I would wait. Do a non-stress test if your doc gets antsy, but I would personally avoid the induction unless it were truly medically necessary (ie non-stress test didn't look good). You can try a lot of natural methods to bring on labor first - black and blue cohosh, raspberry leaf tea, etc. Good luck!!!

I seem to be in the minority based on your other responses, but I can only tell you my own experiences. My doctor had me wait until I was 42 weeks and then decided to induce me. My labor didn't progress then either. Turns out my pelvis is way to small to fit even a small baby's head through it. So I had to have a c-section. Everyone kept telling me the baby would come out when he wanted to but the truth in my case was that he just couldn't. I was miserable those last two weeks so I really wish I hadn't had to wait through them only for what would likely have been the same outcome. So go with your gut and do whatever feels best to you. Good luck.

Hi S. - I would say that a candid conversation with your OB is in order.

I had a scheduled induction the day before my due date with my daughter. I, like you, wanted to deliver with my own OB. The other Dr.s in the practice were just not a good fit for me and she knew it. So, I had a 36 ultrasound and baby looked "bigger than average". My Dr. felt confident that she would be ready so we scheduled it. I trusted her - that is the most important thing. We all have opinions and have read things, but in the end, we go to Dr.s for a reason - we build relationships that should, in the end help us to feel more confident about an unfamiliar situation.

My delivery went off without a hitch. No complications. AND my OB was right about my little one being ready. She was almost 9 lbs. and after labor they told me that it was a good time because my placenta was showing signs of begining to break down (which apparently is what happens as the baby becomes more "done" for lack of a better word)

Whatever you decide to do....savor all of the time you have...your little peanut will be here soon and the ride of your life will begin. Buckle up...it's a fun one!

Jessica

S.,
Do what you feel is best for you. Everyone has their own appinion, so don't feel pressured. I had 3 inductions & everything went fine with all 3. All 3 were born without c-sections. It's a choice you have to make & feel comfortable with. Just talk to your doctor & you will make the right choice.

I would say do what feels right to you. But as in my case, make sure to pay close attention to the baby's movements as you get over-due. I was just over 40 weeks and at my next checkup mentioned to the doctor that the baby wasn't moving around as much as I was used to. It turned out that my amniotic fluid levels were low and I was induced the next morning. My doc said that if we had waited too long she could have been stillborn.
I don't want to scare you off of waiting it out, but just wanted to make sure you pay close attention to what's happening inside you. A little information never hurt anyone.
Good luck & congratulations! Being a mommy is the biggest blessing in the world!

I was given the choice to wait as long as I needed to. I was 13 days past due. My doctor told me that anything after 42 weeks can be dangerous (the placenta starts to break down). I went with an induction because after 13 days this baby was still not coming!! An induction is not the end of the world. What ever is right for you and your baby will be just fine.

Please keep in mind that do-it-yourself induction may not work at all. We tried everything--sex, walking, eating spicy food, raspberry leaf tea. It may just boil down to an induction. It will be okay-- good luck!

Your baby will NOT be too big. Women's pelvises are designed to birth up to a 13 lb baby! And guess what else you can tell them? We've been doing it for YEARS without inductions or else the human race would have died off long ago.

I would opt for waiting. Babies KNOW when they are supposed to come out. Ultrasounds and other technology is not 100% accurate to predict weight and readiness of babies to be born. Trust your instincts!!

