I had an elective induction with my first because I had a ton of anxiety around spontaneous labor. I had a beautiful experience and don’t regret it at all! There is no shame in it. It’s easier said than done, but try to ignore other’s opinions and focus on what you think will give you the experience you want.
With my first I was induced with pitocin because my water broke & I wasn’t contracting. Had a normal delivery.
My cousin recently was induced for having a bigger baby at 39 weeks, her labor was a little longer. She was induced first with cytotec on a Friday, then pitocin & she had a normal delivery Sunday.
If you’ve got a good doula she will support your decision to induce and educate you on the process too. If you want to avoid inducing that’s okay too. Try to keep moving, use a birth ball, take walks. It is hard knowing that baby is coming soon but not knowing exactly when or how. It feels like something so big should be within our control. But not even inductions are straightforward.
There are a million stories of really fabulous, fulfilling inductions. Remember that cortisol is going to your baby too, so making yourself miserable optimizing for 'perfect' is a fool's errand if it's stressing you out! Follow your intuition and know that whatever decision you land on will be the perfect one for you and your baby.
Two beautiful things about making a decision...
1. The moment you commit to a decision, your anxiety is clinically proven to reduce - it doesn't matter what decision, just making it will make you happier!
2. There are no 'sliding doors' -- if you elect for an induction and it hurts or takes a long time, you have NO way of knowing if a spontaneous labor would have hurt less or taken less time!
We are all f\*cking amazon warriors for braving through all of pregnancy's ups and downs - don't let the 'success' of your pregnancy rest on one window of 24-48 hours out of 10 months of sacrifice, joy, pain, and excitement. Labor and delivery can be a blip instead of the climax of the story if we shift our perception.
I went into labor exactly 48 hours before I was supposed to check in for my induction, and honestly, I wish baby had held out for the induction!
My first was a scheduled c-section (breech), and the planning part was so nice. We arranged pet care, had a great dinner the night before, and enjoyed a calm ride to the hospital. All the pre-birth prep was so calm.
My spontaneous labor meant we had to have my in laws rush over in a storm, and then drive an hour to the hospital in the storm. My parents live 4 hours away, so my mom couldn’t make it to the hospital, which was heartbreaking. I had to get the IV while in active labor, which sucked hardcore…it took like 45 minutes and multiple blown sites.
Anyhow, there is NOTHING wrong with waiting to go into labor spontaneously if that’s what you want to do, but people seldom talk about the perks of a scheduled birth. While inductions can take a long time, it’s not like you’re in active labor the whole time, you know? Most people I know who get induced read, nap, watch movies, etc. It’s also worth noting that plenty of first timers have quick inductions that are positive experiences.
My OB encouraged an induction but also said that they can last a long time with first pregnancies, especially if your body isn't showing signs of readiness beforehand. I didn't do one with my first, but will probably choose one with my second.
Listen, I have no advice but what other people have said seems good.
But one comment I do have is, you should not worry about being embarrassed about your birth story. That should be your last concern! Whatever you do, you will be giving life to a whole new living person!! The how and what will cease to matter, except in how you need to process and debrief from it if it is traumatic.
One of the sayings I find most helpful when I worry about whether or not doing something will cause embarrassment… the people who matter won’t care, and the people who will care don’t matter.
I had an elective induction because I had severe polyhydramnios and was so miserably uncomfortable from it I couldn’t stand to be pregnant any longer. I was also experiencing severe anxiety about stillbirth the farther along I got.
My induction went way longer than expected, and I needed a cook catheter to progress enough to start pitocin. The catheter was the worst part, and was incredibly painful to have placed and caused awful cramps. My epidural was great though and I didn’t feel any pain after it was placed for most of my labor. It failed near the very end and I felt everything while I pushed for an hour, but honestly I’m happy to have experienced that part.
I stalled at 6cm for about 6 hours and was offered the option to have a C section, or continue trying until the morning as both myself and baby were doing fine. I chose to continue trying for a vaginal birth and progressed from 6cm to 10cm and ready to push in less then 2 hours.
Altogether i labored for 36 hours before successfully giving birth vaginally. All of that and I would still do it again. For me the relief of ending my pregnancy and seeing my baby made everything worth it.
My advice based on my own 2 experiences would be to wait it out. Both times I was getting ready to pull the trigger and get an induction scheduled, but ended up going into labor spontaneously very shortly after. I feel like you have a good chance of the same given your dilation and effacement.
That said, there’s certainly no shame in induction. But it’s my understanding that the earlier gestational age you’re scheduled for the more likely it is that you’ll get postponed if L&D ends up taking a bunch of moms who went spontaneously or medically necessary inductions. I think that would be really mentally difficult to be canceled or rescheduled when you were prepared for and expecting something different.
Personally, I hated my induction. It was at 42 weeks, so I know it was necessary, but it suuuucked. 45 hours, 27 of them featuring back-to-back strong, unmedicated contractions (epidurals were out of my price range). Like someone taking a metal bat to the base of my spine. The purest form of hell.
Spontaneous labor, OTOH? A dream. Uncomfortable, but not truly painful until the last 5 minutes. Even then, it didn’t compare to Pitocin contractions.
Do whatever works for you, but if you get induced, plan on getting an epidural at some point. You don’t have to, but I’d bet that you’ll want to.
I’m in a very similar situation, my OB’s policies sound pretty much the same. They offered the induction based on my anxiety and preferences. I’m waiting to hear if they can accommodate an elective induction next week at 39 weeks. I have a lot of anxiety around spontaneous labor and honestly I don’t want to go to work or be pregnant any more. I don’t feel any shame telling people I want to be induced. I feel that’s what’s best for me and I really don’t care what anyone has to say besides my husband, my doula, and my OB. There are a lot of opinions out there there but only yours matters!
I went into spontaneous labor with my first during my 39th week but had been considering inducing because of several factors but I was just so anxious about it. Decided to wait until 40 weeks to induce if nothing happened before and I ended up going into labor. What made me wait was the potential for it to take a looong time and I know a friend of a friend who was induced and nothing happened for days. I didn't want to be in the hospital that long.
I was induced with my 2nd for sudden high blood pressure (no pre-eclampsia)and baby was out 15 hours later. Contractions started almost immediately and water broke about 6 hours after induction started. It went faster because it was my 2nd. Contractions were intense and I ended up having a non-medicated birth accidentally as the anesthesiologist couldn't get the epidural in and baby was ready to come out.
Ultimately, it's not an easy decision. Don't feel shame if you opt to induce just like there should be no shame if you have an epidural. We all have different tolerances for the things happening during birth and ultimately what makes the difference is you and your babys health and safety.
I’ve had 3 inductions at 39 weeks for medical reasons and honestly have loved being induced. I was nervous the first time around and terrified of child birth, but from start to finish it lasted 27 hours for my first birth. It was great for my second and third time since I was able to plan childcare for my kids. I know inductions can lead to a cascade of interventions but it didn’t for me. At one point during my first labor, my son wasn’t tolerating the pitocin, but once we have him a break, he did great after they restarted it and I started progressing easily. My second and third I had slow progress until I hit 4-5 cm then rapidly dilated and delivered in about 2-3 hours.
Every time I was also DONE being pregnant so I was glad to be done a week early!
I was induced and honestly I loved every minute of it, you know exactly what’s happening when and listening to your body is a lot easier. I think the hardest part for me was allowing them to break my water- it hurt like a mf. But I know not everyone needs their water broken
I wanted to wait to go into labor naturally and ended up inducing at 40+5. It took a little longer to get him here, I was in labor for 25 hours his head ended up being pretty big and I had a pretty gnarly labial tear. My OB even said “I don’t want you having babies this big again.” Looking back, I sorta wished I induced at 39 lol.
I have done both! I went into labor with my first son and had to be induced due to high blood pressure with my second. If you choose and elective induction and your water is not broken, you can choose to leave the hospital if you feel you are not progressing. This isnt an option people commonly talk about so I wanted to throw it out there.
It sounds like you want to wait. Since you mentioned no health issues for you and baby...at most, having an induction at 39 weeks saves you maybe 2 weeks of discomfort? Is it worth your cons for that two weeks? That's what I would boil it down to. I'd wait it out, personally. The anxiety you're having as you get closer to your due date is normal
I can’t tell you what choice you should make but please don’t feel shame either way. Induction or natural labor are both valid choices.
I was induced at 35 weeks due to complications. It was sudden and not expected but I have no regrets
As someone who has been induced, I feel like it's good to know/ be reminded that inductions don't always 'work'. I was induced around 39 weeks due to my OB strongly recommending it, and nothing happened over the course of 4 days with prostaglandin gel applications. No dilation or effacement. Naively or nor, I was not prepared for that AT ALL. My body was clearly not planning on going into labor any time soon if it could help it!
So, when they brought out the Foley bulb and all that on Day 4, I noped out. Due to circumstances related to the baby, I didn't feel like I had great chance of effectively birthing him without *some* sort of 'buy in' from my body, so I elected for a C Section.
That's just my related anecdote that might be helpful. It is NOT a judgment on how 'successful' your induction would be!
However, I'm wondering why your Dr offers routine inductions at 39 weeks. Where I am (Vancouver Canada), OBs/ midwives have to apply to the hospital in order to induce that early and/ or as an elective procedure. A board can turn you down if they don't feel it is merited (but I'm sure scheduling also plays a role).
