Bringing a new life into this world is stressful. One of the most frustrating things to expectant moms is not knowing exactly when baby will come. Modern medicine has given us options. Here are 5 questions you need to answer before medically induced labor.
I’m a mom of 4 boys. Every single one of my 4 boys was induced at 41 weeks. I know exactly how frustrating waiting for baby is! Wondering if inducing labor is going to be dangerous to me or my baby! Exhausted trying to coordinate help for siblings and family flying in with no exact date to work with! And dealing with opinions and pressure from both sides on the subject of inducing labor!
It’s exhausting both physically and emotionally. I bet you know exactly what I’m talking about. That’s why you are here. So assuming you and your baby have no medically necessity that requires you to be induced I’m going to present 5 questions you need to answer before deciding to induce labor.
01 HOW FAR ALONG ARE YOU IN YOUR PREGNANCY?
Full term was previously considered anything beyond 37 weeks and extending to 42 weeks. However new research has found that those extra weeks in the womb have a lot of benefits. Read about those benefits here.
Here is how to define term pregnancies according to Marchofdimes.org.
- Early term – Your baby is born between 37 weeks, 0 days and 38 weeks, 6 days.
- Full term – Your baby is born between 39 weeks, 0 days and 40 weeks, 6 days.
- Late term – Your baby is born between 41 weeks, 0 days and 41 weeks, 6 days.
- Post term – Your baby is born after 42 weeks, 0 days.
The bottom line is, if you don’t have any underlying issues, carrying to term has major benefits for mom and baby. As exhausting and as hard as it is to wait. Trust me I know! Nearly lost my mind!
02 WHAT DOES YOUR DOCTOR RECOMMEND?
Always consult with your trusted OBGYN! Talk out all your concerns and options with them. They have the knowledge and experience to guide you. They can take your concerns and anxiety into consideration.
It’s important to take your mental health into consideration too, so make sure you are open and honest with your doctor. Your goal and their goal is a healthy baby and a healthy mama!
If you don’t feel comfortable with your doctor’s recommendations it never hurts to get another opinion. By another opinion I mean doctor, not your friend’s second cousin’s experience or google forums. They are the exception not the rule.
03 DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE RISKS OF MEDICALLY INDUCED LABOR?
Get informed! Talk to your doctor about all the risks and the risks to you specifically.
25% of induced first-time moms end up having a C-section according to the Mayo Clinic. Which means 75% first-time moms have a successful vaginal delivery. This is something to consider.
A low fetal heart rate is a risk associated with medically induced labor. This is because the medications used to induce labor (synthetic version of Oxycontin called Pitocin) can cause excessive contractions which can lower your baby’s oxygen supply which decreases their heart rate.
If you are looking to give birth without an epidural keep in mind Pitocin can cause abnormal or more intense contractions this can put more stress on you and your babies bodies. This is exactly what happened to me the first time I was induced.
MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
When I was induced with my first born there was a point when the nurses explained that my son’s heart rate was low and concerning. They said that if I didn’t give birth quickly I would need to have a C-Section!
These are words no mother wants to hear but boy were they motivating! 4 pushes later I was holding my healthy baby boy!
I have since learned that despite the fact the nurses say they are supposed to give you a specific amount of Pitocin and in specific increments you can tell them you want it decreased. I also discussed this with my doctor who agreed. You have say here so don’t feel like you don’t!
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I have done this with every subsequent induction I have had and never again had a baby’s heart rate go low. I basically tell the nurses I want them to put me on the lowest dose and the lowest increments they were willing to do.
Then when it seemed my body was ready to take over I asked them to completely turn off the Pitocin. I got push back on this but after discussing it, the nurses agreed, that when they felt sure my body was ready to take over they would turn off the Pitocin.
You should take into account I was 1 week past my due date every time and my body was ready some what. Meaning my cervix was dilated (usually 1-2 cm, not much) and it was somewhat effaced (about 50% on average). These are things to take into consideration when understanding my individual experience.
If your cervix is 0% effaced with no dilation you have a lot longer to go to get your body ready to deliver your baby. That could mean more Pitocin in the beginning to get things started and a longer wait.
My first Induction lasted 24 hours from the time they put the IV in to the time I held my son. The next was 9 hours, then 5 hours, then back up to 10 hours for the last child.
There are a few more risks associated with inducing labor that might be a little less common:
- Infection – From rupturing membranes etc.
- Uterine rupture – This is rare as it only occurs with mothers that have had a prior C-Section
- Bleeding after delivery – Increased risk that your uterus does not contracted properly causing excessive bleeding
Read more about the risks of inducing labor from the Mayo Clinic here.
04 HOW IMPORTANT IS THE TIMING OF YOUR BABY’S BIRTH?
This was a big stress to me. We live very far from family. That means they are trying to book flights to come help/meet the new addition to our family. I also needed family to watch my other kids while I was in the hospital.
Planning for these needs is nearly impossible when you can literally have a baby anytime! I had friends willing to take the call at 2 am but they had their own kids to care for!
After booking flights, family only had a set window of time, usually 2 weeks, they could be there to help. This was so frustrating to me because I wanted help for the longest amount of time possible. But family usually came only to wait almost a week past my due date.
I was always hoping I wouldn’t have to induce and tried to hold out as long as possible but the reality was I needed help. I needed baby to come within the window that family was there to help with siblings.
To some this isn’t a good reason but to me it was. And knowing that I was full term with no health complications I decided to induce. Trust me this decision all four times was not easy. I cried, I prayed, and I did just about anything (within reason) to induce labor naturally.
You need to ask yourself what time constraints are you dealing and are they important enough to medically induce labor.
05 WHAT IS THE UNDERLYING REASON YOU ARE CONSIDERING MEDICALLY INDUCED LABOR?
Be honest with yourself. Why do you really want to induce labor? This is different for everyone! Is it because your impatient, anxious, trying to time it right because of a big life circumstance or to ensure you have help when you need it? All very really feelings and concerns!
If the real reason turns out to be a little superficial, don’t be hard on yourself, but do seriously consider your options and consult with your doctor. Share your concerns openly with trusted family, friends and of course your OBGYN.
Be sure to take all things into account including your mental health!
CONCLUSION
Remember baby will come out eventually! And if you or your body need a little help don’t be ashamed. I’m not. For the most part I had good experiences having a medically induced labor for all 4 of my boys.
I decided to induce due to being a week late and the needs of my currently family. Your reasons and decision are going to be different than mine, but that doesn’t make them wrong.
Remember to have your own back despite judgement. People can have very strong opinions on both sides about inducing labor. Having your own back means doing what you truly believe is best for you, your baby and your family. This is the hardest and best thing you can do for yourself!
In the end whatever concludes your pregnancy with a healthy baby and a healthy mom that’s what is best!
Please share your thoughts and experiences! I love to hear them!