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Post by kwith on Jan 30, 2014 7:49:29 GMT -5
So my OB gave me the homework assignment this week to decide if/when I'd want to induce labor. As a practice, they strongly encourage moms not to go past 41.5 weeks, which I'm fine with. If baby kwith is still in there three weeks from now, I'll be happy to get her out of there. But she also said that they will do an induction (inducement? I don't know the right term) any time after the due date if I'd like to go earlier. So I could have one as early as February 10th if I want to.
On the one hand, I like the idea of having an end date officially scheduled. And timing wise, that works out well for me being able to finish work next week and have the baby shortly thereafter. And while in general I don't desire an overly medicalized birthing experience, I'm also not opposed to it. I've wanted minimal intervention beyond an epidural and wanted to go through initial labor at home, but if I end up through more at the hospital, I'm not too upset.
On the other hand, as I've read about it over the last day, it sounds like the general recommendation is to not schedule an induction unless medically necessary. And it does possibly mean an overall shittier labor and increased chance in c-section and possibly a longer hospital stay, which I don't really want. But again, not the end of the world if it happens.
And hopefully baby kwith will arrives before I have to make the decision anyway.
Any thoughts? Things I should think about that I haven't? Recommendations based on your personal experience?
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Post by GoneFishing on Jan 30, 2014 8:05:22 GMT -5
Everything I have read says that inducing exponentially increases the chances of all other sorts of intervention.
The main one is the need for higher pain management, but since you're already open to an epidural, that's no big. However, it also makes it more likely that you will need forceps or a vacuum, and yes it makes it more likely for a c-section as well.
Now I have made my fear of a c-section well known. But after reading about the medical disadvantages to the baby and the estimation that as many as 40% of inductions are actually not overdue but rather a due date unknowingly set a week or two earlier than 40 weeks, I would personally want to hold out as long as possible before inducing.
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Post by kwith on Jan 30, 2014 8:14:38 GMT -5
Everything I have read says that inducing exponentially increases the chances of all other sorts of intervention. The main one is the need for higher pain management, but since you're already open to an epidural, that's no big. However, it also makes it more likely that you will need forceps or a vacuum, and yes it makes it more likely for a c-section as well.Now I have made my fear of a c-section well known. But after reading about the medical disadvantages to the baby and the estimation that as many as 40% of inductions are actually not overdue but rather a due date unknowingly set a week or two earlier than 40 weeks, I would personally want to hold out as long as possible before inducing. That's really my main concern. I'm not scared of a c-section, per se, but I don't want to deal with a major operation and recovery time if not necessary. |
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Post by kwith on Jan 30, 2014 8:16:34 GMT -5
@daubachsgirl23, good point on the cervical stretching. It was something I hadn't realized was an option till I was reading more about it last night, so I'll definitely have to ask the doc next week if it's available. I've heard it's pretty horrible, but could be better than other forms of induction? I don't know.
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vk
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Post by vk on Jan 30, 2014 8:17:59 GMT -5
Just my own personal opinion, I would try and wait it out as long as you (medically) can. Via FB I have seen people schedule their births up to a few weeks in advance just because they want the baby out; maybe I am old school but I think that is a selfish way to handle things. I feel that the natural way is the way to go if you have the option, obviously if you have to induce for medical reasons that is a different story.
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Post by kwith on Jan 30, 2014 8:30:17 GMT -5
So it seems like the general consensus is "delay as long as possible". Thanks for weighing in, guys. It's one of those things that as we've talked about it this morning totally makes sense, but as I was reading up on it last night just felt overwhelming. This is why I'm crowd-sourcing all my major decisions right now - my brain can't process things in a normal, rational way right now.
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Post by GoneFishing on Jan 30, 2014 8:38:36 GMT -5
Well, it's obviously up to you and Mr. Kwith, and I don't think anyone here would judge you for deciding to induce sooner. But I totally get what you're saying. I'm not even pregnant and already come up against stuff that I'm very happy to not have to decide for a long time.
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Post by kwith on Jan 30, 2014 12:13:37 GMT -5
@rajahbmfd, thanks for the info on the calculation. I'll have to ask about that.
Also, this is unrelated to anything, but I was behind a car the other day that a license plate with "BFD" as the letters, and it made me think of you. I think you should probably feel super special then when I think big mother fucking deal, I think Rajah.