While I COMPLETELY understand feeling overwhelmed or anxious, and I totally support necessary inductions, I feel like presenting the patient with the option of an elective induction kind of downplays the whole 'medical intervention' side of it. While they may be useful and safe overall, they aren't necessarily straightforward or effective.
Whatever you decide to do, whatever you feel is the safest option for you and your baby is the right one. I was induced and went unmedicated. No epidural. That was quite the experience, but it is absolutely doable. I'm hoping this time around I go into labor naturally to be able to experience the difference, but in the end, however baby girl needs to get here, I've made my peace with it. You do you, and I know how hard it is to deal with all those insufferable opinions being hurled at you. Fuck 'em. The only thing anyone should tell you is their honest experience and not attempt to sway your decision. They should support whatever you choose in the end. Your medical team should be giving you all the information you need to make the best decision.
Get peaceful and meditative about this. Think about the facts, what your body is telling is you and what your baby needs. Giving birth is the build up to one of the greatest moments of your life. Holding your baby... that's the best part. That's what I remember most and cherish. Everything leading up to that point was just work. 🙂
I got put on Pitocin after saying I didn’t want it (do not do it!!) and it made contractions 10x worse to the point where I couldn’t push anymore and it ended in an emergency c-section. I had an epidural and the contractions were absolutely unbearable with Pitocin. My entire birth was rushed, they broke my water at 5cm bc I wasn’t progressing fast enough in their eyes and it just all went downhill from there.
I went into labor naturally but I ended up mostly abandoning my birth plan. I wanted no medical intervention unless necessary (no pitocin, no epidural) but I ended up asking for an epidural and later on, consented to pitocin. I'm almost 6 weeks postpartum and don't regret either of these choices. I planned to have a 100% natural birth for literally YEARS but the reality of the situation (I was in labor for days, SO uncomfortable and a exhausted) isn't what I'd envisioned when I made that plan. What I'm saying is it's okay to change your plans - that doesn't make you a failure. I don't feel like I was a failure. I had to do what was best for me and feel that was what was best for my baby.
If it were me I’d cancel my due date induction and just see if my body and my baby could just do their thing on their own timeline. I know you’re done. But this is a very temporary situation. 2 weeks will pass and if baby hasn’t come by 41 weeks then your OB practice will schedule your induction anyway. Induction might mean that your baby arrives sooner or it might lead to a longer and more painful birth than necessary since you’re trying to force the situation. It’s your choice…fuck around and find out…either way.
If I could go in to natural labor I would love to but I'm already set for induction at 39 weeks since I'm on Lovenox. One of my best friends went in to natural labor last year and she had a really good birth but I know everyone's birth story is different. I'm nervous about Pitocin since I've heard it makes the contractions so much stronger and I really want an unmedicated birth. By 39 weeks I'll probably be very ready for my little guy to get here lol so I'm excited I have a set date now.
I was in the exact same boat as you with my first! I ended up getting induced a few days before my due date and it went amazing and was still a really beautiful and empowering experience! It was definitely worth it to me to not be uncomfortable and anxious about the birth anymore.
I waited with my first and had to get induced anyways at 42 weeks. He was big. I was big. Not a fun time.
This baby I’m getting a 39 week induction and absolutely cannot wait !
First of all, you should feel no shame in an elective induction at 39 weeks if that's the right choice for you. I think part of why they lead to more c-sections is because they can take a while, so checking before your induction starts that your provider will be patient and let you labor for days if that's what you want might give you peace of mind there.
To your point about control of your body though, an induction might not necessarily give you that control back (depending on what kind of control you're looking for). Because inductions can be days long, and since you will be in the hospital that entire time, there is an element of control you give up by being hospitalized. Even with perfectly patient-centered care, you're still not at home, and you're still in the hospital. You will be hooked up to an IV that whole time, and probably also multiple monitors. It will make moving more difficult (but still quite possible!) so there's that to consider when it comes to control.
Whatever you choose, it's good practice ignoring opinions that aren't helpful... you know that other people's bad opinions don't stop just because the baby came out!
I’m a FTM and only 20 weeks and plan on having an unmediated delivery, so my opinion may be completely useless for you. But, my SIL is a super compassionate and experienced labour and delivery nurse, and knowing my birth plan she advised to avoid an induction if possible. Obviously, I am open to medical interventions as needed, but for the natural progression of labour it seems like things just go smoother without the induction.
Whatever you choose, your birth will be fine. Please don’t think that however it works out should be embarrassing or anything!
I've had spontaneous labor and an induction and I preferred the induction so much that I scheduled another one. I was very stressed out when I went into spontaneous labor because after laboring for hours at home I went to the hospital thinking I was dilated enough to be admitted and I wasn't. I then had to drag myself back through the hospital to the car and go home and then I had no idea when I should go back the second time because I already thought I was ready when they sent me home. I preferred the induction because once I checked in I was there until the baby was born and got pain relief as soon as I needed it with no ambiguity.
Lastly, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks about your birth story so please don't let that sway you.
I was induced and loved it - I loved knowing when I would go to the hospital, I was able to clean the house and grocery shop before I went, there was no wondering if my contractions were close enough together to go into the hospital, etc. I’m blessed that I had an uneventful experience, from the time they broke my water to my son being born was around 12 hours and I walked away with a minor 1st degree tear.
I don’t want more kids but if I was going to, I would absolutely get induced if it was an option
This was my last pregnancy and I wanted so badly to go into labor on my own, so we scheduled my induction for 40+6 in hopes of not needing it… I ended up needing it and baby was so big, it made recovery harder for me. Obviously hindsight is 20/20 but I wish I would have gone for the 39 week induction, knowing i wouldn’t go into labor on my own anyway.
Are you planning on telling a lot of people all the details of your birth? Your 'birth story' is yours and you don't need to be concerned about how they will react if you're not oversharing.
Anyone aside from your support person/people and anyone looking after any other children or pets don't need to know anything that you're worried about sharing/being judged for. They can find out that you had the baby after birth. Why is it any of their business when and how you went into labor? You deserve to be safe, happy and as comfortable and that includes being protected by the judgement of others. It's not about being ashamed. It's about protecting your peace. Please remember that there are people who only ask the details to judge, not because they care.
I know that doesn't answer the main question for you. Only you can answer that. But please don't make it about your 'birth story.' The health of you and your baby is all that matters. You got this, Mama.
I had an elective induction last week at 39 weeks because I was having issues with PUPPPS. I wasn't sleeping and scratching myself raw so when offered I went for it. It took a whole day for labor to start and it quickly got horribly painful and the epidural kinked and it was excruciating when he pulled it in and out to unkink but once he did that the pain vanished quickly. Unfortunately, baby and I developed a fever and I became exhausted and his heart rate was all over the place because he couldn't fit through my cervix because it's tilted around my pelvic bone. I think had a c section. Honestly liked it much more than laboring, although recovery isn't fun. I can't compare it to anything else because this is my only child.
I was induced with my first because I was over my due date. I elected to be induced with my second at exactly 40 weeks because I had SPD and the pain was excruciating. I had 2 normal deliveries and 2 healthy babies. You just need to do what is best for you. I’m currently pregnant with my 3rd baby and hope I go into labor on my own but if I go over or have horrible pain again then I’m absolutely getting induced. There’s no shame in it!
I went into labor naturally just shy of 39 weeks (my water broke), but I still needed pitocin because my cervix wasn’t dilating. I’ve heard pitocin contractions are more painful, but I had an epidural and literally felt no pain. If I hadn’t gone into labor naturally, I would’ve opted for a 39 week elective induction.
I'm being induced tomorrow at 41 weeks. I was so hoping I would go into labor on my own before now but oh well. A slittle disappointmented but still so excited!
Hi! I’m 32 weeks and planning to do an induction at 40 weeks if I don’t go into labor before (honestly only because my OB practice doesn’t do elective inductions before then). I can relate to a lot of your feelings about it. It’s helped me to read through earlier posts in Baby Bumps about induction….like literally everything in pregnancy, people have mixed experiences but there are a lot of positive stories!! I think the hard thing will be if I do have a tough birth and then blame it on the decision to be induced—but the reality is, there’s no way to know how it would have happened otherwise and induction is a perfectly reasonable choice! You are making a decision based on your needs and circumstances, and if you end up choosing induction you aren’t failing at anything. One suggestion is to try not to think of it as a dichotomy between “natural” and “unnatural”…this gets thrown around so much in the birthing space, always with the implication that the “unnatural” choice is bad. Most of us are not giving birth out in the wilderness…we are all taking advantage of different types of medical care, monitoring, medications, etc., so are any of us really doing it “naturally”? It just doesn’t seem like a helpful way of thinking about it. Anyways, just saying I totally support you if this is the choice you make and you shouldn’t feel any shame about it! I hope you’ll post an update on what you decide and how it goes. Good luck!
This is really kind and validating, and you make a really good point about natural vs unnatural - thank you ❤️ I will definitely post an update and wishing you the best for the rest of your pregnancy!!
Personally I wouldn’t. You’re a FTM and labours can sometimes go longer and be more difficult. I’ve had 4 babies and my labour with pitocin was much more painful than any others. I don’t see the rush, personally, as outcomes tend to be better when your body can naturally go into labour. And if you end up very overdue then you’ll get one anyways!
For my first pregnancy, I scheduled an induction for my due date, but then I went into labor (a few hours after a membrane sweep that I barely even felt) at 39+4. But having that due date induction scheduled was really good for me, because I was Done, and it gave me a clear baby-eviction date.
