Should Labor Be Induced?

I believe baby will come when he or she is ready. Doctors can be off by up to 2 weeks and an ultrasound does not show how developed the longs are. and with my second child was big for me and i delivered him perfectly fine! and yes i am small!. With my 3rd the doctors said she was going to be a good size baby. around 8 lbs. She came out and was only 6lb 15 oz. so teh doctors can be worn gwhen it coems to thier weight!

Wow, don't any of you know that most of the brain development happens at the end of your pregnancy?? The actual gestational period is 41 weeks not 40. Not to mention the fact that the way they determine your "due date" is from the first day of your last menstrual cycle. You're not even pregnant then!! So if you are being induced at 38 weeks, you could really only be at 36 weeks. There's no way to tell exactly how far along you are, they are only guesstimates. I really wish mothers would do more research and ask their doctors for VALID reasons before going along with whatever they say.

I agree with Ellen. My first child was an inducttion and it was horrible, I refuse to be induce in my second pregnancy (I am 23 wks) unless it cleary become and nessecity for the servial of my son and myself. Babies are not meant to be convenet otherwise they would come out sleeping threw the night and potty trained as well, I think nature is the better judge of when the baby is ready.

I think anonymous should wait. Your body seems to know when it is ready.
I'm also on my 4th pregnancy. All of my three previous births (17, 10, and 13 years ago) went exactly to the due date or earlier. I'm now thinking of induction because the labors were fast and this time I need to have antibiotics for GSB and am not sure I can get it in time to benefit the new baby. I also have gestational diabetes and don't want the baby to be late and possibly at risk.

I'm in France and 13 wks and my doctor said he'd talk to me later about this, but that due to his reach (including US studies) he recommends inducing up to 2 wks before hand. I'm concerned as I don't see how you can decide this before seeing what is actually going on near the delivery date and I'm 45, having my fourth child (after two vaginal deliveries and a first child born by C-section, who probably shouldn't have per the nurse and doctors since). All of my three previous births (19, 18 and 3 1/2 yrs ago) went to over 40 wks but before the 41st wk, so I think at 38 wks, I likely won't be ready. Hmm, other thoughts, especially from those in the profession?