Induction

Everything I've read / been told is that it's fine for the baby to go up until 42 weeks as long as mom and baby are both doing well (good heartbeat, enough amniotic fluid, etc). (And even 43 weeks used to be considered ok, but that's changed to 42 in recent years.)

Today is my due date, so...my new addition may be a bit on the "late" side, as well.

Good luck!
JB

H.,

Ok this is going to sound so odd but try it. I did it and it works...drink a huge glass of raspberry tea while you walk. presto, baby wants out!

Good Luck and CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!

C.
rmemeber you may need to do this a few times but it beats induction

Hi H.:

I did a lot of walking around the neighborhood. I guess gravity helps.

I went in for the induction and I started on my own. Good luck.

As a slow-cooker mom myself (two births at nearly 42 weeks, normal size babies) I know what that last stretch is like!

I did an awful lot of research on birth and induction and here's the best resource I found - every thing you need to know to make a choice you are confident in. Best of luck to you!

http://www.hencigoer.com/articles/elective_induction/

I always go back and forth about telling the induction story to new moms who ask because the topic is looked upon as a little scary, but in this case I will since you've already had a baby, you know it's not all flower and roses. And you asked. LOL. I was induced with my first because my amniotic fluid was in the dangerous zone which can lead to cord accidents. So I didn't have much choice in the matter and wish I'd done what you are doing - getting information. I had no idea really what do expect.

I was 8 days late when I was induced. First, they tried to introduce me vaginally with a supository because I was already dialated to 3 and effacing. That didn't work and just gave me cramps all night long (so much for sleep). And they checked my blood pressure every hour (again, so much for sleep). Then they hooked me up to the Pitocin drug at 6am. It kicked in about 9am. By the time I was at 5 cm dialated I felt like I had to push because my contractions were so strong. They only way that was going to stop was an epidural, so I got one. If I hadn't I was going to slow my labor and that wasn't a good thing.

My best advice about induction is to remember intervention (being induced) leads to intervention leads to intervention. You have IV, saline, fetal monitor, so if you went au natural last time, it will be quite the change for you. Once you are hooked up to the pitocin, you have to have an open mind about relaxation drugs, epidurals, C-sections, everything. The contractions on pitocin are stronger than natural contractions. And I've heard this from several other moms, so I know it's not just me. My ob/gyn told me at the time that average contractions on the fetal monitor measure to about 75% and mine were at 95%, so I was not imagining it and I wasn't the wuss I thought I was.

I was lucky - my labor pains started at 9am and my daughter was born at 3:30pm. That was because after the epidural I went from 5cm to 8cm in an hour and 8cm to 10cm in a half hour. In my case, my body needed that epidural to do it's thing. I've had induced friends have 36 plus hours of labor and friends go have only 5 hours. You will never know, but I'd hope that since it's your second, you'd be on the short side since your body already knows what to do.

I've done labor both ways. My son came much like your first one, a day early and in 2 hours and 54 minutes. I had no time for drugs (had I wanted them or needed them) and the contractions were only as strong as my induction contractions for the last cm or so. It was a much easier labor, even w/o drugs.

Frankly, with my first, had I not had the safety issue, I would have not chosen to be induced. I would have waited the six more days until 2 weeks late - my OB said that's as far as I could go late-wise. And I was miserable too and had tried all those self induction tricks. My daughter was measuring smaller though - she was only 7lbs 5 oz when born, so 6 more days would not have made her very big. What does your OB say about the size? I thought if the baby was too big, most OBs suggested induction sooner?

Everyone is different, this is just my story. Some people get a little jolt of pitocin and their body takes over and goes for it. Mine just didn't do that. I had the drug until I pushed. Therefore, I'm only a fan of induction when truly medically necessary, but that's just me. I'm sure there will be other opinions on that. Hope that helps a little. Good luck.

Hi H.,
Have you tried Acupuncture. I am an Acupuncturist and we work a lot with induction. It can be VERY helpful! Where are you located? I could help you find a great acupuncturist who specializes in fertility and pre/post natal. Also you could try the Castro Oil, yet it can make you have diarrhea.
B.

There is a method using castor oil and orange juice that my midwife swore would work. She said its not pretty though, wiht vomitting involved, but works, and better than m,edical interverntion perhaps. good luck
R

I was induced with my twins at 38 weeks. I originally was a scheduled c-section and then both babies turned head down and conditions were right, and I was dialated 2 cm. The induction went smoothly and was glad to have it done. When they hooked up the pitocin, I didn't notice any change in the pain or anything. When I got to 3 cm. they gave me the epidural, and I felt no pain what so ever......I could tell when it was time to push, and I had the girls within 11 hours......

