Induction at 39 Weeks?

It sounds like this would be a completely elective induction then--you've already heard all the C-section rate data. C-sections rates are significantly higher for induced first time moms, while the connection is less dramatic for a woman with her second or third birth. My thinking is why take the chance? Yes women recover from C-sections but generally not as easily as from a well managed vaginal birth. The labor is way more intense and it subjects you to far more interventions that you may want to try to avoid. It sounds like you'd prefer not to unless there is a medical reason so tell her you'd rather wait thank you:)

Was induced with 2 and 3 for the same reasons...kids are 15 months apart, and it was the BEST decision ever!!! Knowing exactly when I would b having my children was a huge relief so I could plan when/where my other children would be. Win/win for everyone

I was induced with my daughter at 39 weeks for NO medical reason at all. I was uncomfortable and wanted to meet her finally. She came out perfect. 6 pounds 9 ounces and had no problems. With my son I was also induced for the same reasons, but at 38 weeks. He was also just perfect. No problems

Elective induction is the convenient and best option for everyone but you and your unborn baby. Risks of needing a C-Section due to failure to progress in labor or distress to your baby are very real. C-section rate is significantly higher if the labor is induced. When pregnant with my first I agreed to a postdates induction (I was 10 days late) and after 30 hours of the most painful labor ever, I delivered with a huge laceration and hemorrhage which caused pain and weakness for the next 4 weeks. I barely missed a C-section because my body just wouldn't dilate that last centimeter until I got an epidural to help me relax. I had incredible swelling for a week afterwards in my legs and feet that made walking difficult. I learned my lesson and let next 2 babies pick their birthdays (7 and 8 days late) and I had a quick, easy 5 hour labor and delivery that was so much less painful that I didn't even need an epidural with either one. My recovery was so much easier after the last 2 deliveries and I was able to assume my responsibilities as wife and mother fairly quickly. So, GO WITH YOUR GUT. Don't be pressured in to an induction unless your health or the baby's health is in danger. Usually less intervention in this wonderful process called birth is best. It's easy to arrange childcare than recover from a C-section or a complicated labor/delivery. I wish you a wonderful, healthy birth day. By the way, both my 2nd and 3rd babies delivered during mid-morning hours on Saturday weighing over 9 lbs, and we made it in plenty of time to our hospital 40 minutes from our home. My husband and I still talk about how wonderful those births were. R., nurse-midwife Mom of 3

Let nature take its course! When your little bun is fully cooked, he/she will come out on their own :)

Please, please don't do this. Your baby is not 39 weeks. It is 37 or even possibly 36 weeks along. This is so dangerous. I am a former NICU Respiratory Therapist and now a midwife. I have seen so many babies end up in the NICU that were forced out at 39 weeks because they were not ready. Your baby is the only one that knows when it is ready to be born. It has the right to choose its birthday. The baby releases a chemical from its lungs when it is ready, and this tells the mom's body to start labor.
I just had my 3rd daughter last April. My 1st and 2nd babies both came at 38 weeks exactly. My 3rd baby waited until almost 41 weeks. All 3 were the exact same size. What if I had been induced at 38 weeks with her because that was when the other 2 came. She would have been small and not ready. Luckily, I give birth at home so no pressure from anyone to induce.
Inductions should only happen when they are truly medically neccessary.
If it feels wrong to you, that is because it is. Listen to your instinct.

Trust your instincts...this is WRONG. My mom was a L&D nurse and inductions increase your chance of a c-section....and you cannot tell me that would be easier with a toddler. It sounds like you can go into labor naturally, and you should. You have a right to say no to induction.

Or maybe a lot of OB's do it so THEY don't get woken up at 2:00 AM when on call and have to rush to the hospital... and what will she suggest when your labor is slow and you are nowhere close to giving birth by 4 PM? A C-section!

I would run, not walk from this "doctor"!

