Be induced????

Shannon - posted on 07/30/2010

First, everything Allison is said is dead on, so I won't repeat the statistics stuff. I have done it both ways. My first was induced, which directly lead to my cesarean. I was laid up in bed, hooked up to multiple machines, unable to get up and feeling completely dejected and miserable. After 29 hours (19 with an epidural) her heart rate stopped coming back up after contractions and I was rushed in for a c-section. My son was planned as a homebirth. I went into labor on my own, but things were slower. After 36 hours at home I went into the hospital to get a little rest through meds. I ended up with a light epidural (could move the whole time) and a couple hours of Pitocin, but had my baby vaginally with no complications. I highly recommend waiting it out and letting your baby decided when he or she is ready to join the world.

Allison - posted on 07/29/2010

I want to emphasize again to all the other expecting mommies out there, inducion withOUT a medical indication (i.e. just wanting to speed things up) INCREASES the risks to you and your baby. That means that if you and baby are doing well prior to 41-42 weeks, it is actually CONTRA indicated to be induced (meaning it increases risks) - even though many doctors still do it :(



Induction CAN go fine, and does for lots of women, but the chances (statistically speaking) are much higher for something to go wrong - after which time more interventions are usually needed to keep you and baby safe.



I'm not just saying this from personal experience or hearsay - The studies are showing this to be true time and time again, but despite this many doctors encourage it anyway. It's just an example of medical practice lagging behind the medical recommendations and research. We all want to get our babies out quickly and want to trust our doctors, so many women still go ahead with early induction when it's suggested - but *typically* experience a chain of avoidable interventions - often ending with a c-section - as a result. (That's to say, induced mommies experience WAY more c-sections than those who wait for spontaneous labor. I think it's almost twice as likely!) Many "early" inductions (i.e. before about 41 weeks) do NOT lead to a quicker birth of a healthy baby, as most induced mommies are hoping for... And you always have to keep in mind that due dates cannot be totally accurate.



I've talked to several OBs, midwives and nurses about this, and read several studies, so I really feel it is important to get the word out on this issue. Medical practices around the US are starting to change to reflect this new knowledge, but change is progressing very slowly (as usual) so you have to educate yourself.



I hope you have a beautiful birth :)

Michelle - posted on 07/29/2010

I am on baby #6 and #4 was induced. NEVER AGAIN! Not unless there is some life threatening issue that I have to be induced .
I am currently 38 weeks , feeling like crap most of the time and uncomfotable , still refuse to be induced no matter how uncomfy I am .
Induction as many have stated can cause more issues including a C-section. It can be very rough on the body and baby if you are not ready. They had problems getting me to go when they induced me and we nearly lost my son. It caused a great deal of stress on him and things went a little more unnaturally quicker than it should have once they got me to go ...... 1/2 an hour to go from 2 cm to him crowning and his heart rate dipping into the teens with each contraction , and there were contractions ontop of contractions not allowing his HR to go back up.
All my natural deliveries were much more simple , even with them giving pitocin to help aid them , the staff didn't seem as rushed to get things over.
One of my best friends just had baby #4 last Tues . She too had no probs with any of her natural deliveries . After being induced Tues morning the staff didn't think she was progressing quick enough and decided to do a C-section that afternoon/early evening. The dr decided to induce her not because of a medical reason , but figured she usually went a week early with each of her kids that he would go ahead and induce a week early with this one. She wishes now she would have waited.

Elisa - posted on 07/28/2010

I have been induced with my first 2 and I have scheduled to be induced on my third one on Aug 25th. It was alot easier for me and my last labor was only 6 hours!!

AnnMarie - posted on 07/28/2010

hey how exciting for u my water broke on its own i still had to be given oxytocin via drip as my body just didnt want to go into labour i guess lol i personally am hoping to go naturally with my second as the drip brought me on from no pain to full on labour so quick i couldnt relax into it i put up with the pain from 7pm till 1 30am when i asked for an eipdural bub was born at 9 45 am i really want to try with out the epi this time to im due in next thurs woohoo ,

Susanne - posted on 07/28/2010

I refused to be induced on all three of my sons i went between 5-10 days late on all of them. They say there are more complications if your induced.

Melanie - posted on 07/28/2010

i had 5 natural and they were 57 hrs 22 1/2 hrs 30 hrs 10 hrs 4 hrs... my last was induced cos of iugr, and it was 4 hrs.... i prefer going naturally cos it unexpected but being induced did hurry it along and that was exciting too... im pregnant with my 7th and although i hope i go naturally but if i had to be induced i wont be scared or anything this time lol.... GOOD LUCK

Jane - posted on 07/27/2010

i was scheduled both times for induction but my girls each came 5 days early on their own after my water broke - 2 days before the inductions. sex helped us both times, sperm contains pitocin. but if you're not ready, the amount in the sperm may not activate things, the pitocin in the hospital will.
i was in labor for 16 hours w/our first and about the same w/our second but i had epidurals and was very, very comfortable. both our girls were born bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. i didn't care for the pain that i had w/out the epidurals. and i plan on having one w/this baby as well.

Allison - posted on 07/27/2010

Ask your doctor about the risks versus benefits before going ahead with the induction. Inductions can go smoothly if your body and baby are ready for sure, but in general, unnecessary induction increases pain and the need for interventions including c-section. That's just the overall statistics, but it also depends a lot on how your doctor, nurses and hospital do the induction.

I had a great natural labor at 2 1/2 WEEKS "overdue". Granted, I was SOOOO ready to have it over with for, like, a month, but my body just took it real slow! Since my body and baby were both healthy and well, I decided to wait. Even the labor lasted quite a while (24 hours after my water broke before started "active" labor, then another 12 hours before I started pushing), but everything went really smoothly and gradually, so I never needed any pain relief and it was all very peaceful!

I did EVERYTHING to induce naturally EXCEPT castor oil (because I heard there are a few risks to that) and I finally went into labor after acupuncture and really spicy Thai food. Before that, I tried lots of sex, lots of walking, spicy food, beer, and scary movies. Oh, nipple stimulation also works I guess, but only if you do both sides for 3 HOURS a day. No way I wanted to do that.

But it had to happen some time, anyway, so who knows if any of that actually made a difference!!!! Good luck to you and if everything is checking out healthy, it really is the lowest-risk option to let nature take it's course. You can find a lot of good information online, and ask your doctor lots of questions, too. And what helped me is to remember that NO one has ever been pregnant forever :)

http://www.birthingnaturally.net/birth/i...
http://www.ican-online.org/pregnancy/ind...
http://www.childbirthconnection.org/arti...

Vanessa - posted on 07/27/2010

I was also induced and had a 10hr labor.
Being induced was sooooooo much of a relief for me - but if you'd like a natural labor inducer - go make love with wild reckless abandon after taking a walk with your hubby - follow it up with a curry! LOL

Delta - posted on 07/27/2010

I was induced and had my daughter in 10 hours