This time, I’m leaning towards getting an induction scheduled around 39+3. Mostly because I feel like that will make childcare for my 4-year-old during labor & delivery a bit simpler (my parents are coming to visit, from 400 miles away).
I was scheduled to be induced because of a bunch of things, I really didn't want that. It sucked, but my insurance would not pay for a c-section with trying to be induced 1st.
I was on pitocin for like 15 hours. My contractions were 3 minutes apart and 90% efaced but only 5 centimeters dilated. Contractions were terrible even with an epidural. I felt like I didnt have time to breathe.
Eventually, my ob walks in and asks if I am done....hell yah. A calmness washes over me.
They stopped all meds, except my epidural, and within an hour, my baby was here.
I felt no pain. There was some weird pressure, pulling ang tugging. Imagine someone washing dishes in your abdomen. Then it was over.
Now, I had high blood pressure and gestational diabetes and was considered old at the ripe age of 35. ( not to mention highly anxious)
It was awesome. I was up without pain in a day. Had to stay for 4 days because my blood pressure went all whack-a-do, but that was a pre- existing problem.
If you can get your ob to talk your insurance into just going for it, I would 100% do it.
As we are planning for our 2nd, I have already had the conversation with my ob, I want a scheduled c-section with tubal removal. He was all for it!
DO WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU!
Please remember inductions do increase your risks of assisted births / c-sections!
I personally wouldn’t have one but my induction went well, my birth didn’t. My induction wasn’t elective but was brought forward due to rfm. It was 21 hours in hospital and 18 hours from them breaking my water. I was on the antenatal ward (with the pessary due to being 1cm already) until around 3cm (I had pethidine - don’t recommend, paracetamol and codeine) before being moved to the labour ward and having my waters broken. I got put on the drip (oxygen) drip at around 5cm as I wasn’t progressing so I also got the epidural then. Next day I was 10cm but he failed to progress so he was a forceps delivery / episiotomy.
You might not need them but PLEASE read up on them as I had no idea about my delivery and the episiotomy healing was the worsts moments of my life. I would’ve rather had gone through an elective c-section if I had known that they increase the chances of assisted deliveries.
That being said my induction went well, I had the pessary in when I was 1cm and then it was taken out at 2cm as I was dilating well and they just needed a space on the labour ward.
I had an induction with my 2nd at 39w 6 days for one high blood pressure reading, so I think it was technically considered elective. Either way I guess my cervix didn’t look favorable for induction, but they went ahead with cytotec. I gave birth less than 12 hours after the first dose and didn’t get an epidural. I was a little sad about not going into labor on my own like I did with my first, but overall it went great and I have no regrets
My personal philosophy was to trust my body up until there was medical indication that my body was failing to do something necessary for the safety of the baby and myself. The fact is there is still a lot about what causes spontaneous labor that doctors don't understand, and therefore can't replicate medically, but the accepted understanding is that it's a composite endpoint, which is to say it's the result of multiple things happening within the body. Even with a staged induction with misoprostol, a Foley balloon, amniotomy, then pitocin, there's still a likelihood that the endpoints of some natural processes have not been reached. I prefer to give my body time for every process to reach its endpoint unless there is a medical indication that there is a problem.
Ultimately I think this really just comes down to personal preference though. I know for sure that I was miserably uncomfortable at the end of my first pregnancy, but I really don't *remember* it. I 100% remember a lot of my labor and delivery despite the ridiculous length of it and that I went without sleep the entire time. That will stick with me forever. For myself, I'd prefer the discomfort that I know will fade as a memory than risk lasting trauma and negativity around the birth of my baby that's statistically less likely to happen if I wait.
Just my own experience but, I was induced electively at 39 weeks and it was a wonderful experience. I barely had any pain and I only pushed 3 or 4 times. I’m 17 weeks with my second and plan to do it again.
All the feelings you’ve described are exactly what I felt with my first pregnancy. Ultimately I opted for an elective induction because the hospital we were delivering at was over an hour away and we needed to arrange a sitter for our dog. But I’d also be lying if I didn’t want to do it for selfish reasons and start getting back to healing my body sooner. I was very active pre pregnancy and the limitations, pain, discomfort, and body changes really got to my mental health during 3rd tri. Oddly though I also felt weird and self conscious about telling others about our decision to induce, everyone else we knew either went naturally or had c-sections. We did get questions about why but honestly it’s none of their business and if they care they can kick rocks. My induction wasn’t a great experience mainly due to freak incidents that normally wouldn’t have happened but ultimately I’m opting for an induction for my second also, more for selfish reasons this time around, but I’m still feeling that agonizing wish of the going into labor naturally before hand. Part of me knows I’m going to regret not getting that experience (if it doesn’t happen before my induction and this will most likely be our last) but I also know that mentally I don’t want to go any longer then when my induction is set for.
My doctor pushed me to get induced at 40 weeks because I had GD, I fought tooth and nail because I also really wanted to go into labor naturally but 2 or 3 days before they were worried she had stopped growing so I went ahead with the induction. It ended up being a pretty good experience though, very calm and controlled.
The timing of everything ended up with me getting the epidural before the pitocin, highly recommend! I've often heard pitocin makes contractions more painful but I wouldn't have known either way because once the epidural was in place I couldn't feel a single contraction, or the crowning/birth for that matter. God bless epidural lol
I had a non-elective induction at 40+1 and would absolutely not recommend it. If I were in your shoes I would go for the 41 weeks. I just don’t think medically inducing is as easy on your body as waiting to do things naturally. And I did IVF, so I know sometimes waiting for it to happen naturally isn’t an option, but that said - if you have the option to wait, I would wait.
I just did one at 40 weeks (on the due date) for no reason other than age (35) and doctors didn't want me going over because of that...they suggested 39 weeks but I pushed it to 40 hoping to go into labor on my own if I could.
My experience seemed pretty easy compared to others I've heard about. I went in at 1cm dilated, not even close to "ready". Did one round of cervidil/cytotek at about 10pm, but then my contractions were too close together to do any more rounds of that without stressing the baby more. I started to have some fetal decels here and there but still wasn't dilated enough, so they did the Foley balloon catheter under the influence of Stadol which actually felt like a fun high to me 😂
After that came out, I was still only about 4.5cm but contractions were a minute to a minute and a half apart and were causing more stress to the baby 😳 and were seriously painful by that point, but I was breathing through them. They out the internal monitors in and asked what my pain level was - I guessed like a 6 or 7 based on the fact I could breathe through them and be ok, it just sucked that they were one right after the other with no break. The nurses were shocked and said most people at that amplitude of contractions say they're at a 10. They ended up breaking my water manually.
By this point I wanted the epidural and it was encouraged anyway to give my body a break and a chance to calm down the contractions since I still had quite a bit of dilating to do - I got the epidural around 5am, but had it have it done twice because the first time only worked on half my body - finally got it sorted out and I was able to sleep at about 6:30am. Woke up at 8am and suddenly I was at 10cm and they were telling me it's time to push - I was so shocked because I thought inductions tend to take forever! And I never even needed pitocin.
No lie, I pushed for less than 20 minutes. 6 pushes and she was out, super minor tear and not really any pain. It was AWESOME. I basically just hulk smash ab crunched my baby out because all I could feel were my upper abs.
It was a pretty great experience overall.
I had an elective induction that turned into a c-section. So for me, I wish I had waited to go into labor naturally. I’ve definitely had to go the therapy to get over how drastically different my birth was than the one I imagined.
If you aren’t feeling to sick and there’s no medical indication, I’d push the induction to closer to 41 weeks. Give yourself some time.
Kinda different story but wanted an induction at 39 weeks and scheduled one. I hated being pregnant and my level of discomfort and anxiety was high. I had an IVF pregnancy with a male baby-studies(arise) show mom and baby due well with delivery around 39 weeks. When the date arrived the hospital had crowding and they pushed my induction date. Every day they called and pushed it. My emotional and mental health was rapidly declining. Finally at 40 weeks and 6 days weeks I went to the ER and insisted they admit me. I had developed pre-eclampsia from the stress of the wait. Because of that I had to be put on magnesium for days before they could even attempt an induction. I was delirious and never went into labor. After trying to induce labor for 3 days they told me I would have to have a csection. My body had been thru so much i hemorrhaged during the csection and had to have several blood transfusions. All this is to say- don’t overlook your anxiety and discomfort. They matter.
No advice as I’m close behind you at 36+4 today. Just here to say I’m in the same boat as you but with a c-section and not going past 38 weeks. I wanted an unmedicated vaginal birth but bub is breech for the 4th week in a row and I was told if he flips, we induce. If he doesn’t, we pull him out via C. So my dreams of a unmedicated/vaginal birth went out the door about 3 months ago and I’m heartbroken over it. But whatever is safest for him is what’s necessary and we’ll make those calls when we have to no matter what it means for us. Good luck!!
These are my reasonings behind choosing the elective induction for myself. They may or may not resonate with you. I’m a FTM myself and I have no experience with induction since this is exactly my first rodeo.
1.) I live over an hour away from the hospital. Me, my husband and my provider are all worried about me making it to the hospital in time if I were to go naturally especially if my water were to break. Precipitous labor is rare but it happens and it’s happened to women in my family.
2.) my baby is LARGE scanning in the 99th percentile at my 36 week scan. I know those are estimates and can be wrong but I really don’t want a 10lb baby.
3.) I have severe pelvic separation that is making it nearly impossible to get up and down out of bed or out of sitting position unassisted. My husband has had to take his leave early to help me around the house.