Induction drugs can be dangerous for you and the baby too- whatever you do, don't let them give you Cytotech! And if you're interested in some natural labor-inducing methods that are safer and gentler (don't dialate you too fast and cause you to end up having a c-section from pain/baby's heart rate dropping, etc) here are a few things you can try:

-Sex: the semen ripens your servix
-Eat Italian. A lot of the Italian spices like oregano and parsley will help induce labor!
-Walk A LOT. Get up and move around. Squat a lot. Sway your hips in a circular hula-fashion. Sit on a birth ball. You want to try to move the baby down into the birth canal.
-Drink Red Raspberry Leaf Tea. It's supposed to tone your uterus and ready it for birth.
-Nipple stimulation- it releases hormones that help you go into labor. Ask your OB about this. Sometimes it can bring on strong contractions.
-There are herbs like Black and Blue Cohosh, but again, you will want to consult with your OB about these because they are medicinal and can be dangerous if not used correctly.
-Acupressure: There is a point on your pinky toe and one on the inside of your leg about a hand's width up from your ankle. There is another on your hand between your thumb and first finger (where you would rub for a headache.) You can google these if you want specifics.
-Ask about laxatives. Sometimes stimulating the digestive tract will get labor going. You don't want to overdo it though- a tablespoon of castor oil is completely different than taking too much exlax!! Be careful with this one and again, ask your OB.
-Ask if they can sweep your membranes if they haven't already. I don't recommend letting them break your water because it makes your contractions HURT and they'll begin to start timing your labor and setting limits on how long you can go before interventions start to happen.
-My best advice was to stay home from the hospital until I could not talk during a contraction. It's more comfy to be at home than to be hooked up to monitors, etc. Again, if you're not comfortable making this decision yourself, you can ask your OB, but first labors are usually very long labors (mine was 64 hours and I labored at home until I could not speak, drove to the hospital which was an hour away and she still did not come until the next day!)

Good luck and congratulations!!! I wish you a safe and healthy birth. Again, trust your body. It knows what its doing!

Amanda

PS- I was born 10 days "overdue" and my mom gained 100 lbs with me. I was about 7 lbs. My own daughter was 7 days "overdue" and I gained 70 lbs. She weighed 8lbs, 9 oz and was out in 3 pushes before the epidural even took effect and I'm not a big girl (5'5" average pre-pregnancy weight 120 lbs.)

I went 10 days over with my first and was very happy I waited. I was scheduled for an induction on day 10, but went into labor naturally and showed up for the "induction" in labor. I did have my membranes stripped, (although you must be negative for group B strep for this) 1.5 days prior, and felt that it may have helped. For a second child, you could schedule whenever, for a first, it takes longer for your body to "catch on" when induced, and I would wait it out.

By the way, my second came right on her due date, 6 minutes after we arrived at the hospital!

I wanted my doctor to delivery me also and didn't want the others. If your doctor says you can wait then why not wait. As long as your not having any health problems and you and the baby are fine then its alright to wait. Yes the baby will be a bit bigger but not a huge difference. You have to do what you feel comfortable with.

I was also very pregnant when my first baby didn't want to come. It's not uncommon for first babies to be late, and I went with the philosophy that they will come when they are ready. My first came 10 days late, which at the time seemed like forever - but he came out healthy and happy. At 9 days late my doc had me do an ultrasound just to be sure that all was well, and they found that my amniotic fluid levels were low as the baby had gotten bigger, so they scheduled to induce me the next evening. However, that next day my baby decided to come on his own. I went into the hospital as scheduled and they gave me the patosin (sp?) and my Thomas was born at 3:30AM at 7 lbs 7 oz (so he really wasn't that big).

Anyhow - being induced really isn't that scary - they just give you an IV (which they do anyway when you go in to deliver) and some stuff to speed up/start your contractions. Then when they get to be close, you get the epidural (which I HIGHLY recommend, as I did not have one with my second child and sure wished I did.) Then some pushing and viola a beautiful baby. Now my body was designed to pop out babies, so all of my deliveries have been very easy (except that no epidural one was a little painful) and pretty quick. I think some of that has to do with nature and how your mother went though the delivery process, but I also believe it has to do with how you approach the situation. If you are calm and relaxed, then the process will go much more smoothly.

Do what is in your heart and everything will turn out okay. Your doctor won't let it get to the point where problems would arize because you waited. Good luck!!!!

