The last month of pregnancy is hard. Really hard. It’s more than just the physical difficulties– being enormous and swollen and with pains in places you didn’t even know you had prior to pregnancy. There’s also the constant waiting and wondering… will today be the day? What was that twinge-a contraction? Was that a Braxton-Hicks contraction or a labor contraction? Was that trickle my water breaking? Should I run all these errands today–what if I go into labor tonight and I’m exhausted?
It’s also the well-meaning, anxious family and friends calling, emailing, and Facebooking to ask whether or not a baby has arrived yet. Now, rather than answering their nagging queries, simply post this link:
http://haveyouhadthatbabyyet.com/
Ha!
On a more serious note, there are some good things to read in those few weeks. It’s very tempting to give in and accept (or even ask for!) the elective induction that many care providers offer at 37 or 38 weeks. I just gave birth myself 10 weeks ago and even I, a committed natural birth advocate, was sorely tempted to call my midwife and ask her to hook me up to the pitocin! It’s hard to wait and be so uncomfortable. Still, the waiting is important. Because, although you might be uncomfortable, those last few weeks are important for the baby! Lungs are developing, baby is storing up fat, and all kinds of other important things are happening. The longer baby stays inside, the better for baby it is.
5 Quotes to Remind You Not to Induce
If induction seems like it might become necessary, ask your care provider for your Bishop score. This is a way of determining how likely an induction will be at any given time. If your score does not indicate that it’s a favorable time to induce, talk to your care provider about delaying the induction — why is s/he recommending induction now, what happens if you wait, what alternatives are there.
Doctors Have Much to Learn from Midwives when it comes to Induction
If your care provider is insisting that induction is necessary, educate yourself! Do some research about the reason(s) s/he is giving for induction being necessary. Make sure you understand the reasons and believe they are legitimate and serious before giving your consent (it should always be informed consent!).
Reasons to Induce Labor
Even if your care provider isn’t suggesting induction yet–or if it is being suggested but you’re choosing to wait–you can try some natural methods for starting labor at home. Trying natural methods gives you something to do to help you feel a little bit less out of control with your situation. Even if they don’t work quickly, you’ll be doing something other than simply waiting. And most importantly, these natural methods are not going to start labor if the baby’s not ready to be born.
Natural Induction Methods
