Induction vs Natural

Becca,

I was induced with my second child. I totally regret every minute. I regret going into a hospital. I am now a birth professional and have learned so many things that 95% of pregnant women would never even think of researching.

If you want an amazing, life-changing read I suggest browsing 'Born in the USA' by Marsden Wagner (browsing as you may not have time to read the whole thing at this point). Especially read chapter 4 on Forced Labor.
A small excerpt[from a real-life story]
Grabbing the telephone from the maternity ward secretary, the nurse blurts out,"Doctor, I have tried and tried to find the baby's heart beat and then I got my charge nurse who tried and tried. We can't get a fetal heart tone at all. We need you. Please come quick!" The ob replies, "Right. I'm leaving home now. I'll be there in fifteen minutes, depending on traffic." Click. [fast forward a paragraph] The woman's ob arrives twelve minutes later and quickly determines that there are indeed no fetal heart tones, and the woman is in shock. He realizes this is almost certainly a case of uterine rupture, a situation where the woman's uterus, after an especially hard contraction, blows out like a tire. Uterine rupture is a known risk of Cytotec, the drug he has used to induce the woman's labor. [fast forward a sentence] It takes 20 minutes to prep the or for an emergency c-section, enlist (another)ob, find the anesthesiologist, and get scrubbed. By the time the laboring woman's belly is finally cut open, the baby is floating free in the abdominal cavity, having escaped from the uterus through a large rip in the uterine wall.

You may wonder what happened in this scenario? The baby died and the ob cut out her damaged uterus, leaving her barren. Just one of the many reasons not to mess with nature and induce! Especially with Cytotec. Please ladies, google Cytotec, Searle, Misopropyl, and research the effects of Pitocin! Yes, many women throughout history have had good outcomes, but do you really want to gamble that with your baby's life and yours? If anyone wants any further information, I have a full lending library which includes many DVD's that are very informative. Throw away that "What To Expect" and "Girlfriends" books that don't truly educate you! Pick up something by Henci Goer, Ina May Gaskin or Marsden Wagner to truly empower yourselves.

The last thing I want to do is invoke fear in any woman; however, that is what you will face when you enter a hospital setting. I have seen it first hand. Check out some beautiful water births or home births on YouTube and you will see the difference. Birth is not a medical event, it is a natural cycle of life.

May you have the birth you deserve!

Blessings,
K.

Becca-
I have an awesome article you need to read.. on this very subject.
If you PM me your email address, I will send it to you right away.
Thanks,
K.

Hi Becca,

No worries, the baby is ready. I was induced with both my girls and the best part is that you get an epideral immediately, no waiting required. I loved the process because I was completely present and aware of the wonderful experience I got from giving birth. Also, you get to fit it in perfectly with your schedule. Just as if you planned a C-section but without the recovery process. ALL GOOD!!!

Congratulations, enjoy and go for it!

(I did not have a C-section nor any other problems because I was induced. Nor, was I dialated or effaced by any means.)

However, after reading Kim's response I need to edit my comment to say - always give birth in a hospital and be sure your reputable doctor is on hand.

I was induced on my first becuase of his size (big babies are common on both sides) turn out that was a good idea I did not want a C-section. And he was 11 lbs. However the down fall is the theory that my Mother-in-law has, inducing causes Colic. And did he ever have it bad. Daddy never really got to enjoy our not so little guy. This round I am hoping to go natural I am due on the 15th of Jan. but am quite convinced that I will be going before then. This one is expected to be 9.5 lbs so no need for induction. While I was being induced I never felt a contraction until my water broke. According to the nurse they were some pretty wicked contractions, they were off the charts! I was told I have a high pain tolerance. Who knows! I kinda think the water helped. The whole thing lasted around 20 hours. But I only felt 2 hours of it. Hope this experience helps you!
Good Luck!

Wait.

Being dilated to a 2 is nothing if you've already had a child. It doesn't mean your body's getting ready to deliver the baby. It just means your body remembers doing this before.

School is important. But. No one's gonna be upset if your hubby takes a day off for the birth of his child. He can even make sure his professors know you're about to give birth. He can arrange to get notes/assignments from a friend in class by phone/email. He can turn in assignments a little early.