Consider acupunture. It can help get your body ready for delivery without the use of chemicals, i.e. pitocin.
Depending on where you live there is probably a practitioner in your area who specializes in obstetrical acupuncture.
Good luck.

I have found that induction usually produces the hardest labor and often results in the need for a C section. Unless you or the baby are under duress I would wait it out. She will come when she and your body are ready.

Hi,
I was induced, early at 37 weeks with my first. I had a bowel obstruction and I was in severe, non-tolerable, constant pain. It went fine with me, but I understand everyone and every pregnancy/birth is different. My baby was a good size for being 3 weeks early, 6.6 lbs, but since you are far enough along, as you said, your baby's weight won't be an issue. Just think, this birth/labor can't be as bad/long as your first, right?
Good Luck!

This worked for me and my aunt with her 4 kids... scrub the bathtub like you're trying to scrub the enamel off of it and then vacuum the whole house. if you have that assist on your vacuum.. turn it off! I went in to labor the next morning at 4:30am.

I am a mom of 4 children. The first three were born on time or early, but the 4th did not want to be as cooperative. When I went in to be induced at 41 weeks and 2 days (lol, they think) it was very nerve racking. Long story short, they began with rupturing my water and I felt few contractions but nothing that they wanted. They then used the drug Pottosin (I’m not sure about the spelling) and 4 hours later I had a 9lb 15oz baby boy. Yes, all of them were natural. I was given the choice of the drug first or the rupturing of the water. You might have that same option. Good luck!

best of luck!!! All I have to say is that when I was induced for the 2nd baby, it was wonderful. The labor went so smooth and easy (with epidural of course), it was nothing like my horrible first labor experience. Hopefully it goes great for you too. Congratulations!!

Hope all goes well with the birth, you are in our prayers
Hugs
B.(Granny of 4 grandsons)

Babies come in their own time. When they are ready, they stimulate hormone production to induce labor. In the meantime, your baby is teaching you patience and trust, and you have an opportunity to learn these attributes!

Be patient, trust the process, and that birth day will come at just the right time! Honor this time for what it is -- precious!

Best wishes,

M. Milos, RN

Try to wait as long as you can before you induce because it is VERY unpleasant! I had to be induced because there was something irregular on the non-stress test. Potocin is terrible stuff. I would suggest trying to talk your doctor into letting you go as long as possible, no matter how much you want to have her asap!
Good luck!

Hi H.,

I was induced with my son. He was born 1 week late. No I don't have anything to compare it to because he is my first. However it was really easy. They had me come in the night before, they inserted what was called "hormones on a stick" and let me go to sleep. The next morning they removed it, let me shower and eat and about an hour or so after that they started the pitocin. They increased it slowly, but once I started to progress on my own then stoped it. I was in labor start to finish for 12 hours. It wasn't as painfull as everyone told me it would be. I hope that helps.

K.

H.,

I had great success with Castor Oil. It is the oil from Castor beans, which is all natural, found at Walgreens. It works by stimulating your intestines to cause bowel movements and since your intestines now surround your uterus like a cocoon will stimulate it to begin contracting as well. I made a fruit/yogurt smoothie to get part of it down and downed the rest by dipping apples in it. Since it is thick oil it doesn't mix well by just stirring it in. My Doula wrote a "prescription" for it. She recommended I start with 2 oz (1/2 the bottle) wait an hour then 1oz wait another hour then take the remaining ounce. I started having contractions exactly 12 hours from the first dose and had an all natural; fast a furious 5 hour labor/delivery! I had read on the net so many people that had horrible experiences with it, but I found that I was already slow in the bowels so this was actually helpful even if labor didn't result. I will definitely do this again next pregnancy!

K.

I have four sons, my first two with out induction and my last two with. My first son weighed in at 10lbs 13oz, I delivered him naturally without drugs or anything. My second was natural without drugs also. With my induced births I required meds!! I had an epidural with my last son. Labor hurts, induced labor hurt me way more! There weren't any side effects to the boys from the inductions they are/were healthy babies. I hated being induced I felt out of control and the pain was so much more intense. Good luck with whatever you choose.

I would not recommend being induced. No matter how “ready” you are for the baby. I was induced a week before my baby’s due date because of pregnancy induced hypertension, MD recommendations. I felt I was ready and couldn’t wait to meet my baby etc. I was induced on Wednesday. They put the IV in me and I waited and waited, and waited. Come Thursday still nothing until late that night ~11pm everything started but still I could not push her out. Her heart rate was going down and I was sent to C-section on Friday. We had to stay at the hospital from Wednesday through Monday. I had to beg them to let me and the baby out then because they wanted to keep me another day. So if you have your heart on a vaginal birth, I would wait. They baby will come when it is ready.