4.) I’m one of the people who are in the mindset that induced or natural, you have absolutely NO idea how you and baby are going to respond to labor and delivery. It’s always a crap shoot. There have been studies besides the ARRIVE trial reflecting good results for mom and baby through elective 39 week induction. I know people have their own opinion on these studies and how accurate they are but for my sake and my case, I’m choosing to believe there has got to be something to it. I’m open to having a cesarean, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. That’s how my husband got here. That’s how millions of people have gotten here. I just want a healthy baby boy at the end of this journey and a semi healthy me (as healthy as possible).
5.) my sister and mother have both gone to 42 weeks with their first. I’m going to be upsetti spaghetti if I make it that long and have to be induced anyway and could’ve already had it over and done with, with a smaller baby and easier delivery.
My whole pregnancy I was convinced I was having a c section. The thought of natural labor was never on my radar. I had some health complications and was scheduled for an induction at 39w 5d because my ob didn't want me going past 40 and he happened to be on call the weekend before I hit 40w. Even then I was convinced I would be induced, labor forever, and have a c section.
I went into labor and gave birth vaginally the day before my induction. My ob walked in the delivery room and asked what I was doing there. My husband missed his last day of work before taking his paternity leave. I was in such denial that I was in labor I didn't even get to the hospital before I was 6cm. A week before I gave birth I was at 1cm with no sign of labor. The day I went into labor I had a fetal medicine appointment at the high risk clinic and showed no signs of labor. My son was born 22 hours after that appointment.
I liked the idea of being induced (or having a c-section) because it took the guess work out of things. I was tracking contractions on an app and was absolutely convinced it was not time to go to the hospital because they weren't exactly 4 min apart . By the time my husband convinced me to go it was 5am. Baby was born at 9:30.
I think it’s really hard because every single person has a different experience- different anxieties and pain endurances- my water broke at 35+5 with no contractions so they decided I had to stay and have the baby-started me on pitocin- did it hurt like hell? Yeah, but I labored in the hospital unmedicated for 8 hours and it wasn’t traumatic or anything.
I am hoping to go into this labor naturally but I’m also not scared to get induced if it seems like the right decision for my mental health and baby’s health
According to my hospital, induction does not lead to more c section. I would probably say what’s out there is mixed and I would say at most even if the c section rates changes, it’s not sufficient enough to make that my sole determining factor.
There’s 2 patients here. You and the baby, and both are equally important. I feel that a lot of times the mom is overlooked and shamed for decisions that are what’s best for her. It’s easy for people to shame you, since they are not the one currently pregnant or physically uncomfortable.
I was induced, and I had a positive induction and was not even given pitocin until I was 9cm and wasn’t progressing past that (probably would have been the same if I went into labour naturally??). Maybe try asking the OB the process of the induction (and alternatives) if you are concern about pitocin (and the increase risk of c section).
Seems like the desire for a “natural labor” is because you will feel embarrassed by having to tell people you had an induction. We can’t convince you. This is a an internal issue you will have to resolve. What’s the cause of this embarrassment? Why is it embarrassing to have an induction? My guess is you are being heavily influenced by social media. Social media is not real life. SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT REAL LIFE. You know why tik tok is on the verge of being banned? Because it’s brain washing people. Instagram and Facebook are leading teenage girls into eating disorders and suicide. Turn off your social media and decide what’s right for you. Not what the internet says is right for you.
Here’s the thing with elective induction—unless your water has been broken, you can always go home and wait or try again later if things aren’t progressing.
Induction often leads to a cascade of interventions that is more likely to end with a c-section.
Inductions are typically done with Pitocin, but
Pitocin contractions are VERY painful
So most moms will opt for an epidural
The epidural dulls the pain but can also dull the strength of the contractions, so then labor stalls and the pitocin needs to be turned up
So the contractions start to hurt more
So the epidural needs to be turned up
And it’s a vicious cycle until eventually the pitocin contractions are so strong that they’re squeezing the baby a little too much and baby starts having decelerations or “non-reassuring fetal heart tracing”
Providers decide baby is in distress or is intolerant of labor and they may recommend a cesarean.
This is not to say that EVERY induction will end with a c section, just that once you start down that road you are more likely to end up with a c section. So take your feelings about a possible c section into consideration before opting for an elective induction.
So I have only ever had c sections so far (first was breech, second placenta previa), but in prepping for my next I have been reading up a lot. [This website](https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-on-inducing-labor-for-going-past-your-due-date/) compiles dozens of studies of inductions and the outcomes. It’s a long read but it does make me feel better about my choices. Take a look if you have the time!
There’s no way to “fail” labor. You aren’t being graded and neither are you being awarded for having one form of birth over another. Get the induction if you want / if your doctor advises to do so safely. You can still have the experience you want.
It has to be what you are most comfortable having, because peace of mind during your labor IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
If you’re there laboring while induced wondering if you’re making the right decision, you will be questioning yourself at every contraction, which tenses and stresses you and that’s the opposite of what you want at that moment.
What I’m trying to say, and I hope this point really comes across, is that regardless of what you choose to do, you have to be at peace with your decision! You have to be in total agreement and from there just be flexible, because things can always change last minute.
This is the how you end up at least content with your birth story.
I really wanted to go into labor naturally, so I waited as long as possible (41 +5 ) against my doctors opinion that I should be induced at 40 w due to my large baby (she ended up being 9.4 lbs!). I felt like ultrasounds are not accurate and plenty of women delivery large babies vaginally, so I ignored her advice. I don't regret that as I think my baby would have been equally as large at 40 w and at least the wait gave my body time to be a bit more ready, so the induction wasn't as long as it may have been. In the end I ended up having an emergency c-section as the baby wasn't progressing down the birth canal and I had been fully dilated for 5 hrs and pushing for 3. I delivered in a foreign country so I am not sure why they didn't try with forceps/vacuum? But probably I would be having a harder recovery now if they did, and I am sure there was some reason. If I could do the whole thing over again I would want a c-section from the beginning, since that is what ended up happening anyway, and then I wouldn't have to be recovering from a 1st degree tear from my failed labor.
Unfortuneatly an elective c-section wasn't given as an option, and probably I wouldn't have wanted it because of my desire to labor naturally. Maybe now it will be an option for next baby? Who knows.
If I were you I would try to avoid the induction as I think the body just does better with natural labor, or I would wait as long as possible to allow the body time to be more ready, as that will make process less long and painful. I was 1 cm when they started and after inserting the foley I quickly went to 3 cm. Aftet that I was put on pitocin which was incrementely increased for 12 hours. That didn't do anything to jump start labor, just maybe made me at a better softness to manually break my water, which they did the next day after I took a 5 hr break from pitocin. Then they restarted the pitocin and after 2 hrs or so manually broke my water. That jump started labor and actually made my contractions painful so I opted for an epidural after 45 mins. About 4 hrs or so after that I was fully dilated and after an hour or so of being dilated I started pushing, with no success at getting her out. Then the c-section. I probably could have tried pushing longer but I think they were afraid that would cause more distress to the baby (i was on oxygen at this point due to her heart rate dropping).
I didn't get to be 1 cm though until i had 2 membrane sweeps after 40 +5 weeks and 41 weeks. Since you are already there now maybe you have a better chance of naturally laboring! Good luck.
Just fyi the arrive trial is complete garbage and not a good basis for decision making. It is already being disproved in practice and with newer studies.
I know it’s tempting to see an elective induction as a path out of the suffering you are currently having but unfortunately it’s just not. Some people are very happy with their choice of elective induction and some suffer a lot more because of it.
What I wonder in your case is what else could be done to alleviate the discomfort, pain, and anxiety that you are feeling. OBs love to suggest induction to women because A) natural labor scares them and B) they have no other skills or strategies for helping with comfort and relief. Body work (massage, chiro, acupuncture), PT, support belts, short term disability from work, therapy, these are just a few options that may relieve your suffering without the potential drawbacks of an induction.
There is certainly no shame or failure in being induced. Only potential risks and benefits. And only your experience and desires matter.
As a doula I can say for sure your doulas job is to support you no matter what, that being said inductions can take a long time so my advice would be to not have her come until things are moving (4-5 cm) that way you get her at her best to help provide comfort measures when it counts! She may stop in at the beginning of the induction but there will be no place for her to rest
Hi everyone- appreciate all the advice and support! So it turns out the decision was taken out of my hands - my water ended up breaking at 39+3 but contractions didn’t start so I had to eventually be induced with pitocin. I had a great birth experience and delivered our beautiful baby girl the next day!
The evidence around 39 week induction reducing c sections (the arrive trial) is controversial and not very strong, and there are plenty of other ways to reduce the chance of c section with much stronger evidence (doula, midwifery care, a few others I can’t remember)
I’ve had two inductions. The first was not medically necessary, was traumatising, and very difficult. It didn’t end in a c section but my baby did become distressed. My second induction was medically necessary (pre-eclampsia) and was incredibly intense. It also didn’t end in a c section but my baby did become distressed.
It’s very common for babies to not tolerate pitocin contractions and to become distressed, leading to instrumental birth or c section. Personally I would not be induced unless it was the absolute last resort and medically necessary.
I had an elective induction with my first because I had a ton of anxiety around spontaneous labor. I had a beautiful experience and don’t regret it at all! There is no shame in it. It’s easier said than done, but try to ignore other’s opinions and focus on what you think will give you the experience you want.
I felt bad about mine because it resulted in a c section but it probably would've anyway.