If it were me I'd ask the OB what ACOG (american college of obstetricians and gynecologists) says about non-medically-indicated inductions. Of course I happen to already know that they are officially against them, but I'd be interested in hearing what she had to say about it. Inductions - for any reason - are a huge reason for our insanely high c-section rate (nearly three times what is considered a "safe" c-section rate - at this point the c-sections, statistically, are doing more harm than good). Waking up child #1 in the middle of the night is part of the drama of life - and fortunately for everyone this is a very "good" sort of drama. It is fun and enjoyable! My daughter slept at my mom's the night I was in labor and I could have easily let her continue sleeping, but I actually wanted her to be there for the birth. I wanted the good drama. I wanted to expose her to this happy, unpredictable event. So we had my mom wake her up and bring her to the birth. She still speaks about it very fondly (she was two years and one month at the time).

The best scientist or doctor in the world still can't explain exactly how and when a woman's body goes into labor on it's own. They don't know what signal the baby gives that it is ready. It is a wonderful mystery of life. So just because they can try to force things earlier, why should they?

Enjoy the mystery and the drama. There are very few - if any - events in life that are quite as wonderful in that mystery and drama.

I had three vaginal births at the time that baby was ready to arrive.
First child arrived three weeks past due date. All the estimates on his arrival date were WRONG so it was important for him to have more time. He's now 6'4" tall (so guessing his arrival date by cross section of his head by ultrasound - totally wrong); second child arrived one week early; third child arrived on due date. Lovely next door neighbor agreed to take care of our son whenever we needed to go to hospital with second baby's arrival - this was in the middle of the night...he did just fine at her house. Third child graciously decided to be born during daytime, right after we dropped the first two at preschool. As a prenatal yoga teacher, I coach students to build your network of people you can call to take care of your kid(s) before you go into labor with new baby as alternative to being induced. Many prenatal students going through induction have ended up with C-sections. If there is a medical reason to have the baby sooner, then the induction makes sense. Do what gives you a healthy you and a healthy baby. I recommend you consult with birthing expert - JoAnn Lindberg at birthlink. She's at www.birthlink.com and is very knowledgeable about birthing choices in Chicago area. Bless you for asking a really great question! Congratulations on your pregnancy:-) Hugs!

My dr liked to induce almost all of her pregnancies at 39 weeks. I guess she just liked her calendar and her predictability. I have since changed doctors.

I was induced at 37 1/2 weeks. Long story short, by 5:30pm I hadn't dialated past 5cm, so she suggested we do a c-section. Son was born 5 lbs 15 oz and healthy. He is still small for his age (he's 3), but after a few weeks of BFeeding after he was born, he chunked up to a chunky baby look.

If I had to go back and do it again, I'd only induce as a last resort. I mean, are YOU concerned with waking at 2am? Enlist a friendly neighbor to come sleep in your guest bed until your toddler wakes up the next morning. If you were in labor 18 hours last time, it's likely that the dr won't miss delivery, even if you call as you are on your way to the hospital. Just my two cents.

No way, no how. Babies come when they are ready- it's nature and you don't mess with it unless there is a dire emergency. They cannot tell you how much the baby will weigh, no matter what the technology. There are reasons babies stay in until they are ready to come out.

Just because people say they have done this with no complications, is not a reason to do it. How do they know there are no complications? Maybe at 7 their child will be diagnosed with a learning disability, etc.

If you are still early enough in the game to change providers, I would. A licensed certified nurse midwife is a good place to start looking for a more natural birth. My daughters were 8 lbs, 9oz and 9lbs, 6oz and both unmedicated births in hospitals born with CNMs. One was a week "overdue" and the other born on one of my many due-dates they gave me (but technically also a week "overdue" according to my last menstruation.) The last one was born in a birthing tub and almost pain-free, which was so awesome. So don't let people tell you big babies are harder to birth either ;)

Also, induction DRAMATICALLY increases your chances for respiratory problems for your child, a c-section and complications for you, blood-loss, and a whole host of interventions that are VERY scary. Childbirth, left to nature, is rather uncomplicated.