You'll recognize the signs of labor better this time around. Drink lots of water - dehydration is the biggest cause of false labor.

Even if you have short labors, you'll have time to get to the hospital an hour away.

Your daughter will be healthier if you can keep her in your womb. 38 weeks is only barely there. Let her come out when she's done.

Everyone has their own opinion, that's for sure. So you're going to be just a couple of days away from being full term, I don't see the difference in a few days, especially since your doctors are telling you that it's fine. On my due date my doctor recommended that I be induced but I wanted to wait and let nature take it's course. Two weeks later I was in labor for 24 hours(induced, but it should have been days, if not weeks, earlier), ending in an emergency C-section because my baby was so big he wouldn't come out on his own (9 lbs. 12 oz.). I think in today's world with today's technology, it's okay to help the baby along a couple of days early. I had no real problem with being induced. The contractions were a little harder than my previous natural labor but it wasn't bad...especially if you're going to have an epidural. Good luck, you'll make the right decision for yourself...or that baby will come before the 15th and make that decision for you.

Hi--
My midwife says that research shows that children who are induced have a much greater chance of being depressed later in life because they were "forced" out. Also, I was dilated to 4 and fully effaced for a week before my second one came, and he came when he was good and ready. Labor was only two hours. God forbid something happens and you don't know if it was caused by the induction?? Do you want to second guess yourself? I would plan for someone else to take me to the hospital just in case and if your husband has to miss school I think it will be okay. What's more important--schedules or you and your baby's health? Just my opinion. Why give yourself something more to worry about?
Good luck either way!
J.

I think it makes total sense for you to be induced. You are full term and for your own safety (driving time)and emotional well being(your husband being there with you)it sounds like the best option. I had to be induced with both of my boys (because they were late)and other than having no real easy beginning labor, it was a great option. I was able to plan where my daughter would be instead of scarring her in the middle of the night or whenever I went into labor. Good Luck! :)

I think I am the one who asked the same question that you read the responses to. I was induced a few days early just 3 weeks ago, before Christmas. My doctor was on call and we took my 2 year old to my sisters and drove to the hospital early Sunday morning in the snow. It was very relaxed, low key, and I was able to plan and have my doctor there. I checked in at 7am and did not deliver until 3:45pm so it took awhile to get dialated to a 10. But do what works for you and what you feel good about. Don't listen to all the ladies out there telling you that you have to wait! Good Luck!

My labors have either been induced or helped along, I have very fast labors (one born on the couch) and we live about 45 min from the hospital (I go quicker then that). I did natural and induced and I think that if it works for you and ensuring your husband the oppurtunity to be there then do what feels right. All of my babies were fine and they were induced around 38 weeks.

I have experienced being induced as well as having natural deliveries. Being induced hurts more than going natural. And my sister-in-law was induced with her first and it was like the baby was refusing to come and they ended up taking him cesarean after 2 solid hours of pushing. I live in Eagle Mountain and deliver in American Fork (which is about an hour away for me) and I had a lot of the same worries you are experiencing. Will I get there on time? What if my hubby is at work (Orem)? What am I going to do with my other kids when it happens? I have had 4 and am expecting #5 now and it always seems to work out. I have just let my body do what it wants to do with all four of them, and the only reason I needed to be induced with #3 was because my water broke but labor didn't start on it's own. So I personally would just let things happen naturally.

I would avoid induction at all costs, mainly because it usually leads to so many other interventions including, in the worst case scenario, C-section. While it may seem more convenient, it may not work as you hope if your body and your baby are not ready. Also, I don't think you should ignore everything Kim said. It is worth checking out other information because there are (at least) two sides to this issue.

