Did anyone have an elective induction (induced before or on their due date) and regretted afterwards?
Did anyone have an elective induction (induced before or on their due date) and regretted afterwards?
cherry / 136 posts
I had an elective induction for baby 2 at 39+2 and did not regret it for a moment. I had been induced for baby 1 as well over concerns about fetal distress and that went well so did not hesitate for the second time.
nectarine / 2243 posts
Nope. I had a scheduled induction with my first and an accidental with my second (I showed up at the hospital in early labor but instead of sending me home they induced me since the hospital was crazy busy and they couldn’t guarantee me a bed if I went into labor in the next 24 hours)
Both were good (great, even) experiences
cantaloupe / 6171 posts
I've had 2 inductions, and the first was because of low fluid so not elective, but the 2nd was sort of in that I was overdue, but I had the option to wait (I was induced at 41 weeks). In either case, I had wonderful experiences (as wonderful as labor/birth goes, lol). Labor was long but once I was dilated and baby had moved down, pushing was VERY fast (40m the first time, 5 mins!! the second)
persimmon / 1171 posts
Induced all 3 times and my only “regret” would be that I sort of wonder if my body would have gone into labor on its own. Lo1 I was induced at 41 weeks, LO2 on my due date (I was miserable and dilated to 0 and 0 station or whatever....like no signs of labor) then lo3 I chose to be induced the day before my due date because she had an opening.
pea / 19 posts
None. I was induced due to high blood pressure but it was very smooth sailing and only four hours long - vs my first labor which started with my water breaking and was 12 hours.
apricot / 483 posts
I'm not sure you would necessarily call mine inductions, but these were my scenarios:
DD: 39w1d - 4 cm dilated (per prior day OB appt) when water broke, contractions weren't doing much, opted for pitocin + epidural, labor was 9 hrs total and no complaints at all.
DS: 38w0d - 5 cm dilated (per prior day OB appt), went to hospital because I thought I was having some pretty minor contractions but he was measuring really large (ended up being 9 lb 1 oz at 38 weeks!). They ended up breaking my waters & giving me pit for the same reason (minimal contractions on my own) - this was another relatively easy 9 hr delivery.
No regrets here! But if you're not dilated, I can imagine it might not go as smoothly.
apricot / 394 posts
No regrets at all! Had a planned induction at 39 weeks for baby #2. It helped me arrange childcare for my oldest. It went very smooth and from check in at hospital to baby out, was just under 10 hours. Didn't have to go through the very painful contractions I had with baby #1 and could choose the epidural whenever I was ready. Highly recommend!
pomegranate / 3350 posts
Not really. I was induced for SGA/IUGR and they determined that the risks at keeping DS in at 39 weeks were higher than induction so that's what we did. The induction went fine but he was SGA not IUGR. There were no issues with the placenta and he certainly could have used an extra week or two to grow because he has always struggled to even get on the growth chart. But I still would have listened to the doctors and gone with an induction because you just never know and things could change in an instant.
Having given birth with and without an induction, without is by far easier so I would not opt for an elective induction, ever.
pomegranate / 3973 posts
I had 2 elective inductions.
With my first I was 39 weeks + 1 and 3.5 cm dilated. Pitocin at 7, baby by 2:17.
With my 2nd I was 39+4. With her I actually had wanted to wait and try and go on my own so I would have the experience, but by that point I was so over the pregnancy (and 4 weeks of braxton hicks) that I caved. That one went just as well, Pitocin at 6, baby by 1:30.
There might be a tiny desire to experience labor starting on it's own, but not enough that I regret either of my inductions. Not sure if we're done yet or not.
persimmon / 1005 posts
Zero regrets! Induced at 39+2 and it was so much more calm than my labor I went into on my own. I felt so much more relaxed and ready and baby entered into a much chiller environment!
grapefruit / 4988 posts
I'm not sure I completely regret it and I don't know if mine could be called elective, but I wish things had gone differently. I opted to get pitocin after my water broke and I "stalled" (their words, not mine). My LO1 had been born in only 8 hrs after my water broke, so I had hustled to get to the hospital quickly after my water broke again the second time. Unfortunately, the hospital was extremely crowded and after 4 or 5 hours, they told me I had to either get the pitocin or go home. My 3 year old was at home with my dad and I really didn't want her to see me in the state that I was in, so I got the pitocin which basically triggered precipitous birth. I went from a 3 to a 10 in less than an hour and gave birth about a half hour later. It was so insanely painful (even though I got the epidural, it didn't really have time to kick in). My first labor/birth experience (no pitocin) was so much better, less painful, and less scary honestly. But I think most women don't go through what I did.