Because I was on IV for DAYS I was so puffy and swollen, I could not put on my shoes that I arrived in to go home. The biggest issue I had was that breastfeeding did not work out for us. I now have learned that I had three strikes against me, pregnancy induced hypertension, induction, and then c-section. My baby was not getting enough milk no matter what I did (herbal teas, beer, special diet, etc…..I tried every legendary tale). I had seen two different lactation specialists and my baby’s MD told me to put her on formula because she was still losing weight after we were home for awhile. I still cry about the guilt I feel about being a failure at this….even though I know I tried everything. And everywhere I went people would ask “Are you breastfeeding?” which is really none of their business. I always answered yes because no one really believed me and it was too hurtful to listen to someone say oh you really didn’t try hard enough.

I really didn’t have a choice if I was to be induced or not, but if I did I would have waited. Enjoy the sleep you are having now because it will never be the same again. I now have a thriving 2 year old girl and love every minute with her.

I wouldn't worry about when the baby comes on her own or if the doctor's have to induce. You can try alot of walking, but don't reach or squat too much. The baby is going to come when your body is ready to let her out. The doctor's know what they are doing. I bet everything happened like clock work with your 1st daughter and now you are worried things are going the same for the 2nd one. I have 2 girls too and my 7 year old was a day late and my 3 year old was a week early. Pregnancies are never the same. You will have a full staff at the hospital there for you and your baby. Just relax and let things into play they way they are supposed to be. Everything will work out fine and stressing about it, will not be good for you and the baby's health. Since she is so close to being born, you just need to be calm and it will happen. Good luck with you and your little one. Take Care. :)~

Perhaps you know this already but pitocin causes contractions to become more frequent and last for longer. The side effect of this is that labor can be more exhausting for you and more stressful for your baby. Remember that your baby gets squashed with each contraction and you have to try and stay relaxed for longer more frequent contractions. There should be fetal monitoring and contraction monitoring becuase the dose will be increased depending on yours and the babies reaction. There is a correlation between inductions and an increase chance of c-section due either to maternal exhaustion or fetal distress. In part due to possible fatigue/distress and also becuase your contractions may be strong compared to how much you have dilated.

Personally I would not want to be induced unless there was medical reason, decreased amniotic fluid etc. It is a misnomer that we are not capable of delivering big babies. Plus your due date can be off by at least a week. There is research to suggest that quite a large number of induced babies are in fact not 40 weeks at all. So unless you know your conception date with absolute certainty you can not be sure you are actually a week overdue. I know of very petite women who have delivered 10lb babies vaginally just fine so don't be afraid of a big baby. There are so many important hormonal changes during labor/birth that occur for both your good and the good of the baby post-birth that by choosing to induce you risk missing out on them.

If it is any consolation I have a friend who went 3 weeks over with her first. Keep up the walking, sex, curries, red raspberry tea, cohosh, castor oil in orange juice, etc etc and enjoy your last few days of freedom.

Good luck!

Hi H.-
I have almost the EXACT same story. My second baby was 12 days late, and my first labor was 3-4 days long. I had to push a little to get the docs to induce me, but they did. I went for hosital induction with #2 as soon as they would let me and it went great- no epidural, 9-10 hours of labor, just easy compared to the first. Good luck! Hopefully it is easy for you, too.
M.

Hey H.,
I opted for induction so I could be delivered by my Doctor. He was leaving on a vacation. My induction turned into natural, turned into with drugs and when none of that worked, I ended up with a C section. The moral of this story, sometimes you go in to be induced and you can end up with a "C" section which in my estimation is the worst form of childbirth. It is easy on delivery but the recovery period is the worst. All the best. Personally, I think you should just wait until the baby is ready to come into this world on his or her own. D.
PS: I have 3 kids. One naturally. One with drugs and the last a "C" section. The best form of child birth for me was the use of drugs to help me cope with the pain of the contractions.

I was induced both times with my daughters. The first time I was seeing a specialist and he told me not to wait any longer. So I decided to set up a time to be induced. The only problem to me was the labor came on fast hard and strong. It was a very painful experience. The second time I vowed I would not be induced again. However my water broke two weeks early with only a few contractions. I was only dilated 2cm. So the doctor induced me. I told him if he was going to induce I wanted an epidural right away. I was so mad, I didn't want to be induced. The epidural made it a lot nicer. I am hoping not to have to go through it again when I have my next child. Well good luck-I have heard of some women who got induced and had no problems at all, but I am wimp.

