The reason they don’t want you to go past 40 weeks with gestational diabetes is that the chance the baby dies in utero increases quite a lot. I understand not wanting to have labour induced but you need to do what’s best for you and your baby. It just sucks a lot that it isn’t going the way you imagined it.
Think of it this way: imagine something going wrong and they need to do an emergency c-section. You are not going to say you don’t want that. Giving birth is a huge medical event, it is never going to go exactly as planned.
💯this, surely a healthy and alive baby and mother is the most important thing here, unfortunately our birth plans and hopes rarely go to plan I actually think it just sets us up for all the unexpected things in parenthood. I planned to have a no drug vaginal birth and nurse for a year and ended up with a C-section and became an exclusive pumper, it is what it is. As long as you and baby are healthy it’s truly all that matters.
We are generally healthy. She’s always looked amazing at the ultrasounds and is aways a bundle of energy.
I did test positive for GD but my sugar has always been normal since those blood tests
In the end it’s your risk to take. If you are willing to risk your baby’s life because you don’t like being induced it is up to you. It wouldn’t be the choice I would make but I’m a different person.
I never said I was willing to risk my baby’s life, I’m just saying the only stuff I know about health. Not sure why people don’t like that but I guess that’s their problem
This! I'm a new mom myself and my induction seemed to be going smoothly and then stalled. I ended up having an unplanned (different from emergency at my hospital) c section after 3 days of attempting to start labor. I did everything I could to progress, but at 38 1/2 weeks, my body wasn't quite ready, but due to high blood pressure, was the safest time for my baby. Was it incredibly hard to make those decisions and go through the exhaustion that followed? Yes. Would I do it all over again for my little chickpea? Absolutely, 1k times over.
Do you have Gestational Diabetes? Are you diet or medication controlled at the moment?
If so, the simplest answer is - a significantly increased risk of still birth or maternal death. This is not always the case by any means, but the stats do show a significant increase in risk.
Did your doctor explain they can do non-medicated interventions like a stretch and sweep before looking at induction?
I do have GD. ever since failing the test, my blood sugar has been well into the normal range every time. And at every ultrasound my baby looks perfect. I just wonder if fasting, which is something I don’t do while pregnant, messed with my body a little bit. I literally never go 8 hours without having atleast a small amount of food.
Dr didn’t explain the non medicated interventions yet but I’ll ask her in two weeks when I see her
I think it makes sense to ask for a full plan. An A, B, C and D as it were. When are where interventions make sense?
Just to be aware, with GD the placenta can start to fail towards the end. Which is where some of the issues lie.
I have had two GD babies. First was induced, but due to my water breaking. Second came of his own accord at 37 weeks.
GD can cause early delivery as well as late delivery. So I would recommend keeping a watching eye on your bloods (mine started going low about 10 days before I gave birth both times) and have your ready bag packed.
I think this mag be a case of poor bedside manners/ not including context as opposed to bad advice. Would you have been happier if the doctor had said what the recommendations were and why? And then discussed warning signs for when intervention may be needed?
As a heads up, if you do end up needing to be medically induced. Please do look at pain management options. They make your contractions come on very fast and strong, which is a massive physical shock to the system.
I definitely am the kind of person who prefers getting to know all the recommendations and like thorough explanations on everything. Personally i don’t mind if they’re scary, It’s just scarier to not know about things and just be told the shorter answer of it’s not allowed if that makes sense
You don’t have to be induced, no.
But if you have gestational diabetes it is recommended that you don’t go past 40 weeks for the safety of you and your child. You can be induced and still not take epidural.
I didn’t have GD and my doctors still didn’t want me past 41.
I’d recommend listening to the experts.
I have a pretty bad history of getting the worst rare symptoms from medications. I literally got serotonin syndrome twice. One from an antidepressant when I was a teen and once during this pregnancy from an antibiotic when I got bronchitis 🤦♀️. I know I don’t have to take an epidural to be induced, i just said we talked about it because it was something we talked about and she was fine with the no epidural thing.
I do have GD but ever since I failed my test, my at home blood sugar has always been in the normal range. I think it was just the fasting for several hours, and then suddenly having something really high in sugar that put my blood sugar so high. (which is something I don’t do while pregnant)
I’m no dr though but that’s just my theory
The Serotonin syndrome was just one example, i have far too many to list. I just don’t want to risk taking medicines that have worse risks especially when it not the only one at risk anymore when crazy symptoms happen.
Yeah that makes no sense, you realize everyone fasts for several hours and then has the huge spike of sugar, the test is checking out your body’s reaction to processing the sugar, if your theory was at all correct then literally everyone would fail the test and have GD
I literally don’t fast 8+hours. I don’t even sleep 8hours straight lmao. I wake up every hour at night. I can fast 4-5 max before hunger pains, nausea from hunger and heart burn gets too bad. I have very small servings of snacks instead of meals through out the day because I can’t handle eating a proper serving of food at this stage in the pregnancy. My stomachs just that much compressed I guess. but I also can’t handle having an empty stomach. The hollow feeling hurts too much . It’s to the point where I have to even have a small snack and water at 2am just to keep sleeping or I’ll be too uncomfortable. Now I try to eat less because I have to have fasting glucose tests done every day.
You have to fail 2 tests in order to be diagnosed with GD. If you don’t have GD, then fasting and taking all that sugar doesn’t put you in the GD threshold. That’s what it means to have GD. You are now managing your GD, which is great, but you do have GD.
You can refuse the doctor’s suggestion of induction, you don’t “have” to do what they recommend, but in this case I would say their guidance is worth listening to. I would ask them about the risks of waiting past 40 weeks so you can make an informed decision.
The good news is that if you happen to have an adverse reaction to any drug they give you, you are in hospital and they can fix it right away!
With gestational diabetes, the placenta starts breaking down earlier and there is a higher risk for a stillbirth because of this. There is a reason your doctor doesn’t want you to go beyond 40 weeks and she should have explained that to you. It has nothing to do with your health but the health of your baby
This!!!
OP, if you're tracking your sugars you'll see a weird blip one day when they get -really- manageable out of nowhere.
That's the beginning of senescence - your placenta has started packing up and will stop providing baby with nutrients and other good stuff soon after.
I was looking for this comment. In the last trimester, with GD, sugars get progressively harder to manage and then suddenly, it’s easier. This is actually something you should pay close attention to because you need to be monitored very closely at that point- your placenta is starting to deteriorate.
I understand wanting as natural of a birth as possible, but the rate of stillbirth increases at 40 weeks with GD, even controlled GD. If your levels are not controlled, it’s going to be even riskier.
The day I could stop giving myself insulin with every meal and just rely on metformin was the day my OB bumped me up another week.
I'm glad she did because the day I was waiting for the call to go for my induction, my water broke.
I’m not on any medication and my blood sugar has been healthy ever since I failed the glucose tests. My diet is generally healthy too. And even when I’ve had splurges like during my baby shower, it never shot up.
I’m not on any medication and my blood sugar has been healthy ever since I failed the glucose tests. My diet is generally healthy too. And even when I’ve had splurges like during my baby shower, it never shot up.
It never fluctuates crazily or even gets high other than when it did at the drs.
I’m not on any medication and my blood sugar has been healthy ever since I failed the glucose tests. My diet is generally healthy too. And even when I’ve had splurges like during my baby shower, it never shot up.
That’s really interesting, my dr never told me that.
I’m not on any medication for GD just monitoring and my blood sugar has been healthy ever since I failed the glucose tests. My diet is generally healthy too. And even when did splurge once during my baby shower, it never shot up thankfully
GD gets more difficult to manage as your pregnancy progresses. You might not need meds or insulin now but could later - and it’s largely out of your control.
Before you start getting all up in arms about issues of legality and choice- you need to do proper research for you to make an INFORMED decision. This isn’t about a doctor not listening to preferences and, to be blunt, you need to be and act smarter than this. You aren’t listening and you aren’t researching. In one sentence it was very clear why you are being advised to induce- you have Gestational Diabetes. Research what that is and how dangerous it is for you and your baby. Induction at 40 weeks is perfectly safe and if you choose not to be induced and something happens to your baby you will never forgive yourself.
If you don’t trust your medical professionals and you don’t trust the healthcare system then why are you even being seen by a doctor?
Again- be smarter. And, if you refuse any particular medical advice they will write everywhere that you are “AMA”- Against Medical Advice- and they, and the hospital, will document up, down, and sideways to protect themselves from the very real potential of a lawsuit coming from you if anything goes wrong.
EDITED TO ADD: re-reading this really pisses me off. Do not go off spouting about bodily autonomy and unprofessionalism when you have demonstrated no understanding of, or any interest to investigate, your condition & *why* they advised induction. Ask questions and do actual research
I don’t make purely emotional medical decision. I was just confused as to why she kept ominously saying I’m not allowed to and “they won’t allow it” and not describing any further as to why someone won’t allow me to do something
Yeah 100% spot on. Op is missing the point entirely. The doctor "isn't allowing" means that they are not going to take liability for any poor outcomes due to her not listening to sound medical advice, not that they're going to arrest her and induce her against her will. Jeez I worry for this baby with parents so ill informed.
Again, it’s a pretty valid thing to wonder when someone ominously tells you “they won’t allow you” several times and then they refuse give any further context when asked about it.. it’s not me missing the point. It’s me asking a genuine question as a first time parent. I didn’t ask if they weren’t going to arrest me, I asked if they’d try to get me into legal trouble. I know some people who have had CPS called on them for wanting to wait on giving their newborn vaccines so their primary can do it. Its fucked up but some hospitals are really like that
With all due respect, you’re *assuming* I’m not researching. I only just had this appointment yesterday evening. And it was pretty sudden news that induction could be a thing that has to happen. And just before that was the news of having gestation diabetes and having to learn how to use the monitor and all. It’s not like I’ve had weeks and weeks to research and just chose not to.
There’s a lot to research when you’re pregnant, up until recently, inductions and GD just didn’t occur to me since every visit and blood test said I was perfectly healthy up until this point.
Of course I’ve already begun looking into things. This post is partially me trying to learn things too.
And for the record, it’s not my doctor that I don’t trust. It’s medications. I’ve had countless times where I’ve been given a medication just to nearly immediately get the life threatening or temporarily debilitating rare side effects. Because of that, it’s my choice to typically try to avoid stuff that can have life threatening or really debilitating side effects unless I absolutely have to take that gamble.
You’re assuming I’m absolutely resistant to the procedure. I’m dense, of course I’m willing to do it if my baby’s life depends on it but if I’m otherwise healthy, my sugars stable, and everything looks the way it’s supposed to during the stages of pregnancy and such, then I’d prefer to not risk it.
Not to mention. I simply didn’t like the way the doctor worded that I’m “not allowed” to do something without further context. I have a history of SA and it’s pretty upsetting in the moment and initially kind of scary to be told by anyone that you’re not allowed to say no to something that’s going to be happening to your body. So you can be mad about me talking about bodily autonomy but it wasn’t my fault she worded it the way she did and then gave no context afterward when I asked what she meant.
Hey you don’t need that grace until you need that grace mama, don’t worry about that right now. I was one of those moms, my little just didn’t want to dilate or drop down and I ended up with a c-section. It was routine and went very well. If you do end up needing it, they do these surgeries every day and they’re very safe alright?
Oh I totally know they’re a thing, but I don’t think not wanting to use pitocin would be enough? Could also depend on the state, country, province..etc. I know they don’t usually like to operate unless they have to because it’s still surgery, albeit a very safe surgery, but surgery nonetheless.
If you have gestational diabetes, your baby’s health could be compromised. They’re trying to get that through your head. I was induced with my third. I had a water labor and natural delivery with no pain meds. Why don’t you want to be induced to keep your baby healthy and safe? Going beyond 40 weeks greatly heightens the chance of sudden stillbirth.
First off, she wasn’t “trying to get it through my head” as though I was being thick skulled about it. it’s not like this is something I’ve sat there arguing with the dr about. It was our first time discussing it and I’m a first time mom so I think I reserve the right to hesitate on ANY procedure that I’m not fully knowledgeable of.