Trust your gut on this one.

M.

Go with your gut. Your OB seems well-intentioned enough, but babies just shouldn't be "scheduled" to come out unless there's a medical reason to do so! Once the interventions start....

To be completely honest, I used an acupuncture induction at 10 days past due.(Our window for home birth was 14 days past due, then it would have to be a hospital birth, which we were trying to avoid for both financial reasons as well as the agressive management of labor). The midwife/acu checked me for dilation and effacement first before providing the treatment. I was also confident, however, that because acu is only going to help your body do what it was 'already' going to do, that it wouldn't cause me to go into labor unless my body was ready. That's hugely different compared to pitocin!

I agree with your gut feeling - it is wrong. Can't tell you how much debate is going on about be induced for no reason. It causes all kinds of comlications when there isn't a medical reason to do it. It is unnatural and the mom's go through so much worse of a time - for no reason. My little sis's doc convinced her to be induced (for no reason) and she went from having a wonderful pregnancy to a horrible delivery that resulted in a C-section vs a natural birth - which then made it neccessary to have a c-section with her second child. She and the baby were under so much more stress than they should have been. I would fight this TOOTH and NAIL!

When your body is ready to have the baby, you will have the baby. (God made us that way.) Sure, there are exceptions, but letting medicine decide when your baby is born isn't "no big deal".

Go for it momma! Stick to your guns and don't let anyone "schedule" your birth for their own reasons....

If you are concerned about having a c-section you need to tell your OB no thanks to the induction. The chances of having a c-section are dramatically increased when you are induced. This is maninly because of the different drugs they have to give you because baby is just not ready yet.
My little one was 2 1/2 when his brother came along and we had poeple in place to take care of him while I was in labor. Sure enough I went into labor in the middle of the night and we couldn't get hold of either of our designated carers. We called a trusted neighbor who came by and spent the rest of the night with our son until our designated carer woke up to a million messages in the morning and came and got him. It was a bit of a panic at the time but turned out just fine for everyone, and I wouldn't have been induced if I was paid a million bucks.
I say let baby come when baby is ready. Just make sure you have more than one person in place as a designated carer for your son. If possible make sure they can come to you instead of you having to drop him off with someone.

most of the girls i know who were induced, labor went on forever. many end up having c-sections because the baby "takes too long". most of those who didn't, went faster. just my personal experience. i am against inductions unless medically necessary. becaus think about it - why? yes..."convenience". that's it. why mess with something so vitally important- your child coming into the world? let the baby come when it's ready. that's how it's been done for millenium.....there's a reason the baby doesn't come until the time it does, and who are we to mess with that?

it doesnt seem like you feel the need for this since you doctor mentioned it not you so i wouldn't do it. there is no reason to mess with nature, and if something happens youd never forgive yourself. let it be

I say that you should let the baby come when he/she is ready. Especially since it sounds like you don't feel that it's right, anyway--go with your Mommy instincts, they're usually never wrong! :-) My daughter was induced, and I think it was before she was ready, because she was only six pounds when she was born. If you have a normal pregnancy and have no medical reason to induce (and you're not past your due date yet) then you might as well wait. Good luck, and congratulations on your new baby!

Run - RUN - from an induction. I had a beautiful pregnancy and drug free birth with baby #1. Baby #2 was induced due to a potential health issue with me and it went terribly wrong - my son had a APGAR score of 3 after an emergency c-section (he is fine now). I should have put my foot down and said "NO!" and just waited till nature kicked in.

Don't do it - DON'T!

Nuh-uh! Inductions just for the sake of convenience are so wrong! (I feel the same way about sections!) My grandmother actually lost a daughter because a doc decided he wanted to induce her so it wouldn't inconvenience his vacation! They almost lost my grandmother too but I'm so glad they didn't. If they had, I wouldn't exist because my father would never have been born!