Dear H.,
Holy Goodness!
A ten pound baby? You deserve at least 100 gold stars!
I'm so glad your baby finally arrived. Congratulations!
I guess it's too late for induction tricks at this point.
Make sure you get the rest you need and enjoy your new addition.

Blessings!

I was induced at 41 weeks and 5 days. I tried walking (even some major uphill hiking), sex, and spicy food to no avail. My little one was comfy and not coming out on his own. Just like everyone else has told you, pitocin induction can be rough. He is my first baby so I have no other experience with labor, but my contractions were hard and long with not a whole lot of break in between (about a minute and a half). I wanted to have as natural of a birth as possible, but I lasted 6 hours at only 3cm (I started at 2cm) of my 12 hour labor before getting an epidural. Once I had the epidural it seemed like the rest of my delivery went lightning fast. I also felt so much more aware and very much enjoyed the last half of my experience. I also ended up pushing for about an hour and a half because of the pitocin but it felt like 20 min..
I guess my advice to you is to obviously do what is best for both you and your baby. But also, if you are planning a natural birth and you do have to be induced and you end up getting meds or an epidural, don't let it make you feel like you let anyone down (including yourself). I had issues with this but realised in the end that the most important thing was that me and my baby are healthy and happy.
Good luck!

I was induced with my second baby (Dr's Choice), and everything was great! I was nervous, though, because I had heard all these "stories" about how much more uncomfortable it is.

Well I had none of that, well........nothing out of the ordinary :o) Labor is Labor!

I think women say it's worse to be induced, because your body isn't "naturally" going through early labor. But, after an hour or two good labor, your body and mind catch up with eachother and it's just labor :o)

Anyway, don't worry. Nowadays, these Dr's really know all the tricks about inducing. That little girl is coming when SHE'S ready anyway :o)

Good Luck & Congratulations!

Love, N.

Acupuncture is known to help "induce" labor! I am an acupuncturist in El Dorado Hills and I have experience in this. If you are interested please let me know! Good luck with whatever you decide!! I was induced with my first child. I tried acupuncture first ( I found out one day before the medical induction that my midwife wanted to induce me so I was only able to do 1 acupuncture treatment). The acupuncture started my labor. Unfortunately, my labor didn't progress after I dilated to 5cm and they ended up giving me pitocin. But remember, every situation is different! I wish you luck!

With my son, my water broke however no labor. Within minutes of being hooked up to the IV I was in full blown labor. It didn't take long at all. Since you have already been through childbirth I don't need to tell you about the pain. I do not know if it hurts worse or not as I only have one child.

Hi H.,
If you do induce, there will be pitocin. Pitocin is a drug that speeds up contractions. Request an epidural if this is the case. Hours after I was induced things were not progressing as quickly as the Dr hoped, pitocin was turned up & there was no rest between contractions and lots of pain. My advice if induced...tell them to keep pitocin low or get epidural asap.
Best of luck!!

I was induced with both of my beautiful boys. They are 6 years old and 1 year old, his birthday is today. The first thing you need to know is that everyone's experience is different. You could have 5 babies and the experiences could all be the same are all be very different. That goes the same with induction or natural birth. We are all going to have different stories to bring to the table.

I had blood pressure problems with my first and second babies, so they had to induce me both times. Would I have chosen induction, probably not because natural is the common thing to do and has been done since the beginning of time. Also, who wants to put medicine in their body if they don't have to. My first son had to be induced at 8 months because my blood pressure was creeping up and they did not want to go up on my BP medicine any higher. He was a little guy, 4 lbs., 6 oz. and came very quickly. They gave me Petossin and the progression went like clockwork, just like a natural birth. The contractions started, the bag broke, I pushed 3 or 4 times and he was out. My contractions started at 4 a.m. in the morning and he was born at 11:00 a.m.

My second one was a whole different experience. He was full term when they induced me. Once they started the induction, it took me about 18 hours to dialate and have him, over 2 hours of pushing. I was not dialating as fast as they wanted, so they gave me more Petossin. The contractions and the baby would not break my water bag, so they had to do it. Now, I will tell you that if they have to break your bag, for me that was darned uncomfortable. He was 7 lbs, 1 oz.