My practice will not induce unless you are 2 weeks past due with your first baby due to possible complications. For second babies about 90% of their patients are induced.

i was induced twice, just recently one month ago with my 2nd daughter. the first time i was induced was a nightmare, i labored for 24 hours and never dialated past one. i ended up going home and coming back a week later and was induced again and had my first daughter who weighed 9lbs7oz. with my second daughter i opted to be induced because i didn't want to have her on my first daughters birthday. (so their birthdays are 2days apart) anyway my second induction was much smoother because i was already dialated to 5 when i got to the hospital, and all they did was break my water, and i walked for an hour dialated to 6, and then my contractions stopped becoming regular, so they put me on pitocin, lowest dose and i delivered an hour later. 4 hours total labor. anyway, after i had her and went home, i really missed being pregnant, i to had no issues with my pregnancy, the only thing was my midwife was concerned about me getting to the hospital in time since they knew how far dialated i was, and the head was down all the way,(and my bag of waters was bulging) i do regret being induced, just because i really was hoping to go into labor on my own. so it is your choice, but if you have no issues and are enjoying the pregnancy, atleast wait till 41 weeks
S.

I think sex helps.
:)
Enjoy with the giant belly.

Yes! Yes! Yes! Can I say it enough times?! Please do not feel pressured by others around you and do not induce. Wait as long as you can possibly. It sounds like this is your first so I know you are more nervous but the longer the baby is in, the better off he will be. There is a chance as well that this baby is not even in theory 40 weeks yet. They do not have a magic ball which tells them everything as they claim to think and say. Babies often come at 42 weeks (esp. with 1st's) and they are only 6-8 lbs. which is a normal healthy weight for a newborn. Besides the stats work against you with a medical induction. Most women who are not naturally induced vs. medically induced end up being in a prolonged labor with a c-section as a result. It is TOTALLY unnecessary and unhealthy for mother and baby. There is a tremendous amount of research backing this up, this is not my own opinion. Inductions have gone up and directly correlated, so have c-sections, big time! Recovery is harder with surgery and its a little harder to breastfeed as well, for a few reasons. I could give more explanation as to why you should stick to your gut and wait it out regardless but you have to ultimately make the right choice on your own. Good luck and hang in there. The beginning is about to start!!! Enjoy motherhood - it is awesome.

I know a lot of people have weighed in on this one, but I have my own view. I finally went into labor one day before my scheduled induction at almost 43 weeks. I had begged to be induced despite all of my relatives and nurses and doctor said there was no reason, just wait it out-the baby will come when she's ready. I got a nurse to do another ultrasound (only my 2nd for the entire pregnancy- no complications or high risk)and boy were they surprised! It turns out that they estimated my daughter to be about 8.5 lbs, give or take a pound. That's when they made the decision to induce in 2 days. I am of normal size, so it was a shock that my baby was this big. I did go into labor the next evening and was lucky to deliver at a women's hospital because my daughter was born naturally, no drugs or help-weighing in at 10 lbs. 11 oz. and had some severe breathing difficulties due to the meconium that she had passed in utero. I also ended up having a placenta that was already in the stages of calcification- which is not good for anyone! I would say make sure you are getting good care from your OB and that your baby's health is tyhe first and foremost concern. As for wanting your OB- since I went into labor a day before the induction, I didn't have mine, but I can tell you that it did not matter one bit. I hardly even remember the doctor being there- the nurses are the ones really taking care of you. Good Luck and always trust you instincts- I'm glad I pushed for that 2nd ultrasound otherwise my doc was prepared to just "wait and see".

I was induced with my second son ( I had high blood pressure and needed to be induced) but I was given an option of when. I picked a day when my doctor was on call. It made a great difference to me. I felt comfortable because I was familiar with him and he knew me.

I guess if you are ready- go ahead. If you need more time- wait. The baby will come eventually. I felt it really helped having my own doctor deliver. It was a remarkable difference from my first son, when I went into labor in the middle of the night and had someone I had only seen a handful of times deliver.