I understand some inductions are necessary for medical reasons (just like sections) but that is the only time they should be used. My oldest brother had to be induced but things went wrong; they almost lost him. He has a lazy eye because of oxygen deficiency, among other problems. My best friend had to be induced with her son but she was 3 weeks over due! Things just would not kick into gear for her.They finally induced her because his fluid levels were getting dangerously low. Inductions are so much harder on your body and your baby.

I also don't agree with due dates, necessarily. Especially when the doc is going by the measurements of the baby. My sis had a BIG baby. Lets face it. He's still a big kid. He's a month shy of 5 but is bigger than my 7 yo. The doc was going by J's measurements and was insisting that my sister was wrong by her calculations by WEEKS! He wanted to induce and if she'd let him, it would have been horrible! Unless you can say for sure you know exactly when and where you were when your little one was conceived, it's just not safe. Realistically, how many of us can claim that? I can only do so with my two girls and that's only because of the date on one (the night before I left with my brigade to prepare for Iraq) and the second time it's because my husband and I were in a horrendous fight but had great make up sex (I happened to note in my diary).

Responsible parents have a plan in place to keep from upsetting their other children as much as possible (they don't just leave it to chance), but a little inconvenience will happen. It's life! With all of my little ones, I went to a doc close to my parents so when the time came, I just went and stayed with them so my little ones would have a safe place to stay and I wouldn't have to worry about them. Heck, technically if I'd felt like it, my grandmother was an RN and could have delivered my children; she'd delivered hundreds of babies! Living 30 min away from your doc is nothing. Things did go a little awry with my second son. He decided to show up a week earlier than planned. My trip was TWO HOURS.

Having a friend or relative ready to stand by to call at this time is completely normal. Especially for home birth babies if you live a ways away from your midwife or doc. A good friend of mine wound up leaving her girls with some very good friends close to a week because she lived so far from her midwife, her son took so long to finally show up, and because they got snowed in! LOL But her girls did great. They had a blast with their friends. I'm sure the family was "inconvenienced" but that's what good friends are for. And children, toddlers especially, are resilient little buggers. He'll be just fine if he gets woken up. It's not like he has a new sibling arriving every night!

Wait it out. It will be so much more meaningful if your little one showed up on the day that was exactly perfect for them. Congratulations on your little one. :)

It sounds like you already know the answer to this, if you are uncomfortable with it, then say no.
It is really not a common scenario to wake up suddenly in the middle of the night in intense pain and need to rush to the hospital. With my 2nd I fell asleep Friday night with mild contractions, woke up Sat morning with stronger contractions, contacted our neighbor at about 8am to watch our son and headed to the hospital (45 min drive), my daughter was born 2 hours later. With my third I had been having mild but regular contractions for a few hours in the afternoon/evening, so I sent the kids to my friend's house at bedtime (8ish), I didn't leave for the hospital til closer to 11, but I knew it would happen sometime that night so I planned ahead and had the kids where they needed to be before bedtime. With my 4th, water broke unexpectedly at 38 weeks (@6pm), but no contractions, so I still had a few hours to get the kids to my friends house after dinner and straighten up the house before we needed to leave for the hospital.
If you go into labor naturally you usually have some amount of warning before you need to head to the hospital, the contractions build in frequency and intensity over time. But even if you don't have any warning, bringing your child somewhere at 2am is not the end of the world. Or could you possibly plan to have someone come to your house if it happens in the night? Then they can take your child where ever they need to go in the morning? I think working out a plan for childcare is not too hard, and definitely worth it compared to an induction. If possible have a couple of back-up plans for your son just in case.
Good luck, and don't worry about politely declining the induction.

*I didn't read all the other responses, pardon any repeats.

Have you ever seen The Business of Being Born? It is a documentary by Ricki Lake about exactly what you have posted about. Everyone should watch it.

My second was a scheduled c-section, as I'd had a c-section with my first. With my first, I went into labor. Therefore, my daughter went through all the pushing & squeezing with contractions she needed to and was born healthy.