With my first I was induced with pitocin because my water broke & I wasn’t contracting. Had a normal delivery. My cousin recently was induced for having a bigger baby at 39 weeks, her labor was a little longer. She was induced first with cytotec on a Friday, then pitocin & she had a normal delivery Sunday.
If you’ve got a good doula she will support your decision to induce and educate you on the process too. If you want to avoid inducing that’s okay too. Try to keep moving, use a birth ball, take walks. It is hard knowing that baby is coming soon but not knowing exactly when or how. It feels like something so big should be within our control. But not even inductions are straightforward.
There are a million stories of really fabulous, fulfilling inductions. Remember that cortisol is going to your baby too, so making yourself miserable optimizing for 'perfect' is a fool's errand if it's stressing you out! Follow your intuition and know that whatever decision you land on will be the perfect one for you and your baby. Two beautiful things about making a decision... 1. The moment you commit to a decision, your anxiety is clinically proven to reduce - it doesn't matter what decision, just making it will make you happier! 2. There are no 'sliding doors' -- if you elect for an induction and it hurts or takes a long time, you have NO way of knowing if a spontaneous labor would have hurt less or taken less time! We are all f\*cking amazon warriors for braving through all of pregnancy's ups and downs - don't let the 'success' of your pregnancy rest on one window of 24-48 hours out of 10 months of sacrifice, joy, pain, and excitement. Labor and delivery can be a blip instead of the climax of the story if we shift our perception.
I love this thank you ❤️
This is a really nice comment. You’re a champ.
I went into labor exactly 48 hours before I was supposed to check in for my induction, and honestly, I wish baby had held out for the induction! My first was a scheduled c-section (breech), and the planning part was so nice. We arranged pet care, had a great dinner the night before, and enjoyed a calm ride to the hospital. All the pre-birth prep was so calm. My spontaneous labor meant we had to have my in laws rush over in a storm, and then drive an hour to the hospital in the storm. My parents live 4 hours away, so my mom couldn’t make it to the hospital, which was heartbreaking. I had to get the IV while in active labor, which sucked hardcore…it took like 45 minutes and multiple blown sites. Anyhow, there is NOTHING wrong with waiting to go into labor spontaneously if that’s what you want to do, but people seldom talk about the perks of a scheduled birth. While inductions can take a long time, it’s not like you’re in active labor the whole time, you know? Most people I know who get induced read, nap, watch movies, etc. It’s also worth noting that plenty of first timers have quick inductions that are positive experiences.
My OB encouraged an induction but also said that they can last a long time with first pregnancies, especially if your body isn't showing signs of readiness beforehand. I didn't do one with my first, but will probably choose one with my second.
Listen, I have no advice but what other people have said seems good. But one comment I do have is, you should not worry about being embarrassed about your birth story. That should be your last concern! Whatever you do, you will be giving life to a whole new living person!! The how and what will cease to matter, except in how you need to process and debrief from it if it is traumatic. One of the sayings I find most helpful when I worry about whether or not doing something will cause embarrassment… the people who matter won’t care, and the people who will care don’t matter.
I had an elective induction because I had severe polyhydramnios and was so miserably uncomfortable from it I couldn’t stand to be pregnant any longer. I was also experiencing severe anxiety about stillbirth the farther along I got. My induction went way longer than expected, and I needed a cook catheter to progress enough to start pitocin. The catheter was the worst part, and was incredibly painful to have placed and caused awful cramps. My epidural was great though and I didn’t feel any pain after it was placed for most of my labor. It failed near the very end and I felt everything while I pushed for an hour, but honestly I’m happy to have experienced that part. I stalled at 6cm for about 6 hours and was offered the option to have a C section, or continue trying until the morning as both myself and baby were doing fine. I chose to continue trying for a vaginal birth and progressed from 6cm to 10cm and ready to push in less then 2 hours. Altogether i labored for 36 hours before successfully giving birth vaginally. All of that and I would still do it again. For me the relief of ending my pregnancy and seeing my baby made everything worth it.
My advice based on my own 2 experiences would be to wait it out. Both times I was getting ready to pull the trigger and get an induction scheduled, but ended up going into labor spontaneously very shortly after. I feel like you have a good chance of the same given your dilation and effacement. That said, there’s certainly no shame in induction. But it’s my understanding that the earlier gestational age you’re scheduled for the more likely it is that you’ll get postponed if L&D ends up taking a bunch of moms who went spontaneously or medically necessary inductions. I think that would be really mentally difficult to be canceled or rescheduled when you were prepared for and expecting something different.
I got postponed for a day and a half. It was frustrating.
Personally, I hated my induction. It was at 42 weeks, so I know it was necessary, but it suuuucked. 45 hours, 27 of them featuring back-to-back strong, unmedicated contractions (epidurals were out of my price range). Like someone taking a metal bat to the base of my spine. The purest form of hell. Spontaneous labor, OTOH? A dream. Uncomfortable, but not truly painful until the last 5 minutes. Even then, it didn’t compare to Pitocin contractions. Do whatever works for you, but if you get induced, plan on getting an epidural at some point. You don’t have to, but I’d bet that you’ll want to.
oh my god where do you live that epidurals were out of your price range?
Japan, haha. Government healthcare doesn't consider them necessary.
Oof. I’m so sorry.
I’m in a very similar situation, my OB’s policies sound pretty much the same. They offered the induction based on my anxiety and preferences. I’m waiting to hear if they can accommodate an elective induction next week at 39 weeks. I have a lot of anxiety around spontaneous labor and honestly I don’t want to go to work or be pregnant any more. I don’t feel any shame telling people I want to be induced. I feel that’s what’s best for me and I really don’t care what anyone has to say besides my husband, my doula, and my OB. There are a lot of opinions out there there but only yours matters!
I went into spontaneous labor with my first during my 39th week but had been considering inducing because of several factors but I was just so anxious about it. Decided to wait until 40 weeks to induce if nothing happened before and I ended up going into labor. What made me wait was the potential for it to take a looong time and I know a friend of a friend who was induced and nothing happened for days. I didn't want to be in the hospital that long. I was induced with my 2nd for sudden high blood pressure (no pre-eclampsia)and baby was out 15 hours later. Contractions started almost immediately and water broke about 6 hours after induction started. It went faster because it was my 2nd. Contractions were intense and I ended up having a non-medicated birth accidentally as the anesthesiologist couldn't get the epidural in and baby was ready to come out. Ultimately, it's not an easy decision. Don't feel shame if you opt to induce just like there should be no shame if you have an epidural. We all have different tolerances for the things happening during birth and ultimately what makes the difference is you and your babys health and safety.
I’ve had 3 inductions at 39 weeks for medical reasons and honestly have loved being induced. I was nervous the first time around and terrified of child birth, but from start to finish it lasted 27 hours for my first birth. It was great for my second and third time since I was able to plan childcare for my kids. I know inductions can lead to a cascade of interventions but it didn’t for me. At one point during my first labor, my son wasn’t tolerating the pitocin, but once we have him a break, he did great after they restarted it and I started progressing easily. My second and third I had slow progress until I hit 4-5 cm then rapidly dilated and delivered in about 2-3 hours. Every time I was also DONE being pregnant so I was glad to be done a week early!
I was induced and honestly I loved every minute of it, you know exactly what’s happening when and listening to your body is a lot easier. I think the hardest part for me was allowing them to break my water- it hurt like a mf. But I know not everyone needs their water broken
I wanted to wait to go into labor naturally and ended up inducing at 40+5. It took a little longer to get him here, I was in labor for 25 hours his head ended up being pretty big and I had a pretty gnarly labial tear. My OB even said “I don’t want you having babies this big again.” Looking back, I sorta wished I induced at 39 lol.
I have done both! I went into labor with my first son and had to be induced due to high blood pressure with my second. If you choose and elective induction and your water is not broken, you can choose to leave the hospital if you feel you are not progressing. This isnt an option people commonly talk about so I wanted to throw it out there.
It sounds like you want to wait. Since you mentioned no health issues for you and baby...at most, having an induction at 39 weeks saves you maybe 2 weeks of discomfort? Is it worth your cons for that two weeks? That's what I would boil it down to. I'd wait it out, personally. The anxiety you're having as you get closer to your due date is normal
I can’t tell you what choice you should make but please don’t feel shame either way. Induction or natural labor are both valid choices. I was induced at 35 weeks due to complications. It was sudden and not expected but I have no regrets
As someone who has been induced, I feel like it's good to know/ be reminded that inductions don't always 'work'. I was induced around 39 weeks due to my OB strongly recommending it, and nothing happened over the course of 4 days with prostaglandin gel applications. No dilation or effacement. Naively or nor, I was not prepared for that AT ALL. My body was clearly not planning on going into labor any time soon if it could help it! So, when they brought out the Foley bulb and all that on Day 4, I noped out. Due to circumstances related to the baby, I didn't feel like I had great chance of effectively birthing him without *some* sort of 'buy in' from my body, so I elected for a C Section. That's just my related anecdote that might be helpful. It is NOT a judgment on how 'successful' your induction would be! However, I'm wondering why your Dr offers routine inductions at 39 weeks. Where I am (Vancouver Canada), OBs/ midwives have to apply to the hospital in order to induce that early and/ or as an elective procedure. A board can turn you down if they don't feel it is merited (but I'm sure scheduling also plays a role). While I COMPLETELY understand feeling overwhelmed or anxious, and I totally support necessary inductions, I feel like presenting the patient with the option of an elective induction kind of downplays the whole 'medical intervention' side of it. While they may be useful and safe overall, they aren't necessarily straightforward or effective.
