Induction Scheduled but Now Second Guessing Decision

CholeCO2006

I am due this Sunday and my doctor ultimately won't let me go past 41 weeks.  I've had absolutely no progress or labor symptoms at all so things aren't looking too promising.  I was given the choice of scheduling dates for induction for next week and I chose to go in this Tuesday night (1/31) to start things off.  But I'll only be 40w2d.  But if I wait until next Thursday or over the weekend, I'll have to deliver with a male on-call doctor that is new to the practice and who I've never seen before.  I know it sounds ridiculous, but I chose this OB practice because it was all women and have always been seen by women.  After 9 months of getting to know all the doctors, I really don't want to deliver with a random doc, even though I know they are only really present for a short portion of the delivery.

Another reason for choosing the earlier date is that SIL is supposed to be OOT next weekend and she is our backup support person (for both me and DH!) and our only family in town.  And she is off work next Thursday and Friday so she'll definitely be around to help out and to take our dogs while we're in the hospital Tuesday night through probably Friday.

So I told them at work that today would be my last day as I'm not coming in Monday or Tuesday and will use the time to prepare.  But I really was hoping to go into labor on my own and wanted to avoid induction.  So now I wonder if I'm making the wrong decision by scheduling it too soon.  We asked our doc at my appointment today what she would do and she is more in favor of inducing sooner than later (even though it's not for any medically necessary reason).  I'm just not sure how I feel about that.  DH, of course, loves knowing when this baby will finally arrive.  Me, I'm just hoping that I'll still go on my own sometime in the next four days.

I'm just curious what other Nesties would do in this situation or if you have any positive induction stories to share!  I just need some reassurance!  Thanks.

 

Mrs.Greeko

I'm very very anti induction so I'll just say that.  As far as someone you don't know delivering you.  Believe me at that point you won't care who is there or not there, you just want the baby out.  My first came on her own at 41w4d.  I had to tell them no when they wanted to induce me for no medical reason.  I know there have been some studies recently about the amount of brain development occurring in the final days of pregnancy that might be of interest also.  Ultimately do what you are comfortable with.

todds_wife

Well I had no symptoms at the doc apointment two days before my water broke when I sat up to pee in the middle of the night, so you still may very well get your wish. But I would be comfortable with the Tuesday date if nothing happened before then.. Jmo.

WonderRed

I had an elective induction with zero complications.  It was about 12 hours from starting the pitocin to birth.  Granted, I never had any intention of going natural so I got my epidural relatively soon after the contractions became painful and didn't have any of those "pitocin is the devil" moments you hear about. N had no problems either.  Hopefully you'll go naturally before your date though, if that's what you want.

Pesky

Here's the thing: you can always cancel.  There's no 24 hr notice either.  Just do what feels right for you as the time draws near.  FWIW, we started talking induction with DD, saying next appointment we would look at scheduling one if things didn't get moving.  Yeah, water broke over the weekend.  With DS, it was an induction, went ridiculously smoothly and he was out in less than 12 hours (half the time of DD).  My doctor wasn't letting me go past 41 wks either but I had horrible pitting edema with both so that was probably part of the reason why.

ruby soho

The only thing that would concern me is if you aren't favorable for induction (cervix is hard and closed). I was favorable and was all about it, I had one scheduled for 39w but LO had other plans and came at 37w6d. I was technically induced since after my water broke I didn't contract on my own and I had a great induction experience. I was 

Because she came on her own, my dr was of course not on call. The on call doc that weekend was the male dr from another practice that I never met. I selected my practice as well because it's all women. I was so upset when I got to triage and asked who was on call and it was the male doc. Well, I ended up having a wonderful experience with him. So much so that I said the other day that if we have another, I may switch to his practice and have him be my dr.

I had a lot of anxiety about the dr and honestly when the time comes you won't getter a hoo at who is down there delivering the baby. At that point you are just so excited and anxious to meet your little one. It's all a blur (: 

Kmac-06

Pesky:

Here's the thing: you can always cancel.  There's no 24 hr notice either.  Just do what feels right for you as the time draws near.

Ditto this. I scheduled an induction for 41w (a Monday) but over the weekend I decided against it. They had me come in for monitoring on Monday and my fluid was really low so they decided the induction was medically necessary that evening. As soon as I left the appointment I started having contractions and by the time I went in to the hospital that night I just needed cervadil to kickstart active labor. I say follow your gut.

CholeCO2006

Thanks for your responses. It's not that I'm completely against induction (since I'm planning to get an epi anyhow), but I wonder if doing it at only 40d2w is too preemptive, especially since I'm not dialated or effaced or anything.  It just seems like the induction will be harder if nothing has progressed at all naturally and that could leave me with a higher chance of a C-section.  But I've already given notice at work and mentally checked out with the start of my maternity leave yesterday so now part of me doesn't want to postpone and sit around and wait until next weekend.  DH's take is that if there's no progess when we go on in Tuesday night, who's to say that anything will or won't change by waiting until later next weekend.  In his mind, what's 5 days?  Although 5 days could mean a lot by waiting.  So I'm doing what I can to try and get things going on my own, even though I know most are OWTs to induce labor and things will only start if and when baby is ready to go.  But it can't hurt right and maybe I'll get lucky and go on my own.  I think I'll mull things over this weekend and see how I feel on Monday and maybe call and see what our other options are.  And here I've been convinced for the past month that I'd go early and wouldn't have to deal with any of this! 

 

sucredee

I went in for an induction (elective) @. 38.5 weeks. I was 1 cm and 30% effaced. I went in Sunday night, cytotec was started @ 8 pm, again at 12 am and last dose at 4 am. My water broke at 515 am and DD was born at 809am after pushing 3 or 4 times (and this was my first). No epidural either. It ended up being a great decision becuase when they did routine labs they found that I had HELLP syndrome ( no elevated blood pressure, but low platelets and high liver function). I realize things could have gone differently but that can also happen if you go into labor yourself (c-section). So I have no regrets..sometimes I wonder what would've happened if I had not been induced and my HELLP would have gotten worse. Good luck with whatever you decide!

shanbrite2

I agree to go with your gut. I was scheduled for an induction at 8 AM on a Friday and walked into the hospital at exactly that time in active labor (nothing else needed). That said, I was super anti-induction (wanted a natural birth, avoiding a c-section at all costs), and I was 41w4d or so by that point. I know you can Google favorable signs for inductions and you might use that information to help you make your decision. It's amazing how quickly things can progress. GL!

MTJunebride

Sending you juju that you go into labor on your own this week!  I was induced with AWH and all worked out ok.  It truly doesn't make much a difference which doctor is on call, so don't worry if it ends up being the new doc.  You spend much more time with your nurses and they are great at Lutheran.  Thinking of you!

SkiHorse

WonderRed:

I had an elective induction with zero complications.  It was about 12 hours from starting the pitocin to birth.  Granted, I never had any intention of going natural so I got my epidural relatively soon after the contractions became painful and didn't have any of those "pitocin is the devil" moments you hear about. N had no problems either.  Hopefully you'll go naturally before your date though, if that's what you want.

My experience was similar, except that I really did not want to have an induction. I faced heavy pressure from the obstetrician when I went to 41 weeks. At my insistence we monitored for a week past my due date. I finally caved in and had the induction. The experience of being pressured and stressed out by the doctor was one I never hope to repeat, but the induction went fine for both DS and me, and I didn't need a c-section like I feared I would. I would caution that induced contractions come very close together and are super painful from the start, so you may end up asking for an epidural, even if you don't plan to have one. Like WonderRed, I never planned on natural childbirth, though, so that wasn't a problem for me.