Inducing vs. Waiting

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

What would you suggest? I know inducing can cause a long a painful labor & could possibly lead to a c section. So would you suggest to a patient to wait until it happens naturally?

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Specializes in NICU, Trauma, Oncology.

I think much more information is needed to make any comment. In general, waiting it out is the standard of care but there are a plethora of other factors that affect the decision to induce or not

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I think much more information is needed to make any comment. In general, waiting it out is the standard of care but there are a plethora of other factors that affect the decision to induce or not

Oh of course. I mean if the patient is healthy it makes sense to wait it out. But what if the patient had a difficult pregnancy & has been sick off & on throughout?

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Specializes in NICU, Trauma, Oncology.

Depends on the patient. In my personal experience my dr would not consider inducing until 40 weeks and I had been on bed rest from 29 weeks d/t preterm labor. In my case bed rest was working. If the patient is just "tired of being pregnant" (which, trust me, I totally understand) and is otherwise doing well there isn't a need to induce before 40 weeks. However if there are other circumstances induction could be an option. The longer the baby "bakes" the better the outcome for birth mom and baby.

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Specializes in NICU, Trauma, Oncology.

I think 42 weeks is the longest they will let a woman gestate.

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Specializes in NICU, Trauma, Oncology.

Also, from personal experience if there is anyway I could avoid a section I would. My water broke and baby turned transverse breech, so I had no choice but to have a section. I was miserable.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

Thank you for all your knowledge & personal experience!!

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
I think 42 weeks is the longest they will let a woman gestate.

The longest I saw as a woman who came in at 42 and 6.

But yeah, standard of care is absolutely not before 39 weeks (per March of Dimes and ACOG), and our facility will not induce for anything less than maternal/fetal medical issues before 41 weeks (and our facility has the lowest C/S rate in the country - there was just an article written about us in Consumer Reports!).

We have one woman who really wanted to be induced starting at 38 weeks, and our midwives explained why we wouldn't, but they were willing to do serial membrane sweeping, which they started at 38 weeks. Of course, she is now 40 weeks, has had three membrane sweeps and is still pregnant.

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But yeah, standard of care is absolutely not before 39 weeks (per March of Dimes and ACOG), and our facility will not induce for anything less than maternal/fetal medical issues before 41 weeks (and our facility has the lowest C/S rate in the country - there was just an article written about us in Consumer Reports!).

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GOOD FOR THEM!! If only more hospitals, OB's, and Midwives would stand their ground against women who are "tired of being pg" or have social events that need their attention more than their baby's full term gestation!!!

My second child was born at 41w5d after a spontaneous labor. (He was a Clomid baby, complete with charting, and we 100% sure of the date--and TIME!---of conception) He was a huge and healthy 10 lbs 4 oz (vag. delivery) and not only nursed like a champ, he slept from 10 pm to 4 am by 2 weeks due to his size and stomach capacity. Babies will be born when they are darn good and ready...

OH, and this was Kentucky in July in a heat wave! :devil:

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.
GOOD FOR THEM!! If only more hospitals, OB's, and Midwives would stand their ground against women who are "tired of being pg" or have social events that need their attention more than their baby's full term gestation!!!

My second child was born at 41w5d after a spontaneous labor. (He was a Clomid baby, complete with charting, and we 100% sure of the date--and TIME!---of conception) He was a huge and healthy 10 lbs 4 oz (vag. delivery) and not only nursed like a champ, he slept from 10 pm to 4 am by 2 weeks due to his size and stomach capacity. Babies will be born when they are darn good and ready...

OH, and this was Kentucky in July in a heat wave! :devil:

Never even considered that the reason MY 10#3oz son slept through the night was because of his size. Fun fact: the day before he was born, my fun-loving co-workers measured me. I was 61" tall and 62" around!

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

But yeah, standard of care is absolutely not before 39 weeks (per March of Dimes and ACOG), and our facility will not induce for anything less than maternal/fetal medical issues before 41 weeks (and our facility has the lowest C/S rate in the country - there was just an article written about us in Consumer Reports!).

That's awesome! I feel like C/S are just the norm now. I had a bunch of friends who were pregnant around the same time as me & ALL of them had c/s.

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Specializes in OB.

At my facility we do not do any elective inductions. Post dates inductions for otherwise uncomplicated pregnancies are at 41+3 weeks (I wish we could go to 42, the evidence is back and forth though). Inductions for medical reasons are obviously different and occur as needed. But just feeling tired, "being sick" the whole pregnancy doesn't get you induced at my hospital. Most babies will come when they are good and ready.

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