kazh
You're going to have to play the "what if" game:
- What if we wait for spontaneous labor? What are the risks? - How much lower are those risks if we induce early? - What are the risks of induction? - Are there any other ways to mitigate the risks without inducing?
...and so forth.
Basically, your goal is to pin them down to specifying specific risks and attaching specific numbers to those risks. Don't let them get away with saying "bad things will happen" or "you're more likely to have shoulder dystocia"-- make them say "there is a 10-30 percent increased risk of shoulder dystocia. Then go further and question the quality of the evidence. Ask, "How clear is the research on this? Are there lots of high quality studies showing this increased risk, or is there a possibility that this was a spurious result?" And then ask the next questions: "If shoulder dystocia happens what are the risks?" "Does induction reduce those risks?" "What can you do to reduce the likelihood of dystocia, and what can you do to remedy it if it happens?"
Then, once you've asked all those questions (and written down the answers), don't make any commitments on the spot. Go home and think about it and look up anything you want to look up before you make a final decision.
Sad to say, I would expect you to get a lot of pushback from your providers. Once they sense that you're not comfortable with their recommendations, they may well start scare mongering, telling you that your baby is more likely to die if they wait or have serious injuries. All you can do is pin them down as to specifics and then double check what they say to find out if you feel that it is reasonable or not.
Best wishes, Ericka
