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[rowan1]

Hang ing there and good luck.  I just want to echo all the advice others have been giving you.  Do not induce unless it is medically necessary - meeting your doctor's schedule is NOT a medical necessity.  

friends that have been induced have had all the nightmare stories you are hearing about - a friend whose beautiful little girl just turned 2 months yesterday is still recovering because of the complications that resulted from the induction, she tore so badly that she was in surgery for two hours after the baby was born.

There are times when induction is necessary, just like with C-sections (I had no choice, I had to have a C section, we couldn't risk me even starting to go into labor - and I really wanted the expereince of givign birth).  But it is your body, your child, don't let your doctor make that decision unless there is a valid medical reason, and don't be afraid to challenge her/him on their reasons.

Good luck and happy life that is about to change!

[j_source]

All my sympathy for the ladies in waiting.  Those last couple of weeks can be so tough. 

One word - epidural.  Given the size of the baby and length of labor we were at the point of a C-section.  The epidural allowed me to give it my all, so to speak, and deliver vaginally. 

My blood pressure was so high that I spent weeks 38 & 39 at home lying on my  left side.  In light of that my ob, who's also a friend, didn't want me going past my due date and we agreed that I'd be induced if I hadn't started labor by that day.  I was and had a perfectly  fine, although long & hard,  labor & delivery.      J-baby was, and is, perfect.   

[sappho]

I felt that I have to post to try to balance the horror induction stories.  I was induced both time (for various reasons) and neither I nor the babies suffered any complications.  I also opted to have an epidural both times and I loved it.   So just relax and take it one day at a time.  Hopefully everything will go as smoothly as possible. 

[prof_mom]

I do not believe you should induce for the convenience of your doctor. Let the baby come when the baby is ready. Both inducing labor and epidurals result in higher incidences of C-section for the reasons other posters have discussed.

Do not worry about the doctor being out of town. In most cases, the doctor is not in the room much anyway. You are in the room with nurses and your labor partner. The doctor is in and out for a few minutes every hour and not much more than that before you begin pushing. When you begin pushing, you won't really notice who is int he room and will be focused on your body.

I have had healthy children without epidural. I do not believe in medication for most things. In the case of labor, the pain is telling your body what to do. When you block the pain, you lose the ability to listen to your body and have to listen to machines telling your body what to do. I got up on a birthing ball before labor and actually delivered my kids while squatting on a bar. The hard part was waiting for dilation. Pushing was actually fairly easy. You can do this.

Each contraction is a few minutes long. Most of the contraction is mildly uncomfortable. There is a peak of each contraction that will be extremely painful, but that peak does not last long at all and then it will just be mildly uncomfortable again. Between contractions, you will feel no pain at all. If you do not like medication, you will not want an epidural. Make sure you are surrounded by nurses who support your desire to do this without medication (if that is what you want). Make sure that your husband understands this as well.

Those last few weeks are uncomfortable, but your baby needs that time to develop. If the baby did not need that time, the baby would come. There is no reason to rush this process. Put up your feet, get a pedicure, and get some sleep. You will need it when the baby arrives.

[ttmom]

I LOVE my anesthesiologist to this day (Really!!)

He gave me just a little Demerol to take the edge off prior to getting my epidural and I was able to enjoy the experience much more fully that if I hadn't had it.

My doctor said she wouldn't induce labor until I was a week late.  Her rationale was that it was better to let your body decide when to start the process rather than force it.  I recently read about a woman who induced labor so that her husband wouldn't have to miss out on a big football game.  Oh please!!!

Good luck!

[gennimom]

From the other side of the fence:

My doctor decided to induce me at 39 weeks. She could see I wasn't going to last much longer. Also, I wasn't going to do the epidural but I had severe back labor. I already have a messed-up pelvis, which didn't help. The epidural made things much easier for me.

After only a few hours I was fully dilated and effaced, and they had me start pushing. My daughter only came out so far and wouldn't budge any further. They thought I wasn't pushing right, maybe I couldn't feel how to do it properly because of the epidural, etc. They let the epidural run out and I still couldn't get her out.

Finally, she went into distress, and after 2 1/2 hours pushing I was rushed into surgery. Turns out, my daughter was larger than expected and she got stuck like a cork in a bottle in the birth canal. Chances of me having a baby naturally are not very good.

I wish I could have had her naturally, but it wasn't to be. But I'm not crying about it. I'm just glad she finally got here and was fine. Thanks to the epidural I didn't have too much pain and had my daughter less than 12 hours after arriving at the hospital. Not bad!

[cropguru]

As a wussy guy, my hat is certainly off to all of you gals who go through this.

Best wishes to all!

[francie_]

I'm not in favor of induction in this case, for the reasons others have said.  It's seems to be more for the doctor's convenience, rather than any medical reason.

Here are some things to consider, however, if you actually find that you need to be induced. 

Induction will, in theory, be more successful if your doctor has administered a special hormone gel to the cervix for 2 to 3 days prior to the induction.  The hormones (prostoglandins) "soften" the cervix and might even jumpstart labor if everything is truly "good to go."

You should know that Pitocin, the hormone used to induce labor, puts you into active labor more quickly than the typical course of things, but it's no more painful than "natural" active labor and it's manageable if you are making progress.

Good luck, OP, to you, your partner, and your baby.  Keep us informed!