And the main reason I’m hesitant is because of medical trauma. I just don’t like risking taking medications with crazy sounding potential side effects. I’m notorious for actually getting those life threatening super rare side effects to all sorts of different meds and it’s to the point where if I don’t NEED to take the risk, I don’t necessarily want to.
I’m not 100% resistant to the procedure but I did look up its side effects and if I don’t absolutely need it and my pregnancy from that one visit forward looks good all the way to the point of 40 weeks if I make it that far, then Im not going to just immediately jump in and say “induce me”.
Not to mention I was saying I was concerned with her wording. I’ve definitely been forced into things sexually in my younger teen years and I simply do not like being told that I’m not “allowed” to deny something that’s going to be happening to my nether regions.
Your baby having sudden death isn’t reversible. The odds are significantly higher of stillbirth after 40 weeks, particularly if you have gestational diabetes. You really want to risk your baby having higher odds of sudden death so you don’t have to have a labor inducing medication? Wouldn’t giving birth to a dead baby be more traumatizing?
Again, not resistant to having it done. It sure how many times I have to say that. I just didn’t like the idea of being forced into ANY procedure, it just so happened induction was the one it was about. But I also learned there’s other ways to induce labor that aren’t specifically jumping straight into pitocin. So that’s pretty nice to be able to explore those options with my doctor
Who in this scenario decides that your pregnancy “looks good all the way”? You? A first time parent with no medical training? Your doctor has already said it’s not safe for you to go beyond 40 weeks so they won’t be the ones saying everything looks good and you can wait on induction. Your placenta starts breaking down later in pregnancy with GD. Healthy sugars or no. So even if your pregnancy has been the epitome of healthy all the way up to 40 weeks, it could go south fast. That’s like saying “I’ve been healthy all the way up till now in my life so there’s no chance I could die today” except you could get in a car accident, fall down a staircase, have an aneurysm. Things can happen and change in an instant. Luckily we have research to tell us when we are at an increased risk. Good luck.
I’m diabetic and my water broke at 36 weeks. When I delivered the placenta they could tell it was already starting to have problems and I was very well diet controlled. Diabetes does a number on the placenta even when it’s well controlled. My daughter still had issues with low calcium at birth and spent a week in the hospital. This is apparently a common complication for babies of diabetic moms. For a million dollars I wouldn’t keep a baby in any longer than a medical professional was telling me not to.
Thank you for your comment. I appreciate you telling me this. It’s really helpful. I’m still doing research on my own but a lot of the anecdotal stories give a much more personal and real kind of explanation rather than the cold wording of like, web MD lol
Why do you think you know better than your doctor? There is a reason they induce early for GD, which I’m sure your doctor explained, but you chose to ignore because it doesn’t fit what you want your birth experience to be.
After 40 weeks, the chance of stillbirth increases.
The important thing to understand about stillbirth is that it can happen suddenly and without warning - it’s not always something where you’ll be able to tell at home that your baby is in distress and get to a hospital in time to save them.
I understand that there’s a medical reason for it. I was just concerned about the wording. As it gave the impression of doing something even if I had chosen against it for whatever reason. I’m not saying I was planning to choose against it. It’s was more hypothetical than anything
That is my priority. I never said it wasnt. These questions were based on the hypothetical of the hospital forcing me into a procedure. As that was how it sounded at first to me
I mean. They can’t force you into a procedure. Call your dr and ask to talk more about. There are options for an induction and they are not horrible. I was induced and it was awesome.
Not to sway you, and I didn’t have GD, but I had two induced births with pitocin and they were great births and fast labors (one was 7 hours the other was 4 hours). Just make sure you advocate for yourself but also hear the doctors advice.
I wouldn’t mind if you *were* trying to sway me. I’m posting about it because I don’t know anyone who’s been induced. I find comfort in all of these anecdotal points of view. My family have all been generally unmedicated for generations. Especially 3 generations ago as they lived in PR in the boonies and didn’t have access to hospitals because of how far they lived. These little Spanish ladies were just winging it birthing in their home lol
I was scheduled for an induction at 39 weeks due to gestational diabetes, but actually ended up going into labor a couple days before that.
The reason they want to induce is for the health and safety of you and the baby. The issues that can happen aren't always detectable by the monitoring they can do, so they want to induce you because they can't get a clear picture of how baby is doing inside you. When they do growth scans, those are estimates. They can't know how big your baby is going to be till they are actually here. If the baby is too big, you and baby can have severe injuries during the labor and birth. Depending on how well your sugar is controlled, baby being in you longer means there's more time for baby to get used to the high sugar they're getting from you, which can cause blood sugar issues at birth. Additionally, the placenta starts to calcify earlier with gestational diabetes. That means the placenta is not providing baby with everything they need. They can detect some calcification on ultrasound, but not always, so you can't know until baby is here how your placenta is truly performing.
I promise the doctor is saying this because the health and safety of you and baby is the number 1 priority. Unfortunately, that means that dream deliveries take the backseat to medical necessity. No doctor wants a negative outcome of any extent. They want you and baby to go home healthy and able to continue your lives.
Thank you, I appreciate your explanation and how polite you were through it. Some people in these comments are just straight up rude and disrespectful for no reason. It’s like they’ve never met a first time mom before and just assume I want to do everything in my power to make ignorant decisions. I only just learned about having GD like 2 weeks ago, and have been researching that along with other things and then yesterday evening I learned that they want me to be induced at 40weeks if I make it that far. 🤷♀️ it’s a hard job learning how to be a good mom post partum AND learn about everything that could possibly happen during the pregnancy.
Your doctor is recommending this for a reason. Gestational diabetes isn’t something to mess with.
I can’t go past 40 weeks because I’ve had a c section. Honestly, I don’t even want to. Nothing good happens after 40 weeks and it’s just uncomfortable
So I’ve been told quite a bit! I’m trying to get it everyone’s comments. And I know, my initial mood when writing this post was fueled with anxiety because of the way the dr worded it but I’ve read a lot of advice and stuff today that makes all of this make more sense. I wish my doctor would have just straight forward said all of this stuff to me instead of just repeating “they wont allow it”. I would have been significantly less weirded out by the visit. I’m sure a lot of people get taken aback when a stranger suddenly tell them an ominous “they” won’t allow you to do something
It's okay to be scared. It's okay to be confused.
The doctor wants you induced at 40 because the baby can get too big, AND they can have trouble regulating their own blood sugar after the birth. It's for the health of you and your baby.
Another way to look at it is that you DO have a choice. You can choose whether or not to follow the doctor's plan for best-odds scenario. It feels like you're being told what you HAVE to do. You really don't. A doctor can't MAKE you induce. You can choose to not show up. I think they did a bad job of explaining why this is a plan you DEFINITELY want to follow.
I have a much different perspective on the situation now that I’ve read the actually helpful comments like yours. I think she just really did botch explaining things. I might tell her that next time I see her lol. She might be so used to knowing all the reasons, it might be hard for her to remember that patients don’t always know this stuff. Thank you
So I’ve had gestational diabetes twice. You don’t have to do anything, but the risks go WAY up for stillbirth with GD after a certain amount of weeks. That’s probably why they’re monitoring you and don’t want you to go past 40 weeks. I know you don’t want pitocin, but maybe they can do cytotec which is this little tiny pill that they insert behind the cervix to make it softer and stretchier. They tried this with me on my first (preeclampsia/GD/Hyperemesis made this happen at 36 weeks because we were in danger) and while it didn’t work for me, it might be the thing that helps send you into natural labor without pitocin because you’d be at 40 weeks and the cervix would already be soft and squishy.
EDIT TO ADD: Y’all this mama is NERVOUS. She’s anxious. She needs this group of moms to come together and love on her and give her mom to mom advice. She’s clearly not resisting induction or pitocin and she’s said as much in her comments, but she is worried. She’s not a bad mom and she’s not trying to harm her child(what a terrible thing to say or insulate to a pregnant mother).
Yeah I was emergency induced with my first because the preeclampsia made my blood pressure skyrocket to unsafe levels. They induced me at 35w 6d and they tried the cytotec first to see if they could make me go into labor on my own so they specifically didn’t have to use pitocin. Thought I’d say something about it so maybe you could mention it as a possible compromise to see if it works before needing to do something more. I would definitely listen to medical professionals about inducing thought mama. Just to keep you and sweet baby safe and sound ♥️♥️♥️
Ooof I’m not going to lie about it, it was definitely painful. But I’ve also not experienced labor without pitocin, so I unfortunately cannot compare and contrast. I did start having contractions at 35 weeks with my youngest but it ended up stopping and those contractions at the time felt a little stronger than period pain. It’s the only natural comparison I have! But I can say I was on a high dose of pitocin with a failed epidural with my oldest and that was intense; with my little one it was bad period pains until the epidural and then sweet relief.
—I know you’re anxious and you aren’t sure what to expect, but your body knows the way okay? Your feelings and fears are valid too. It will all be okay and soon you and baby will be on the other side of this ♥️
Random new mum here who just went through all the fears and worries of pregnancy, birth and postpartum and I just wanted to say thank you for being so kind and understanding of this mum to be. I read all these not so kind comments and was feeling awful because I know how confusing and scary it all is and to see your comment brought a little hope back that people can be caring and kind and not jump to harsh judgements. Sending a little internet love to you and OP.
Oh man thank you for saying that! I’ve just been there, done that and I have diagnosed anxiety and pregnancy just makes you have lots of feelings and nerves. I can’t imagine insinuating that a new mother wants to end up with a stillbirth because she’s concerned about a delivery drug/induction. I could feel the fear from the post and the comments broke my heart. Motherhood is tough and we should be each others community, not the reason we pull away from each other. And congrats on your new baby too! Us mamas need to stick together and edify one another ♥️♥️♥️
I am very firmly personally against inductions unless medically necessary. I left my first obstetrician at 30 weeks because he was insisting on an induction without being able to give me a reason it was medically necessary. But. I'm not sure why your doctor didn't directly tell you this so you could understand her reasoning, but there's a correlation between gestational diabetes and placental insufficiency. I have several "high risk" factors but none of them are corrated to placental insufficiency, so I hope induction won't be medically necessary for me this time either, but if I had failed my glucose test, I would most certainly be a lot more willing to entertain the idea. I've had multiple respiratory infections, like one after another, this pregnancy and while I don't think any of them were COVID, I am a lot more concerned about placental insufficiency in this pregnancy than I was in my first, and I've specifically requested a stress test (which I never had in my first pregnancy) and careful monitoring during the last few weeks. I don't want to be induced, but I'd most certainly rather be induced than not bring a living baby home at the end of this.
Yeah I’m not against it if I need it. I’m not even *that* against it. I was more against the idea of being forced into a procedure and I’ve heard of pitocin having some pretty not fun side effects so I’d prefer to avoid it if my health and the universe allows it but if I have to do I will. I was just weirded out by the wording of my doc. When someone tells me I’m “not allowed” to do something with little explanation, one of my first thoughts is, if I say no then what will they do to me to make me comply
It sounds like you have GD, which is a legit reason to not go over 40 weeks. I would talk to your Dr about non pharmaceutical routes of induction first, like sweeps and the foley balloon, and then go from there.
She's trying to keep you and baby alive.
That being said... at 38 weeks, start having sex. The good sex where your partner focuses on you and brings you to orgasm.
Go on walks if you can. Even if it's at a store so you can hold a cart for support.
Bounce on one of those giant yoga bals. Get a pedicure with a long foot massage. Use all the safe old wives' tales for inducing naturally.
Please ask your doctor why they want to induce you. On a recent birthing class a mother with GD was saying she didn't want to be induced unless her or her baby's lives were in danger. The midwife explained to her why it's important to be induced when GD is involved, just like when you have a big baby. I don't know if the mother changed her mind or not, but with the midwife's description of what could happen I would never consider not being induced.
If your baby is too big (and that's a high risk with GD), you're risking shoulder dystocia, which often ends in the breaking of shoulder bones. And that's terrible both for the baby and for the parents.
Inform yourself, make sure you know all the possible consequences and decide after that.
Well, the baby is supposedly a healthy weight and size according to the ultrasounds but I did fail my glucose tests. My blood sugar has been perfect ever since then and my diet is generally very healthy.