In any event, 2 babies later with both of them being induced, all is fine. Babies will come when babies want to come. I have heard and seen so many different experiences. Because of my high risk pregnancies, I had more stress test than I could count. The stress test were stressing me out but they are very accurate in what they can detect. They will know when it is time to induce you, if that needs to happen. Your experience will be your experience. No one can really tell you how it will go but the best part at the end of whatever way you go, you will finally see that little face that has been inside you, and you will forget about the whole experience. At least I did. You know what I remember most about both of my labors. It was not the pain or discomfort, it was these terrible chills/shakes that I got right before the hard labor. Like I said, everyone is different. Good luck and god bless.

My son was due on November 21st, 2003 and was born via c-section on December 6th after two rounds of induction. So I totally know what you are going through.

I would talk to your doctor about a pain management plan, you may have it easier than I did since this is your second pregnancy. The induction medication can be harsher than natural labor depending on the dosage. It basically creates labor pains, but often faster -- according to women who had both natural and induced labor. You also will have to stay in bed and be monitored because they need to check if the baby is stressed at all. We had to turn it off the second time because, it was stressing my son. When they returned they had no dilation anymore so they went to c-section.

Looking back on my experience I would have gone straight to a c-section, and if I ever got pregnant that would be my choice since my body did not respond to induction.
You do have natural labor and a vaginal birth, so that would seem to be a good sign, but I am not sure and sometimes it seems doctors are just guessing.

Every pregnancy is different so there is no reliable way of telling you what YOU should do. Talk to your doctor.

My philosophy is that it really doesn't matter how you get your child delivered as long as it is healthy. I am sure everything will turn out wonderful.

Good luck

My first son was induced which lead to a c-section, not because I was induced but because the cord was wrapped around his neck and he was in distress. He was 10 days late. I had my second child naturally also 10 days late. There comes a time when you have to get the baby out. If you trust your doctor I would do what they recommend. Good luck. Sometimes things do not go exactly as we plan but we have a beautiful healthy baby in the end.

Three of my four babies were induced. For me, the key was having my water broken right at the beginning. Request it and be firm. Once the water is broken, it went very quickly for me. The last one was 2 3/4 hours from start to finish, with 1 minute of pushing. The 3rd was longer because they resisted breaking my water, but once they did it went very quickly. I found the pain more tolerable than when I went into labor naturally. And with only a few hours of work, I was less worn out in the end. Do not let other peoples scary stories ward you off. Everyone is different. Inducing is not evil! Good luck.

I am a mom of 4 children ages 14, 10, 7 and 4.

Hi H.,

I recommend that you wait as long as you can, provided that both you and the baby are doing well. I was induced with my first baby and I didn't enjoy it at all. My 2nd came naturally and I loved the whole process. It's amazing how different it is. Oh, and my 2nd one was 10.4 - BIG! But he came out in 8 minutes. Much better than the 3 HOURS it took to push #1 out after I was induced.

Good luck!

I have 4 wonderful little boys. I was induced with 3 of them my 1st one was horriable they induced 2 weeks early because of health problems. but as for my last child they induced me because i was over due but the thing i did different was i walked up very high streets with one foot on the curb & the other in the gutter.it helped my pregnancy so much! the more you walk will help more then 1 way.i hope to hear back from you! congrats on your new baby!

Hi H.,

Like Beth said in an earlier message, acupuncture can work. I'm also an acupuncturist and if you don't already have or know of an acupuncturist, I'd be happy to help. I'd also be happy to share some things with you that you could try at home on yourself.

J.

Dear H.,
The only time I suggest induction is if there is a medical emergency to you or to your baby. The baby knows when it's time to get born. Normal gestation is 42 weeks and I know several ladies who have given birth to healthy babies at 42+ weeks.
Best to you and your growing family, S.

Well, I was induced at 42 weeks and honestly I wish I had waited. The baby was fine and there was no issues but the doctor wanted to go ahead since we were "technically" past due. But my due date had changed so many times that I really think that we had the wrong date in the first place and we could have waited.

Hi, H.,
I was TWO weeks late with both boys! So I had to be induced for both. I wanted a natural labor and though they say that your body will eventually go into labor, that just was not the case with my body. The amniotic fluid was all gone and they said it was dangerous to not induce, so I had little choice. Just beware that if you get induced, you will probably need the epidural. I wanted to try without it and with the first child, I lasted 8 hours without asking for the epidural, but I didn't really dilate very quickly, due to the pain I was fighting. The second time around, I couldn't even inhale through the contractions, they were so powerful, so I had to get the epidural again. So, if you were not planning on having an epidural, you just may have to get used to the idea if you are getting induced. If you were already planning on having it, then no biggie. The contractions will more than likely be fast and hard. I had to wait a while before my labor started, even with pitocin. It took about 8 hours of pitocin to kick in my contractions. I would say wait as long as you can or as long as the doctor lets you wait. I KNOW it feels like forever...I have been there...twice! But it would be a much better labor if you can wait until your body starts it on its own. I was forced by the doctors to induce on both accounts and neither time was it the experience I was hoping for. The first time it was due to high blood pressure AND no more amniotic fluid. The second time it was for no more amniotic fluid, again as well as an increase in my blood pressure. Good luck to you and congratulations!

