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I don't have advice on the c-section front other than you may want as few people in there as possible...potentially JUST your husband.

For the induction I just wanted to share that I was induced at 40 weeks, 4 days. First they inserted a prostiglandyn to get my cervix to ripen. After that, the process was supposed to be that they would insert another one in four hours and then four hours after that they would start the pitocin. However, I started having contractions right away from the first prostiglandyn and ended up having our son 5 hours later.

I had a birth plan and a doula and while some things didn't go as I planned (I had to be on a monitor and couldn't walk around during my labor because I had taken an Ambien thinking that it was going to be at least another 8 hours before I was even started on Pitocin) other things happened because I presented my plan (having soothing music, the lights dimmed, a mirror when I wanted it, no one yelling at me to push, etc.)

Best of luck! In the end, you;ll have an amazing baby!!!

Ooh, yeah, revising the birth plan. That was tough emotionally for me, admitting that I "couldn't" go into labor on my own (this was silly thinking on my part.. I just needed a push). I think I left in quite a bit of it and changed some things...

changed a request for no pit unless absolutely necessary to minimum dosage increases and the potential to hold steady or stop once contractions were established

changed a request for minimal external monitoring to request for frequent assistance for bathroom breaks, position changes, etc. Ended up not needing this because my doula/SIL was a L&D tech in the military and knew how to get the baby's heartrate back on the belts when I moved. Also, ask if wireless monitoring is available!

Left in that the ACOG has recommended that clear liquids are just fine in labor and therefore I would be having whatever clear liquids I wanted.. thankfully my doctor's orders backed me up on that.

Left in that *I* would initiate any discussion on pain relief options.

Left in that I did NOT want my water broken until I had cleared 5 cm dilation. Once your water breaks you are committed and I wanted the potential to walk away and try again a few days later if I just wasn't progressing.

Left in all post-birth stuff about baby, different things I was declining or wanted to ask them to leave her with me, etc.

One positive aspect to the induction birth plan is everything is very calm and controlled when you walk in, as you're not yet in labor, so you can talk to your nurses, show them your plan, ask them questions, let them know what your hopes are, etc.

Also in your last prenatal you can talk to your doctor about what his orders are going to be for the induction day... if you need to "pre-approve" an epidural to make it quicker to get one, etc.

My induction experience was pretty quick and therefore kind of intense (pit started at 7 am, time of birth 1:14 pm), but it really was not bad at all. They broke my water around noon and so I transitioned from 5 to 10 in the space of an hour, then pushed for 15 minutes. Yeaaaaah. Hopefully that will not happen for you; they were telling me that they hoped for a 12 or 13 hour labor, which is long enough to not be overwhelming but short enough not to be exhausting.

Overall... just be calm. You and your baby will go into the hospital in a calm, controlled fashion, and everyone will be doing their absolute best to make as easy an experience for you as possible. I was sad to be induced, because I wanted the experience of "going into labor", counting contractions at home and whatnot, but it was a very reassuring thing for a first-time mom to just know that at this time, on this day, we are going into the hospital and the baby will be here within a matter of hours. A little surreal, yes, but positive.

Good luck!!!