EVERYONE has their opinion, and ONLY YOU can decide what is best for YOU. Giving birth is an incredibly personal experience. Some people hate hospitals and doctors and any sort of intervention, and they are entitled to their feelings and belief. Personally, my doctor preferred to induce anywhere in the 39th week because of some studies that Harvard and a few major companies had done. After obtaining the studies and having my Pharmacist husband look through them, I agreed with her. I won't give all the details of the studies here. I chose to be induced with my 2nd for the same reason you are considering. My husband was in school and doing rotations. I was induced with my 1st because my water broke 3 days before my scheduled induction, and labor didn't really progress. For my experience, it hasn't mattered that I've scheduled an induction twice because my first came a few days before, and my second I went into labor at 3am the day I was supposed to go in for my induction. The hospital considered it spontaneous labor and gave me my epidural well before they started any pitocin. Both experiences were calm and wonderful. The way a woman gives birth should be entirely up to her. It bothers me that people try to tell me that what I did was wrong. My children are healthy as can be, and actually both showed signs of being overdue even though I was at 39 weeks with both. I personally have loved the hospital, having the doctors, and appreciate the pain relievers I can have in the hospital. Others may not feel that way, so I wouldn't expect them to do things exactly as I have done. Ultimately, talk to your doctor and your husband and make a decision you are comfortable with. Everyone's experiences are different and people seem to feel so extreme one way or the other. Your doctor spent years going to medical school and doing a residency, so trust his/her education and experience. You can't believe everything you read on Google, or read somewhere. Just because it's written somewhere doesn't make it truth. Listen to somebody who knows how to get useful information from a well performed study, or how to recognize a biased study. Good luck no matter what you do! I hope everything goes smoothly for you!

I went throught both things, sort of. My daughter came when she wanted to, the contractions were fine, I was in labor forever, but the only thing I got was an epidural. With my son, my water broke, and when that happens, they want the baby to be born within 24 hrs. because of infection risk. My contractions weren't regular after 12 hrs, so they gave me some pitocin to help things along. I have to say, the pitocin makes the contractions much worse than your body does naturally. For me, it wasn't a choice, so I don't mind that I had the pitocin, but if I had a choice, I think I would wait for the baby to come on its own...unless you are really sure that it won't work out (getting to the hospital, your husband making it there, etc.). I think the decision needs to be yours, but my two cents is let the baby come when it is ready. Good luck with your birth no matter what you choose, and congrats!!

It is not at all unusual to be dialated days (or weeks) before labor starts, it is not a good reason to be induced. I was dialated to a 5 for a week prior to going into labor naturally, I thought about asking to be induced, but it seems to me that the less unessesary medical interventions you have, the better. A friend of mine was induced for her school schedule, she wanted to have her baby during Spring break, and she ended up having to have a C-section because her body was simply not ready to go into labor yet and her contractions were getting weak. Because they had already broken her water they had to deliver the baby so a C-section had to be done. Her recover was harder then it needed to be and breastfeeding was more of a challenge because of it. I say let the baby choose when to be born. You must also remember that due dates are only an estimate, so you may end up inducing a baby that is a few weeks premature, it is not nice to do that to a baby if there is no real medical reason for it.

Good luck with your decision, I hope that your husband does well in school!

Sometimes nature will not take its course! You are at least dialated, I never dialated beyond a 2...and that was after 12 hours of pitocin. I was a week late when i went in to be induced and I ended up with a C-Section for failure to progress. If your baby is healty and the doc is willing I say go ahead with the induction. :) There is somthing to be said for that monent when you know it is time, however if you wait that time may come when your hubby and doc will not be there. If it is safe for the baby and you and a convient time I say go for it!

To counter Jodi Heaven forbid something happen because you can't get to the hospital in time. Or your husband can't be there. Heaven forbid the placenta ages faster than expected and you don't go into labor on you own which can cause greater problems.

Women who feel that there is a right or a wrong, black or white answer here don't have a clue. The reality is that you have to discuss with your doctor and pray about it. Should you decide that the right answer is induction, it should go fine. You have already been through it and it shouldn't be any harder. The things to look for are if you are dialating, effacing. Does your doctor know what he is doing. The reality is that girls fare better and develop faster than boys do if they are earlier than the due date. I induced with my first and things are great my daughter is anything but depressed and has been advanced in most development. Inducing close to your due date won't change that. I right now would like to go natural, of coarse with an epidural, for my baby due in March but am open to whatever may happen. I think that you are the best person to answer your own question and hope that people who chose to be negative don't make you second guess what you feel is the right option either way. Good Luck.

