Is it safe to refuse to be induced?

Question

My friend is pregnant and two and a half weeks overdue. By all accounts, the baby is healthy and active. The doctors want to induce her labor, but my friend is convinced that the baby will come in its own time and refuses to consider this option. Is it dangerous for a baby to be overdue. And if not, why would the doctors want to induce instead of waiting until the baby is ready to come out in its own time?

Answer 1

some women never go into labor as they do not produce the right hormone to start off labor,your friend is also playing with fire as the placenta stops working at 42 weeks and this can and will cause death to both mother and baby,so get her to get induced now NOBODY who has answered has actualy read this question properly,the DOCTOR wants this pregnancy induced now,

Answer 2

Wow i bet that baby will be big!! I went a week over due with my first baby but they didn't induce me until after i went to the hospital with contractions, i stopped dilating. I don't understand why she wouldn't want to be induced? I mean 2.5 weeks is a long time they usually don't let you go past 2. Sometimes the baby is more benefited to be out side the womb by this point. If the doctors really thought the baby was at harm still being inside the womb then they would defiantly tell her that. If she wants the baby to come on it's own then she should get active real fast!

Answer 3

The placenta can start to break down after 42 weeks. If the doctor said all is fine it should be OK. However the baby can be a shade of blue when they are born due to lack of oxygen and they can be very red for a few days after the birth.
There is no guarantee of a natural delivery when a woman is induced, in fact there is a 75% chance she will not be able to deliver the baby naturally once she has been induced.
My advise is to follow the doctors advise as they know best.

Answer 4

I am going through this RIGHT NOW! She should have regular checks to postpone it that long. They wanted to induce me at 41 weeks on the dot. I wanted a "natural" birth and argued with them. So, they brought me back in for another appointment yesterday for the to see if it's safe for me to wait. They did a Non-stress test, which is basically just listening to the baby's heart to see if it goes up when he/she is startled (like you and I would be). Then, they put me on the ultrasound machine for a few minutes to check my amniotic fluid levels. They will only allow me to go till tuesday (2 days longer than the original date)
because of the findings. My amniotic fluid levels were getting pretty low and there was calcification of my placenta, which is normal after 40 weeks and shows that the placenta is aging. As it ages more and more, it become a less healthy place fot the baby.

I, personally, am stubborn but would never let it go past 42 weeks because statistics start getting pretty grim after that for mycomium toxicity (when the baby poops in the amniotic fluid and then swallows it in - it causes really bad respiratory problems or death).

I asked my doctor what would happen to someone like me 100 years ago - when there was no "induction" and he said that the baby would die, followed by the mother eventually.

I went in to that appointment yesterday planning on putting my foot down and demanding to wait until the baby comes. I obviously left with a different perspective. Even my doula agrees with my decision after hearing the results and doulas are the ultimate "no medical interventions" advocates!

I certainly hope that your friend has at least done testing to check on her baby!!

Answer 5

Yes, it is dangerous for a baby to be this far overdue. The uterine conditions quickly deteriorate after the 40th week of pregnancy causing the placenta to be less effective at delivering nutrients and oxygen to the baby. The longer she waits, the higher her chances of having a stillborn baby. And, when you are induced, they use a synthetic form of the hormone women produce naturally to cause labor. You should advise her to be induced as soon as possible. Many women do not ever go into labor on their own.

Answer 6

I was about four days past my due date and showing no signs of labor when my doctor asked if I wanted to be induced. I refused. His eyes nearly popped out of his head along with the office staff...usually women at that stage are all over it and anxious to get on with it. I wanted to give it a bit more time, like your friend. He allowed it...but limited it to a few days. If still no labor signs at my next appointment we would go from there. He did order a non-stress test in the meantime to check the baby's heartrate and activity. It was fine...there was plenty of fluid and the placenta looked good.
She has every right to refuse induction as long as she and her doctor are on the same page and the baby is in no danger.
I delivered eight days past my due date. Some people go even further than that.

Answer 7

It could be dangerous to wait longer to deliver the baby naturally. Since the babies main source of food is the amniotic fluid, the source will get less and less as time passes and the baby can die if the water dries up. So, on the advise of the doctor, it would be better for your friend to undergo the c-section. We had the same problem with our child and the water was almost going to dry up. Luckily we went for an ultrasound and found out and made an appointment for a c-section the next day.

Answer 8

How certain is she of her conception date and the accuracy of her due date?

Has she talked to her caregiver about doing non-stress tests and having an u/s to check how baby and placenta are doing?

Does she sense the baby moving frequently? She should be doing fetal kick counts at least once a day at this point.

Is the baby's heartrate good?

Is mom experiencing any problems such as swelling, etc.?

Has mom's body made any progress yet? Dilated or effaced at all? Is baby engaged? Has she done anything to encourage her body to move things along? (Evening primrose oil to encourage the cervix to ripen and sex to encourage the cervix to ripen/possibly cause contractions. Walking to bring baby down into the pelvis and put more pressure on the cervix.)

She's actually lucky to have been allowed to go beyond 42 weeks already. Not many caregivers would allow that. She needs careful monitoring to make sure the placenta is continuing to function well if she doesn't consent to induction.

Answer 9

The placenta actually starts to be less effective around the 42 week mark. Also you have to be very careful about the amount of amniotic around the baby. This is why doctors try to induce.

Answer 10

Towards the end of a pregnancy the baby gains about 1/2 lb. per week! The bigger the baby the more difficult vaginal birth may be. I would think that the wise thing for this young lady to do is talk to her doctor and find out the whys and what-ifs about being induced, instead of just rejecting it outright. If she doesn't feel comfortable or confident in her physician - she should find another fast. Best of luck to her and her baby.