pomegranate / 3764 posts
No regrets at all. I was induced at 38 weeks for a few reasons (baby size, end of pregnancy complications) and it went beautifully.
persimmon / 1390 posts
While my induction went pretty well, I definitely regret not waiting. I was induced at 40+5. There wasn’t a medical reason and my practice should have let me go until 40+10. I actually switched practices after that because I think it was really unprofessional of them. I knew full well going into the induction how hard it could be. I had no breaks between contractions, and a plateau at the peak (instead of a peak and drop; PS if you get induced tell them to turn the pit down after things get going. Mine was pretty high the whole time). I basically feel dumb for being over-eager to meet my first child. Sure I was tired of being pregnant, excited to meet her, etc. but that’s no reason to have an unnecessary medical procedure that also resulted in me tearing significantly. Maybe I would have ended up getting induced, but I should have given myself the chance to go into labor. If you get to the end or have a medical reasonthat is completely different, or if you have childcare issues or something like that. I just didn’t have any reason to be induced so it was silly to agree to it.
The second time around I prepared myself much more in terms of doing all the things to avoid an induction and felt much more confident in advocating for myself. I went into labor naturally thankfully and was no joke excited during the experience of going through each phase naturally. After I got out of transition and into the pushing phase I couldn’t shut up about how cool it was to be able to talk between contractions and not be in pain. It was the difference between being in ceaseless pain for hours with my first labor (I ended up getting an epidural which I would absolutely recommend if you get induced), to being able to appreciate the process and recover between contractions with my second labor. FWIW mine isn’t an argument for natural birth but based on my first labor I planned to get an epidural with my second, but going into labor naturally was so much more reasonable that it wasn’t necessary (or possible for me because it went so quickly).
nectarine / 2431 posts
I hate to be the outlier here, but I definitely regret my induction. Ultimately, it turned out well because my son and I were both healthy but he simply wasn't ready. I was 3cm dilated and 60% effaced, but it took 32 hours and 3 hours of pushing. I was stalled at 8cm for 8 hours. It was AWFUL. They had my pitocin at the highest setting they can allow without an administrator's approval. My contractions were right on top of each other with no down time. Most of my friends with inductions had similar circumstances. I was probably an hour away from a c/s. My son had not dropped at all, so I had to labor for a really long time. When it comes down to it, he wasn't ready. I'm almost 10 weeks now and am planning on going into labor naturally unless there is a real medical reason to induce.
nectarine / 2431 posts
@Meowkers: Thanks . I don't want to sound like a Debbie Downer and it sounds like my experience isn't the norm. I should also add that my epi was awful and didn't really work, so it was just like the perfect storm. Recovery was really rough, but baby boy was as healthy as can be.
persimmon / 1364 posts
@crazydoglady: I totally appreciate all perspectives. In my case, the baby has been super low in my pelvis for a while. Doctor thinks she's ready to come out. I'm definitely ready. I would be getting induced the day before my due date. With my first, I went into labor naturally at 40+5 but was in labor for 36 hours.
clementine / 777 posts
Nope. It was a medical necessity. (Gestational thrombocytopenia). Lasted less than 10 hours start to finish and I didn’t need pitocin. I was zero cm dilated and maybe 50 percent effaced. Baby hadn’t dropped at all. But I had been having intermittent non dilating contractions for days. It was great. Almost too fast at times.
grapefruit / 4361 posts
I was induced at 41+1 last time and I don't regret it, per se, but I regret that I had two methods of induction at once (misoprotol/cytotec and amniotomy) and it was overwhelming to start that way. I had minute-long contractions, 1 min apart, for about 5 hours, so..... no "easy" early labor for me. But I don't regret being induced... LO ended up being 9 days late and I was having a ton of anxiety about loss (he had some heart problems we knew about).
I had a very similar experience to @crazydoglady: and though it was HORRIBLE, like I said, he needed to come out and I think he would have been a 42-weeker without it.
ETA:
I was 1cm dilated, 90% effaced, first-time birth, and it took 24 hours.
8am-2pm: Misoprotol/cytotec and amniotomy, 1-5cm
2pm-midnight- Nothing, just 5-8cm. This was when they discovered my gestational thrombocytopenia, so I couldn't get an epidural, so I resisted pit as long as I could.
Midnight-7am: Pit, 8-10cm.
7-8am: Pushing for an hour.
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