I'll start by saying this; I was not a very 'good' pregnant woman.
At about 8 weeks pregnant I developed hyperemesis gravidarum, a particularly vicious form of morning sickness. By the time I got treatment at 12 weeks, I'd lost almost 30 pounds.
I had the litany of other pregnancy complaints too. I was exhausted, had horrendous sciatica, pregnancy induced hypertension, and later, pre-eclampsia, which led to my induction at 36 weeks.
I understand the misery of pregnancy. I didn't glow, I didn't float. I shambled around like a deteriorating zombie with an ever-swelling belly. I only made it 36 weeks, and I understand the feeling of not wanting to continue to be pregnant one more day.
For these reasons, some women are choosing to be induced as soon as their pregnancy comes to term, at about 37 weeks. Others wait till 40 weeks until they issue the eviction notice. Other moms feel pressure to undergo an induction at the behest of their practitioner.
Fresh evidence published this month in The Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine shows why unnecessary inductions should not be a go-to procedure for miserable moms or harried docs.
According to a study by David Baud and others, more than 40% of labor inductions we're elective (that is, not medically needed). These women were at a significantly increased risk of an emergency C-section, post-partum bleeding, and prolonged hospital stays as compared to women who delivered without induction meds. Moreover, their babies were at a greater risk of needing a NICU stay due to low muscle tone and bleeding on the brain.
This study highlights the importance of letting little ones 'bake' as long as they need, rather than ousting them for convenience or to alleviate some nuisances.
I would never suggest, however, that a woman put herself at risk and avoid a medically necessary induction. I walked the path of an induction to save my life from deteriorating pre-eclampsia - but with such a risky procedure, why not wait it out, just a few more weeks?
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