induction for no medical reason

I was just wondering what everyone thinks about being induced for the sake of convenience or because the mother-to-be is anxious or tired of being pregnant.

I was thinking about bringing up induction to my doctor at my next appointment (to be induced at 37 or 38 weeks, not this week) and I was surprised at my mom's reaction. I never thought there was any question about being induced; all of my girl friends that are around my age with babies were all induced, just for convenience. But I guess that doesn't make it right.

What I've heard against induction (when you and the babies are healthy and growing):
1) if you are not going into labor it's because the babies are not ready yet; you will go into labor when the time is right.
2) induction means a longer labor and higher chance of C Section
3) Because of reason #1, if I force the babies to come before they are ready they may end up in the NICU even if they are 38 weeks (mom says she's seen 40 weekers have to go to NICU) and that as a mother I should put my babies first, which means staying pregnant until they are ready to be born.

One of the biggest reasons I'd like to be induced is because DH is not home during the week and this way I could let him know ahead of time when he needs to come home to take me to the hospital.

So what does everyone think about being induced when there is no medical reason, is it a good idea or is it messing with nature and selfish?

 

I was induced at 38 weeks 1 day....My doctor didn't think I would last that long and said that at 38 weeks it tends to get really crowded in there. I think they like to induce by 38 weeks so that there are no other complications inside the womb. I was happy about it....because by then I was tired.

 

Well I think this really depends on your Dr's policy. My OB would not have let me go past 37 weeks, so I had an induction scheduled for that time even though we ended up not needing it. I probably lean towards agreeing that there should be a reason for induction, not just for convenience etc. As hard as it is toward the end, every day is of great benefit to your babies. While babies born at 37/38 weeks are usually just fine, it is not a 100% guarantee that they won't need NICU. Hang in there!

 

I was induced at 38w2d and had my two the next day. I knew right from the beginning that if things didn't happen naturally that I would be induced in my 38th week. OB said all his twins go no farther then the 38th week. At my 38 week appt found out nothing was going on so my OB said inducement the next day. These were my first babies but both of them were fine. No NICU time and both roomed in with me for the 2.5 days I was at the hospital...the nurses did take them for 4 hours both evening so I could get a bit of sleep. I couldn't stop looking at them

From start of inducement to delivery of my two was 27 hours BUT again this was my first delivery! I got cervidil at 9am and contractions started at 12pm that day. By 7pm I was 3cm dialated and continued through the night with my two being born at 11:45 and 11:49 the next morning.

I'd do it all over again

 

Talk to your OB....mine said he will take them at 37 weeks if I don't have them before hand!

It isn't selfish!!! you are not carrying ONE you are carrying TWO...you aren't trying to have them at 30 weeks! Just ask your OB.


Missy

 

My Dr. plans on inducing at 38 weeks if they don't come on their own before then. My Dr. says twins are finished "baking" at 38 weeks, so she says she will get them out one way or the other then.

I personally don't think it is selfish to want a plan once you get to 37/38 weeks.

 

Well I think it's fine to be induced. My ob would've induced @ 38w3d with the twins had I not begged to be induced sooner. I had terrible pelvic pain and could hardly walk. 36weeks is considered full term for twins anyways.

 

I think it really depends on your OB / hospital protocol. My hospital won't let twins go past 38 weeks - the feeling is that they're 'done' at that point, and you run into issues with placenta deterioration, etc. I'm happy I know that I won't go any farther than that point...but I'm ready to ask if we can go sooner! I think it's a case by case basis depending on NSTs, BPPs and fetal size.

Good luck!

 

I've heard twins are definitely full-term by 38 weeks, some say 37 weeks. If it's easier with DH travelling, especially if he's planning vacation time around it, why not?

 

My OB delivers twins by 37-38 weeks. They consider them full term by 37 weeks. Well even my peri considers singletons full term at 37 weeks.

I see no problem with it at all. I'm having a scheduled c-section. I don't really see much difference, in both cases YOU and the DOCTOR are deciding when the babies will come.

