Why is every pregnant woman I know being induced?

Question

Just curious - why is everyone induced these days? I don't really get the "you're past your due date" thing because unless you know EXACTLY when you conceived, the due date is just a rough guess, so what's the big deal with going past it by a few days? It seems like all the doctors I hear about from friends lately just say you HAVE to be induced if there's any tiny chance that you'll come even close to your due date, or if your baby might possibly be big, or whatever. Anyway, just curious about this, if people have had experiences with their doctor saying they have to be induced? Were the doctors right?

Answer 1

well, i wouldnt nessesarily want one over natural , however, i trust my doctors very much...have you ever been overdue???????

Induced with 1st child at 40 weeks 2 days and HOPING to start on my own this time

Answer 2

some babies actually do go over their due date...if you wait too long, and the baby has a bowel movement in you, then it can kill the baby...or cause a major infection. I was induced due to the fact of having gestational diabeties, and if you haven't been pregnant before, then you don't know how it is to get it with labor or pain...Good Luck

http;//www.i-am-pregnant.com

Answer 3

I went into labor naturally, but had a complication which gave me an option of induction or immediate C-section.  I really wanted a vaginal birth.  My doctor did as well.

So, we did an induction.  Even with that, the complication was worse than realized.  My son was born not breathing and had to be resuscitated.  

Answer 4

More often than not there will be a medical reason behind being induced.  The most common being a prolonged pregnancy (going over 42 weeks), this is necessary because once you go past 42 weeks the placenta starts breaking down which is potentially deadly to both Mum and Bub.  Also once you past 40 weeks there is the possibility of baby passing its first stool, also potentially deadly for Bub.  

Another reason for induced labour is if the waters have broken but labour hasn't started, if this happens and you are passed 34 weeks doctors will offer to induce labour as once the waters have broken the chances of infections occurring are greatly increased which of course is potentially dangerous to both Mum and Bub.

Other reasons can include the baby being in distress or for health reason of the mother, for example a friend of mine was induced at 36 weeks due to high blood pressure, she was told that the baby had to come out basically ASAP or she could die.

Of course there are women who will ask to be induced for the convinience of it, as with another of my friends was induced so she could have the first baby of the new year.  Also there are doctors who will induce pregnant women for their own convenience.

My own experience, I wasn't exactly induced, but I had to have an emergency c-section at 34 weeks due to the fact that my waters had broken and I was haemoraging.  I think the doctor were right to do this as both myself and my baby were in a dangerous situation and I would rather have doctors get him out then than leave things go and potentially loose my baby.