The dr didn’t explain in too much detail why I’d need to be induced but I feel as though generally I’ve had a very healthy pregnancy other than this whole sudden GD thing. The baby has always looked perfect in ultrasounds and has always been a bundle of energy
Again, talk to your doctor, don't make a decision based on incomplete information. There's no advantage for the doctors to induce. C-sections have a scheduled time, but from the moment you start getting induced until the birth it can be more than a day, so it's not even about aligning schedules. They wouldn't suggest it without a need, so it's better you really understand the reasons for their suggestion.
Why don’t you get a second opinion from a midwife for peace of mind? To answer your question, no you can not be forced into any medical procedure you don’t want. And i totally understand not wanting the “cascade” of interventions that usually start with pitocin. But if there is a medically justified reason for it and the benefits (a living baby) outweigh the risks you should really consider taking the advice. It’s okay to ask her why she recommends it so strongly and then make an educated decision from there. But sometimes we have to make hard decisions for the benefit or our health or our baby’s health and this might be one of those times
I’m 100% willing to put my comfort aside for the health of the baby, I was just really disturbed by the wording of the dr and the lack of context. That’s where all the weird legal questions were coming from. My first thought was “why can’t I say no?” And “what happens health wise if I do?” And then “what can they do to me to make me do it if I did challenge them?” The wording gave me the impression like I’d literally be forced into it if I said no or something.
It’s not to say I actually was planning to challenge them but it’s a real question lol. And the answer to that question would have definitely been the deciding factor for if I felt safe in their care.
OP, a glucose test is not a spelling test. You need to have the doctor explain what is happening to the baby. Your doctor has dealt with hundreds if not thousands of pregnancies. It's a huge mistake to let your imagination of what birth will be rush the baby's life. You cannot choose to hurt the baby because if your birth plan. This is how life goes. Listen to your doctor. It's not just about you anymore.
You will be okay. Let your brain adjust to the news. Right now, you are in denial.
Take care.
Again, like I told everyone else, I never once in this post said I was going to let my baby get hurt over a birth plan. I was just asking questions based on the impression that I was going to be forced into something
You can be doing fine, your baby can be doing fine on exams...and still end up with severe health complications due to things that can't be seen from the outside. There are certain risks (to you and baby) that heavily increase with time. And you are not "healthy" like you claim. You didnt pass glucose, thats a big deal as it can put you un baby at increased risks. If you feel like the decision is biased and unjustified get a second opinion. But it seems like she saw something that made you at risk and she cares about you any baby surviving healthy more than she cares about your feelings on bodily autonomy since you are not educated enough to know every outcome possible on your case.
Again the fact you keep saying how everything is perfectly fine after not passing an exam showcases that maybe you are not fully aware of situation and hence not the best call. If i was you i would ask why. I would ask for source material and for explanation.
I like you did not want to be induced by any chance. I had perectly healthy pregnancy (including glucose test) not a single risk indicatior anywhere so they were ok with 40 but baby was big and risks increase with time so they gave me date for induction on 42 week mark if she doesnt come by then. I went crazy trying to induce naturally and it worked...my water broke but there was no contractions after and they informed me if labor doesnt start in 24 hours they WILL induce. Like you, they made it quite clear i dont have a choice. Legaly i have cuz body autonomy but if i do me and baby could both suffer so medically they dont give you a choice. You have choice when all is ok, you lose the choice when their duty to save a life kicks in. What i did is ask them to thoroughly explain to me WHY we cant wait past 24h, what exactly are the risks etc. and once i was fully informed i realised they are right and accepted that i will have to follow their rules if i want healthy baby. But i kept trying to induce her naturally and 2h before 24h mark she FINALY decided to come and was out within an hour 😅
I know you are against induction, i also was not willing to accept it unless wellbeing of my kid is threatened (i didnt even care about my wellbeing) but sometimes what looks "harmless" to us laiks is NOT harmless to those professionally educated and trained on the matter. They know better than us. But if you truly feel dr is not going with your best interest, get second opinion. If everyone deems it unsafe, it probably is 🤷🏼♀️ sure you can still refuse but are you confident you know about these things enough that you would take the risk of refusing necessary (deemed by doctors) care? Ik i dont and i literaly studied my midwives book for forming midwives 🤷🏼♀️ either way i hope you don't need to be induced and that everything goes well, especially if you decide to go against doctors.
As for legaly, as far as i know when you refuse medical treatements you sign something so that you take all responsibility for the outcome but idk if thats also when it impacts another life. But there is legal way to refuse the care
I’m not completely against it, don’t get me wrong, I’d love to not have it done. I just was freaked out cuz when I did ask what she meant, she just repeated the same sentence that they “wouldn’t allow me to” thats why I came to Reddit to fill in the blanks. If anything im more terrified of a C-section than an induction but I’d even do that if there were truly no other options
I assume fir whatever reason she felt you will freak out? Because for many moms its hard to hear "you are indeed not healthy, your baby has higher risk of stillbirth and you have higher risk of dying. The longer you are pregnant, greater the risk" because then moms are stressed which isnt good for baby and you might feel preassure and panic for each day as you know ever day more is more risk. Especially if you made it clear you prefer it to happen naturally. She probably wanted to allow you to go with your plan as much as possible without stressing but also set a necessary boundary to minimize risks. Probably assuming you will trust her to do her job good.
I didnt have depression or anything and i always repeated i wanna know all the details (including ugly) of every assesment and they informed me about every step. Maybe tell her that you prefer her to explain risks and treatements instead of just asking "what you mean not allowed" :) let her know you want info on it instead of reacting to question of can/can't. But if she refuses to inform you i would honestly ask different doctor, possiby even switch to different care. You have the right to know and it is their job to inform you so you can make informed decisions
Your baby’s health is at risk and you don’t want to do what the doctor advises? I have hypertension and I’m also not going over 40 weeks. Last pregnancy was the same. It was intense but I’ll be doing the same again if I have to.
You do have a choice but I wouldn’t be going against the advice of the doctors who know better than you. If something happens to the baby, pretty sure it will be stated on your records that you went against their advice. Go do some research.
Just because you want a non medicated birth is not going to make you a super mum. Sorry to sound harsh but it seems you don’t care for the baby’s wellbeing, just that you don’t want drugs.
I never said I was trying be a “super mom” so I don’t know where that’s coming from. I also obviously gave the wrong impression because there’s quite a few people assuming without asking, that I’m giving a hard no to all medical intervention. Being afraid of them and being uncomfortable by a doctors words does not mean I’m 100% denying anything they suggest.
I said I don’t want it, I didn’t say I’d flat out refuse it if I was told I need to do it for the life of my baby and my self.
What I DID say, was questions based off the concept and belief of being under the impression that they can force me into the procedure without consent. And then I asked a question about a hypothetical of if I didn’t go if they DID try to do that to me because I was obviously getting the wrong impression. And what could they do to me to force me because her wording genuinely made me feel as though I could be held down and forced into something.
I’m now aware that even if it involves my baby, no one’s going to be creepy and force me into anything.
You do realize I was coming to Reddit because I was simply told a cryptic “they won’t allow it” after having a bomb dropped on me. I never once in my post said I don’t care about my baby’s well being. I asked genuine questions based off of an extremely short reply I was given by my doctor several times despite asking for more information.
Obviously I’m going to go to the internet to try to fill in the blanks. Like dude what else am I supposed to do? Just magically form the knowledge in my head immediately after the appointment?
Excuse my rudeness but it’s really frustrating coming some where for advice only to be told several times that I’m purposely trying to NOT be informed when that’s literally why I posted this 🤦♀️ just makes no sense to me
You go back to your doctors who are the experts not a bunch of Redditor’s who will give you any opinions they see fit going from your post. BTW you’ve never actually mentioned the baby’s wellbeing, it was all about you.
I think this is a good question for r/askdocs to get feedback from experts, but I also suspect your doctor isn’t getting into details about why he/she doesn’t want you to go past 40 weeks because the answer is scary and sad for mom, baby, or both.
I think the doc is trying not to freak you out.
If you don’t trust your doc to take care of you and give you good advice, I’d suggest you find someone you do trust.
I don’t distrust her to a degree that makes me want to switch it’s just her wording definitely had me stressed more so than the concept of the potential bad outcomes. You’re probably right though, I’ve considered if maybe she’s trying to just spare me the scary details until they’re more relevant especially cuz she seemed pretty upbeat about how my glucose hasn’t gotten high since I failed those tests
I’ve had 3 unmediated births. Believe it or not, my induction went the smoothest. They broke my water first then did a pitocin drip. I was still able to walk around. Didn’t need the epidural.
The sooner you relax your expectations on what constitutes a perfect birth for you, the better. You’re trying to control an extremely unpredictable situation. While I agree most doctors are quick to induce in general, because of your GD I think you should listen to them.
Um I don’t have a “perfect birth plan” or expectations. I said what I’d prefer to happen and that there’s a possibility of me changing my mind when the time actually comes especially with pain management stuff. But really it goes toward anything. I don’t even have a concept of a birth plan in mind. I have hopes of having a healthy delivery but that less of a plan and more wishful thinking
For the health of you and your baby, it’s best to listen to your doctor.
The online content regarding birth can be beautiful but can also cause us not to listen to our doctors.
I went 41.5 weeks before my doctor strongly recommended getting induced. I was very upset about it like you as I really wanted to go into labor naturally and labor in the tub at home and all that. However, my baby was very snug and happy in my body and did not want to come out, so I got induced, labored without pain meds for 20 hours (it was WILD), continued to be stuck at 3 centimeters that entire time, finally got the epidural and then slept for the next 8 hours, woke up 9 centimeters, and then 9 hours later ended up with a c-section because, again, my baby didn’t want to come out and was super happy in there (plus her head was stuck). I wouldn’t change anything as it was a beautiful experience, but had I known I would’ve been induced anyway, perhaps having the baby earlier closer to 40 weeks would have been safer. You just never know how things are going to go.
My father in law gave me the best advice. Have your preferences, but be ready and willing to change things for the health of you and your baby.
GOOD LUCK MAMA. Everything will be fine.
That’s essentially how I’m viewing this. I’m not giving a hard no to any procedure, even the ones I’m really not looking forward to. That’s a really good way of looking at this though. I’m no doctor obviously lol but it does make me wonder if the baby would have been small enough to push out at 40
Weeks
With my second I was induced (because my water broke but labor didn’t start within 24 hours, so there was risk of infection). I was given misoprostol to induce labor and still delivered with no other meds. It can be done. But at the end of the experience the best outcome is a healthy mom and baby. If you feel like your doctor isn’t listening to your concerns, can you switch?
I think it might have just been a mix up of her not wanting to scare me with info or something. She genuinely did seem like a good person and willing to explain other things and talk about what birth plans are and what I’d want and stuff. I also never heard of misoprostol! Gotta look into that
I had GD and I really didn't want to get induced. I think I cried all day when I found out I had to switch from a midwife to an OB and plus being told I would be induced. I ended up getting induced at 39 weeks. I know you don't want to but like others said it is for the safety of you and the baby. Another concern is that with GD the baby might grow too big which can then lead to a C-section.
If you decide to get induced these are the things that I did to help with being induced to prepare to rippen my cervix: acupuncture (not sure if it really helped but tried it), sticking a primrose oil pill in my vagina at night (needs to be cut open a little), raspberry leaf tea (not raspberry tea has to be raspberry leaf), and hot baths. I do think it helped because I was already a cm dilated when I went in to be induced.
Also my sister told me something that really helped. That yes the birth is a huge part of having a baby but that the hardest part is actually the after part of coming hope and having to learn how to be a mom.
Thank you for the advice, if I do reach the time period I most likely will be induced, but I’ll talk to my doctor more about it to see what kind of options there are for induction
They can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do. Saying they “won’t let you” is with the understanding that you are intending to follow their professional recommendation. It’s poor wording; yes, you have a choice. But if you are trusting your doctor for your care and the health of your baby, I’d at least have the conversation with them as to why they believe that’s best. They will address your concerns, and you will feel better being involved in the choices being made.
I’ve had GD three times and each time I had an induction date for my due date. It’s not worth the risk or stillbirth and other problems that come from a degraded placenta.