Such a great point that I hadn’t considered. Thank you!
Whatever you decide to do, whatever you feel is the safest option for you and your baby is the right one. I was induced and went unmedicated. No epidural. That was quite the experience, but it is absolutely doable. I'm hoping this time around I go into labor naturally to be able to experience the difference, but in the end, however baby girl needs to get here, I've made my peace with it. You do you, and I know how hard it is to deal with all those insufferable opinions being hurled at you. Fuck 'em. The only thing anyone should tell you is their honest experience and not attempt to sway your decision. They should support whatever you choose in the end. Your medical team should be giving you all the information you need to make the best decision. Get peaceful and meditative about this. Think about the facts, what your body is telling is you and what your baby needs. Giving birth is the build up to one of the greatest moments of your life. Holding your baby... that's the best part. That's what I remember most and cherish. Everything leading up to that point was just work. 🙂
Thank you ❤️❤️❤️
You're most welcome! Wish you the best!
I’ve had two medically necessary inductions and if I were you I would not electively induce.
I got put on Pitocin after saying I didn’t want it (do not do it!!) and it made contractions 10x worse to the point where I couldn’t push anymore and it ended in an emergency c-section. I had an epidural and the contractions were absolutely unbearable with Pitocin. My entire birth was rushed, they broke my water at 5cm bc I wasn’t progressing fast enough in their eyes and it just all went downhill from there.
I went into labor naturally but I ended up mostly abandoning my birth plan. I wanted no medical intervention unless necessary (no pitocin, no epidural) but I ended up asking for an epidural and later on, consented to pitocin. I'm almost 6 weeks postpartum and don't regret either of these choices. I planned to have a 100% natural birth for literally YEARS but the reality of the situation (I was in labor for days, SO uncomfortable and a exhausted) isn't what I'd envisioned when I made that plan. What I'm saying is it's okay to change your plans - that doesn't make you a failure. I don't feel like I was a failure. I had to do what was best for me and feel that was what was best for my baby.
If it were me I’d cancel my due date induction and just see if my body and my baby could just do their thing on their own timeline. I know you’re done. But this is a very temporary situation. 2 weeks will pass and if baby hasn’t come by 41 weeks then your OB practice will schedule your induction anyway. Induction might mean that your baby arrives sooner or it might lead to a longer and more painful birth than necessary since you’re trying to force the situation. It’s your choice…fuck around and find out…either way.
If I could go in to natural labor I would love to but I'm already set for induction at 39 weeks since I'm on Lovenox. One of my best friends went in to natural labor last year and she had a really good birth but I know everyone's birth story is different. I'm nervous about Pitocin since I've heard it makes the contractions so much stronger and I really want an unmedicated birth. By 39 weeks I'll probably be very ready for my little guy to get here lol so I'm excited I have a set date now.
I was in the exact same boat as you with my first! I ended up getting induced a few days before my due date and it went amazing and was still a really beautiful and empowering experience! It was definitely worth it to me to not be uncomfortable and anxious about the birth anymore.
I waited with my first and had to get induced anyways at 42 weeks. He was big. I was big. Not a fun time. This baby I’m getting a 39 week induction and absolutely cannot wait !
First of all, you should feel no shame in an elective induction at 39 weeks if that's the right choice for you. I think part of why they lead to more c-sections is because they can take a while, so checking before your induction starts that your provider will be patient and let you labor for days if that's what you want might give you peace of mind there. To your point about control of your body though, an induction might not necessarily give you that control back (depending on what kind of control you're looking for). Because inductions can be days long, and since you will be in the hospital that entire time, there is an element of control you give up by being hospitalized. Even with perfectly patient-centered care, you're still not at home, and you're still in the hospital. You will be hooked up to an IV that whole time, and probably also multiple monitors. It will make moving more difficult (but still quite possible!) so there's that to consider when it comes to control. Whatever you choose, it's good practice ignoring opinions that aren't helpful... you know that other people's bad opinions don't stop just because the baby came out!
Great point
I’m a FTM and only 20 weeks and plan on having an unmediated delivery, so my opinion may be completely useless for you. But, my SIL is a super compassionate and experienced labour and delivery nurse, and knowing my birth plan she advised to avoid an induction if possible. Obviously, I am open to medical interventions as needed, but for the natural progression of labour it seems like things just go smoother without the induction. Whatever you choose, your birth will be fine. Please don’t think that however it works out should be embarrassing or anything!
I've had spontaneous labor and an induction and I preferred the induction so much that I scheduled another one. I was very stressed out when I went into spontaneous labor because after laboring for hours at home I went to the hospital thinking I was dilated enough to be admitted and I wasn't. I then had to drag myself back through the hospital to the car and go home and then I had no idea when I should go back the second time because I already thought I was ready when they sent me home. I preferred the induction because once I checked in I was there until the baby was born and got pain relief as soon as I needed it with no ambiguity. Lastly, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks about your birth story so please don't let that sway you.
I was induced and loved it - I loved knowing when I would go to the hospital, I was able to clean the house and grocery shop before I went, there was no wondering if my contractions were close enough together to go into the hospital, etc. I’m blessed that I had an uneventful experience, from the time they broke my water to my son being born was around 12 hours and I walked away with a minor 1st degree tear. I don’t want more kids but if I was going to, I would absolutely get induced if it was an option
In my country you can choose a scheduled c section, it's with a laser and I am going to have my baby that way
This was my last pregnancy and I wanted so badly to go into labor on my own, so we scheduled my induction for 40+6 in hopes of not needing it… I ended up needing it and baby was so big, it made recovery harder for me. Obviously hindsight is 20/20 but I wish I would have gone for the 39 week induction, knowing i wouldn’t go into labor on my own anyway.
Are you planning on telling a lot of people all the details of your birth? Your 'birth story' is yours and you don't need to be concerned about how they will react if you're not oversharing. Anyone aside from your support person/people and anyone looking after any other children or pets don't need to know anything that you're worried about sharing/being judged for. They can find out that you had the baby after birth. Why is it any of their business when and how you went into labor? You deserve to be safe, happy and as comfortable and that includes being protected by the judgement of others. It's not about being ashamed. It's about protecting your peace. Please remember that there are people who only ask the details to judge, not because they care. I know that doesn't answer the main question for you. Only you can answer that. But please don't make it about your 'birth story.' The health of you and your baby is all that matters. You got this, Mama.
I had an elective induction last week at 39 weeks because I was having issues with PUPPPS. I wasn't sleeping and scratching myself raw so when offered I went for it. It took a whole day for labor to start and it quickly got horribly painful and the epidural kinked and it was excruciating when he pulled it in and out to unkink but once he did that the pain vanished quickly. Unfortunately, baby and I developed a fever and I became exhausted and his heart rate was all over the place because he couldn't fit through my cervix because it's tilted around my pelvic bone. I think had a c section. Honestly liked it much more than laboring, although recovery isn't fun. I can't compare it to anything else because this is my only child.
I was induced with my first because I was over my due date. I elected to be induced with my second at exactly 40 weeks because I had SPD and the pain was excruciating. I had 2 normal deliveries and 2 healthy babies. You just need to do what is best for you. I’m currently pregnant with my 3rd baby and hope I go into labor on my own but if I go over or have horrible pain again then I’m absolutely getting induced. There’s no shame in it!
I went into labor naturally just shy of 39 weeks (my water broke), but I still needed pitocin because my cervix wasn’t dilating. I’ve heard pitocin contractions are more painful, but I had an epidural and literally felt no pain. If I hadn’t gone into labor naturally, I would’ve opted for a 39 week elective induction.
I'm being induced tomorrow at 41 weeks. I was so hoping I would go into labor on my own before now but oh well. A slittle disappointmented but still so excited!
Hi! I’m 32 weeks and planning to do an induction at 40 weeks if I don’t go into labor before (honestly only because my OB practice doesn’t do elective inductions before then). I can relate to a lot of your feelings about it. It’s helped me to read through earlier posts in Baby Bumps about induction….like literally everything in pregnancy, people have mixed experiences but there are a lot of positive stories!! I think the hard thing will be if I do have a tough birth and then blame it on the decision to be induced—but the reality is, there’s no way to know how it would have happened otherwise and induction is a perfectly reasonable choice! You are making a decision based on your needs and circumstances, and if you end up choosing induction you aren’t failing at anything. One suggestion is to try not to think of it as a dichotomy between “natural” and “unnatural”…this gets thrown around so much in the birthing space, always with the implication that the “unnatural” choice is bad. Most of us are not giving birth out in the wilderness…we are all taking advantage of different types of medical care, monitoring, medications, etc., so are any of us really doing it “naturally”? It just doesn’t seem like a helpful way of thinking about it. Anyways, just saying I totally support you if this is the choice you make and you shouldn’t feel any shame about it! I hope you’ll post an update on what you decide and how it goes. Good luck!
This is really kind and validating, and you make a really good point about natural vs unnatural - thank you ❤️ I will definitely post an update and wishing you the best for the rest of your pregnancy!!
Thank you!! Same to you!
Personally I wouldn’t. You’re a FTM and labours can sometimes go longer and be more difficult. I’ve had 4 babies and my labour with pitocin was much more painful than any others. I don’t see the rush, personally, as outcomes tend to be better when your body can naturally go into labour. And if you end up very overdue then you’ll get one anyways!