With my son, I never went into labor. Therefore, he never went through all the pushing & squeezing that happens with contractions. He was born with "rapid breathing in newborns." He sounded like he'd just run a marathon & then spent 4 days in the NICU with a tube up his nose.

He is 3 and PERFECTLY fine now!!

However, there are moments I wonder, what if I'd just let nature do what it was supposed to and let my body go into labor? (Babies need all that pushing& squeezing associated with contractions to squeeze the fluid out of their lungs.) Could we all have avoided the NICU? Instead, I listened to my doctor, a crazed MD who wanted to schedule her week & "help me with mine."

As for people to help with your older son... that is EXACTLY why we have good family & friends... to help in times like that!!

Your OB should be fired. Inducing for a schedule is crazy. Sounds like you kinda of already have that motherly instinct telling you this isn't right after reading your post. That baby will come when he/she is ready. Don't let the medical team boss you around. This is your baby and your stage, you call the shots.

While it may be more convienient, you are also setting yourself up for more interventions. The chance of having a C section once you consent to an induction is like 50% higher. Due dates are only guesses, it is not a solid date and most of the time not entirely accurate either. Why give you body synthetic hormones? They don't work as well as natural ones. Once they break your water you have like 24 hours before they are going to start talking C section because of the risk of infection. And once they break your water it's a REAL quick jump to pitocin....I had pitocin, and it was not fun. My contractions were right on top of each other with no break. I most likely did not even need them but the nurse rushed in about 15 min before my midwife really told her to do it. They started it and pretty much instantly the contractions were hard, painful and right on top of each other. I was so far progressed I most likely would have gone into labor on my own if they would have just given me some time but once that clock is ticking they want everything to happen fast, and that's just not how the body naturally works. My labor in whole took about 3 hours and it was just not pretty. I had a 2nd degree tear even though they were massaging and stretching the whole time because he just came so fast. I kept crying about having no breaks and it was just exhausting even though it was so short...my body didn't bounce back real quick either...lots of scar tissue from the tear.

If you have someone you can kind of have "on call" for care for your other child, like a very close friend or family member, why not just let your baby come in their own time? You sound like this is what you want anyway. I had the induction and a C section (due to him being breech, stupid doctors don't know how to deliver a breech baby anymore) and I would have LOVED to have the experience of the baby coming on their own terms when they were ready. My first I had strep B and need antibiotics and since I was already so far progressed they worried my labor would be fast anyway and I was about the same distance from the hospital....so they thought they wouldn't have time to give the antibiotics in time.....I did it to err on the side of caution cause strep B can be terrible, but I often wonder if I made the right choice. I did labor naturally and in the end it was fine, just those contractions and pain were way more intense and extreme than they needed to be. If you let the hormones take you where you need to go (and the baby as well) things will go as nature intended and hopefully the bonding and nursing and all will go as it is intended as well.

Good luck to you and hope it all turns out well!

I would not schedule an induction for convenience. The chances of c-section with induction are very high. I would prepare to have your 2 year old ready to go when needed. In the big scheme of life, even if you had to wake him to take him somewhere while you're at the hospital, it would not disrupt his life much and he will adjust :) Good luck with labor/delivery!

I was induced with second in similar situation and it was great. My first was about 3 and it was nice for her not to have to be stressed out. Our family is also all out of town, so our caregivers had to travel a long way. It gave me piece of mind to relax and know that I would not have to have an unfamiliar person come in the middle of the night that my first would associate with the new baby coming. Delivery was much easier than my first, which was not induced of course.

I did this but mostly because the baby was over 8 pounds at 37 weeks!!! I probably would have waited for nature to take it's course otherwise for the same reasons you are stating. However, it was very convenient and I dont' feel that doing it is harmful. It was a very calm and peaceful way to start my labor. And I am sort of a control freak so it worked with my personality in terms of an orderly experience and reduced my anxiety. No waiting on my husband to come home from work or dropping off my preschooler with family. I was also more worried about going over, because there are risks of a baby going beyond 40 weeks too...

