Sep 28 2008
Inducement for Convenience or Necessity?
I spent most of the day lounging around the house, watching the Discovery Channel (MythBusters and Planet Earth), and napping for the better part of the afternoon. For some reason, I felt exhausted today even though I didn’t do much of anything — well, besides two loads of laundry. I decided that it wasn’t a such a bad idea to allow myself to rest in preparation for the upcoming big event: labor and delivery. Whenever that may be.
After my appointment with the OB tomorrow morning, perhaps we’ll get a better idea. At the very least, I’m hoping that I’ve moved past zero on the dilation and effacement progress. Also on the agenda is discussing the possibility of postponing the inducement date, which is presently scheduled for this Friday, October 3. I’ve been thinking about it, and I’d like to go as drug-free as possible — and using drugs to induce labor just doesn’t feel right to me. Of course, if the health of the baby necessitates it or it is deemed medically necessary, then I am not opposed to inducing. But, inducing just for the sake of inducing — or for my personal convenience or comfort. No.
The subject of inducement came up only because I inquired about it. At my last appointment, I asked my OB, “at what point would you consider inducing?” I don’t know if she thought I was asking because I wanted the inducement, but immediately she started looking at the calendar and said, “let’s schedule it for Friday, October 3.” I suppose I should have asked more questions at the time, but I always feel somewhat rushed during my OB appointments and I often need time to process my thoughts before questions come to mind. Now that I’ve had a week to think about it, I hope to get some things clarified.
I’m hoping that the doctor will order a BPP (biophysical profile) on Baby Champuru. I’d like to know how large the baby is. After all, that is one of the big concerns when you have gestational diabetes. Of course, if Baby Champuru is already pushing 8-pounds, I’d opt for the inducement. We’ll see what the doc says tomorrow. Hopefully she won’t just dismiss my concerns and insist on staying with the original plan.
I notice that the baby dropped a little and I am breathing a little easier, and as expected, there is more pelvic floor pressure and some minor discomfort in my lower abdomen from time to time. The Braxton Hicks contractions are picking up and it seems that Baby Champuru has been more active today than before. I am hoping that these are signs that Baby Champuru is getting ready to make her big debut.
More updates to come!
A 30-something Christian girl, blissfully wedded to her perfect match (the yang to her yin) of 14 years. A new mom to her miracle baby, born on October 4, 2008. Living life in Hawaii, less than 5 miles from her hometown, a slave to her mortgage payment, but seeking balance in her pursuit of family, faith, recreation, and rest.
I love MythBusters and Planet Earth. The DVD was on my xmas wish list last year. Sounds like an awesome afternoon! Your OB isn’t very good, if she simply looked at your babystrology.com widget she’d know that Baby Champuru is due in 4 days =)
My new guess is Oct 1
T’s BPP 2 days before birth said he’d be 4lbs 13oz and he was 5lbs 6oz. Of course at 32 weeks he had the head of a 36 weeker! And did more damage coming out than C, who was 8lbs 6oz. So I wouldn’t worry too much if they think she’s around 8lbs. My friend, a tiny size 2, delivered a 9lb 14oz baby completely naturally! It’s amazing what our bodies can do. But good for you for holding off on the induction if you can- most docs get anxious around 10 days past due date, even though it’s perfectly common for first babies to be a week “late”.
I hope she does show up in the next couple of days, and weighs in around 7 to 7.5lbs, with a short (4-6 hour) labor.
Make sure to check how big the margin of error is on those tests - it’s almost not worth doing for how wrong in either direction they can be!
Totally with you on inducing only if medically necessary. I believe in the body’s natural ability to go through this birthing process. Of course there are times when help is needed, but trust you gut. I do not like OBs that immediately suggest to their patient that a c-section is necessary because baby *might* be too big. However with your gd issue, I understand how size could be a concern for you. Again, trust your gut. My one induction (the only child of mine born before her due date) was due to PIH. My bp was rising, protein in urine and dr decided there’s more risk to keep her in than have her born at 39 weeks. I think it was a good choice, but after going through an induced labor, I definitely prefer to avoid it unless absolutely necessary. It’s tough! Do-able, but tough. Wishing you the best on going as drug free as possible! I know this waiting is not easy, but your baby really will be here soon and I hope you have a wonderful birthing experience.
My OB scheduled me for inducement at 39w due to GD; luckily, I delivered on my own towards the end of 38w. The fear was that the baby would be too large if they had waited beyond 39w. She came out 6lbs, 8oz (which included fluid retention due to my epidural) but while I was in labor, the doctor was estimating that she was over 8lbs! Bottom line is that if you have your blood sugar under control, your baby is likely to be normal sized at full term.
I wonder if we’ll see a “Week 41″ belly photo! That would be a surprise! I think a “Week 42″ photo may be getting a little crazy. Best wishes and prayers for you and your “snowflake” (snowball?).