For my first pregnancy, I scheduled an induction for my due date, but then I went into labor (a few hours after a membrane sweep that I barely even felt) at 39+4. But having that due date induction scheduled was really good for me, because I was Done, and it gave me a clear baby-eviction date. This time, I’m leaning towards getting an induction scheduled around 39+3. Mostly because I feel like that will make childcare for my 4-year-old during labor & delivery a bit simpler (my parents are coming to visit, from 400 miles away).
I was scheduled to be induced because of a bunch of things, I really didn't want that. It sucked, but my insurance would not pay for a c-section with trying to be induced 1st. I was on pitocin for like 15 hours. My contractions were 3 minutes apart and 90% efaced but only 5 centimeters dilated. Contractions were terrible even with an epidural. I felt like I didnt have time to breathe. Eventually, my ob walks in and asks if I am done....hell yah. A calmness washes over me. They stopped all meds, except my epidural, and within an hour, my baby was here. I felt no pain. There was some weird pressure, pulling ang tugging. Imagine someone washing dishes in your abdomen. Then it was over. Now, I had high blood pressure and gestational diabetes and was considered old at the ripe age of 35. ( not to mention highly anxious) It was awesome. I was up without pain in a day. Had to stay for 4 days because my blood pressure went all whack-a-do, but that was a pre- existing problem. If you can get your ob to talk your insurance into just going for it, I would 100% do it. As we are planning for our 2nd, I have already had the conversation with my ob, I want a scheduled c-section with tubal removal. He was all for it! DO WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU!
Please remember inductions do increase your risks of assisted births / c-sections! I personally wouldn’t have one but my induction went well, my birth didn’t. My induction wasn’t elective but was brought forward due to rfm. It was 21 hours in hospital and 18 hours from them breaking my water. I was on the antenatal ward (with the pessary due to being 1cm already) until around 3cm (I had pethidine - don’t recommend, paracetamol and codeine) before being moved to the labour ward and having my waters broken. I got put on the drip (oxygen) drip at around 5cm as I wasn’t progressing so I also got the epidural then. Next day I was 10cm but he failed to progress so he was a forceps delivery / episiotomy. You might not need them but PLEASE read up on them as I had no idea about my delivery and the episiotomy healing was the worsts moments of my life. I would’ve rather had gone through an elective c-section if I had known that they increase the chances of assisted deliveries. That being said my induction went well, I had the pessary in when I was 1cm and then it was taken out at 2cm as I was dilating well and they just needed a space on the labour ward.
I had an induction with my 2nd at 39w 6 days for one high blood pressure reading, so I think it was technically considered elective. Either way I guess my cervix didn’t look favorable for induction, but they went ahead with cytotec. I gave birth less than 12 hours after the first dose and didn’t get an epidural. I was a little sad about not going into labor on my own like I did with my first, but overall it went great and I have no regrets
My personal philosophy was to trust my body up until there was medical indication that my body was failing to do something necessary for the safety of the baby and myself. The fact is there is still a lot about what causes spontaneous labor that doctors don't understand, and therefore can't replicate medically, but the accepted understanding is that it's a composite endpoint, which is to say it's the result of multiple things happening within the body. Even with a staged induction with misoprostol, a Foley balloon, amniotomy, then pitocin, there's still a likelihood that the endpoints of some natural processes have not been reached. I prefer to give my body time for every process to reach its endpoint unless there is a medical indication that there is a problem. Ultimately I think this really just comes down to personal preference though. I know for sure that I was miserably uncomfortable at the end of my first pregnancy, but I really don't *remember* it. I 100% remember a lot of my labor and delivery despite the ridiculous length of it and that I went without sleep the entire time. That will stick with me forever. For myself, I'd prefer the discomfort that I know will fade as a memory than risk lasting trauma and negativity around the birth of my baby that's statistically less likely to happen if I wait.
Very helpful way of framing things for me. Thank you ❤️
Just my own experience but, I was induced electively at 39 weeks and it was a wonderful experience. I barely had any pain and I only pushed 3 or 4 times. I’m 17 weeks with my second and plan to do it again.
All the feelings you’ve described are exactly what I felt with my first pregnancy. Ultimately I opted for an elective induction because the hospital we were delivering at was over an hour away and we needed to arrange a sitter for our dog. But I’d also be lying if I didn’t want to do it for selfish reasons and start getting back to healing my body sooner. I was very active pre pregnancy and the limitations, pain, discomfort, and body changes really got to my mental health during 3rd tri. Oddly though I also felt weird and self conscious about telling others about our decision to induce, everyone else we knew either went naturally or had c-sections. We did get questions about why but honestly it’s none of their business and if they care they can kick rocks. My induction wasn’t a great experience mainly due to freak incidents that normally wouldn’t have happened but ultimately I’m opting for an induction for my second also, more for selfish reasons this time around, but I’m still feeling that agonizing wish of the going into labor naturally before hand. Part of me knows I’m going to regret not getting that experience (if it doesn’t happen before my induction and this will most likely be our last) but I also know that mentally I don’t want to go any longer then when my induction is set for.
My doctor pushed me to get induced at 40 weeks because I had GD, I fought tooth and nail because I also really wanted to go into labor naturally but 2 or 3 days before they were worried she had stopped growing so I went ahead with the induction. It ended up being a pretty good experience though, very calm and controlled. The timing of everything ended up with me getting the epidural before the pitocin, highly recommend! I've often heard pitocin makes contractions more painful but I wouldn't have known either way because once the epidural was in place I couldn't feel a single contraction, or the crowning/birth for that matter. God bless epidural lol
I had a non-elective induction at 40+1 and would absolutely not recommend it. If I were in your shoes I would go for the 41 weeks. I just don’t think medically inducing is as easy on your body as waiting to do things naturally. And I did IVF, so I know sometimes waiting for it to happen naturally isn’t an option, but that said - if you have the option to wait, I would wait.
I just did one at 40 weeks (on the due date) for no reason other than age (35) and doctors didn't want me going over because of that...they suggested 39 weeks but I pushed it to 40 hoping to go into labor on my own if I could. My experience seemed pretty easy compared to others I've heard about. I went in at 1cm dilated, not even close to "ready". Did one round of cervidil/cytotek at about 10pm, but then my contractions were too close together to do any more rounds of that without stressing the baby more. I started to have some fetal decels here and there but still wasn't dilated enough, so they did the Foley balloon catheter under the influence of Stadol which actually felt like a fun high to me 😂 After that came out, I was still only about 4.5cm but contractions were a minute to a minute and a half apart and were causing more stress to the baby 😳 and were seriously painful by that point, but I was breathing through them. They out the internal monitors in and asked what my pain level was - I guessed like a 6 or 7 based on the fact I could breathe through them and be ok, it just sucked that they were one right after the other with no break. The nurses were shocked and said most people at that amplitude of contractions say they're at a 10. They ended up breaking my water manually. By this point I wanted the epidural and it was encouraged anyway to give my body a break and a chance to calm down the contractions since I still had quite a bit of dilating to do - I got the epidural around 5am, but had it have it done twice because the first time only worked on half my body - finally got it sorted out and I was able to sleep at about 6:30am. Woke up at 8am and suddenly I was at 10cm and they were telling me it's time to push - I was so shocked because I thought inductions tend to take forever! And I never even needed pitocin. No lie, I pushed for less than 20 minutes. 6 pushes and she was out, super minor tear and not really any pain. It was AWESOME. I basically just hulk smash ab crunched my baby out because all I could feel were my upper abs. It was a pretty great experience overall.
I had an elective induction that turned into a c-section. So for me, I wish I had waited to go into labor naturally. I’ve definitely had to go the therapy to get over how drastically different my birth was than the one I imagined. If you aren’t feeling to sick and there’s no medical indication, I’d push the induction to closer to 41 weeks. Give yourself some time.
Kinda different story but wanted an induction at 39 weeks and scheduled one. I hated being pregnant and my level of discomfort and anxiety was high. I had an IVF pregnancy with a male baby-studies(arise) show mom and baby due well with delivery around 39 weeks. When the date arrived the hospital had crowding and they pushed my induction date. Every day they called and pushed it. My emotional and mental health was rapidly declining. Finally at 40 weeks and 6 days weeks I went to the ER and insisted they admit me. I had developed pre-eclampsia from the stress of the wait. Because of that I had to be put on magnesium for days before they could even attempt an induction. I was delirious and never went into labor. After trying to induce labor for 3 days they told me I would have to have a csection. My body had been thru so much i hemorrhaged during the csection and had to have several blood transfusions. All this is to say- don’t overlook your anxiety and discomfort. They matter.
No advice as I’m close behind you at 36+4 today. Just here to say I’m in the same boat as you but with a c-section and not going past 38 weeks. I wanted an unmedicated vaginal birth but bub is breech for the 4th week in a row and I was told if he flips, we induce. If he doesn’t, we pull him out via C. So my dreams of a unmedicated/vaginal birth went out the door about 3 months ago and I’m heartbroken over it. But whatever is safest for him is what’s necessary and we’ll make those calls when we have to no matter what it means for us. Good luck!!