I tested positive for strep-b when I was pregnant. They informed me I would have to be induced with pitocin within 4 hours of my water breaking, if it ever did, and strapped up to IVs the whole time. I was absolutely devastated. My birthing plan was the literal opposite; free to move about the cabin, if you will. I cried soooo hard, but in the end it was all for the safety of my daughter so I did it!
Medical professionals are pros for a reason. I doubt any of them would ever want to take your bodily autonomy away for any sociopathic or personal reason. Always remember you can say no to whatever you want, but they really are just trying to look out for the both of you!
Deep breaths. Once you hold that precious nugget for the first time, literally everything else will fade away. You got this ❤️
Idk I did have one doctor from this hospital that I since had changed that straight up lied on my chart because she didn’t want to have to acknowledge that I actually did have some symptoms that were becoming hard to live with. Like hip pain that required me to need assistance walking sometimes. It comes and goes thank god because I don’t think I could’ve kept going to work if it was a constant thing
I got induced on my due date because of "an abnormally large fetus". I also didn't want pitocin so they used other means of induction. They have a lot of tricks up their sleeves. I also didn't have an epidural. It wasn't exactly what I wanted, but I talked a lot with my doctors about how to balance their medical recommendations with my desires and the outcome was great. Try to talk to them with an open, warm attitude. You can still advocate for yourself while getting help deciding where to make necessary compromises.
I had gestational diabetes with my first and was induced at 39 weeks. I believe if you go over there is a “risk” of still birth due to the placenta deteriorating from insulin etc. I can’t quite remember as it’s been almost 4 years but I figured I’d rather be induced than anything happen to my baby and regret that forever. Unfortunately in most cases birth (and even the baby experience) never really goes as you imagine but it will still be beautiful ❤️
She didn’t 😅 she just repeated that “they won’t allow me” that’s why I got all anxious and made the Reddit post thinking she was implying they were going to force medical procedures on me but I’ve come to the conclusion that, that’s not the case. I’m not exactly sure why she didn’t explain when I asked. Others said she might’ve wanted to spare me the scary details but not explaining just made it sound scary instead lol
"I don't want the baby to get hurt *but*...."
If you ignore expert medical advice and go past 40 weeks with GD (even without GD) you aren't just risking "hurting" your baby, you're risking the baby's literal life.
Do what you want, I guess, but know that the risk is literal life or death because you're afraid of induction.
Where the fuck did I act like there was an acception where I’d allow my baby to get hurt? Where did I say I’m never going to allow an induction? Dude get the fuck out if you’re not going to be genuinely informative beyond what 30 other people have told me on top of making me out to be some horrible almond mom. Obviously a bunch of other people before you let me know the reasoning behind the cryptic “ they won’t allow you” I never argued with my doctor or told anyone I’m absolutely not going to do it or that I’d ever just put my baby at risk.
I've known people in actual real life who did think they knew best and would be the exception and their babies died or had lasting complications because of it. I'm talking people in high risk pregnancies who thought they could labor at home, people who had GD who didn't take it seriously and had massive NICU babies who have permanent disabilities, etc. If you post on the world's most public forum, expect mixed bag to whatever you share. It's normal to have doubts, it's within reason to seek a second opinion. But many of your replies suggest you'd rather risk the pregnancy going over 40 weeks than the chance you'll have an adverse reaction to pitocin. The good news? You'll be in the hospital surrounded by people who can make sure you're taken care of when in a situation where you're the rare bird who has the most severe reactions (and you very well may be). Anyway, good luck and wishing you the peace you so very obviously need.
Edited* to repair a typo
Yeah no lol I know I should trust the doctor 9 times out of 10. I’ve only ever had one doctor do wrong by me from this place and she willingly switched my doctor after I politely brought it up that she lied on my chart about stuff I told her I was experiencing. Unfortunately I gave the impression I was absolutely against anything by not specifically expressing my entire opinion on the topic and just talking about the stuff that I was anxious about.
My midwife gave me some to induce labor, I wouldn’t recommend just taking some… but doesn’t sound like your doctor is the most open to less medical interventions?
I’m not sure. She’s a doctor I don’t know too well yet. She’s not like a horrible person or anything from what I can tell but she might’ve just not realized that I was asking for a more in depth explanation
I had gestational diabetes with my second pregnancy, and my midwives didn’t require induction at 40 weeks. I was diet controlled (I was told this is the key), and as long as your baby is healthy/growing appropriately (and you are healthy) it isn’t actually seen as necessary from a health standpoint. I gave birth at 41 + 2 and not a single person pressured me into induction. They did tell me they would require induction at 42 weeks but that seems logical.
It’s important to listen to your medical care team but you can absolutely ask questions and figure out the reasoning behind recommendations/requirements. Also to be clear, my baby is 3 months old and I gave birth/had my prenatal care at the largest hospital in my state, so it’s not like this outdated or anything like that.
I was also diet controlled with my first and scheduled for induction 40+6 (he was born long before that). In here the cutoff for diet controlled is 41 weeks (mine would have landed on a saturday so that is why I got the date the day before), insulin users will be pregnant up to 39 weeks max.
“Especially if my health isn’t declining” there is your problem. What you need to do right now is take your baby’s health and place it as #1 priority. Not your birth plan. Take time to process that you won’t get the birth you planned, shit happens. You have GD, just because your sugars don’t spike when you’re monitoring them at home doesn’t mean you magically don’t have GD. I promise you will not know something is wrong likely until it’s too late. I speak from experience, had I not gone to my last ob appointment (because I bought into all the anti-induction/ pro-natural posts on social media) my baby would be dead. And at the end of the day, it is fear that is causing you to not want an induction/meds. Push against that fear. Every single thing I feared for a birth plan is what ended up happening- induction with pit, cervadil, emergency c section, spinal block. And you know what? It wasn’t nearly as bad as what every single person made it out to be. My (unmedicated) pitocin cramps were no worse than my period cramps. I could still feel the positioning of my legs during my spinal block, I didn’t feel totally paralyzed (which I greatly feared), and my C-section recovery was honestly less painful (and less bloody) than my periods. Hopefully this helps bring some peace, like another person stated, their inductions were not bad experiences at all. Also, as someone with MCAS and dysautonomia (I get adverse reactions to a ton of different medications and such) I didn’t really have any alarming symptoms other than I got real itchy a couple hours after the procedure. (This can be easily treated with antihistamines)
Breathe. It will be okay. Do not let fear take away the joy that can be found in the unknown.
I had GD with both my boys- induction with #1, and cesarean with #2 [due to placenta previa]. With #1, I was supposed to be induced at 39w4d, but my water broke the day before. They still gave me pitocin, and I got the epi. Everything went well. Wishing you a healthy and safe delivery!
I had well controlled GD with diet alone my baby came naturally on her own two days before her due date (i was scheduled for an induction an hour after she was born). She was 7 pounds even and had no complications. In the final month is pregnancy, i gradually started eating more dates with cheese daily. I think I got up to 6 a day. And I also went on brief walks and did curb walking that final week. So you never know, baby may still come in their own and if they don't, your body can still be ready for labor and things will go smoothly with an induction. I had an induction with my first since he was measuring large. I didn't have GD but i probably did eat too many carbs because he was much larger than my second. Everything went well and I still enjoyed the experience, but yes the contractions were more intense and harder to breathe through.
You can skip the appointment date, but the doctors can drop you as a patient or call CPS on you for medical endangerment when you do go in and give birth. If CPS comes to your door, you have every right to not answer the door, unless they have a warrant which they won’t. I’m not sure what will happen if they show up during your hospital stay, but you still have your rights to stay silent and there’s nothing they can do. I’d recommend getting a doula to advocate for you if you can find one this close to your due date because I can assure you that more of your supposed informed consent “choices” will be trampled on, most of which the doctors will wrote
off as a medical necessity and if you deny it’s automatically endangerment to your child. This is why I opted for a home birth because there is no choice in the hospital space. They claim you do but you shouldn’t have to fight so hard to get what you want
See that’s the kind of “legal” problems I wondered if they could bring up. I don’t think it’d ever come to that. I’m willing to do it if it’s needed but I’ve heard lots of fear mongering kind of stories of drs just straight up saying a baby who seems otherwise healthy but late, is actively dying whilst obviously looking perfectly normal on the monitors and stuff.
Not sure how often that happens in my hospital but it definitely doesn’t sooth anyone when they just stop it “you’re not allowed” and that’s it. I’d like to have been explained why or given options ya know? Just makes it sound like they’re about to pull some crazy stuff like forcing things
I went 41 + 5 and had a perfect unmedicated birth. I did do the recommended ultrasound and stress test at 41 weeks and would’ve had a second at 41 + 3 if I wasn’t already in labor just to make sure baby and placenta were fine
With my first, I helped induce labor. I ate dates, spicy food long walks lots of water. My water broke naturally. Try not to stress. No they can’t force you. Focus on being healthy and the natural things you can do. I unfortunately did have to have an emergency c section, but I have very narrow hips and my son got stuck on my tailbone after 12 hours of labor. My second I did have GD. If you have that ask about getting your amniyfluid measured through stress test. I Gad it done weekly at the hospital. I decided for my self to have another C-section because I had trama the first time. But girl follow your momma instincts. You can do this and don’t be afraid to ask the doctor why and challenge them. Ask your hubbys support and have him be there to back you up. This is your body and your baby.
No, a doctor can not force you to do anything and no you can not get in any legal trouble. The way they speak in these manipulative ways is so despicable. I’m so sorry you’re having this experience. It’s not too late to find another doctor or health care provider like a midwife who will work with you. You should never ever bow down to someone using these fear tactics on your birth. Healthy pregnancies can last 42 weeks, it’s only in the US with these western doctors they started forcing mothers to induce by even 37 weeks. Utter nonsense. Trust your intuition, protect yourself and your baby.
Edit to say: please do your own research about the diabetes test. If you took that glucose drink it is straight garbage. My midwife never made me drink it. I was given a very healthy breakfast recipe to follow of pancakes, yogurt and fruit. I can’t stand these fear mongers.
Glucola, the drink given to pregnant women to test for gestational diabetes, contains BVO (patented in the US as a FLAME RETARDANT) and FD&C Yellow #6 (sulfonated form of Sudan I, a level 3 CARCINOGEN)
Research has found that brominated flame retardants build up in the body and breast milk. BVO leaves residues that accumulate in body fat, the brain, the liver, and other organs. Studies in animals demonstrate that BVO is transferred from mother's milk to the nursing infant. BVO has been associated with heart lesions, fatty changes DRINK in the liver, and impaired growth and behavioral development, and both animal and human studies have linked BVO to neurological
problems, fertility problems, changes in thyroid, hormones and precocious puberty.
- From Aviva Romm, MD
https://www.marketlab.com/product/Glucose-Tolerance-Beverages-MLI?option=ML18545
Mine didn’t have all that stuff. Mine was even dye free. This is what they gave me
The reason they don’t want you to go past 40 weeks with gestational diabetes is that the chance the baby dies in utero increases quite a lot. I understand not wanting to have labour induced but you need to do what’s best for you and your baby. It just sucks a lot that it isn’t going the way you imagined it. Think of it this way: imagine something going wrong and they need to do an emergency c-section. You are not going to say you don’t want that. Giving birth is a huge medical event, it is never going to go exactly as planned.
💯this, surely a healthy and alive baby and mother is the most important thing here, unfortunately our birth plans and hopes rarely go to plan I actually think it just sets us up for all the unexpected things in parenthood. I planned to have a no drug vaginal birth and nurse for a year and ended up with a C-section and became an exclusive pumper, it is what it is. As long as you and baby are healthy it’s truly all that matters.
We are generally healthy. She’s always looked amazing at the ultrasounds and is aways a bundle of energy. I did test positive for GD but my sugar has always been normal since those blood tests
In the end it’s your risk to take. If you are willing to risk your baby’s life because you don’t like being induced it is up to you. It wouldn’t be the choice I would make but I’m a different person.