I have had two babies; one was induced, and the other was totally natural. The induction was my firt born and it was an awful experience. The pitocin makes the contractions extremely hard to deal with and so I requested the epidural. All the pitocin made my baby's heart rate very irregular and they had me sign papers to do an emergency C-sect. At the last second, though...the nurse checked me and I was finally ready to push so I did end up with a vaginal birth (thank god) but I swore I would never do induction again. It was h*** o* me and h*** o* the baby. The second time around, I labored at home until my water broke, and made it to the hospital totally dialated and pushed for less than 18 mins and the baby was out and doing wonderful with no intervention. No drugs, no IV, nothing. Breastfeeding was so much easier with the second one as well - she went on right away where as my first born took hours and hours and lost over 10% of his birth weight while we were in the hospital. I do attribute our rough start to the whole induction process and would encourage women to avoid induction at all cost. Also... do a google search on "Business of Being Born" ... it's a documentary and there is a link out there to watch it free online. That video really opened my eyes up to how the health care industry is geared towards getting you in and out ASAP for THEIR needs.... not your's. It also shows out the pitocin and epidural are not really good for the baby and make it harder on you. I wish I had seen that before the first time being induced. I would have kept my pants on until the baby was ready on his own.
If you are worried about the size of the baby... In my experience, they are wrong a lot about the size. I went into spontaneous labor with the second baby at one day short of 42 weeks. They had been suggesting induction but I kept avoiding it. They can't induce you if you don't show up!! Anyway... my daughter was only 6lbs13oz even with being almost two weeks "late." My son who was induced labor at nine days "early" was 7lbs12oz. With the second baby, I did not even tear so I had no stitches and the recovery was super easy. You just never know what the baby will actually weigh until he/she comes out. good luck and try to hang in there!!

Hi H.,
I can hear you on being ready! Both my boys were 9 days past due date. The second labor I helped along by taking a small amount of black/blue cohash. Check the spelling. It's an herbal inducer. I took a little in the afternoon and was in serious labor by 8p.m. Check out the natural websites... it's all there. I was attended by a midwife for both births (also saw my regular obgyn. GO WITH YOur GUT. and try not to be pressured by all those tests. It all happens as it's supposed to. Good luck with your precious one

Hi H.:
everyone's experience is different, I was worried about being induced b/c a friend whose labor stalled out after almost a day said that being put on pitocin was almost unbearable, but for my delivery (41 weeks with twins) I was fortuante that things went about as smoothly as they could've other than the fact that the maternity ward was unusually busy that day so I ended up getting checked in at around 3:30 in the afternoon instead of early morning like my doc had told me to expect. All through my pregnancy I had hardly any contractions, even in weeks 40-41 so I was getting pretty convinced that my babies weren't planning on coming out on their own. My doc broke my water and started the pitocin at about 6 p.m., and by 9 p.m. I was about at my pain threshold and very relieved when my doc said I was dilated enough for an epidural. At about midnight they moved me to the OR for delivery- the L&D nurses at Alta Bates are awesome and told me exactly when to push, so the epidural didn't interfere at all. Baby A came out at a little after 1 a.m. and baby B came out by breech extraction 4 minutes later.

H.,
My doctor always said having sex will induce labor. It does work, we did that with our 3rd child
W.

H., congratulations and I can sympathize with you as I was also 41 weeks when I had to be induced. After the non-stress test it was found that I didn't have much ambiotic fluid left for it to be safe for the baby. This was my first child so I don't have much to compare it to but I didn't find it that unsettling. I went into the hospital at 7 on a Sat. night and they started the potosin (sp?) @ 9 that night. The contractions started very mildly and went throughout the night, I didn't sleep out of excitment not pain. They started to get pretty strong and really close together about noon the next day and I opted for some pain relief. It allowed me to relax and dialate and my baby was born at 5 that evening, after only 10 mins. of pushing. I hope to go into labor naturally next time but it wasn't a bad experience. Good luck!

