Soapbox

I don't do this often, post about my personal opinions on things often considered to be controversial, but with the anniversary of my oldest sons due date approaching it has been on my mind.

8 years ago I was pregnant with my first son. I was young, only 19, and coming close to my due date. I was anxious to meet my little bundle of cuteness but knew I had to wait... Well, I guess I didn't really know I *had* to wait, I didn't really know there was any other option. A c-section was never in the realm of possibilities for me so I just had to wait, didn't I?

It wasn't until I was pregnant  with my second son that I learned about inductions. That word never came up during my pregnancy with my first son, not even as I passed my due date did a single one of the midwives I saw say anything about it. Looking back now that I know more about labor and delivery I suppose I got lucky having midwives even though I didn't realize what that meant that the time. Logan, my oldest, made me wait it out for 3 days after he was due but it was worth every second.

With my second son I told my OBGYN (whom I adore btw) I didn't think I wanted to induce even though it would be nice to know my dad would be at my house to watch Logan and everything would be planned and relaxed. I finally gave in and set an induction date on my due date, hoping CJ wouldn't be late like his big brother and I wouldn't have to show up for an induction. In the end that appointment was a blessing in disguise. The night before my due date I was pretty sure I was going into labor and went into L&D when my husband got home from work, after we stopped at Taco Bell for some dinner. After a little observation they decided I wasn't in labor and they were going to send me home. I told them I had an appointment to be induced in the morning and asked if I could just stay so I wouldn't have to come back early in the morning and the agreed. Good thing too since CJ was born shortly after I was admitted and in a room!

That brings us to my third, and what I thought was going to be my final, son, Wyatt. Oh my sweet little Wyatt. I didn't even schedule an induction with him, even though I was very tempted with my history of fast labor and having two other kids at home. In the end I decided not to because I had heard inducing made labors longer and more painful and I was determined to have another fast and drug free labor. Maybe I should have induced considering he was almost born in the car... But that was mostly my fault waiting until the last minute to call the Dr (who wasn't convinced I was in labor) and my dad and wake my husband to take me in. I didn't want to risk getting sent home because I "wasn't in labor" and then have him at home.

With Jameson, our surprise baby, I thought for sure he would be early and hoped at least a week early so he wouldn't be born anywhere near his due date, which happened to be Logan's birthday! Little did I know I would get my wish, just not in the direction I had hoped. I told my Dr again that I didn't want to induce. I had done more research and was confident in my decision that my babies will bake until they decide they are ready to enter the world. There I was at my 40 week (well a couple days after) appointment saying I had made it this far I would just stick it out. I couldn't believe my 4th pregnancy was also going to be my longest. After Jameson was born (6 days past his due date) I found out my OB had went ahead and scheduled an induction for the following Friday, I guess she didn't want me to go too far past 41 weeks (fairly common and a pretty good for most obgyns to let me go that long with out a fight). I am so thankful that I didn't decide to induce early, if he was born about a week after his due date if I had induced a week before he would have been more like 2 weeks early which is an important amount of baking and developing time!

I'm not trying to say other people shouldn't induce or schedule c-sections. That's not my place, and I am not a doctor or midwife. All I am saying, as I stand up here on my tiny little soapbox (and I mean tiny as I don't think many people even read this thing...) is that I hope you think about it before you introduce medical equipment into your labor before you baby starts to tell you that he or she (not that I know much about the latter lol) is really ready. I know you are anxious to hold your sweet little baby, but what is a couple of. Days if. It means the full health and development of your child?