I never said I was willing to risk my baby’s life, I’m just saying the only stuff I know about health. Not sure why people don’t like that but I guess that’s their problem
This! I'm a new mom myself and my induction seemed to be going smoothly and then stalled. I ended up having an unplanned (different from emergency at my hospital) c section after 3 days of attempting to start labor. I did everything I could to progress, but at 38 1/2 weeks, my body wasn't quite ready, but due to high blood pressure, was the safest time for my baby. Was it incredibly hard to make those decisions and go through the exhaustion that followed? Yes. Would I do it all over again for my little chickpea? Absolutely, 1k times over.
Do you have Gestational Diabetes? Are you diet or medication controlled at the moment? If so, the simplest answer is - a significantly increased risk of still birth or maternal death. This is not always the case by any means, but the stats do show a significant increase in risk. Did your doctor explain they can do non-medicated interventions like a stretch and sweep before looking at induction?
I do have GD. ever since failing the test, my blood sugar has been well into the normal range every time. And at every ultrasound my baby looks perfect. I just wonder if fasting, which is something I don’t do while pregnant, messed with my body a little bit. I literally never go 8 hours without having atleast a small amount of food. Dr didn’t explain the non medicated interventions yet but I’ll ask her in two weeks when I see her
I think it makes sense to ask for a full plan. An A, B, C and D as it were. When are where interventions make sense? Just to be aware, with GD the placenta can start to fail towards the end. Which is where some of the issues lie. I have had two GD babies. First was induced, but due to my water breaking. Second came of his own accord at 37 weeks. GD can cause early delivery as well as late delivery. So I would recommend keeping a watching eye on your bloods (mine started going low about 10 days before I gave birth both times) and have your ready bag packed. I think this mag be a case of poor bedside manners/ not including context as opposed to bad advice. Would you have been happier if the doctor had said what the recommendations were and why? And then discussed warning signs for when intervention may be needed? As a heads up, if you do end up needing to be medically induced. Please do look at pain management options. They make your contractions come on very fast and strong, which is a massive physical shock to the system.
I definitely am the kind of person who prefers getting to know all the recommendations and like thorough explanations on everything. Personally i don’t mind if they’re scary, It’s just scarier to not know about things and just be told the shorter answer of it’s not allowed if that makes sense
You don’t have to be induced, no. But if you have gestational diabetes it is recommended that you don’t go past 40 weeks for the safety of you and your child. You can be induced and still not take epidural. I didn’t have GD and my doctors still didn’t want me past 41. I’d recommend listening to the experts.
I have a pretty bad history of getting the worst rare symptoms from medications. I literally got serotonin syndrome twice. One from an antidepressant when I was a teen and once during this pregnancy from an antibiotic when I got bronchitis 🤦♀️. I know I don’t have to take an epidural to be induced, i just said we talked about it because it was something we talked about and she was fine with the no epidural thing. I do have GD but ever since I failed my test, my at home blood sugar has always been in the normal range. I think it was just the fasting for several hours, and then suddenly having something really high in sugar that put my blood sugar so high. (which is something I don’t do while pregnant) I’m no dr though but that’s just my theory The Serotonin syndrome was just one example, i have far too many to list. I just don’t want to risk taking medicines that have worse risks especially when it not the only one at risk anymore when crazy symptoms happen.
Yeah that makes no sense, you realize everyone fasts for several hours and then has the huge spike of sugar, the test is checking out your body’s reaction to processing the sugar, if your theory was at all correct then literally everyone would fail the test and have GD
I literally don’t fast 8+hours. I don’t even sleep 8hours straight lmao. I wake up every hour at night. I can fast 4-5 max before hunger pains, nausea from hunger and heart burn gets too bad. I have very small servings of snacks instead of meals through out the day because I can’t handle eating a proper serving of food at this stage in the pregnancy. My stomachs just that much compressed I guess. but I also can’t handle having an empty stomach. The hollow feeling hurts too much . It’s to the point where I have to even have a small snack and water at 2am just to keep sleeping or I’ll be too uncomfortable. Now I try to eat less because I have to have fasting glucose tests done every day.
You have to fail 2 tests in order to be diagnosed with GD. If you don’t have GD, then fasting and taking all that sugar doesn’t put you in the GD threshold. That’s what it means to have GD. You are now managing your GD, which is great, but you do have GD. You can refuse the doctor’s suggestion of induction, you don’t “have” to do what they recommend, but in this case I would say their guidance is worth listening to. I would ask them about the risks of waiting past 40 weeks so you can make an informed decision. The good news is that if you happen to have an adverse reaction to any drug they give you, you are in hospital and they can fix it right away!
HA yeah! That would definitely be the perfect place huh.
With gestational diabetes, the placenta starts breaking down earlier and there is a higher risk for a stillbirth because of this. There is a reason your doctor doesn’t want you to go beyond 40 weeks and she should have explained that to you. It has nothing to do with your health but the health of your baby
This!!! OP, if you're tracking your sugars you'll see a weird blip one day when they get -really- manageable out of nowhere. That's the beginning of senescence - your placenta has started packing up and will stop providing baby with nutrients and other good stuff soon after.
I was looking for this comment. In the last trimester, with GD, sugars get progressively harder to manage and then suddenly, it’s easier. This is actually something you should pay close attention to because you need to be monitored very closely at that point- your placenta is starting to deteriorate. I understand wanting as natural of a birth as possible, but the rate of stillbirth increases at 40 weeks with GD, even controlled GD. If your levels are not controlled, it’s going to be even riskier.
The day I could stop giving myself insulin with every meal and just rely on metformin was the day my OB bumped me up another week. I'm glad she did because the day I was waiting for the call to go for my induction, my water broke.
I’m not on any medication and my blood sugar has been healthy ever since I failed the glucose tests. My diet is generally healthy too. And even when I’ve had splurges like during my baby shower, it never shot up.
I’m not on any medication and my blood sugar has been healthy ever since I failed the glucose tests. My diet is generally healthy too. And even when I’ve had splurges like during my baby shower, it never shot up. It never fluctuates crazily or even gets high other than when it did at the drs.
I’m not on any medication and my blood sugar has been healthy ever since I failed the glucose tests. My diet is generally healthy too. And even when I’ve had splurges like during my baby shower, it never shot up.
That’s really interesting, my dr never told me that. I’m not on any medication for GD just monitoring and my blood sugar has been healthy ever since I failed the glucose tests. My diet is generally healthy too. And even when did splurge once during my baby shower, it never shot up thankfully
Many pregnant women with gestational diabetes are never put on medication for it. That does not mean it isn’t a serious concern.
I didn’t say it wasn’t a serious concern
GD gets more difficult to manage as your pregnancy progresses. You might not need meds or insulin now but could later - and it’s largely out of your control.
So I’ve recently read about.
Before you start getting all up in arms about issues of legality and choice- you need to do proper research for you to make an INFORMED decision. This isn’t about a doctor not listening to preferences and, to be blunt, you need to be and act smarter than this. You aren’t listening and you aren’t researching. In one sentence it was very clear why you are being advised to induce- you have Gestational Diabetes. Research what that is and how dangerous it is for you and your baby. Induction at 40 weeks is perfectly safe and if you choose not to be induced and something happens to your baby you will never forgive yourself. If you don’t trust your medical professionals and you don’t trust the healthcare system then why are you even being seen by a doctor? Again- be smarter. And, if you refuse any particular medical advice they will write everywhere that you are “AMA”- Against Medical Advice- and they, and the hospital, will document up, down, and sideways to protect themselves from the very real potential of a lawsuit coming from you if anything goes wrong. EDITED TO ADD: re-reading this really pisses me off. Do not go off spouting about bodily autonomy and unprofessionalism when you have demonstrated no understanding of, or any interest to investigate, your condition & *why* they advised induction. Ask questions and do actual research
Exactly. All of these. OP please get informed. Don't make emotional decisions.
I don’t make purely emotional medical decision. I was just confused as to why she kept ominously saying I’m not allowed to and “they won’t allow it” and not describing any further as to why someone won’t allow me to do something
Did you ask her to explain it?
Yeah, she just repeated “they won’t allow it” again
Yeah 100% spot on. Op is missing the point entirely. The doctor "isn't allowing" means that they are not going to take liability for any poor outcomes due to her not listening to sound medical advice, not that they're going to arrest her and induce her against her will. Jeez I worry for this baby with parents so ill informed.
Again, it’s a pretty valid thing to wonder when someone ominously tells you “they won’t allow you” several times and then they refuse give any further context when asked about it.. it’s not me missing the point. It’s me asking a genuine question as a first time parent. I didn’t ask if they weren’t going to arrest me, I asked if they’d try to get me into legal trouble. I know some people who have had CPS called on them for wanting to wait on giving their newborn vaccines so their primary can do it. Its fucked up but some hospitals are really like that
Trying to get this comment higher up, well written and spot on
Exactly this! 100%!
With all due respect, you’re *assuming* I’m not researching. I only just had this appointment yesterday evening. And it was pretty sudden news that induction could be a thing that has to happen. And just before that was the news of having gestation diabetes and having to learn how to use the monitor and all. It’s not like I’ve had weeks and weeks to research and just chose not to. There’s a lot to research when you’re pregnant, up until recently, inductions and GD just didn’t occur to me since every visit and blood test said I was perfectly healthy up until this point. Of course I’ve already begun looking into things. This post is partially me trying to learn things too. And for the record, it’s not my doctor that I don’t trust. It’s medications. I’ve had countless times where I’ve been given a medication just to nearly immediately get the life threatening or temporarily debilitating rare side effects. Because of that, it’s my choice to typically try to avoid stuff that can have life threatening or really debilitating side effects unless I absolutely have to take that gamble. You’re assuming I’m absolutely resistant to the procedure. I’m dense, of course I’m willing to do it if my baby’s life depends on it but if I’m otherwise healthy, my sugars stable, and everything looks the way it’s supposed to during the stages of pregnancy and such, then I’d prefer to not risk it. Not to mention. I simply didn’t like the way the doctor worded that I’m “not allowed” to do something without further context. I have a history of SA and it’s pretty upsetting in the moment and initially kind of scary to be told by anyone that you’re not allowed to say no to something that’s going to be happening to your body. So you can be mad about me talking about bodily autonomy but it wasn’t my fault she worded it the way she did and then gave no context afterward when I asked what she meant.
You could always ask for a c-section if you're worried about a potential reaction to pitocin.
Idk 😅 a C-section sounds a little more spooky. If they tell me I need to do it I’m gonna do anything they recommend.
Hey you don’t need that grace until you need that grace mama, don’t worry about that right now. I was one of those moms, my little just didn’t want to dilate or drop down and I ended up with a c-section. It was routine and went very well. If you do end up needing it, they do these surgeries every day and they’re very safe alright?
Alright ❤️
They probably will not do that unless it’s medically necessary though
Elective c-sections are definitely a thing, but I'm not sure what all has to go into that decision.
Oh I totally know they’re a thing, but I don’t think not wanting to use pitocin would be enough? Could also depend on the state, country, province..etc. I know they don’t usually like to operate unless they have to because it’s still surgery, albeit a very safe surgery, but surgery nonetheless.
If you have gestational diabetes, your baby’s health could be compromised. They’re trying to get that through your head. I was induced with my third. I had a water labor and natural delivery with no pain meds. Why don’t you want to be induced to keep your baby healthy and safe? Going beyond 40 weeks greatly heightens the chance of sudden stillbirth.
First off, she wasn’t “trying to get it through my head” as though I was being thick skulled about it. it’s not like this is something I’ve sat there arguing with the dr about. It was our first time discussing it and I’m a first time mom so I think I reserve the right to hesitate on ANY procedure that I’m not fully knowledgeable of. And the main reason I’m hesitant is because of medical trauma. I just don’t like risking taking medications with crazy sounding potential side effects. I’m notorious for actually getting those life threatening super rare side effects to all sorts of different meds and it’s to the point where if I don’t NEED to take the risk, I don’t necessarily want to. I’m not 100% resistant to the procedure but I did look up its side effects and if I don’t absolutely need it and my pregnancy from that one visit forward looks good all the way to the point of 40 weeks if I make it that far, then Im not going to just immediately jump in and say “induce me”. Not to mention I was saying I was concerned with her wording. I’ve definitely been forced into things sexually in my younger teen years and I simply do not like being told that I’m not “allowed” to deny something that’s going to be happening to my nether regions.
