I'm 39 weeks pregnant 2 days , the baby's still not here yet and my doctor said if he's not here by Wednesday they're going to schedule a day for me to be induced . I'm not dilated but the baby's head is down. I've tried everything, yesterday I did lots and lots of walking , but if the walking helped with labor , wouldn't it have already helped by now ? Like wouldn't I be in labor right now ? I need help & advice. I'm worried about being induced.

Inductions are relatively safe these days. You can try having intercourse, sometimes that triggers labor due to the "manipulation" of the cervix.

Manipulation of the cervix causes the hormone oxytocin to be released and this is the hormone that causes labor to start.

Already tried that , didn't work

& the reason why they're worried about inducing me is because I'm very petite and its worried them a lot in the past

What pregnancy is this for you?

I've delivered 8 pound babies to gals who barely weighed 100 pounds.

This is my first baby , and I'm only a teen. But they've worried about the baby's development in the past cause of my size but he's good and beautifully heathly they told me.

You shouldn't be too concerned. You'd be surprised how much you "stretch" down there. I induce petite teens quite often and rarely do we run into a problem that is caused by the induction.

Ohh , because I'm still not dilated and they said if I'm still not dilated the date of induction they have to place a pill behind my cervix for 12 hours then they start with potossin. They told me its going to be a really long process.

Yes, it will be.

There are two ways to do this. One is called Cervadil. That one is like a teeny tiny flat tampon that is inserted in your vagina and left there for 12 hours. What that does, is soften your cervix, and sometimes helps you dilate, so that your cervix is good and soft when they start the pitocin 12 hours later.

The other one is called Cytotec. It is a little pill that is put next to your cervix and works much like Cervidil.

Having a baby, particularly your first, is usually a long process.

& I'm mostly worried about the epidural . I hate needles in general and what happens if I move during the epidural!

Yeah you're right. I guess he's too comfy to come out on his own.

Also I have been noticing some period cramping in my abdomen here and there , and I also got tons of pressure on my pelvis as I was walking it seemed to have gotten more intense. I've had the pressure before but not like I did yesterday

The epidural really isn't that bad. The worst part is sitting still through the contractions, and you can use your breathing to help with that.

What will happen is that you will sit up in the bed and hang your legs over the side of the bed. The anesthesiologist will clean your back off with some soap to sterilize it. Then he/she will give you a tiny little shot in your skin to numb the area. Once that area is numb, they will start the epidural procedure. All you will really feel will be some pressure like someone is pushing on your back with their fingers.

Once the epidural is done, within less than 5 minutes you will be numb from the top of your tummy to the bottom of your toes.

Oh thank you ! Cause I'm very cautious about epidurals and IV's ! But what about that pressure I just told you about

The pressure is very common at this stage in pregnancy. Is your belly getting tight and firm/hard? Does it come and go?

Yes once in a blue moon , and usually in the morning when I go to use the bathroom , I feel like I have a really fully bladder and barely anything comes out at that time my stomach is pretty hard , especially at night or mornings when I get up to go to the bathroom.

Well, if it's not happening all the time then it's not labor. However, I like to call these practice contractions. It's your body practicing for when labor actually starts.

Oh okay well I thank you very much , I'm not going to use up your time any longer ! I'm hopefully going to do some more walking! Thanks for the help & advice :)

You are very welcome! I'm going to get to bed. Been working all night and even did an induction this morning.

If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask. If I'm not online we have some other wonderful gals who can help you who are quite knowledgeable.

Good luck to you and keep me posted!!

nicoledee,

Just how petite are you? What concerns have they had about baby's development? Are they suggesting induction simply due to your size? Have they given you a medical reason for needing to be induced on Wednesday?

A few things you can try... can't hurt, might help... :)

*nipple stimulation... you would stimulate one nipple for a period and see if you are able to start any contractions. If not, stimulate both at the same time. It can take a bit of time, but if you do start to experience any contractions, they should not come on too strongly or last longer than a minute.
*pressure points...

Three points are commonly used to stimulate labor and the first two are also linked to relief of migraine headaches.

Hoku (Large intestine 6): located deep in the webbing between either hand's thumb and forefinger; in between the 1st and 2nd metacarpal bones. Stimulation of this point has been know to begin labor, enhance contractions during labor and in non-pregnant females, bring on menstruation several days early. Also may relieve pain from migraine.

Chih-yin (Bladder 67): located approximately 1/10" behind the lateral corner of the smallest toe's nail of either foot. Stimulation of this point has been known to relieve labor pains and migraine discomfort.

San-yin-chiao (Spleen 6): placing your left hand on your right leg with your pinkie finger just above the interior ankle bone, the lateral tibia is located just under where your index finger lies. You may utilize both points simultaneously by placing a thumb on each point.

*walking and/or baby hula... continue trying the walking or mix it up once in awhile with some hip action to music.

*visualization... relaxation while picturing your body preparing for labor, cervix softening, starting to thin out and open, baby moving down, uterus contracting

*you could ask about having a membrane sweep... works for some women, sometimes with it being done more than once over a few days.

Some things can take awhile and should be repeated, but if your body is not ready for labor to start, they won't work. Even a medical induction may not go smoothly if your body is not ready.

@DoulaLc

Well I'm only 5'1 andwell Wednesday is my prenatal follow up and they said if he wasn't here by wensdays appointment they would schedule a day to be induced. The baby is extremely healthy though & so am I . I've done walking,hip exercises,sex,exercise ball,pinneapple, & a warm relaxing bath. NOTHING WORKED !):

As J_9 said, there are plenty of petite people who have given birth on their own. A person's height alone has no bearing on being able to give birth.

Inductions should be used only when there is a medical need, but some doctors become concerned and are more cautious than others, and will suggest induction for various reasons.

Continue walking, it's good exercise even if it doesn't start things off for you. Rest, pamper yourself, enjoy the remainder of your pregnancy!

Wishing you a smooth and easy birth... :)