 

It looks like I have the opposite opinion here, so I thought I'd jump in with my two cents. My OB would not induce (unless one/both babies were in trouble). She even said she'd let me go past 40 weeks, although highly unlikely! In my opinion, a 37 or 38 week old baby is still pre-term. For me, my water broke at 37 weeks, and yes I was super uncomfortable at that point, but I still partly wish that they would have had time to grow in utero a little longer. They did not need any NICU time, and were 5 lbs. 10 oz. and 6 lbs. 12 oz., so they weren't small babies, but the first days and weeks they were so small (compared to my full-term singleton). Breastfeeding now is going really well, but it was so hard at first because their mouths were so small, and their suck was weak so it took a couple of days, plus somr help from the pump for my milk to come in.

I'm not criticizing anyone who has a different viewpoint than me, but I'm just speaking from my own experience

 

My doc said that twins are considered fully cooked at 36.5 weeks and originally wanted to induce me at 37 weeks. It turns out he is going out of town so he'll probably just do it at 36.5 weeks. I was going back and forth but finally decided it would be okay. I'm not sure at that point that three more days would make a difference or not. Also, he said that with twins, the risks also go up the longer they cook. They not only start to run out of room but tend to lose fluid and have to be watched all the time. He didn't see any point. But, like everyone says, that's one opinion and there are so many other opinions out there. You just have to do what you think is right for you. No one is going to judge you...except maybe your mom.

Lanie

 

My OB said he'd let me only go as far as 41 weeks.

That said, I hope I don't go that long - but should these babies need to stay in that long - then that's fine with me.
Yes, I am uncomfortable. Yes, I would love to be able to plan so that I don't have to rush to the hospital in the middle of the night. But I do not believe that its okay for twins to be induced 'just because'. That's my opinion. There are too many risks. Too many what-ifs.

 

I was induced at 37 weeks. As my ob and peri explained it, there isn't really a whole lot of benefit to keeping twins in longer that 37 or 38 weeks. Meaning, their lungs are usually fully developed and a lot more of the risk factors with mom come into play after 38 weeks. I personally went into it keeping an open mind and being prepared for anything. I labored for 13 hours and had no progress and ended up with a section (fine with me). My body was in so much pain and I was having trouble breathing, I was having a lot of fluid retention but none of those were the reason for the induction, I was just plain exhausted. I am glad I was induced when I was because I really feel like if I had gone longer I would have run into major blood pressure issues. My boys were almost 6lbs each and neither one had to be in the nicu or even a level II nursery. They went to the regular nursery for 2 hours for normal observation and then they were with me. I also have to add that I had congestive heart failure 10 days after the birth due to all of the stress on my body and fluid retention which we didn't really know how bad it was until after I delivered. So personally I am glad that the decision to induce was made.

 

Personally I wouldn't do it unless there was a medical reason to do it. A recent stat I read was that 47% of inductions wind up in c/s...the bottom line is that your body just might not be ready for it. I'm on the road to vbac now, and believe me it's not a simple road....if you would like a vaginal delivery, then don't do induction unless 1. there is a medical reason to....and hopefully 2. your body is already showing signs in favor of labor....like being dilated 3 or more... having your water broken already on it's own... or having some steady ctx and hopefully effacement with all of these signs.... It's just risky business IMHO... with an almost 50/50 chance of winding up in a c/s after a failed induction why not just cut to the chase if you are in such a hurry and have a c/s??... I know it isn't fun at the end of a twin pg. And I could see using induction measures around 39 weeks..but anything earlier is just too risky all around. Oh, and inductions carry higher rates for other risks as well...risks like uterine rupture, infections, etc.... I've learned a lot since doing research on vbac, and I've discovered that a HUGE link between women having c/s in the first place is due to induction... they may call it "failure to progress" after induction..but it's really a case of "failure to wait"...their bodies just weren't ready to do it.

 

I think this is definately something to talk to your doctor about. My understanding is that by the time a twin mom reaches 38 weeks the conditions inside may not be as good as those outside. It is one of the reasons that they start giving you NST's & Ultrasounds so much toward the end. Often times once you hit 38 weeks the placenta(s) start to deteriorate and there actually is a medical reason to induce.