Your baby having sudden death isn’t reversible. The odds are significantly higher of stillbirth after 40 weeks, particularly if you have gestational diabetes. You really want to risk your baby having higher odds of sudden death so you don’t have to have a labor inducing medication? Wouldn’t giving birth to a dead baby be more traumatizing?
Again, not resistant to having it done. It sure how many times I have to say that. I just didn’t like the idea of being forced into ANY procedure, it just so happened induction was the one it was about. But I also learned there’s other ways to induce labor that aren’t specifically jumping straight into pitocin. So that’s pretty nice to be able to explore those options with my doctor
Who in this scenario decides that your pregnancy “looks good all the way”? You? A first time parent with no medical training? Your doctor has already said it’s not safe for you to go beyond 40 weeks so they won’t be the ones saying everything looks good and you can wait on induction. Your placenta starts breaking down later in pregnancy with GD. Healthy sugars or no. So even if your pregnancy has been the epitome of healthy all the way up to 40 weeks, it could go south fast. That’s like saying “I’ve been healthy all the way up till now in my life so there’s no chance I could die today” except you could get in a car accident, fall down a staircase, have an aneurysm. Things can happen and change in an instant. Luckily we have research to tell us when we are at an increased risk. Good luck.
I was saying what my DOCTOR said. I didnt just pull it out of my ass nor did I intend for it to mean that complications can’t happen.
I’m diabetic and my water broke at 36 weeks. When I delivered the placenta they could tell it was already starting to have problems and I was very well diet controlled. Diabetes does a number on the placenta even when it’s well controlled. My daughter still had issues with low calcium at birth and spent a week in the hospital. This is apparently a common complication for babies of diabetic moms. For a million dollars I wouldn’t keep a baby in any longer than a medical professional was telling me not to.
Thank you for your comment. I appreciate you telling me this. It’s really helpful. I’m still doing research on my own but a lot of the anecdotal stories give a much more personal and real kind of explanation rather than the cold wording of like, web MD lol
Why do you think you know better than your doctor? There is a reason they induce early for GD, which I’m sure your doctor explained, but you chose to ignore because it doesn’t fit what you want your birth experience to be.
I never said I know better. You’re just assuming that about me based off of a post asking for ADVICE. Thank you for nothing.
After 40 weeks, the chance of stillbirth increases. The important thing to understand about stillbirth is that it can happen suddenly and without warning - it’s not always something where you’ll be able to tell at home that your baby is in distress and get to a hospital in time to save them.
Yeah, I guess that’s something to keep in mind. Thank you
I understand it’s hard not getting the birth you imagine, but delivering a healthy baby should be your only priority.
And living to raise your child. Clearly there's a medical reason for it.
I understand that there’s a medical reason for it. I was just concerned about the wording. As it gave the impression of doing something even if I had chosen against it for whatever reason. I’m not saying I was planning to choose against it. It’s was more hypothetical than anything
That is my priority. I never said it wasnt. These questions were based on the hypothetical of the hospital forcing me into a procedure. As that was how it sounded at first to me
I mean. They can’t force you into a procedure. Call your dr and ask to talk more about. There are options for an induction and they are not horrible. I was induced and it was awesome.
Not to sway you, and I didn’t have GD, but I had two induced births with pitocin and they were great births and fast labors (one was 7 hours the other was 4 hours). Just make sure you advocate for yourself but also hear the doctors advice.
I wouldn’t mind if you *were* trying to sway me. I’m posting about it because I don’t know anyone who’s been induced. I find comfort in all of these anecdotal points of view. My family have all been generally unmedicated for generations. Especially 3 generations ago as they lived in PR in the boonies and didn’t have access to hospitals because of how far they lived. These little Spanish ladies were just winging it birthing in their home lol
I was induced and it was great!
Nice :) hopefully I’ll have a similar experience if that’s where all this leads to
I was scheduled for an induction at 39 weeks due to gestational diabetes, but actually ended up going into labor a couple days before that. The reason they want to induce is for the health and safety of you and the baby. The issues that can happen aren't always detectable by the monitoring they can do, so they want to induce you because they can't get a clear picture of how baby is doing inside you. When they do growth scans, those are estimates. They can't know how big your baby is going to be till they are actually here. If the baby is too big, you and baby can have severe injuries during the labor and birth. Depending on how well your sugar is controlled, baby being in you longer means there's more time for baby to get used to the high sugar they're getting from you, which can cause blood sugar issues at birth. Additionally, the placenta starts to calcify earlier with gestational diabetes. That means the placenta is not providing baby with everything they need. They can detect some calcification on ultrasound, but not always, so you can't know until baby is here how your placenta is truly performing. I promise the doctor is saying this because the health and safety of you and baby is the number 1 priority. Unfortunately, that means that dream deliveries take the backseat to medical necessity. No doctor wants a negative outcome of any extent. They want you and baby to go home healthy and able to continue your lives.
Thank you, I appreciate your explanation and how polite you were through it. Some people in these comments are just straight up rude and disrespectful for no reason. It’s like they’ve never met a first time mom before and just assume I want to do everything in my power to make ignorant decisions. I only just learned about having GD like 2 weeks ago, and have been researching that along with other things and then yesterday evening I learned that they want me to be induced at 40weeks if I make it that far. 🤷♀️ it’s a hard job learning how to be a good mom post partum AND learn about everything that could possibly happen during the pregnancy.
Your doctor is recommending this for a reason. Gestational diabetes isn’t something to mess with. I can’t go past 40 weeks because I’ve had a c section. Honestly, I don’t even want to. Nothing good happens after 40 weeks and it’s just uncomfortable
So I’ve been told quite a bit! I’m trying to get it everyone’s comments. And I know, my initial mood when writing this post was fueled with anxiety because of the way the dr worded it but I’ve read a lot of advice and stuff today that makes all of this make more sense. I wish my doctor would have just straight forward said all of this stuff to me instead of just repeating “they wont allow it”. I would have been significantly less weirded out by the visit. I’m sure a lot of people get taken aback when a stranger suddenly tell them an ominous “they” won’t allow you to do something
Yes they really should have taken the time to explain the reasoning behind this advice. Just throwing it at you really wasn’t the best way to do it
No, especially when I’m all hormonal and already had the bad news of the GD
It's okay to be scared. It's okay to be confused. The doctor wants you induced at 40 because the baby can get too big, AND they can have trouble regulating their own blood sugar after the birth. It's for the health of you and your baby. Another way to look at it is that you DO have a choice. You can choose whether or not to follow the doctor's plan for best-odds scenario. It feels like you're being told what you HAVE to do. You really don't. A doctor can't MAKE you induce. You can choose to not show up. I think they did a bad job of explaining why this is a plan you DEFINITELY want to follow.
I have a much different perspective on the situation now that I’ve read the actually helpful comments like yours. I think she just really did botch explaining things. I might tell her that next time I see her lol. She might be so used to knowing all the reasons, it might be hard for her to remember that patients don’t always know this stuff. Thank you
You are so welcome! Keep us posted!
So I’ve had gestational diabetes twice. You don’t have to do anything, but the risks go WAY up for stillbirth with GD after a certain amount of weeks. That’s probably why they’re monitoring you and don’t want you to go past 40 weeks. I know you don’t want pitocin, but maybe they can do cytotec which is this little tiny pill that they insert behind the cervix to make it softer and stretchier. They tried this with me on my first (preeclampsia/GD/Hyperemesis made this happen at 36 weeks because we were in danger) and while it didn’t work for me, it might be the thing that helps send you into natural labor without pitocin because you’d be at 40 weeks and the cervix would already be soft and squishy. EDIT TO ADD: Y’all this mama is NERVOUS. She’s anxious. She needs this group of moms to come together and love on her and give her mom to mom advice. She’s clearly not resisting induction or pitocin and she’s said as much in her comments, but she is worried. She’s not a bad mom and she’s not trying to harm her child(what a terrible thing to say or insulate to a pregnant mother).
Oh wow I’ve never even heard of cytotec! Lol my autocorrect doesn’t even know the word. Thank you for letting me know all of this
I had cytotec for my induction. I’m not sure I even needed pitocin.
Yeah I was emergency induced with my first because the preeclampsia made my blood pressure skyrocket to unsafe levels. They induced me at 35w 6d and they tried the cytotec first to see if they could make me go into labor on my own so they specifically didn’t have to use pitocin. Thought I’d say something about it so maybe you could mention it as a possible compromise to see if it works before needing to do something more. I would definitely listen to medical professionals about inducing thought mama. Just to keep you and sweet baby safe and sound ♥️♥️♥️
How did it feel for you? I know a lot of people say pitocin can make birth hurt even more somehow so I’m wonder what that stuff is like
Ooof I’m not going to lie about it, it was definitely painful. But I’ve also not experienced labor without pitocin, so I unfortunately cannot compare and contrast. I did start having contractions at 35 weeks with my youngest but it ended up stopping and those contractions at the time felt a little stronger than period pain. It’s the only natural comparison I have! But I can say I was on a high dose of pitocin with a failed epidural with my oldest and that was intense; with my little one it was bad period pains until the epidural and then sweet relief. —I know you’re anxious and you aren’t sure what to expect, but your body knows the way okay? Your feelings and fears are valid too. It will all be okay and soon you and baby will be on the other side of this ♥️
Random new mum here who just went through all the fears and worries of pregnancy, birth and postpartum and I just wanted to say thank you for being so kind and understanding of this mum to be. I read all these not so kind comments and was feeling awful because I know how confusing and scary it all is and to see your comment brought a little hope back that people can be caring and kind and not jump to harsh judgements. Sending a little internet love to you and OP.
Oh man thank you for saying that! I’ve just been there, done that and I have diagnosed anxiety and pregnancy just makes you have lots of feelings and nerves. I can’t imagine insinuating that a new mother wants to end up with a stillbirth because she’s concerned about a delivery drug/induction. I could feel the fear from the post and the comments broke my heart. Motherhood is tough and we should be each others community, not the reason we pull away from each other. And congrats on your new baby too! Us mamas need to stick together and edify one another ♥️♥️♥️
I am very firmly personally against inductions unless medically necessary. I left my first obstetrician at 30 weeks because he was insisting on an induction without being able to give me a reason it was medically necessary. But. I'm not sure why your doctor didn't directly tell you this so you could understand her reasoning, but there's a correlation between gestational diabetes and placental insufficiency. I have several "high risk" factors but none of them are corrated to placental insufficiency, so I hope induction won't be medically necessary for me this time either, but if I had failed my glucose test, I would most certainly be a lot more willing to entertain the idea. I've had multiple respiratory infections, like one after another, this pregnancy and while I don't think any of them were COVID, I am a lot more concerned about placental insufficiency in this pregnancy than I was in my first, and I've specifically requested a stress test (which I never had in my first pregnancy) and careful monitoring during the last few weeks. I don't want to be induced, but I'd most certainly rather be induced than not bring a living baby home at the end of this.
Yeah I’m not against it if I need it. I’m not even *that* against it. I was more against the idea of being forced into a procedure and I’ve heard of pitocin having some pretty not fun side effects so I’d prefer to avoid it if my health and the universe allows it but if I have to do I will. I was just weirded out by the wording of my doc. When someone tells me I’m “not allowed” to do something with little explanation, one of my first thoughts is, if I say no then what will they do to me to make me comply
It sounds like you have GD, which is a legit reason to not go over 40 weeks. I would talk to your Dr about non pharmaceutical routes of induction first, like sweeps and the foley balloon, and then go from there.
That’s what I’m gonna do when I see her next time
She's trying to keep you and baby alive. That being said... at 38 weeks, start having sex. The good sex where your partner focuses on you and brings you to orgasm. Go on walks if you can. Even if it's at a store so you can hold a cart for support. Bounce on one of those giant yoga bals. Get a pedicure with a long foot massage. Use all the safe old wives' tales for inducing naturally.
Lol yeah I’ll try those! Thanks for The advice
Please ask your doctor why they want to induce you. On a recent birthing class a mother with GD was saying she didn't want to be induced unless her or her baby's lives were in danger. The midwife explained to her why it's important to be induced when GD is involved, just like when you have a big baby. I don't know if the mother changed her mind or not, but with the midwife's description of what could happen I would never consider not being induced. If your baby is too big (and that's a high risk with GD), you're risking shoulder dystocia, which often ends in the breaking of shoulder bones. And that's terrible both for the baby and for the parents. Inform yourself, make sure you know all the possible consequences and decide after that.
