Induction during 39th week

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How old are you exactly? It matters a little if you’re 36 or 41. If things are all fine and you aren’t otherwise high risk, I would wait to induce until 41 weeks if it were me... probably until around 40. Once I hit 40 I might be willing to induce on my due date. Another option if you aren’t already doing them is NSTs

I’m 36, almost 37.

[Anonymous]

I had an induction at 39 weeks at 34 (almost 35) years old so my toddler didn’t wake up one morning to grandparents at home and mom and dad AWOL - so purely for convenience not health reasons/COVID has made me want to control the very few things that it feels like I can. I had all the same concerns as you after scheduling and was stressed about it failing and then ending up with a c-section that I basically caused because I’m a control freak. I will say I was stressed about this during the induction and early labor as well but in the end, everything went fine - cervadil and pitocin didn’t do much but after they broke my water it was a hot second before I delivered vaginally. Talk to your OB about your concerns. It may not be worth inducing at 39 weeks if it’s going to make you super anxious and there’s no medical reason to do it, but maybe spend some time to figure out why you want to induce and whether your fears are ultimately ones you think are anxiety-based versus reality-based.

[Anonymous]

When I was pregnant with my first at 36, my OB recommended inducing at 39 weeks as her standard recommendation. It’s a recommendation based on the ARRIVE study that looked at C section rates in women in their 20’s who did / did not induce. I felt strongly that the study did not offer much that was applicable to my health or my pregnancy.

I rotated doctors and asked the next OB. He disagreed with the recommendation to induce early, since I was only 36 and had a very healthy and active pregnancy. He did want me to schedule an induction before hitting 42 weeks. His preference was to make recommendations based on the patient and her medical history, and disagreed with the way the ARRIVE study was being used. He was very clear that if he saw any medical reason, he would tell me if he thought I needed to induce earlier.

I went into labor on my own at 39w4d and had an uncomplicated delivery with no interventions.

For my second pregnancy, I switched OB practices and asked about 39 week inductions in the first appointment. I found another OB I like who doesn’t make blanket recommendations to induce early unless medically indicated. That just really increases my trust in my doctor.

[Anonymous]

PP who was induced for convenience- I should have said that it wasn’t any more painful than my first labor (probably was less so, but maybe because it was number 2?) and, honestly, the experience of checking in and knowing that we were starting the whole labor process was surprisingly relaxing. Not being on edge trying to discern if every gas bubble was a sign of labor was nice, and my partner and I had some relaxed time together with the knowledge that our family was imminently going to be forever changed. The food thing was stressful at first but I don’t get all that hungry while in labor and my hospital (Sibley) allowed for drinking ginger ale and eating red or orange jello, so ultimately I was fine even with a 20-hour long process (check in to birth). We also ate a really nice meal after dropping the toddler off with grandparents, and it was a bit celebratory and an odd but fun experience.

[Anonymous]

I've enjoyed hearing other's experiences. I'm just 36 weeks but have also been told they want to induce around 39 weeks. My daughter came at 40 weeks 5 days and I enjoyed being able to labor partially at home. She was also a quick labor, I think because she was ready. I go back and forth on when to schedule and how much it matters. Thanks to all who have shared.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been induced twice - once at 37w when baby’s growth slowed and once at 39w as per plan due to prior unexplained stillbirth post due date (I was 35 at that time and had no warning signs or high risk factors and it happened after I went into labor). I delivered vaginally all three times.

My experience was that induction didn’t seem to hurt any more than going into labor naturally, i have long labors so they were long all three times, and I was always permitted to eat at the hospital before induction started. I don’t think induction is better for the schedule (as opposed to csection) because there is no telling how long it could take. But there are downsides. On the other hand, there are risks in going past 39 weeks but they are rare.

You’ll hear anecdata from people who had experiences like my stillbirth (or more often people who knew someone) and people who waited and are thrilled. It’s your body and your decision - so weigh the risks and how you’d feel in each eventuality. But don’t let your doctor push you into something you aren’t comfortable with - if you want to wait, you should and maybe ask for BPPs after 39w

+1 to the bolded, very well said.

[Anonymous]

I would ask if there are other options for induction besides checking in the afternoon before. 4PM is so early! When I was induced, I checked in at 8PM to get settled and begin monitoring. I was allowed to eat until midnight, when they started the cervix ripener. That night's sleep was awful, because nurses were in and out frequently, and I was hooked up to monitors all night. I needed to be unhooked any time I wanted to get up, which became a hassle. It was pretty miserable, and I didn't give birth until 3AM the next morning. My baby was in a bad position though.