I had my first son naturally. I pushed for almost 3 1/2 hours. He had to be taken out with a suction cup.

My second son was induced and I will tell you this. It was easier. Sometimes, I know the second child comes easier but I only pushed like for 10 or so minutes. The contractions hurt more but didn't last so long. It was so much easier and I didn't tear. Hope this helps.

There are a ton of responses, but I'm going to chime in! With my first child, I was 2 weeks overdue and my OB said to come in Sunday night to be induced. I went into labor naturally Sunday morning. With my second, I was approaching 2 weeks overdue (lucky me, right?). My OB said to come in Thursday night and be induced. I went into labor naturally Thursday morning. I did not want to be induced, with fears of pain of my body being forced to dilate. Maybe it was the fear that finally put me into labor!

It sounds like the planned induction date could be after natural labor happens anyway - won't you be 40 weeks? Hopefully you will already be inducted into the "mother of more than one child" club already!

I do have to add some negative - my SIL was pregnant with twins and was induced (she was done being prego!). One twin did not receive the hormone babies get to start breathing oxygen, and was immediately taken to a hospital in another city, separating mom and baby, and twin and twin. Very heartbreaking! Don't know if the induction had anything to do with it. She also induced early - too early in my uneducated opinion. But things can go awry with going into labor naturally - like delivering in a car because the hospital is too far away!

Good luck - you and your husband will make the right decision!

Go with your feelings - let nature take it's course. Let your baby come when your baby is ready. Whatever happens when the baby decides it's time to be born is what is meant to happen - I think it's important to trust that nature will take it's course in whatever way is best for everyone involved.

Hi Becca- I didn't see the other post. :)
I was induced twice now. Good experiences for me for the most part. 1st baby was 10 days overdue and my labor was still 31 1/2 hours long even with an induction. My 2nd was a 9 to 5 baby- great experience! I'm pregnant for the 3rd time now and will probably opt to induce again. I really like "planning it out"- knowing that everyone's lined up to take my other kids and the doctor is going to be there. I TOTALLY felt like you though, about "making" the baby come. I went through a little guilt about that with both of them, but then they were born very healthy and very full-term and I was getting downright miserable just before they were born, so I guess I let it go. :) I think planning it out is fine.

Since you have already had a baby and the induction went well, I think you are totally fine to induce again. If your body is ready, there is really no problem. If it were your first child, I would advise never to induce unless absolutely necessary because on a first child the complication rate skyrockets with induction. Once your body has done the birthing thing at least once, it knows what to do & as long as your doctor thinks you're body is ready, you are not taking huge risks.

Congratulations on the little one that will be here soon! And good luck with everything. I, personally, would totally recommend induction. I did that with both my kids - two weeks before their due dates - and would do it again if I had more kids. My doc said they were big enough. I absolutely loved it! For one, you can work it in to things - especially for your situation. Plus, I really didn't want to feel any pain so with induction I was able to get the epidural whenever I wanted it. But my kids were absolutely fine. And as far as letting nature take it's course - I totally believe that if it wasn't the right time, then it wouldn't come anyway. :)

Plan as much as you want but i think that there are only a few surprizes that come as a n adult. It is like knowing what you are going to get for christmas before christmas even gets here. I say be surprised. The memory will be more cherished.
Good luck with what ever you choose.

I have mixed feelings about induction. I just wanted to add my experiences.

My mother was induced when she had me because she was two weeks past her due date. It was her best birth experience, and the only one she did without pain meds, and I was 9lbs6oz! To counter a previous post, my sister is the one in our family with issues with depression.

I went into labor naturally with my first and had a fairly quick delivery once they broke my water with baby coming within an hour. With my second, I had a harder time with false labor because I had contractions for an entire month before labor started and I walked around 4 cm dilated for 3 weeks. Baby showed up 5 days after due date and only 3 hours after serious labor contractions started. We BARELY got to the hospital as we wanted to make sure it was really labor. I woke with sharp contractions at 1:45AM We left the house at 3:07AM, checked in at 3:30 and baby came at 4:09AM.