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Post by kwith on Jan 30, 2014 16:16:03 GMT -5
How comfortable are you with your due date? Do you feel it's accurate? The longer past the due date for baby, I have heard the placenta can start to breakdown (I don't if this is fact or not!) . What I DO know though there is the increasing risk of the baby having a bowel movement in utero and swallowing/inhaling meconium can cause significant problems. I do. I've always had really regular cycles, and all of the measurements of baby kwith's various parts on ultrasound have measured exactly to her due date (except her legs, which are consistently about 5 days behind because she's going to be short like her parents). And yes, there is a greater risk of issues after a certain point, so my docs don't want me going past 41.5 weeks, but will induce at 40 weeks if I want them to. For right now, my plan is to wait it out and see what happens. If something changes in the next week and a half or so, I'll adjust, but for right now I've decided to not worry about it and just let me body do its thing. |
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Post by kwith on Jan 30, 2014 16:25:39 GMT -5
TMI but sex and walking got my labor started with one baby. Another baby just did NOT want to come out, lol I'm finding that there's no such thing as TMI with pregnancy  |
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Post by GoneFishing on Jan 30, 2014 16:40:27 GMT -5
How comfortable are you with your due date? Do you feel it's accurate? The longer past the due date for baby, I have heard the placenta can start to breakdown (I don't if this is fact or not!) . What I DO know though there is the increasing risk of the baby having a bowel movement in utero and swallowing/inhaling meconium can cause significant problems. I do. I've always had really regular cycles, and all of the measurements of baby kwith's various parts on ultrasound have measured exactly to her due date (except her legs, which are consistently about 5 days behind because she's going to be short like her parents). And yes, there is a greater risk of issues after a certain point, so my docs don't want me going past 41.5 weeks, but will induce at 40 weeks if I want them to. For right now, my plan is to wait it out and see what happens. If something changes in the next week and a half or so, I'll adjust, but for right now I've decided to not worry about it and just let me body do its thing. This is the one reason that I went ahead and started tracking my BBT even though we aren't "scheduling" sex yet and are currently just taking the lots of sex/see what happens approach. My cycles have never ever been regular in my life, but tracking BBT helps me know when I've actually ovulated (within 24 hours anyway) each month, so it will help us get an accurate due date early on. |
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Post by GoneFishing on Jan 31, 2014 7:38:30 GMT -5
This is the one reason that I went ahead and started tracking my BBT even though we aren't "scheduling" sex yet and are currently just taking the lots of sex/see what happens approach. My cycles have never ever been regular in my life, but tracking BBT helps me know when I've actually ovulated (within 24 hours anyway) each month, so it will help us get an accurate due date early on. Smart cookie. I was using a fertility monitor when we were TTC so I know the exact day I ovulated. Obviously I don't know the exact date of conception, but I do know that I ovulated on CD 10, not CD 14. I hate when the Dr insists my EDD is July 16, based on my LMP, because we know this wasn't a "regular" cycle. Baby P is even measuring a few days ahead, but they don't want to deviate from what "the chart" says. I tell everyone I'm due July 13. Even the ultrasound tech said it's likely between July 10th and 13th. It's really no big deal; not like baby is sitting in there with a calendar, but it's still nice to have an accurate estimate, rather than one that's based on the average woman/cycle. Yeah, last cycle I ovulated at day 10. This cycle it was day 18, so going by my LMP would not work well at all. And while there's no way to know for sure how I will react to pregnancy, I'm hoping to work up to a week before my due date, so I hope to be as accurate as possible. And luckily I have a doctor who supports charting, so he'll take it into account with other things to give a more complete estimation. As far as knowing when you got pregnant, the egg is only viable for 8-12 hours after ovulation, so insemination has to happen then. Implantation can take up to 6 days, but you're already pregnant at that point, from a due date standpoint point. |
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Post by kwith on Jan 31, 2014 9:16:12 GMT -5
PandPmeant2B, when I went in for my 20 week ultrasound, they were able to get much more exact measurements for due date adjustment. I hope you find the same thing. Also, fwiw to both you and GoneFishing, I'm planning on working right up to my due date. I'm physically capable of doing it, but I will say that the last two weeks or so of work have been really hard. By the end of the day, I've just felt miserable. Compared to weekends where I can be much more low key, there's definitely a distinct difference in how I feel. It's not to say I can't do it, or that you won't be able to, but if there's ever a "baby kwith: the sequel", I'm going to try to plan to be done working by 37-38 weeks, just for my own physical comfort. That's not meant to be discouraging at all, because I firmly believe that most women are capable of working as long as they want. I've just found in my own experience that there was an unexpected difference between "capable" and "comfortable".
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Post by GoneFishing on Jan 31, 2014 12:24:15 GMT -5
For me, it will depend on when my due date is. For example, if I were to get pregnant this month, my due date would be right in the middle of our first show. In that case, I would be trying to make it as long as possible so I could get my staff through at least some of that first set of performances, in order to train and prepare them for me being gone for the second show. But, if I get KU next month, that will put my due date sometime in November, completely after our first show, so I will have the leisure to take off 2 or even 3 weeks before my due date, PTO permitting, and I'd still get a longer extension into the new year, because Thanksgiving and Christmas would factor in earlier. So, it's really all a matter of when it happens.
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