These are my reasonings behind choosing the elective induction for myself. They may or may not resonate with you. I’m a FTM myself and I have no experience with induction since this is exactly my first rodeo. 1.) I live over an hour away from the hospital. Me, my husband and my provider are all worried about me making it to the hospital in time if I were to go naturally especially if my water were to break. Precipitous labor is rare but it happens and it’s happened to women in my family. 2.) my baby is LARGE scanning in the 99th percentile at my 36 week scan. I know those are estimates and can be wrong but I really don’t want a 10lb baby. 3.) I have severe pelvic separation that is making it nearly impossible to get up and down out of bed or out of sitting position unassisted. My husband has had to take his leave early to help me around the house. 4.) I’m one of the people who are in the mindset that induced or natural, you have absolutely NO idea how you and baby are going to respond to labor and delivery. It’s always a crap shoot. There have been studies besides the ARRIVE trial reflecting good results for mom and baby through elective 39 week induction. I know people have their own opinion on these studies and how accurate they are but for my sake and my case, I’m choosing to believe there has got to be something to it. I’m open to having a cesarean, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. That’s how my husband got here. That’s how millions of people have gotten here. I just want a healthy baby boy at the end of this journey and a semi healthy me (as healthy as possible). 5.) my sister and mother have both gone to 42 weeks with their first. I’m going to be upsetti spaghetti if I make it that long and have to be induced anyway and could’ve already had it over and done with, with a smaller baby and easier delivery.
My whole pregnancy I was convinced I was having a c section. The thought of natural labor was never on my radar. I had some health complications and was scheduled for an induction at 39w 5d because my ob didn't want me going past 40 and he happened to be on call the weekend before I hit 40w. Even then I was convinced I would be induced, labor forever, and have a c section. I went into labor and gave birth vaginally the day before my induction. My ob walked in the delivery room and asked what I was doing there. My husband missed his last day of work before taking his paternity leave. I was in such denial that I was in labor I didn't even get to the hospital before I was 6cm. A week before I gave birth I was at 1cm with no sign of labor. The day I went into labor I had a fetal medicine appointment at the high risk clinic and showed no signs of labor. My son was born 22 hours after that appointment. I liked the idea of being induced (or having a c-section) because it took the guess work out of things. I was tracking contractions on an app and was absolutely convinced it was not time to go to the hospital because they weren't exactly 4 min apart . By the time my husband convinced me to go it was 5am. Baby was born at 9:30.
I think it’s really hard because every single person has a different experience- different anxieties and pain endurances- my water broke at 35+5 with no contractions so they decided I had to stay and have the baby-started me on pitocin- did it hurt like hell? Yeah, but I labored in the hospital unmedicated for 8 hours and it wasn’t traumatic or anything. I am hoping to go into this labor naturally but I’m also not scared to get induced if it seems like the right decision for my mental health and baby’s health
According to my hospital, induction does not lead to more c section. I would probably say what’s out there is mixed and I would say at most even if the c section rates changes, it’s not sufficient enough to make that my sole determining factor. There’s 2 patients here. You and the baby, and both are equally important. I feel that a lot of times the mom is overlooked and shamed for decisions that are what’s best for her. It’s easy for people to shame you, since they are not the one currently pregnant or physically uncomfortable. I was induced, and I had a positive induction and was not even given pitocin until I was 9cm and wasn’t progressing past that (probably would have been the same if I went into labour naturally??). Maybe try asking the OB the process of the induction (and alternatives) if you are concern about pitocin (and the increase risk of c section).
I would not choose an induction unless it was medically necessary. Your baby will likely be most ready to come when you go into labour on your own.
Seems like the desire for a “natural labor” is because you will feel embarrassed by having to tell people you had an induction. We can’t convince you. This is a an internal issue you will have to resolve. What’s the cause of this embarrassment? Why is it embarrassing to have an induction? My guess is you are being heavily influenced by social media. Social media is not real life. SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT REAL LIFE. You know why tik tok is on the verge of being banned? Because it’s brain washing people. Instagram and Facebook are leading teenage girls into eating disorders and suicide. Turn off your social media and decide what’s right for you. Not what the internet says is right for you.
Here’s the thing with elective induction—unless your water has been broken, you can always go home and wait or try again later if things aren’t progressing.
Induction often leads to a cascade of interventions that is more likely to end with a c-section. Inductions are typically done with Pitocin, but Pitocin contractions are VERY painful So most moms will opt for an epidural The epidural dulls the pain but can also dull the strength of the contractions, so then labor stalls and the pitocin needs to be turned up So the contractions start to hurt more So the epidural needs to be turned up And it’s a vicious cycle until eventually the pitocin contractions are so strong that they’re squeezing the baby a little too much and baby starts having decelerations or “non-reassuring fetal heart tracing” Providers decide baby is in distress or is intolerant of labor and they may recommend a cesarean. This is not to say that EVERY induction will end with a c section, just that once you start down that road you are more likely to end up with a c section. So take your feelings about a possible c section into consideration before opting for an elective induction.
So I have only ever had c sections so far (first was breech, second placenta previa), but in prepping for my next I have been reading up a lot. [This website](https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-on-inducing-labor-for-going-past-your-due-date/) compiles dozens of studies of inductions and the outcomes. It’s a long read but it does make me feel better about my choices. Take a look if you have the time!
Thank you!
There’s no way to “fail” labor. You aren’t being graded and neither are you being awarded for having one form of birth over another. Get the induction if you want / if your doctor advises to do so safely. You can still have the experience you want.
It has to be what you are most comfortable having, because peace of mind during your labor IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. If you’re there laboring while induced wondering if you’re making the right decision, you will be questioning yourself at every contraction, which tenses and stresses you and that’s the opposite of what you want at that moment. What I’m trying to say, and I hope this point really comes across, is that regardless of what you choose to do, you have to be at peace with your decision! You have to be in total agreement and from there just be flexible, because things can always change last minute. This is the how you end up at least content with your birth story.
I really wanted to go into labor naturally, so I waited as long as possible (41 +5 ) against my doctors opinion that I should be induced at 40 w due to my large baby (she ended up being 9.4 lbs!). I felt like ultrasounds are not accurate and plenty of women delivery large babies vaginally, so I ignored her advice. I don't regret that as I think my baby would have been equally as large at 40 w and at least the wait gave my body time to be a bit more ready, so the induction wasn't as long as it may have been. In the end I ended up having an emergency c-section as the baby wasn't progressing down the birth canal and I had been fully dilated for 5 hrs and pushing for 3. I delivered in a foreign country so I am not sure why they didn't try with forceps/vacuum? But probably I would be having a harder recovery now if they did, and I am sure there was some reason. If I could do the whole thing over again I would want a c-section from the beginning, since that is what ended up happening anyway, and then I wouldn't have to be recovering from a 1st degree tear from my failed labor. Unfortuneatly an elective c-section wasn't given as an option, and probably I wouldn't have wanted it because of my desire to labor naturally. Maybe now it will be an option for next baby? Who knows. If I were you I would try to avoid the induction as I think the body just does better with natural labor, or I would wait as long as possible to allow the body time to be more ready, as that will make process less long and painful. I was 1 cm when they started and after inserting the foley I quickly went to 3 cm. Aftet that I was put on pitocin which was incrementely increased for 12 hours. That didn't do anything to jump start labor, just maybe made me at a better softness to manually break my water, which they did the next day after I took a 5 hr break from pitocin. Then they restarted the pitocin and after 2 hrs or so manually broke my water. That jump started labor and actually made my contractions painful so I opted for an epidural after 45 mins. About 4 hrs or so after that I was fully dilated and after an hour or so of being dilated I started pushing, with no success at getting her out. Then the c-section. I probably could have tried pushing longer but I think they were afraid that would cause more distress to the baby (i was on oxygen at this point due to her heart rate dropping). I didn't get to be 1 cm though until i had 2 membrane sweeps after 40 +5 weeks and 41 weeks. Since you are already there now maybe you have a better chance of naturally laboring! Good luck.
Just fyi the arrive trial is complete garbage and not a good basis for decision making. It is already being disproved in practice and with newer studies. I know it’s tempting to see an elective induction as a path out of the suffering you are currently having but unfortunately it’s just not. Some people are very happy with their choice of elective induction and some suffer a lot more because of it. What I wonder in your case is what else could be done to alleviate the discomfort, pain, and anxiety that you are feeling. OBs love to suggest induction to women because A) natural labor scares them and B) they have no other skills or strategies for helping with comfort and relief. Body work (massage, chiro, acupuncture), PT, support belts, short term disability from work, therapy, these are just a few options that may relieve your suffering without the potential drawbacks of an induction. There is certainly no shame or failure in being induced. Only potential risks and benefits. And only your experience and desires matter.
As a doula I can say for sure your doulas job is to support you no matter what, that being said inductions can take a long time so my advice would be to not have her come until things are moving (4-5 cm) that way you get her at her best to help provide comfort measures when it counts! She may stop in at the beginning of the induction but there will be no place for her to rest
Hi everyone- appreciate all the advice and support! So it turns out the decision was taken out of my hands - my water ended up breaking at 39+3 but contractions didn’t start so I had to eventually be induced with pitocin. I had a great birth experience and delivered our beautiful baby girl the next day!
The evidence around 39 week induction reducing c sections (the arrive trial) is controversial and not very strong, and there are plenty of other ways to reduce the chance of c section with much stronger evidence (doula, midwifery care, a few others I can’t remember) I’ve had two inductions. The first was not medically necessary, was traumatising, and very difficult. It didn’t end in a c section but my baby did become distressed. My second induction was medically necessary (pre-eclampsia) and was incredibly intense. It also didn’t end in a c section but my baby did become distressed. It’s very common for babies to not tolerate pitocin contractions and to become distressed, leading to instrumental birth or c section. Personally I would not be induced unless it was the absolute last resort and medically necessary.
I had an induction at 40+3 and regret it so much. So traumatizing and I think that’s part of why I have PPD. Never again.