[always_seeking]

Do you know who is covering for your doctor while she is away? 

Yes. My doctor has a partner doctor that I've seen many times before. I would actually be very confortable if the partner doctor delivered our baby.

SO will be back from work trip Monday night/Tuesday morning. Hopefully baby will wait and come on his own.

Thanks again everyone for all the help.

[tattletale_heart]

I was induced because baby was 10 days overdue and getting "overripe".  :)  I didn't feel the procedure at all (no pain from being induced - well, except for the almost immediate contraction pain!)

I was also given an epidural, about 8 hours later.  Christopher Walken was right. (I never thought I'd have a reason to write that).

My advice is to not overthink or overplan these kinds of decisions (at least the epidural one) - you'll find out what you can handle and you can decide then!

[crazybatlady]

Okay, I didn't want to go here, but:

Induction will, in theory, be more successful if your doctor has administered a special hormone gel to the cervix for 2 to 3 days prior to the induction.  The hormones (prostoglandins) "soften" the cervix and might even jumpstart labor if everything is truly "good to go."

Semen contains the same stuff. Sex--particularly with both female and male orgasm (if you do that kind of thing)--can help soften the cervix; also, the uterine contractions of a good orgasm can help jump start birthing contractions.

You should know that Pitocin, the hormone used to induce labor, puts you into active labor more quickly than the typical course of things, but it's no more painful than "natural" active labor and it's manageable if you are making progress.

You can also get your own body to release this stuff by stimulating your nipples (or having your partner do so, of course), which also helps if your labor stalls.

Have fun!

cbl

[francie_]

Okay, I didn't want to go here, but I don't want to disappoint CBL:

Semen contains the same stuff. Sex--particularly with both female and male orgasm (if you do that kind of thing)--can help soften the cervix; also, the uterine contractions of a good orgasm can help jump start birthing contractions.

You can also get your own body to release this stuff by stimulating your nipples (or having your partner do so, of course), which also helps if your labor stalls.

Have fun!

cbl

The natural methods might work, if one is ready to go into labor anyway (baby's head way down, cervix partially dilated, etc.).  There's not much harm in trying the natural methods, and having sex at 40+ weeks is certainly possible, that is, if one can even bear the thought "that thing" getting near one so late in the game.  It's best to remember this might be one's last chance to have sex for quite some time, so yes, have fun!

However, it's hard to sustain the levels of the naturally produced hormones necessary for a successful induction from a "cold start."  The concentrated gels are formulated to stay put for 12 or more hours, and Pitocin (oxytocin) levels need to remain constant for quite some time to actually work.  Semen becomes too dilute after just a short time, and nipples can be stimulated for just so long.

[prof_mom]

One more thing you may consider is what is called membrane swiping or membrane stripping. Ask your OB about it if you are over 38 weeks. It only takes a minute and can help the body naturally go into labor.

There are times when induction is medically necessary. Those of us who are speaking against induction are speaking against inducing for the convenience of the doctor, or a husband who wants to watch football. None of us are saying that one should not induce when there is a medical reason. The same is true for a C-section. I believe they are done too frequently and for the convenience of the doctor. I do not mean to speak against those who need them for medical reasons or to save the life of the mother or the baby. A mother should not feel guilty about doing a c-section. Remember that the goal of labor is to get the healthy baby out of you and into your arms. If you accomplished that, you did a great job.

May you all enjoy the joys of motherhood.

[collegekidsmom]

It is important to be supportive of other women's choices and outcomes I think. Each person will experience pain differently for instance. For all of the women who want and/or needed epidurals, there are other women who don't feel the pain is unbearable and don't consider drugs. All I heard was how painful birth would be. It wasn't helpful, and could cause needless anxiety or fear. Each person is different and their reaction to the experience will be different. It doesn't help that there seems to be one way these days to manage labor in the hospital. So, to have it your way, sometimes it helps to stay at home as long as you want to. Of course, as others have said, if you have a medical issue, you would not have as many options and may need to be hospitalized. But if you are fine and prefer to labor at home, that is possible.

There is so much competition-who has the bigger baby, who has the easier time breastfeeding, who had a one hour labor, who had a three day labor, whose baby walks first, reads first......gets perfect SAT scores, who gets into the best college. It never ends. Many women can end up feeling sad about how things end up happening. If we could just keep our opinions to ourselves and try to be helpful.

For the birth, you can be very clear to yourself what would make you the most comfortable and don't let others influence you too much. If you are afraid of medication, you might not want it, but if you want lots of medication, then make sure that your wishes are taken into account. If you have some control and part in the decision-making, you will find the memory of the experience more satisfying. For all the best intentions of friends, sisters, mothers with all their stories, it doesn't matter because it is not a competition, it is your birth and a totally individual experience. Do it the way you feel most comfortable as you know yourself best.

One thing I would remind is that sometimes fear messes with birth experiences. You mentioned fear and it would be best if you could go forward into the birth without a lot of fear but with confidence, energy, and positive attitude. It will help with the work of it.  Every one of your births will be different too so if you've had a difficult time in the past you can start again in your mind and this one will be different in its own way. Have someone with you that will help you stay positive and focused. Best of luck with your new baby.

[spork]

Semen, because of its prostaglandin content, can also help induce labor.