Do what you feel comfortable with...I was induced with my son, who looked like he had no intentions of coming out on his own! He did have a bowel movement in the womb, so I am very glad we got him out of there before he ingested alot of that. When he was born, he was a bit grey in color, so the extra nurses were on hand to make sure he was ok (which he was!)I had no complications with being induced...just the pain came alot quicker!
Good luck!

Hi S.,

I induced a week "early" with my second child - it was seriously easy breezy - my only complaint is that it all went faster than I wanted (less than 4 hours from start to finish) ...one minute I was playing cards with my husband and the next it was time to push...one push and he was out...

It looks like the majority vote here is for you to wait though - do what YOU want...if you want more time and you and your baby are both healthy regardless, wait. If your ready, I say go for it.

Good luck with whatever you decide and congratulations!

S.-
I was induced 2 times. Once because my blood pressure was so high kept seeing spots. The other time is a really long story that turned out fine in the end. Here is my 2 cents. Remember that the way the due date is calculated is usually 1 to 2 weeks before you actually get pregnant. Do what feels right. Best of luck.

Go for the induction- Your husband and mother are right-- you never know what can happen if you wait. All my kids were induced and all were great deliveries with no complications. Best of Luck!!

I was lucky I guess cause my water broke and I had no other choice but to deliver. I was not dialilated or efaced at all. The ob had said earlier in the week that it looks like the baby would be about 7lbs instead he was 8.13 and the dr still had to suck him out. He was perfectly fine. I think it is up to you just be careful since if he were any bigger I would have had to have him cecerian becasuse of my size. Good luck and I am sure you will make the right choice!

I know how you feel - I walked around for 3 weeks 2 1/2 cm dilated and 65% effaced!! I was so bummed to have to get my induction papers at my final appointment - I tried walking like crazy the two weekends before, eating pineapple, Chinese, Mexican, any old wives tale short of castor oil. Well I had my final appointment on Monday (I was due the day before (Sun)), got the appointment and my doctor knowing how badly I wanted to just go into labor said that we could always try to have sex (since they say there are some agents in semen like pitocin) - we were planning to anyway for that reason, but low and behold we had sex at 11:00PM that night and I was in labor at 1:30AM - 2 1/2 hours later! Not sure if it was the sex or the fact that I had given in to my fate of induction, but it happened! My advice would be to try the things I tried, wives tale or not, and if your doctor isn't concerned about the baby's size than you shouldn't be either. They actually thought my baby was going to be big ahead of time but he was 7lbs 7oz. I would take the induction with your doctor in 7 days if I were you and just relax and enjoy a few more nights of peaceful sleep! Best of luck to you with this incredible experience you're about to have! Congrats!

I think if your dr is giving you the option,then there is nothing wrong with waiting another week or 2. Both my girls were induced at 42 weeks and one was 8lbs and one was 6lbs. If ypu want your dr. though then you should consider the induction. If this is your first you may need to be induced but I would give it another week or 2.

Hi S.~
I would suggest the induction, only because I was induced with my 2nd baby for the same reason, and she ended up being 9lbs, 1oz...and that was actually at 38 weeks! I can't even imagine what her size would be had I ended up waiting that extra week or two. I was actually induced with both my children, and they both went very smoothly, so I have no complaints about it. I've never naturally gone into labor, so I can't offer any comparisons, but like I said I had a smooth labor being induced.
Good luck and congrats on the baby to be!!!
~J.~

S.,
I know how you are feeling. I was 10 days late with my first child. I had ultrasounds every other day to check fluid levels. My doctors finally induced when the levels were too low to wait any longer. I was given pitocin, and that made labor hard to manage. During my second pregnancy I was at a new practice and they told me they would not let me go long after my due date. The placenta dosen't work as well after 40 weeks and that can cause problems for the baby. I was not induced with my second child and labor was very manageable. If I had to choose I would choose to be induced, but not with pitocin. Talk with your doctor about the other options available to you for induction. Good Luck and trust your choice.