For my second, I was given the option to arrive the morning of, but I was already 4-5cm at that point, so I was only water break away from getting things started. I ended up going into labor on my own a few days before my scheduled induction that time though.

[Anonymous]

I was induced twice at 41.5 weeks. I think you have to shift expectations for the birth. It is more painful and not the same as laboring at home in your own bathtub or walking outside. But as long as you're patient and can get through the pain (don't count on an epidural always working) and your body and baby tolerate it- you'll get a vaginal birth. Inductions can be LONG. Don't feel pushed into a c section if there's nothing wrong with you or baby just because of the time.

[Anonymous]

I was induced at 39w2d because I was 41. I loved my induction experience and like another poster, was nervous about the risk of stillbirth past this point. I know of several physicians who opted for 39 week inductions for themselves because of this concern, so that swayed me too.

The no food after a certain point sucked and it did take a long time to dilate. But I was able to get an epidural right after contractions took off, even got some sleep overnight and then baby was born vaginally after 20 minutes of pushing. No panic over going into labor at home, nice simple hospital check in. Easy recovery.

I know I was lucky in this regard and that c sections are also a possible outcome, but I was really happy with the choice.

[Anonymous]

At age 36, I had a scheduled induction at exactly 39 weeks. Got to the hospital at 10 pm, delivered about 24 hours later. I would 100% do it again. Not being able to eat for that long was a little annoying, but I had a lot of broth, jello, and juice.

[Anonymous]

I’ve had four close friends and family members lose their babies after 39 weeks, with previously completely healthy uncomplicated pregnancies. When my doctor said I could choose to be induced at 39 weeks I said yes without hesitation. I was induced with all 3 of my babies and delivered vaginally with great experiences. A bonus for my last two was not needing to worry about a mad rush to arrange childcare. Like the previous poster said, being induced made it a very relaxed and pleasant time for my husband and I to process together how our lives were about to change.

[Anonymous]

I think it's all about your risk tolerance. I did a deep dive on the data and ultimately decided to induce at 40 + 1 day (nervous about stillbirth risks and felt they really went up after 40 weeks, even though they're of course overall low). One of my OBs was pregnant at the time and she was very agnostic about my decision, but when I asked what she was going to do for her pregnancy, she was inducing at 39 weeks. Agree with those who say it made planning easier. Also you can ask for an epidural sooner, if you decide to get one.

The most useful thing I read was this: https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-on-inducing-labor-for-going-past-your-due-date/

Also a big Emily Oster fan and found this useful: https://emilyoster.substack.com/p/39-week-induction

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve had four close friends and family members lose their babies after 39 weeks, with previously completely healthy uncomplicated pregnancies. When my doctor said I could choose to be induced at 39 weeks I said yes without hesitation. I was induced with all 3 of my babies and delivered vaginally with great experiences. A bonus for my last two was not needing to worry about a mad rush to arrange childcare. Like the previous poster said, being induced made it a very relaxed and pleasant time for my husband and I to process together how our lives were about to change.

OP here. Woah... that is really intense. Now I am freaking out that I am not going in until I am 39 weeks and 4 days...

[Anonymous]

I got induced in my 39th week twice! In my 20s. For no other reason than that I was ready, already dilated, and discussed research with my OB. I headed into L&D in the morning, we’ll-rested with hair and make-up done, my favorite music and my DH (and childcare, clean house and a full refrigerator at home). I had both babies the same evening, respectively. 10/10 would recommend!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve had four close friends and family members lose their babies after 39 weeks, with previously completely healthy uncomplicated pregnancies. When my doctor said I could choose to be induced at 39 weeks I said yes without hesitation. I was induced with all 3 of my babies and delivered vaginally with great experiences. A bonus for my last two was not needing to worry about a mad rush to arrange childcare. Like the previous poster said, being induced made it a very relaxed and pleasant time for my husband and I to process together how our lives were about to change.

OP here. Woah... that is really intense. Now I am freaking out that I am not going in until I am 39 weeks and 4 days...

I’m the PP that had a stillbirth between 40-41 weeks with a seemingly perfectly healthy pregnancy until then (I was 34). I said it earlier but I just want to repeat that this is really really rare (and I’ve spent a lot of time with the numbers). That said, rare isn’t never and so you might ask your doctor if they’d do extra monitoring if you went past 39 weeks and what they’d do to see how comfortable you are with the risk. It is your body and your baby and your decision. Which, as with many choices in parenting, can be pretty overwhelming.