So no advice really. I would have trusted nature and gone full term if the baby was not huge. However, I probably wouldn't have wanted to go past 40 weeks either if that had been an option and might have opted to be induced.

Good luck. I don't think either decision is bad as long as you are 39 weeks or more. It is just the kind of experience that works for you.

PS - I had two vaginal delieveries.

First, c-sections are not the worst thing in the word. They happy and you move on, and you can be sure to avoid the episiotomy! :-)

That said (and I had two of them) this is the craziest set of reasons I have ever heard from scheduling and induction. There doesn't appear to be any medical reason. Given you track record getting to the hospital in under an hour should give you plenty of time.

Now I will say I was induced for my first for medical reasons. It wasn't that big a deal. I did have an emergency c-section -- which was great, and 15.5 hours of induced labor, I was so happy they were finally going to do something. In addition, I knew I would end up with a c-section, we have small hip openings and make big babies in my family. It had been 36 years and 11 kids since any women I was biologically related to had delivered naturally. I told them that, they wanted me to try, so I did.

Second time around I was even worse off -- really bad blood pressure and an entrapped nerve, and that kind of pain is not good for the blood pressure. The delivered my son be scheduled c-section at 39 weeks. It was great! The one thing I didnt like is that I waited a lot, and some of it sitting in the operating room looking at all that stuff -- not fun. The emergency c-section, they told me and less that 20 minutes later she was out. It was fast!

Bottom line, I agree with you these don't seem like good reasons for all this planning and induction. However, if you do get induced and you do have a c-section -- you still get a wonderful baby! It isn't the end of the world. Hang in there.

No way! Yes, there are a lot of complications that can arise from an induction... you're jump starting labor. It's not natural, and unless it was medically necessary, I would never agree to one. I too am pregnant with my second baby, and have a 2-year-old. I would consider a different OB if my doctor ever suggested that to me. The risk for c-section drastically increases with inductions. I would do your research on this one Momma, and decide for yourself - but if it were me, definitely not.

Kids have been woken up in the middle of the night for years and years. So
this is a pretty ridiculous reason to induce. Probably more for the docs
convenience. I would let nature take its course. When the baby is ready
he will come!

I had 2 babies 11 mos apart. My first was all natural- everything was great. With my second one I went into labor and I wasn't delivering 'fast enough'. They broke my water bag. It was so unnatural. If you don't want to schedule it then don't. It sounds like the dr is trying to make it convenient for her.
Just my thoughts

If there were a medical reason, then that is one thing, but just for convenience, I wouldn't do it. I always have a plan that someone is on call to come to my house right away should I go into labor in the middle of the night. My sons will just be sleeping. I have had two inductions for medical reasons and they went fine, well the first was crazy, but the second went just fine. I would never do it for convenience sake. Good luck, congrats!

I know lots of women whose doctors have pushed induction and other things that were medically unncessary.

I would say no. Birthing a child isn't something you "pencil in" on your calendar. Besides that- induction usually leads to other interventions.

I would also recommend you watch "The business of being born". If you have netflix you can get it through there.

Good luck.

It's your choice, so I'd say no based on how you feel about this. Just let the baby come when he or she is ready.

I was considering having the 39th week induction with my 2nd, only because I was in such extraordinary pain from 35 weeks on...she had dropped very low and I was so ready to have her! She came on her own at 37 weeks though. Good luck and congrats!!

i had my first child 8 days over due and was misserable. She weighed 7 pounds 5 oz and was healthy... my second was a scheduled induction at 39 weeks and i loved it. I knew when i was going to have her and i had child care covered. This baby weighed 7 pounds 1 ounce and was just as healthy. Most people that i know have there 2nd and beyond scheduled, ive never heard a bad story about it. Besides ur doctor will check your baby to make sure its healthy enough to be born before your induction...