Hi H.,

I hope you have had her by now. I was induced a week before she was due. My daughter is almost two and we are currently trying for another at this time. My daughter was already estimating to be big. They had thought she was already 8 1/2 pounds. I got induced on July 26, 2008 at mid afternoon,they gave me pitocin in doses and then increased. At about 12 midnight my water broke. The pain/contractions were coming every 2 mintues. I didn't get an epideral till about 5 the next morning. I was in labor for 40 hours. I had to have a emergency c-section because my daughter went into to stress and also she was going to come out cause her shoulders weren't going to fit. She was born on July 28, 2006 at 12:45 p.m. I felt they should of done a c-section at 20 hours but the one doctor didn't want to. I dilated to 7 centimeters but that is it. I wouldn't say it was a bad thing being induced, it is just how long is it going to take for baby to come out, and how much pain it is going to be between contractions, and when will you get that epideral if you choose to go that route. I have had many friends with different stories and they came out in less time, or the had to have a c-section, or not as much pain. At least with my next one I will get to have a c-section scheduled which is fine with me.

Hope this helps. It isn't necessary bad that you have a big child. My daughter was 9lbs , 6.8 ounces, 19/38 long. She is a very petite child. She barely fits into 24 month clotes yet.

R.

My instinct is to say WAIT until your baby comes on her own. I know it is difficult to play the waiting game when you are overdue (and off from work), but if the baby is still safe - WAIT. The medical community will pressure you into interventions. But, it won't be much longer, H....hang in there and let God's timing tick.

I had a girl on her due date, a boy 8 days late (ugh), a boy 5 days late, and am expecting a baby on 10/1.

The morning they were pressuring me to be induced with my second child (after a normal result non-stress test), I refused, refused, refused (it was 9 days before Christmas and doctors were heading for vacation), but my little guy came that same day ON HIS OWN at 7:40 p.m. With natural labor and delivery totaling 1 hour 40 minutes.

I pray your little girl comes with such timing!

p.s. if you develop a GREAT plan to STAY HOME - pass it on! I'd love to stay home, and haven't been able to swing it!

I was a week late and gained 50 pounds, everybody said she was going to be big, she was only 7 pounds but 22 inchs. The doctors will probrably induce you, your baby just doesn't want to come out.

Hi H.,
I had my first child 4 months ago and had to be induced. He just didn't want to come out, he hadn't dropped, I was only dialated 1/2 centimeter and having no contractions. I was 11 days overdue. They gave me cervadil when I went in on a Friday night and said that I could sleep that night and they were going to start pitocin the next morning. My doctor told me the cervadil may give me some mild contractions but I ended up with horrible contractions the whole night, 10 hours, I got no sleep at all they were so painful. I never did get the pitocin because my son was not tolerating the contractions and I had an emergency c section. I personally don't believe that being induced will harm you or your child. Since I never made it to the pitocin I can't tell you what to expect from that but just be aware that if they give you cervadil the contractions may end up worse than they tell you. That's just my own experience and I hope it helps some.

My OB for my first birth said "Nothin' good comes from a late baby." I was a week overdue when they induced. The Pitocin caused the contractions to come on pretty strong, but it took 18 hours for me to dialate. They tried the suction and the tongs...I pushed on my back on my side...and nothing. She finally came out, but good grief. And she was an average sized baby - 7 lbs 2 oz.

For the second baby I didn't want to be even a day late. I scheduled an induction on her due date. They gave me the pitocin and the contractions hit me like a brick wall w/in an hour. The dr. broke my water and she came out pretty quickly. From check-in to delivery was 4 hours.

Next time (if I'm lucky enough) they said they'd give me the epidural before they break my water!

If the baby doesn't come on time and you want to be induced, you should go for it. There's no telling how it will be for you, but I do find it comforting to be in the hospital being monitored from beginning to end.

Good luck and hang in there!

Hi H.,

This has not happend to me, but I am 39 weeks and I just finished a refresher birth class with a great teacher. She says that dr.s are not feeling comfortable letting moms go more than 41 weeks anymore. I would say they probably will induce you. I have heard that the Pitocin can be very painful, but many women also get an epidural which can help a ton.

My good friend was induced at 40 weeks because she was leaking fluid and she had Pitocin and an epidural. She said the whole thing was "great" she had no complaints at all. I know that is not everyone's experience, but it made me feel better to hear her say that. Also, the epdidural might make the baby's size a non-issue?

Good luck to you, I'll be wishing the best for you and your baby.

H.:

Babies come when they are ready. I was in your exact situation with my daughter. I was one week late and so the doctor decided to induce me----so I went in on a Sunday evening and was still pregnant on Monday night---it didn't work. So I went back on Wednesday evening and had a baby on Thursday----I did try some of the old wives tales in between. My daughter was 12 days late at birth

I am not trying to talk you out of induction by any means or depress you with the thought of it not working---my went smoothly once we got rolling. Just be ready for anything--as I am sure you know since you have a child already.