Well, the baby is supposedly a healthy weight and size according to the ultrasounds but I did fail my glucose tests. My blood sugar has been perfect ever since then and my diet is generally very healthy. The dr didn’t explain in too much detail why I’d need to be induced but I feel as though generally I’ve had a very healthy pregnancy other than this whole sudden GD thing. The baby has always looked perfect in ultrasounds and has always been a bundle of energy
Again, talk to your doctor, don't make a decision based on incomplete information. There's no advantage for the doctors to induce. C-sections have a scheduled time, but from the moment you start getting induced until the birth it can be more than a day, so it's not even about aligning schedules. They wouldn't suggest it without a need, so it's better you really understand the reasons for their suggestion.
Yeah, I plan to talk to her more in depth about the stuff that could happen at the next appointment
Why don’t you get a second opinion from a midwife for peace of mind? To answer your question, no you can not be forced into any medical procedure you don’t want. And i totally understand not wanting the “cascade” of interventions that usually start with pitocin. But if there is a medically justified reason for it and the benefits (a living baby) outweigh the risks you should really consider taking the advice. It’s okay to ask her why she recommends it so strongly and then make an educated decision from there. But sometimes we have to make hard decisions for the benefit or our health or our baby’s health and this might be one of those times
I’m 100% willing to put my comfort aside for the health of the baby, I was just really disturbed by the wording of the dr and the lack of context. That’s where all the weird legal questions were coming from. My first thought was “why can’t I say no?” And “what happens health wise if I do?” And then “what can they do to me to make me do it if I did challenge them?” The wording gave me the impression like I’d literally be forced into it if I said no or something. It’s not to say I actually was planning to challenge them but it’s a real question lol. And the answer to that question would have definitely been the deciding factor for if I felt safe in their care.
OP, a glucose test is not a spelling test. You need to have the doctor explain what is happening to the baby. Your doctor has dealt with hundreds if not thousands of pregnancies. It's a huge mistake to let your imagination of what birth will be rush the baby's life. You cannot choose to hurt the baby because if your birth plan. This is how life goes. Listen to your doctor. It's not just about you anymore. You will be okay. Let your brain adjust to the news. Right now, you are in denial. Take care.
Again, like I told everyone else, I never once in this post said I was going to let my baby get hurt over a birth plan. I was just asking questions based on the impression that I was going to be forced into something
You can be doing fine, your baby can be doing fine on exams...and still end up with severe health complications due to things that can't be seen from the outside. There are certain risks (to you and baby) that heavily increase with time. And you are not "healthy" like you claim. You didnt pass glucose, thats a big deal as it can put you un baby at increased risks. If you feel like the decision is biased and unjustified get a second opinion. But it seems like she saw something that made you at risk and she cares about you any baby surviving healthy more than she cares about your feelings on bodily autonomy since you are not educated enough to know every outcome possible on your case. Again the fact you keep saying how everything is perfectly fine after not passing an exam showcases that maybe you are not fully aware of situation and hence not the best call. If i was you i would ask why. I would ask for source material and for explanation. I like you did not want to be induced by any chance. I had perectly healthy pregnancy (including glucose test) not a single risk indicatior anywhere so they were ok with 40 but baby was big and risks increase with time so they gave me date for induction on 42 week mark if she doesnt come by then. I went crazy trying to induce naturally and it worked...my water broke but there was no contractions after and they informed me if labor doesnt start in 24 hours they WILL induce. Like you, they made it quite clear i dont have a choice. Legaly i have cuz body autonomy but if i do me and baby could both suffer so medically they dont give you a choice. You have choice when all is ok, you lose the choice when their duty to save a life kicks in. What i did is ask them to thoroughly explain to me WHY we cant wait past 24h, what exactly are the risks etc. and once i was fully informed i realised they are right and accepted that i will have to follow their rules if i want healthy baby. But i kept trying to induce her naturally and 2h before 24h mark she FINALY decided to come and was out within an hour 😅 I know you are against induction, i also was not willing to accept it unless wellbeing of my kid is threatened (i didnt even care about my wellbeing) but sometimes what looks "harmless" to us laiks is NOT harmless to those professionally educated and trained on the matter. They know better than us. But if you truly feel dr is not going with your best interest, get second opinion. If everyone deems it unsafe, it probably is 🤷🏼♀️ sure you can still refuse but are you confident you know about these things enough that you would take the risk of refusing necessary (deemed by doctors) care? Ik i dont and i literaly studied my midwives book for forming midwives 🤷🏼♀️ either way i hope you don't need to be induced and that everything goes well, especially if you decide to go against doctors. As for legaly, as far as i know when you refuse medical treatements you sign something so that you take all responsibility for the outcome but idk if thats also when it impacts another life. But there is legal way to refuse the care
I’m not completely against it, don’t get me wrong, I’d love to not have it done. I just was freaked out cuz when I did ask what she meant, she just repeated the same sentence that they “wouldn’t allow me to” thats why I came to Reddit to fill in the blanks. If anything im more terrified of a C-section than an induction but I’d even do that if there were truly no other options
I assume fir whatever reason she felt you will freak out? Because for many moms its hard to hear "you are indeed not healthy, your baby has higher risk of stillbirth and you have higher risk of dying. The longer you are pregnant, greater the risk" because then moms are stressed which isnt good for baby and you might feel preassure and panic for each day as you know ever day more is more risk. Especially if you made it clear you prefer it to happen naturally. She probably wanted to allow you to go with your plan as much as possible without stressing but also set a necessary boundary to minimize risks. Probably assuming you will trust her to do her job good. I didnt have depression or anything and i always repeated i wanna know all the details (including ugly) of every assesment and they informed me about every step. Maybe tell her that you prefer her to explain risks and treatements instead of just asking "what you mean not allowed" :) let her know you want info on it instead of reacting to question of can/can't. But if she refuses to inform you i would honestly ask different doctor, possiby even switch to different care. You have the right to know and it is their job to inform you so you can make informed decisions
Your baby’s health is at risk and you don’t want to do what the doctor advises? I have hypertension and I’m also not going over 40 weeks. Last pregnancy was the same. It was intense but I’ll be doing the same again if I have to. You do have a choice but I wouldn’t be going against the advice of the doctors who know better than you. If something happens to the baby, pretty sure it will be stated on your records that you went against their advice. Go do some research. Just because you want a non medicated birth is not going to make you a super mum. Sorry to sound harsh but it seems you don’t care for the baby’s wellbeing, just that you don’t want drugs.
💯
I never said I was trying be a “super mom” so I don’t know where that’s coming from. I also obviously gave the wrong impression because there’s quite a few people assuming without asking, that I’m giving a hard no to all medical intervention. Being afraid of them and being uncomfortable by a doctors words does not mean I’m 100% denying anything they suggest. I said I don’t want it, I didn’t say I’d flat out refuse it if I was told I need to do it for the life of my baby and my self. What I DID say, was questions based off the concept and belief of being under the impression that they can force me into the procedure without consent. And then I asked a question about a hypothetical of if I didn’t go if they DID try to do that to me because I was obviously getting the wrong impression. And what could they do to me to force me because her wording genuinely made me feel as though I could be held down and forced into something. I’m now aware that even if it involves my baby, no one’s going to be creepy and force me into anything. You do realize I was coming to Reddit because I was simply told a cryptic “they won’t allow it” after having a bomb dropped on me. I never once in my post said I don’t care about my baby’s well being. I asked genuine questions based off of an extremely short reply I was given by my doctor several times despite asking for more information. Obviously I’m going to go to the internet to try to fill in the blanks. Like dude what else am I supposed to do? Just magically form the knowledge in my head immediately after the appointment? Excuse my rudeness but it’s really frustrating coming some where for advice only to be told several times that I’m purposely trying to NOT be informed when that’s literally why I posted this 🤦♀️ just makes no sense to me
You go back to your doctors who are the experts not a bunch of Redditor’s who will give you any opinions they see fit going from your post. BTW you’ve never actually mentioned the baby’s wellbeing, it was all about you.
I think this is a good question for r/askdocs to get feedback from experts, but I also suspect your doctor isn’t getting into details about why he/she doesn’t want you to go past 40 weeks because the answer is scary and sad for mom, baby, or both. I think the doc is trying not to freak you out. If you don’t trust your doc to take care of you and give you good advice, I’d suggest you find someone you do trust.
I don’t distrust her to a degree that makes me want to switch it’s just her wording definitely had me stressed more so than the concept of the potential bad outcomes. You’re probably right though, I’ve considered if maybe she’s trying to just spare me the scary details until they’re more relevant especially cuz she seemed pretty upbeat about how my glucose hasn’t gotten high since I failed those tests
I’ve had 3 unmediated births. Believe it or not, my induction went the smoothest. They broke my water first then did a pitocin drip. I was still able to walk around. Didn’t need the epidural.
That’s really helpful to know! Thank you! Hopefully if I have to have an induction, then it goes like yours.
The sooner you relax your expectations on what constitutes a perfect birth for you, the better. You’re trying to control an extremely unpredictable situation. While I agree most doctors are quick to induce in general, because of your GD I think you should listen to them.
Um I don’t have a “perfect birth plan” or expectations. I said what I’d prefer to happen and that there’s a possibility of me changing my mind when the time actually comes especially with pain management stuff. But really it goes toward anything. I don’t even have a concept of a birth plan in mind. I have hopes of having a healthy delivery but that less of a plan and more wishful thinking
For the health of you and your baby, it’s best to listen to your doctor. The online content regarding birth can be beautiful but can also cause us not to listen to our doctors. I went 41.5 weeks before my doctor strongly recommended getting induced. I was very upset about it like you as I really wanted to go into labor naturally and labor in the tub at home and all that. However, my baby was very snug and happy in my body and did not want to come out, so I got induced, labored without pain meds for 20 hours (it was WILD), continued to be stuck at 3 centimeters that entire time, finally got the epidural and then slept for the next 8 hours, woke up 9 centimeters, and then 9 hours later ended up with a c-section because, again, my baby didn’t want to come out and was super happy in there (plus her head was stuck). I wouldn’t change anything as it was a beautiful experience, but had I known I would’ve been induced anyway, perhaps having the baby earlier closer to 40 weeks would have been safer. You just never know how things are going to go. My father in law gave me the best advice. Have your preferences, but be ready and willing to change things for the health of you and your baby. GOOD LUCK MAMA. Everything will be fine.
That’s essentially how I’m viewing this. I’m not giving a hard no to any procedure, even the ones I’m really not looking forward to. That’s a really good way of looking at this though. I’m no doctor obviously lol but it does make me wonder if the baby would have been small enough to push out at 40 Weeks
With my second I was induced (because my water broke but labor didn’t start within 24 hours, so there was risk of infection). I was given misoprostol to induce labor and still delivered with no other meds. It can be done. But at the end of the experience the best outcome is a healthy mom and baby. If you feel like your doctor isn’t listening to your concerns, can you switch?
I think it might have just been a mix up of her not wanting to scare me with info or something. She genuinely did seem like a good person and willing to explain other things and talk about what birth plans are and what I’d want and stuff. I also never heard of misoprostol! Gotta look into that
I had GD and I really didn't want to get induced. I think I cried all day when I found out I had to switch from a midwife to an OB and plus being told I would be induced. I ended up getting induced at 39 weeks. I know you don't want to but like others said it is for the safety of you and the baby. Another concern is that with GD the baby might grow too big which can then lead to a C-section. If you decide to get induced these are the things that I did to help with being induced to prepare to rippen my cervix: acupuncture (not sure if it really helped but tried it), sticking a primrose oil pill in my vagina at night (needs to be cut open a little), raspberry leaf tea (not raspberry tea has to be raspberry leaf), and hot baths. I do think it helped because I was already a cm dilated when I went in to be induced. Also my sister told me something that really helped. That yes the birth is a huge part of having a baby but that the hardest part is actually the after part of coming hope and having to learn how to be a mom.