I was induced at 39 weeks, and honestly i think since its not medically necessary, its just your own personal preference. I chose to be induced because my family lives 3 states away and my mom wanted to be there for the birth. while yes, at around 39 weeks, you could end up having your baby anyway, it just made it easier on us so my mom could fly out to be there. I know of people who ended up needing c sections and things but on the other hand there are plenty more people like me that had no complications during labor. i ended up being in labor for 10 hours and pushed her out in 20 minutes! yes, an induction takes away from the excitement of not knowing when things will happen, but for some(like me) it makes things easier for scheduling purposes.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do. dont let your doc or anyone else pressure you into it if its not what you want!

I was induced at 39 weeks, 4 days with my second. (DS was 2).

It was awesome. I was sick of being pregnant. Period.
I never felt 1 contraction. I started the pitocin, and as soon as the pressure started to build, I got the epi. Doc broke my water to get things moving faster.

I did have a c-section. You know what? Recovery from that was FASTER and EASIER than with my first who was born naturally. (I, too, was terrified of a C section. Turns out it was so much easier.)

Do what you feel good about. Your baby is going to grow *maybe* another .5lb in the extra week she's in there. So birth weight should not be your concern.

I just wanted to give you another side.

you dont have to comply with everything your doctor wants to do to you. if you dont want to be induced, dont go. you're healthy and theres nothing wrong with your baby. as far as i can see- it's not necessary. what's your doctor going to do, ground you? not likely. ;-)

I had 2 children 2 years apart and was not induced plus I had no family nearby to come quickly if needed and it still worked out just fine. Going into labor naturally is probably the best option, even though I would've paid a million dollars for an induction the last week of any of my pregnancies! There are doctors who like to induce for their own schedules and some who are against it. The practice I go to has 2 pro and 2 against.
I'm sure you can have a voice in this if you want it. I would do it if it was offered to me but I completely understand not wanting to as well.
I have 3 kids the first was 3 days late and weighed 8lbs 12.5oz, the 2nd was 10 days early (YAY) and weighed 8lbs 4oz, and the 3rd was 1 day early and weighed 8lbs 15oz. At 39 weeks your baby isn't going to have a low birth weight so the only thing that would be concerning is the induction resulting in a c section.

Just follow your heart. If you don't wish to then just say "no thanks that's not a aprt of our birth plan". If the doc persists then ask if there is a medical necessity behind it and you should be concerned, this should give you the real answer.

Updated

Just follow your heart. If you don't wish to then just say "no thanks that's not a aprt of our birth plan". If the doc persists then ask if there is a medical necessity behind it and you should be concerned, this should give you the real answer.

I have four children and my first 3 I went in naturally all born within 7 hours of going to the hospital. My fourth I was getting impatient and uncomfortable, wanted it to easier for my other kids, etc. So we decided to induce. 18 hours of labor stuck at 2cm until my water broke and she was born in an hour. Way too painful for the "convenience"! Your body knows (for the most part) when it is time for your body to deliver!

My friend did this twice with her kids, and didn't have any c-sections and had totally normal deliveries. Her husband is away on business a lot and she wanted to schedule it when she knew he was home and for #2 so she had child care available. I think they did it at 38 or 39 weeks. I'm guessing your doc wants to schedule it so he doesn't have to get up at 2AM but this is your call. I don't see anything wrong with it and I don't think it will cause a c section or at 39 weeks a tiny baby (it will probably be around the same weight as your first) but if you are against it, then just say no.

I was induced for all 3 of my pregnancies. I had medical reasons too, 1st I have severe Pre-E (36 weeks), 2nd my pelvis was seperating (37 weeks), and my 3rd baby stopped growing in me (39 weeks).

Previous poster made comment about "so the Dr. wouldn't be woken up at 2 am". Just b/c you are induced there is no guarentee what time you will deliver. Dr. could still be woken up at 2 am just like a natural labor.

If you are not comfortable with it do not do it. It is your body and your baby. No one can force you to an induction.