M. W.

Hi S.! I would definitely wait till you are 41 weeks. During the last couple months of pregnancy, the baby usually only gains about a 1/2 lb a week, so I think you would be ok, and it would be much better for both you and the baby if you gave the baby time to come when he/she is ready. I hope this helps.

S. Bailey CLD
Aurora
www.tendermomentsdoula.com

Hi S.,
I'm a mom (of 2) and also a birth educator and doula.
It sounds like your instincts are telling you to wait - you need to choose what's best for you. It's really important that you understand the benefits & risks of induction so you can make an informed choice. Have you had a non stress test? Bottom line is, if everything is ok with you, and everything is ok with your baby, you have options.
As far as the big baby potential - there are tons of positions to help a big baby rotate & have more room in the pelvis, and also induction for a suspected large baby does not result in a better outcome, just increases the chance/risks that come along with interventions & higher c/section chance.
So - o you have options & need to do what's right for you.
Best of luck!
A. Burns, LCCE, CD(DONA)
BIrth Talk

My poor mom was pregnant with me an extra three weeks and my younger sister an extra two and my other sister an extra one. That has not been the case for me I have actually gone early with my two. I have had friends that were induced and it has been ok for them. I think it's up to you on what you feel comfortable with?

I am also against induction unless it is necessary. Isn't your doc doing fetal monitoring since you are past your due date? That should help determine if the baby is doing alright. I told my doctor that I did not want to be induced unless it was absolutely necessary. My cousin just had an 8 lb baby 4 weeks after her due date.

Hi S.-

I don't know where you're located, but I went to Crown Point OB and my midwife and the other docs on staff there recommend a disgusting shake made with castor oil...you'll be on the toilet, but it will most likely put you into labor within 4-6 hours...it worked VERY well with my second baby...almost too well. If you call there, I'm sure someone will give you the recipe for it. I know it sounds crazy, but it works.

Good luck, hope your labor is quick and easy!

M.

Hi there,
I know you received a ton of responses, but I just wanted to encourage you to wait for the baby to come naturally. And don't let anyone, even your doctor, pressure you to do anything unless it is medically necessary. And always ask a lot of questions before going along with anything. It's your body and your baby.

I just have to say.... If you are induced, be prepared for a colicky baby!!! I totally believe it was the drugs that effected my kids! I would rather have a c-section then do that again!! I have four kids and two were induced. Both were colicky! And everyone that I know that had to be induced had a colicky baby too!!
Good luck and hopefully it will all go smoothly for you!

You've had lots of answers, but what the heck, one more! I know plenty of women who have been induced and have been happy with it, but having had one induction, I would have done ANYTHING to avoid going through that again. Violently fast labor, lots of pain. I did every tip known to womankind to make my second kid come on his own (which he did, thank goodness, and was born in a natural childbirth.)

My first son was induced at 41 weeks 5 days, and he was small and the doctor said he did not look like a baby who was past term, so we may have miscalculated weeks. They also thought he looked "big" on the US, but that was obviously wrong. Personally, I see no reason to rush things if there's no medical reason. 40 weeks is not late, especially for a first baby.

p.s. - after seeing another poster's response: My firstborn also had colic!

Find out how big they are estimating the baby to be. I was 11 days late and delivered a 9 lb 6 oz baby without induction (I am a small person!) It was fine, but they told me I was 50/50 to have a C-section due to his size, mine and position (hadn't dropped at all). I am now pregnant with my second and if I go over again, I want to find out sooner how big they are estimating him to be. I feel they would have induced earlier if they have any idea. I had an ultrasound on day 7, appt wasn't until day 9 and that was a Thursday and since they don't induce on weekends, I had to wait until Sunday night. I ended up going into labor on my own on Sunday mornnig.