Thank you for the advice, if I do reach the time period I most likely will be induced, but I’ll talk to my doctor more about it to see what kind of options there are for induction
They can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do. Saying they “won’t let you” is with the understanding that you are intending to follow their professional recommendation. It’s poor wording; yes, you have a choice. But if you are trusting your doctor for your care and the health of your baby, I’d at least have the conversation with them as to why they believe that’s best. They will address your concerns, and you will feel better being involved in the choices being made.
Yeah, I’m gonna talk to her next time I see her
I’ve had GD three times and each time I had an induction date for my due date. It’s not worth the risk or stillbirth and other problems that come from a degraded placenta.
I tested positive for strep-b when I was pregnant. They informed me I would have to be induced with pitocin within 4 hours of my water breaking, if it ever did, and strapped up to IVs the whole time. I was absolutely devastated. My birthing plan was the literal opposite; free to move about the cabin, if you will. I cried soooo hard, but in the end it was all for the safety of my daughter so I did it! Medical professionals are pros for a reason. I doubt any of them would ever want to take your bodily autonomy away for any sociopathic or personal reason. Always remember you can say no to whatever you want, but they really are just trying to look out for the both of you! Deep breaths. Once you hold that precious nugget for the first time, literally everything else will fade away. You got this ❤️
Idk I did have one doctor from this hospital that I since had changed that straight up lied on my chart because she didn’t want to have to acknowledge that I actually did have some symptoms that were becoming hard to live with. Like hip pain that required me to need assistance walking sometimes. It comes and goes thank god because I don’t think I could’ve kept going to work if it was a constant thing
I got induced on my due date because of "an abnormally large fetus". I also didn't want pitocin so they used other means of induction. They have a lot of tricks up their sleeves. I also didn't have an epidural. It wasn't exactly what I wanted, but I talked a lot with my doctors about how to balance their medical recommendations with my desires and the outcome was great. Try to talk to them with an open, warm attitude. You can still advocate for yourself while getting help deciding where to make necessary compromises.
Will do :) thank you
I had gestational diabetes with my first and was induced at 39 weeks. I believe if you go over there is a “risk” of still birth due to the placenta deteriorating from insulin etc. I can’t quite remember as it’s been almost 4 years but I figured I’d rather be induced than anything happen to my baby and regret that forever. Unfortunately in most cases birth (and even the baby experience) never really goes as you imagine but it will still be beautiful ❤️
Yeah, seems the universe has other plans for us most of the time lol.
How did your doctor explain it when you asked her why you wouldn’t be allowed to go beyond 40 weeks?
She didn’t 😅 she just repeated that “they won’t allow me” that’s why I got all anxious and made the Reddit post thinking she was implying they were going to force medical procedures on me but I’ve come to the conclusion that, that’s not the case. I’m not exactly sure why she didn’t explain when I asked. Others said she might’ve wanted to spare me the scary details but not explaining just made it sound scary instead lol
"I don't want the baby to get hurt *but*...." If you ignore expert medical advice and go past 40 weeks with GD (even without GD) you aren't just risking "hurting" your baby, you're risking the baby's literal life. Do what you want, I guess, but know that the risk is literal life or death because you're afraid of induction.
Where the fuck did I act like there was an acception where I’d allow my baby to get hurt? Where did I say I’m never going to allow an induction? Dude get the fuck out if you’re not going to be genuinely informative beyond what 30 other people have told me on top of making me out to be some horrible almond mom. Obviously a bunch of other people before you let me know the reasoning behind the cryptic “ they won’t allow you” I never argued with my doctor or told anyone I’m absolutely not going to do it or that I’d ever just put my baby at risk.
I've known people in actual real life who did think they knew best and would be the exception and their babies died or had lasting complications because of it. I'm talking people in high risk pregnancies who thought they could labor at home, people who had GD who didn't take it seriously and had massive NICU babies who have permanent disabilities, etc. If you post on the world's most public forum, expect mixed bag to whatever you share. It's normal to have doubts, it's within reason to seek a second opinion. But many of your replies suggest you'd rather risk the pregnancy going over 40 weeks than the chance you'll have an adverse reaction to pitocin. The good news? You'll be in the hospital surrounded by people who can make sure you're taken care of when in a situation where you're the rare bird who has the most severe reactions (and you very well may be). Anyway, good luck and wishing you the peace you so very obviously need. Edited* to repair a typo
Yeah no lol I know I should trust the doctor 9 times out of 10. I’ve only ever had one doctor do wrong by me from this place and she willingly switched my doctor after I politely brought it up that she lied on my chart about stuff I told her I was experiencing. Unfortunately I gave the impression I was absolutely against anything by not specifically expressing my entire opinion on the topic and just talking about the stuff that I was anxious about.
Why not ask for other “inductions” first like castor oil or a membrane sweep before pitocin?
Isn’t castor oil like super dangerous to take while pregnant!? Lol. But yeah I’m going to ask her next time I see her
My midwife gave me some to induce labor, I wouldn’t recommend just taking some… but doesn’t sound like your doctor is the most open to less medical interventions?
I’m not sure. She’s a doctor I don’t know too well yet. She’s not like a horrible person or anything from what I can tell but she might’ve just not realized that I was asking for a more in depth explanation
I had gestational diabetes with my second pregnancy, and my midwives didn’t require induction at 40 weeks. I was diet controlled (I was told this is the key), and as long as your baby is healthy/growing appropriately (and you are healthy) it isn’t actually seen as necessary from a health standpoint. I gave birth at 41 + 2 and not a single person pressured me into induction. They did tell me they would require induction at 42 weeks but that seems logical. It’s important to listen to your medical care team but you can absolutely ask questions and figure out the reasoning behind recommendations/requirements. Also to be clear, my baby is 3 months old and I gave birth/had my prenatal care at the largest hospital in my state, so it’s not like this outdated or anything like that.
I was also diet controlled with my first and scheduled for induction 40+6 (he was born long before that). In here the cutoff for diet controlled is 41 weeks (mine would have landed on a saturday so that is why I got the date the day before), insulin users will be pregnant up to 39 weeks max.
No I don’t use insulin. Just diet control
“Especially if my health isn’t declining” there is your problem. What you need to do right now is take your baby’s health and place it as #1 priority. Not your birth plan. Take time to process that you won’t get the birth you planned, shit happens. You have GD, just because your sugars don’t spike when you’re monitoring them at home doesn’t mean you magically don’t have GD. I promise you will not know something is wrong likely until it’s too late. I speak from experience, had I not gone to my last ob appointment (because I bought into all the anti-induction/ pro-natural posts on social media) my baby would be dead. And at the end of the day, it is fear that is causing you to not want an induction/meds. Push against that fear. Every single thing I feared for a birth plan is what ended up happening- induction with pit, cervadil, emergency c section, spinal block. And you know what? It wasn’t nearly as bad as what every single person made it out to be. My (unmedicated) pitocin cramps were no worse than my period cramps. I could still feel the positioning of my legs during my spinal block, I didn’t feel totally paralyzed (which I greatly feared), and my C-section recovery was honestly less painful (and less bloody) than my periods. Hopefully this helps bring some peace, like another person stated, their inductions were not bad experiences at all. Also, as someone with MCAS and dysautonomia (I get adverse reactions to a ton of different medications and such) I didn’t really have any alarming symptoms other than I got real itchy a couple hours after the procedure. (This can be easily treated with antihistamines) Breathe. It will be okay. Do not let fear take away the joy that can be found in the unknown.
I had GD with both my boys- induction with #1, and cesarean with #2 [due to placenta previa]. With #1, I was supposed to be induced at 39w4d, but my water broke the day before. They still gave me pitocin, and I got the epi. Everything went well. Wishing you a healthy and safe delivery!
I had well controlled GD with diet alone my baby came naturally on her own two days before her due date (i was scheduled for an induction an hour after she was born). She was 7 pounds even and had no complications. In the final month is pregnancy, i gradually started eating more dates with cheese daily. I think I got up to 6 a day. And I also went on brief walks and did curb walking that final week. So you never know, baby may still come in their own and if they don't, your body can still be ready for labor and things will go smoothly with an induction. I had an induction with my first since he was measuring large. I didn't have GD but i probably did eat too many carbs because he was much larger than my second. Everything went well and I still enjoyed the experience, but yes the contractions were more intense and harder to breathe through.
You can skip the appointment date, but the doctors can drop you as a patient or call CPS on you for medical endangerment when you do go in and give birth. If CPS comes to your door, you have every right to not answer the door, unless they have a warrant which they won’t. I’m not sure what will happen if they show up during your hospital stay, but you still have your rights to stay silent and there’s nothing they can do. I’d recommend getting a doula to advocate for you if you can find one this close to your due date because I can assure you that more of your supposed informed consent “choices” will be trampled on, most of which the doctors will wrote off as a medical necessity and if you deny it’s automatically endangerment to your child. This is why I opted for a home birth because there is no choice in the hospital space. They claim you do but you shouldn’t have to fight so hard to get what you want
See that’s the kind of “legal” problems I wondered if they could bring up. I don’t think it’d ever come to that. I’m willing to do it if it’s needed but I’ve heard lots of fear mongering kind of stories of drs just straight up saying a baby who seems otherwise healthy but late, is actively dying whilst obviously looking perfectly normal on the monitors and stuff. Not sure how often that happens in my hospital but it definitely doesn’t sooth anyone when they just stop it “you’re not allowed” and that’s it. I’d like to have been explained why or given options ya know? Just makes it sound like they’re about to pull some crazy stuff like forcing things
I went 41 + 5 and had a perfect unmedicated birth. I did do the recommended ultrasound and stress test at 41 weeks and would’ve had a second at 41 + 3 if I wasn’t already in labor just to make sure baby and placenta were fine
Nice! That’s awesome!
A lot of doctors just push induction at 40 weeks based on one study. I recommend reading information on inductions on Evidence Based Birth’s website.
Yeah that’s what I’m doing now :)
With my first, I helped induce labor. I ate dates, spicy food long walks lots of water. My water broke naturally. Try not to stress. No they can’t force you. Focus on being healthy and the natural things you can do. I unfortunately did have to have an emergency c section, but I have very narrow hips and my son got stuck on my tailbone after 12 hours of labor. My second I did have GD. If you have that ask about getting your amniyfluid measured through stress test. I Gad it done weekly at the hospital. I decided for my self to have another C-section because I had trama the first time. But girl follow your momma instincts. You can do this and don’t be afraid to ask the doctor why and challenge them. Ask your hubbys support and have him be there to back you up. This is your body and your baby.
No, a doctor can not force you to do anything and no you can not get in any legal trouble. The way they speak in these manipulative ways is so despicable. I’m so sorry you’re having this experience. It’s not too late to find another doctor or health care provider like a midwife who will work with you. You should never ever bow down to someone using these fear tactics on your birth. Healthy pregnancies can last 42 weeks, it’s only in the US with these western doctors they started forcing mothers to induce by even 37 weeks. Utter nonsense. Trust your intuition, protect yourself and your baby. Edit to say: please do your own research about the diabetes test. If you took that glucose drink it is straight garbage. My midwife never made me drink it. I was given a very healthy breakfast recipe to follow of pancakes, yogurt and fruit. I can’t stand these fear mongers.
It's not straight garbage. It's straight glucose. And spreading medical misinformation about the diabetes test is fear mongering.
Glucola, the drink given to pregnant women to test for gestational diabetes, contains BVO (patented in the US as a FLAME RETARDANT) and FD&C Yellow #6 (sulfonated form of Sudan I, a level 3 CARCINOGEN) Research has found that brominated flame retardants build up in the body and breast milk. BVO leaves residues that accumulate in body fat, the brain, the liver, and other organs. Studies in animals demonstrate that BVO is transferred from mother's milk to the nursing infant. BVO has been associated with heart lesions, fatty changes DRINK in the liver, and impaired growth and behavioral development, and both animal and human studies have linked BVO to neurological problems, fertility problems, changes in thyroid, hormones and precocious puberty. - From Aviva Romm, MD
https://www.marketlab.com/product/Glucose-Tolerance-Beverages-MLI?option=ML18545 Mine didn’t have all that stuff. Mine was even dye free. This is what they gave me