Good Luck.

H.,
every one's experience of induction is very individual, even same person different births. There are very many horror stories out there that I choose not to share.

As a health care professional when my OB stated he had booked me for an induction I wrote out a list of questions for him so that I could evaluate the risks and benefits. I then chose not to go through with the induction and had a fine healthy boy a week or so later.

Apart from the increased risks of other interventions (forceps, vacuum, c-section, and yes - sometimes even hysterectomy) there is often increased fluid retention by both mother and baby. Mom may experience this as swelling in feet/ankles, hands, and breasts. That can lead to breastfeeding challenges and additional discomfort/pain. Baby may look a little puffy when first born and may experience significant weight loss as she rids herself of the extra fluid. Unfortunately if misinterpreted the weight loss can lead to unfounded doubt regarding adequate feeding.

There are very appropriate medical reasons for induction. I am definitely not suggesting all inductions are bad. Risks and benefits need to be weighed by the individual and then a choice made. We are all in charge of our own health care team as well as our child's health care team. It is our responsibility to ask the questions, find the information and make our decisions. You have started this process.

The one person I know personally who said their induction was not initially painful also had a very gentle start and her physician did not "break her waters". Once her membranes spontaneously ruptured during the process she understood why others had thought pitocin induced contractions to be so painful. Some OBs routinely start the induction process with artificial rupture of the membranes. This is something you may wish to discuss with your physician.

Good luck making your decision and may you have a satisfying birth experience what ever your choice.

If you'd like to discuss more details, feel free to email me directly.

K.

I was induced with both of my children at 7 days late exactly. I found the experience to be no big deal. My first I had him 24 hours after I entered the hospital, and the second 9 hours after entering the hospital. They start you out with a pill, then if that doesn't work you get petosin. Petosin is a naturally occurring hormone in your body and brings on labor. I got an epidural with both babies and after the epidural felt no pain. People say induction is suppose to be h*** o* your body, I found that not to be true. It depends on the person. I would be more concerned about the size of the baby if you wait much longer. Inductions happen all the time. Personally I'm glad I was induced, both were in my arms happy and healthy instead of in my tummy causing undue discomfort. Whether you induce or not, delivering will be what it is. Induction will be no more detrimental to you or your baby then trying to give birth to a 10lber. Good luck, I wish you the best.

Dear H.,
(That's my daughter's middle name, by the way)....
All I can say is that I really feel for you. My daughter actually came along 2 days before her due date, and it's a darn good thing because I was at the end of my rope. I was so miserable and uncomfortable, I cried non-stop. I really couldn't have lasted much longer. With my son, I was induced. They used a medication called Pitocin. It is widely used and didn't harm my baby in any way. Plus, they have you hooked up to monitors and things like that anyway. They keep a pretty close eye on the baby. And mommy! The medicine makes you have contractions, but it by no means ensures that you will have a baby in a couple of hours. Even after my water broke, they still kept me on the Pitocin because I wasn't making a lot of progress. Start to finish, at least for me, was just under exactly 12 hours. No too bad, considering you endured 93 hours. Ouch! Walking as much as you can, as long as it's okay with your doc, is the best natural way I know of to speed things along on your own. Just hang in there. PLEASE let us know when your baby comes!

Blessings to you and your family!

We scheduled an induction for my third delivery. Our second baby was big and was born a little over one hour after my first contraction. We barely made it to the hospital in time. I was very lucky my husband hadn't left for work yet, or I would have been delivering in the ambulance with our toddler as witness.

So, I told my OB I was very anxious about delivering #3, who was also big. I would have two older children to hand off and we have no family in CA. My MIL was planning to come out to help, but couldn't stay for weeks waiting for the baby to come. The OB suggested we schedule the induction.

It was weird knowing what day the baby would be born in advance. However, for scheduled inductions (which I beleive yours would still be), you still have to sit around and wait for the hospital to let you know they aren't too busy. We got the call at 1pm. (But I've heard of cases where they didn't get the call until midnight!) First, the doctor broke my water (using a long probe). That starts the contractions. Then we waited a while to see if labor would progress well on its own. It didn't, so they gave me a medication to rev things up. That worked. I delivered after another 1-2 hours. That was around 8pm!

There was absolutely no detrimental concern for me or the baby. And I was relieved of all anxiety about the timing of the delivery for the last trimester, which surely was good for the baby. (We scheduled it months in advance, for one week before my due date.) So for me, it was a good experience. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.