There are new studies out now that say that induction births vs. late births have similar rates of C-section. I had a great labor - but I really don't want to risk a c-seciton if I can help it!!!!!

I agree with Courtney... except that the rate of stillbirth does not rise "sharply" at 42 weeks.

If you are doing well and baby is doing well-- don't meddle.

An induction when baby is not ready does not work and does lead to c-sections and more risks.

Complications from inductions and c-sections are a much higher risk then a 42 week baby.

This induction of convenience is dangerous. Do NOT let your doctor dictate your baby's birthdate for her scheduling convenience-- that is bad medicine. You have more than the option of 2 days or 7 days... You have the option to say no.

If you would like to encourage baby naturally-- you may want to try doing a lot of walking, having a lot of sex (stimulates hormones that produce contractions), doing nipple stimulation either manually or orally or with a breast pump. Remember-- this will only work if baby is ready. You may also want to contact an accupuncturist.

Best of luck! Let baby come when baby's ready!

I was in a similiar situation---finally induced at 41.5 weeks after a totally uneventful pregnancy. I wish now I would have waited even a little bit longer. We induced after an ultrasound at 36 wks thought he was already 8lbs and I just kept getting bigger. Long story short my induction never went anywhere and two days later I ended up with a c section. He and I were both fine, but he was only 7lb 7oz!!! Unless you're a small framed person, with a sig. larger husband I'd stick with your gut and wait. It also depends on your feelings about intervening---once your water breaks you deliver in about 24 hrs one way or another. Best of luck on your decision and with the new little one.

Trust your body and your instinct, S.. Your family means well, but only you know how your body feels at this time in your pregnancy... props to them for caring and being concerned, BIG props to you for sitting in a quiet place for 15 minutes or so with your hand on your belly just feeling your baby in your body, feeling your thoughts move and flow... and then for finding your voice to choose what feels right in your gut.
Its a wild ride... enjoy!

Hi S.,

I too was late, 12 days actually! I did not induce. I was due March 17, and my little man was born March 29. I did have an appointment to be induced on March 30. My labor started on it's own. I was in the same situation you are - 1 cm, 50% effaced for forever. I am glad that I waited, but I wish I had induced a little earlier. He was born at 10 pounds, 5 oz. I don't know if it was because he was late or because big babies run on my dad's side of the family. If big babies run in the family, I would induce to keep him from being any bigger, but not right away. Give your self time to go natually, it's always better that way!! If I am pregnant again in the future, I will wait a few days past my due date but not 12 days. However, if you induce, be prepared to have a c-section. I had to have one as well. Whenever they do one intervention (like induction) it usually causes another in duction to be done (c-section). The reason I had to have this was because my baby had a huge head and never dropped. I had to have a c-section, I had no choice. He couldn't be born naturally, we can't dialate that far. Hope this helps...

You are lucky that your doctor is letting you wait. One of my friends just had a baby (1st one) and her doc would not even wait until her due date to induce! One thing you could do is schedule an induction at 42 weeks to get it on the calendar and then you will probably go into labor knowing that you will not go past that date. As long as you are feeling ok (relatively speaking, of course) and the baby shows no signs of distress and the placenta looks ok, go for it!

My 2nd son was born 12 days late and 2 days before my scheduled induction. It was a wonderful experience and much different than my first birth which included numerous medical interventions and resulted in a c/s and a special needs child (note that I was low risk and all was completely normal during the pregnancy).

Good luck with your upcoming birth! You can do it!

Just remember 40 weeks is an average! The baby is healthy and your body knows how to do it's job. Being induced can cause many complications. Just wait, and there is nothing to worry about.
Congratulations, you are doing great! Give it time...
It's the same thing I say about pain medicine... by the time you really think you need it the baby is about to be born, and you don't really need it! I had all four of mine without. I know you can if you so choose!
gretchen

Congratulations! You must be so excited to meet you new littly boy. I delivered 10 days late and all went very well. I was fine. Baby was fine (7 lbs. 10 ozs.) and I don't regret waiting it out. My OB was going to induce me on day 14 if I didn't go into labor on my own. Once my labor did start on day 10, it ended up slowing down, so I ended up with Pitocen anyway. But the birth was great! Best of luck.