It just goes to show anything can happen with labor, and you need to go with your gut. Due dates are only estimates, and the docs don't really know when to expect baby. They wouldn't induce you if they felt baby wasn't ready and it seems the date chosen is close enough to the due date to not be "forcing" baby. You're probably feeling VERY ready by now anyway. Weigh your options, talk to hubby, and go with your gut. That's my best advice.

Becca,
boy there are strong feelings on both sides of this issue. I have done both c-section and natural birth options but I never have been induced and so I can only tell you what I think. I was dialated to a 5 and 100% effaced for 1 1/2 weeks but when I went I went fast. I couldn't have been induced because I was a vasginal birth after c-section. My third was a bit of a stress because I was under threat of a c-section unless I had him naturally and they put a date on my nedding to have him. (long story that I won't share here) Point is that being dialated and effaced doesn't a baby make :) but it does mean that you are getting ready.
If you would like to make a drive in snow while you are holding back having a baby then I can promise that the birth will be beautiful.
But are you an epidural woman or an all natural one? I have heard that pitocin makes your contractions harder but that isn't an issue if you are into the epidural then that isn't a factor.
You just have to weigh what is most important to you. If you deffinately want your husband there without having it be a detriment to his schedual and you want to garuntee you are at the hospital you choose then plan your induction.
If you are interested in a bit more "control" without the drugs there are other ways of starting labor that are more natural. There are some homeopatic methods for starting labor and the best thing about homeopathic methods is that they will induce if you and the baby are ready and if you aren't then it doesn't do any harm to either of you.
The most important thing is to look inside your self and decide. Are you at risk for a c-section with an induction...yes. But that doesn't mean that it is imminent. And could you have a baby on the freeway without your husband if you go natural...yes but once again that is the other extreme. Aviod the extreme emotion and look inside yourself to decide what you value, want and can live with and make a decision.
In the mean time if you would like some extra help with some homeopathics then send me a message and I would be happy to give you the knowledge that I have.
Good luck

You're going to get a lot of misinformation and personal stories telling you to just go ahead and things will be "just fine".

Well "fine" isn't good enough.

One cannot say your baby is ready just because it's nice or because one believes a certain number of gestation days have completed. If your baby's still in utero and there aren't any signs of danger then s/he is NOT ready. Plain and simple.

The fact of the matter is this: Just recently this year a comprehensive study of over 50,000 women has been published showing that induction without a pressing medical need, is NOT fine. This study points out that women put themselves and their babies at risk for complications and invasive intervention almost 100 percent of the time.

You can read the article about it here: http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-58375.html#

Inducing labour in pregnant women is risky

Sydney, Dec 10 : Inducing labour in uncomplicated pregnancies can be risky, according to a study.

A quantitative study based on 50,000 first births between 2000 and 2005 showed that induced labours were more likely than spontaneous births to lead to forceps delivery, caesarean section and haemorrhage.

Babies were also more likely to be admitted to nursery care and to require active resuscitation after induced labour.

Mary-Ann Davey of Mother and Child Health Research at La Trobe University, who conducted the study, stressed that the sample included only those women whose pregnancies were progressing in a healthy and normal manner.

"I used data that are routinely collected on all births in Victoria by the midwife attending the birth," Davey said. "I selected those first births that appeared to have no clinical indication for induction of labour.

These were all single pregnancies of normal presentation born between 37 and 40 weeks.

Mothers had no complications, such as pre-existing diabetes, hypertension, cardiac disease or mental illness and those younger than 20 years or older than 45 were excluded from the analysis.

Davey believes that many of the labours were induced for reasons of convenience rather than for any medical indications. Sometimes the pregnancies might be induced because they are past the due date but only by six days or less.

The risk of haemorrhage following induced labour was increased by 17 percent, of an instrumental delivery by 20-70 percent, of nursery care for the infant by 24 percent and active resuscitation by 15-100 percent, depending on the method of induction, said a La Trobe release.

The risk of a caesarean was between two and four times more likely after induction.

Why anyone would choose to do this for "convenience" sake is beyond me. It's physically, emotionally, and financially stressful and not beneficial to a significant degree to support all the toll.