my opinions on inducing...

I have been thinking about doing a post on inducing, strictly my opinions, but didn't want to step on any toes. I just think maybe it could help those woman who are pregnant, or those who aren't but plan to be one day & don't know much about the birthing process!

Again, this is souly MY opinion & how things worked for ME. All woman are different & all pregnancies are different!

The whole time I was pregnant with Ryder, i just KNEW he was going to come early. NOT! That is just what I hoped would happen! My "first" due date rolled around. Then my second due date rolled around. NOTHING. As i drove to LR the last 5-6 weeks of my pregnancy, I just knew that this time there would be some "change". Nope. Not one time did he have ANY kind of news of Ryder possibly coming out ANYTIME soon. He always looked at me & said, "Well go home & have some contractions. I'll see you next week." Many trips I spend the whole drive home crying because I was just so sick of being PREGNANT!! (That may sound terrible, but until you've been there...don't judge.)

I always knew there was an option to "induce" labor, but knew I wouldn't dare do that until I was at least 40 weeks. When being induced, you are given a drug, pitocin, to make the labor process start up & hopefully move you right along...but that's not always the case.

My worst fear (& my Dr. knew this...because I tried to drill i into his brain!) was to be there "in labor" or have been "induced" into labor, then nothing happen over a long amount of time & eventually ending up having to have a c section. I have known a HANDFUL of people that this has happened to, & I was not going to be one of them!

At my 40 week appointment, out of frustration & tiredness & just plain ready to be "done" we scheduled for me to be induced...I was hesitant to do it in the first place but I totally felt on the spot being in the room with my Dr. & I just desperately wanted to know WHEN?!? So I thought I'd just figure out "when" on my own!

He said he wouldn't worry about Ryder being in there too long until 42 weeks, which is when the placenta starts to go bad...he said at that point he would want/need to pull him.

Before we even got home from the Dr.'s office I had changed my mind & knew being induced wasn't the right thing for ME to do. Even if I would have FINALLY had an answer to WHEN Ryder was finally going to be here...Jake & I both realized that it would just be selfish of both of us for me to be induced, because obviously lil man was quite happy in there & he would come out when he was ready!

So this just meant more waiting. & more wondering. & more sleepless nights. & more uncomfortableness 24/7 etc. Etc..

A week & a half later...at 41.5 weeks pregnant...I finally started having contractions SIX minutes apart. My plan was to go to the hospital when they were five minutes apart for one whole hour. Six minutes apart was close enough...so I knew that this was finally IT!

We had waited so long, semi-patiently on Mother Nature to do her thing, & she finally was!

I was still not even a "1" when I got to the hospital! Ahhh...

I ended up being in labor for 16 hours & it was only bad for a while before I got my epidural which I got at like a "2"...ha!! I made very slow progress & had to have my water broken for me (which I was iffy about...) but it all worked out.

I WAS given pitocin right before I was about to have Ryder to speed things up a bit because Ryder was in distress in more than one way, & my body wasn't ready to push him out yet. So yes, there are certain times & circumstances where this drug is needed! But my body had already done everything it was supposed to do on it's own & just needed a little bit more "push" to finish the process...

I am so thankful for modern medicine..so don't get me wrong!

Anyways...all this to say, wait on Mother Nature's timing....God's timing! Don't try & figure things out on your own & when YOU want things to happen! It WILL happen. "You are not going to be pregnant forever!" That's what I had to keep telling myself!

I always think back & wonder what would have happened if I had stuck with the induction date I had set with my Dr. Would I have laid there for hours & hours & made no progress & just ended up having to have a c section? Ahh...Probably so because my body just wasn't ready then!

That is why I am SO glad I waited for someone else's timing, & not my own!

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