If you are healthy and have had a healthy pregnancy, there is no reason to be induced. All babies are different, and he will come when he is ready. I know people who have gone a month over their due dates and have had complication-free vaginal deliveries. Plus, pitocin changes the contractions, making them more intense. Going into labor naturally and laborning without pitocin to speed things up is best your you and baby if there is no special reason to do otherwise.

Hi S.,

I can understand your concern. The idea of a baby coming seems so surprising and exciting, but when it gets to the end we find that doctors give us a lot of the decision-making power and that seems so unnatural, in my opinion. I felt really strange about picking my son's birthday!

It sounds like you need to decide what's more important: do you want to be sure your OB delivers your baby, or do you want to let him come on his own? Either one is a valid choice and is absolutely up to you. Has your OB done an ultrasound recently to determine the size of the baby, or has she mentioned that he might be large? It's very possible that he will be average sized, so I wouldn't let that sway my decision. "The baby might get too big" seems to be something people just say, or use as some kind of excuse, but I don't know if it really means anything. Plus, I don't think he's going to gain 2+ pounds in 7 days, so I wouldn't worry.

Here is my experience:
1) I was scheduled to be induced at 40 weeks and 5 days with no dilation or effacement and 5 minutes after I checked into the hospital, I went into labor on my own.
2) They did give me pitocin later, but it stressed my son's heart rate so they took me off. I ended up with a c-section due to failure to progress - I believe this was genetic and not due to the induction.
3) Although I was on pitocin, my son was NOT colicky. He is a great sleeper and a healthy guy, in fact. I don't think there's any medical data to support the claim that induction leads to colic.

Finally, although a birth plan is a wonderful idea, your baby has his own plan and that's what will happen. If it makes you feel better to have the appointment, maybe you could schedule the induction in 7 days. That doesn't mean that your son won't come on his own in the meantime.

In retrospect, I wouldn't have changed anything about my delivery, unless it was to have the c-section sooner (I labored 21 hours). Unlike the message that some moms have sent, I had a c-section with no complications. My son's APGAR score was a 9. I was tired, but would have been also had I had a vaginal delivery, for sure. In the end, the delivery that gets you the healthiest baby is the right one. It's hard to know which before the fact, but just remember that that is your goal.

For now, enjoy him on the inside! I know it seems like you've been waiting forever, but the only thing that's for certain is he will come! Good luck to you and congratulations!

WOW! You got quite a response! I was induced on my 15th day and had a healthy 7 lbs 14.8 oz. boy - no epidural! Of course they monitored me and did stress tests and all. If you are healthy and and the doctors say it's okay, I don't think it would hurt to wait another week. Also, I was given a choice of which day to come in, so that is something you can probably coordinate with your OB. Babies know when it's time. Best wishes!

I was 21 days late with my daughter. I had to fight my doctor not to induce me at 40 weeks. I did get induced at 43 weeks, as I felt that she would be ready. I did not have any problems with my labor...no interventions at all. My son was 10 days late and born with me going into labor naturally (the way it's going, my next child could possibly be on time!! LOL).

The actual time for "full term" pregnancy is 40-43 weeks. So you could deliver at 43 weeks and still not be 'late'. It seems in this day and age doctors prefer to have the "work day" babies...or babies that they can plan themselves around...which isn't necessarily good for baby.

As much as the docs chart everything, each baby is different. My daughter (at 21 days late) was still only 8 lbs. 10 oz. My son at 10 days late was 7.7 lbs.

If you do not want to induce (you may want to do some research on inductions) just wait it out. As long as every one is healthy and there is no medical emergency...let baby come on it's own. I have not regretted letting my babies come when they were ready.