Good luck and Congrats!

estimated due dates are often way off. you may think you're at 39 weeks, but the baby could end up being premature, which leads to a whole host of other problems. estimated weights from ultrasounds can also be off by a pound either way. my baby was estimated to be a pound heavier than she was.

anyway, beyond all this, i think mother nature knows best. when baby is ready to come out, you'll go into labor. if you get induced and your body is not ready for it, you'll need more interventions and possible ending up with a c-section. a child never died from being woken up in the middle of the nite b/c mom was in labor. i say don't do it.

here's an interesting article:
http://www.pushedbirth.com/
click on "Why not schedule it"

I know you've already received a ton of responses but I would just like to add: Don't do it! Like others have said, trust your instincts and know that you're baby will come when he/she is ready. When I had my second baby, I went into labor at about midnight. We had already planned for some friends to come over and watch our older daughter in case this happened. Surely you must have at least one friend or neighbor whom you can count on to get the emergency middle of the night phone call. Good luck!

I don't think there is anything wrong with it. Sounds like your doc has some good reasons for suggesting it.
Congratulations on your baby!

I was induced at 39 weeks with my 1st child because I was on the cusp of having preeclampsia. With my 2nd child, he came three weeks early so I never even got to think that far ahead! We also live about 25/30 mins from the hospital. Do you have a plan for your son in the middle of the night/day/etc? If so and you do not want to induce, then do not.

But don't worry that you will have to have a C-Section or have a tiny baby. From the time they started me on the IV (0 cm dilated) and broke my water, it took 7 hours including 1 hour of pushing time for my daughter to be born.

Convenience? Convenience for who, really?!!!! I have been in the labor room with many failed inductions when given only for convenience purposes. Induction should only be when medically necessary. Feel free to private message me and we can talk about what you can do to avoid this. Ultimately this can end in surgery and then you are stuck taking care of a 2 year old, a new born, and major abdominal surgery. Whose convenience is it then?

I was sent to be induced at 39w 3d because my daughter (#1 child) was in the wrong position, my doctor had to schedule the time to be there to "flip" her to the right way. I went to the hospital on my due date and was already in labor. I talked to my doctor before about inducing me...pros vs cons. He has been an Ob/Gyn for over 25 years and delivered over 6,000 babies. He induced his wife with all 3 of their children. I am currently pregnant with my 2nd child and plan on inducing so my husband can schedule the time from work and we can plan on my daughters care.

I don't think your doctor would recommend something to you if he thought it would harm you or your child. If you don't think that your doctor has the best of intentions, then maybe you need to find someone else to take care of you and your pregnancy and sees more eye to eye with you.

I was scheduled to be induced at 39 weeks with baby #2 b/c I live almost an hour from hospital and hubby works shift work. DD was actualy born the day before I was scheduled to be induced and was a perfectly healthy 7lb 3 oz baby. I was induced with my first b/c I was over due and all went smoothly. However, if this is not a decision that you are comfortable with then you should do what is best for you!

I was induced with my twins when I was 34 weeks, I didn't have a c-section. Water was broken around baby A at 1pm and meds were started to induce and by 7:30pm both were delivered and they are happy and healthy 5 year olds.

Good Luck!!

I was induced with my second son at 39 weeks with no complications. My doctor was concerned because I was measuring exactly the same for about 6 weeks. So I agreed to an induction and everything was perfect. However, I am not sure that I would have scheduled it if there was no medical reason for it. How far along are you? Any other reason your OB suggested it? I would talk to your doctor to get more info before you make a decision.

Good luck!

I hardly think that at 39 weeks you will have a tiny birth weight baby - just my honest opinion - a week really wont make a difference except maybe an ounce or two?. But that being said I would go with your heart and what you want to do and feel is the best thing overall. I live in northwest indiana and had my baby delivered in chicago (about an hours drive with no traffic). Thank god my water broke at 930pm on a thursday night so no traffic. But yes, we did have to have my daughter who was 3 woken up and brought over to her grandparents. Good luck in whatever you decide.