Why it pays to wait

By now you’ve packed your hospital bag, the baby’s room is as ready as it’s going to get, and your aches and pains are robbing you of sleep. Baby’s pressure on your body makes it a struggle just to get up and go to the bathroom in the night.

This is not an easy time. Even when you’re awake, you find you can’t stay in one position for very long. While suffering through this final stage of being enceinte, it can be very tempting to beg your doctor to induce you or to beg for an elective cesarean section.

Neither option is optimal for you or your baby. An elective c-section, one that isn’t performed for a serious medical reason, could cause your baby to be delivered before he’s ready, making him more vulnerable to lung problems and other physical maladies. A c-section is abdominal surgery, which will also expose you to a greater risk of infection and problems with the placenta in subsequent pregnancies, and will almost certainly commit you to having this same surgical procedure for any babies you have after this one.

So, having a c-section when you don’t need one shouldn’t be entered into lightly. Weigh your options, learn about what a c-section recovery is like, and seek a second opinion from a maternal-fetal specialist if your care provider is recommending scheduling a c-section that you don’t feel you really need. (For more about recovering from c-sections, see in 5. Managing Your First Year.)

You may also be tempted to try castor oil or an herbal remedy to jump-start labor. These are not good ideas. Castor oil causes severe diarrhea and may make you vomit. If it actually works, you’ll not only have to deal with the pain of labor, you’ll have to experience it on the toilet with your head in a hospital sick bucket.

  Tip

Before you get too antsy and try to jump-start your labor, keep in mind that most first-time babies often run late, and that’s perfectly normal. Your health-care provider will start to become concerned when your baby doesn’t arrive 10 to 14 days after your due date.

No herbal labor inducer has been shown to be safe or effective. In some instances they can interfere with medications or affect your baby’s condition after birth.

No matter what you may read on the Internet or what others tell you, unless you or your baby’s health is threatened, waiting it out until your body goes into labor naturally is the safest way to go.