To induce or not to induce

Dear Baby,
This is your Mama. Come out and no one will get hurt. At yesterdays doctors appointment, the doc said that I am "right there" and can go into labor at any time. This thought excited me, though no major changes had happened from last week other than your head is moving lower yet. She also mentioned that we could go ahead and induce labor if I was tired of waiting...which honestly I am right on that electrical fence. One wrong bump and I start thinking, "Yes doctor, let's set it up." Alas, I did not take her up on her offer at that moment because I was feeling crummy all morning as it was and thought maybe, just maybe the Baby will come out on her own. (This is where you, Baby, do a favor for your Mama.)

During our childbirth classes we talked a lot about medical interventions and what it would mean to the overall birthing experience. For those who are unaware, there are a couple of labor inducing drugs out there, most commonly used is pitocin. It is an IV and once you start it you are connected via IV throughout your labor. You can get out of bed and still walk around, use the bathroom, rock in a rocking chair, but you are stuck there. Our visions and conversations after the classes were that we wanted to do a lot of the early labor at home. It is more comfortable to be walking around without bringing a rolling IV unit with you, we can go outside for a walk, take a warm bath, and I can stay in comfortable clothes for many more hours. The other fear we have that we learned about in the classes was once you allow medical interventions, you may keep having more to push your labor along like artifically breaking the "bags of water" or needing to have a C-section because you are so exhausted from the many hours of early labor and just want to end it all quickly.

Our birhting expereince looks more like me at home resting when possible, taking a walk in the park across the street if I'm feeling ambitious, using the birthing ball, massages, still being able to eat a little like some soup and getting enough fluids, and being able to pack my bag with the clothes I want to bring. I would much rather spend 10 hours (plus or minus a few hours) doing these comfortable things at home than in the hospital. Once we get to the hospital, soothing sounds, watching movies and depending on how far along I have progressed, getting the epidural will be our plan. Did you see the blue birds singing, or a movie montage there? We'll see how it really goes.