I can say that in the case of a singleton pregnancy I would say that if there is no medical reason for the baby to be born early then suck it up and wait, but twins are MUCH different. At the same time, don't rush it... if you do get to 38 weeks and the Doctor says keep going then keep going... Only your provider can actually assess your situation and decide based on your particular set of circumstances.

 

I was induced at 38w2d. My doc will NOT induce before 38 weeks unless there are medical issues (hospital policy). Most docs believe the difference in outcome between 38w and 40w is minimal and there are increased risks once you leave twins in too long (past 40 weeks is NOT recommended).

However there is a difference in outcome between 36-37 and 38+ weeks, so that's why a lot of docs won't do anything before 38 weeks, which I agree with. 37 weeks is barely full term, so if dates are wrong, growth has been slow you can end up with issues at 37 weeks.

Check the table half way the article:
http://www.ispub.com/ostia/index.php?xmlFi...vol5n2/twin.xml

Induction can cause higher chances of c/s, but it also depends whether you are already dilated, etc. I was 4 1/2 cm when I was induced and it went very fast and smooth. My body completely took over and they switched off the Pitocin.

I would talk to your doc, and depending on how you, your body and your babies are doing, I would at least try to stay pregnant until 38 weeks ... and take it from there. You may not even make it.

Good luck!

 

I was induced with my dd who was 6 days late (which at the time seemed an eternity.) I ended up having a c section. In retrospect, I wish I'd been more patient and waited for nature to take it's course. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't have ended up with a c section, but now because my OB (and many OB's in my state) don't do VBAC's, I have no choice but to have another c section with my boys. I wish I'd been more patient, but again, easier said than done- especially when you're so uncomfortable. Good luck!

 

For me personally, I'm hoping to be induced 37/38 weeks if I haven't gone by then on my own. I've just seen a lot of unsettling things and they stay in my head and I would personally feel better having them out rather than in at that point. My take is sort of that assuming I make it that far and have 2 healthy babies and a healthy mama, let's just get them out while everything is still going well. Obviously- that's not to say that things can't go just fine if you stay pregnant longer, I've just had some bad experiences. My Dr. is in agreement with me. It seems like most of the time, there is a good reason to go ahead and induce anyways by that point that would make the decision for me anyways. We'll see

 

I think it's fine but I've heard that labor goes MUCH easier when it happens naturally! I went naturally when my water broke at 36 weeks.

You are definitely not selfish! You are having TWO babies for heaven's sake!

 

My peri did not let twin pregnancies go past 38 weeks, so I'd have been induced somewhere between 37-38 weeks had I not delivered early. I don't think it should necessarily be done for convenience, but I think medically the placenta starts to break down with twins earlier so it is done for medical reasons.

 

I suppose it wouldn't hurt to bring it up to your doctor, especially if you are very uncomfortable. See what they say... I've read that some doctors consider 37-38 weeks to be full-term for twins, so maybe the doctor would consider there to be a medical reason?

I was induced with my singleton, and can attest to the fact that it was quite a painful process. I had a "foley balloon" inserted into my cervix to manually open it and it was quite a painful feeling. I'm not sure if this is the only way to initiate an induction or not, but it was not nice. I'm also not sure if it was just the doctors fault.. Maybe he wasn't careful to insert it. Also, I've heard that the pitocin induced labour is more severe than natural labour. My epidural didn't work, and it was also not a nice feeling.

 

My OB and peri agreed that 36 weeks was full term. I had an induction set for 36 1/2 weeks, at 35 weeks 6 days, I went in, and my BP was slightly elevated so they sent me to the hospital to have the boys. They started the induction at noon, at 5 am I was still at the 7 cm that I had been at since midnight, so they went ahead and did a c-section. It turns out that Baby A's head was crooked, and basically he was stuck--read, never could have come out on his own, and unlikely to have ever dialated on my own because of lack of pressure. I am glad that my OB didn't make me go farther, since I probably would never have gone into labor. My boys were 6-2 and 6-10. Jon, the bigger one, did go to the NICU for 36 hours, but that was it.

 

Well now I've developed pre-e so I have a medical reason. I asked at my last appointment and the doctor is going to schedule me this friday! Thanks for all your opinions!

 

You're going to see your babies soon! I'm glad your Dr is keeping an eye on the Pre E!!