What week is it a good time to be enduced?

Question

I am 37 weeks and i want to have my baby soon.

Answer 1

I have had three inductions, first at 42 weeks, second at 41 weeks, and third at 41 weeks. I would wait until you are 41 weeks along at least, unless there is some kind of medical reason to do it earlier. But your doctor is the one who usually decides when it will be right for you and he has to approve it. But definitely give yourself enough time to go into labor naturally, you will have a lot better experience. I know at this point in your pregnancy you are tired and ready to have the baby, but once it is all over you will realize how silly it was to be impatient!

Answer 2

I would say to NOT go by your due date. I was 1 week overdue, and only 1 cm dilated and chose to get induced because I was uncomfortable. Pitocin induction is very painful...very hard, long, intense labor contractions. It can also be hard on your baby if your cervix is not ready.

I would wait until your cervix is softening well on its own, and you are 2-3 cm dilated. You usually cannot get an epidural until you are 4 cm dilated, which can take hours if you get induced at, say, 1 cm. Also, if you induce to early in pregnancy (without having dilated a little already), then you run the risk of having a long, hard labor...and even c-section.

With my second baby, I chose early on to NOT be induced...to trust my body no matter how uncomfortable I was. I went into labor the day after my due date, and went drug free...because it wasn't all that painful.

Answer 3

Doubt your dr. will just induce you because you want the baby now, there normally has to be a medical reason for it. I would have loved to have my baby at 38 weeks too, but that did not happen. I am 40 weeks and 2 days today and am scheduled to be induced on Friday unless I go into labor before then.

Answer 4

Oh- I so understand how you feel. Try to be patient. I was induced in the 41st week with my first and in the 42nd week with my second. I now believe that my due dates were probably wrong and both kids would have been born when they were good and ready. Both were and are perfectly fine. The good thing about being induced is that you get to go in nice and calm and get your epidural and calmly wait to have the baby, but don't rush it - a baby born before 40 weeks is not quite ready!

Answer 5

Best to let nature take its course. You can safely give birth from now until 41 weeks. I went overdue, and was induced and my baby was born exactly a week after her due date. 2 weeks late makes doctors scared - the placenta starts shutting down. But if there's no reason for you to be induced, I'd just wait and see. You have a few weeks left to go yet. I know it's uncomfortable and at times, PAINFUL, but hang in there!!!!!

Answer 6

well anytime after 32 weeks baby has a good chance and after 37 weeks they considered your pregnancy to be full term but they won't normally induce you in less your over due or medical necessary hang in there I'm 37 weeks this Wednesday my due date is 10-25-06 I'm tired too!!!!! Oh by the way i was induce with my second child TRUST ME you do not want to be induce contractions come faster and stronger and i think do to that my epidural did not work.

Answer 7

It is "safe" to be induced as early as 36 weeks since 37 is considered full-term for single pregnancies. However, most doctors won't induce until 2 weeks after your due-date because induction can cause complications.

Answer 8

Well it is not really a matter of what you want. There is really no good reason short of health complications for you to be induced early. The baby will come when he/she is ready to come.. and if that times comes after your due date, the doctor will decide if you need an induction.

Answer 9

i know exactly how you feel. i am about 38 weeks now and going in to the dr tomorrow to try to get them to induce me. i have been having contractions about 2-3 mins apart for a few days now but they are not progressing or changing my cervix very fast. i was 3cm last wednsday and only 3.5 on saturday. my mom who is the one who is supposed to be there for me through the labor is going on a cruise at the end of the week...so i am so sure the stress of her not being there is going to send me into labor while she is gone because that is the last thing i want. i was induced at about 37 weeks with my first child and everything went fine and really fast. they gave me pitocin at about 6am and my daughter was born at noon. i slept though the whole labor except the half hour after they broke my water while i waited for my epidural. so now i am miserably pregnant and so stressed about my mom i want this little guy out now! i suggest just talking to your dr....thats what i am going in for tomorrow...but even if they wont induce you just yet ask them about stripping your membranes...thats what my dr did friday...it didnt work well enough for me...it got the contractions started but thats it. i know everyone says that waiting for nature is best but i tend to wonder if the stress you are undergoing is really so much better for the baby then just getting him out of there

Answer 10

Unless there is a medical reason to be induced I really can't support that decision. There is a reason babies are born naturally, just like they have been from the beginning. Our bodies know when they are ready.