New Moms Can't Stop Spiraling Over Baby Health Scares

“Did anyone have to wait more than a couple of days to be induced after their scheduled induction got pushed back? I’m currently 39 weeks pregnant and my induction was scheduled for today, but the nurse manager from the L&D unit at the Kaiser hospital I’m scheduled at said they’re at capacity and most likely won’t be able to take me. I completely understand that they can’t take me today, but now I’m hearing from other friends/family members that something similar happened to them and they/the”

“Hey all FTM here. Would really appreciate any positive experience and comforting 😭 I have been so anxious and nervous for the past weeks. I have a pretty smooth and low risk pregnancy so far. Baby healthy and no complications. My due date is 10/10 and the baby is a couple days late now. I have been pretty anxious as days carry on and I really have no signs of labor. I do have relative consistent cramps these couples days which I thought means something but is prob just prodromal labor that goes”

“My first was born at almost 42 weeks. My second at almost 41 weeks. If you went past 40 twice, what happened third time? submitted by /u/Eastern_Humor6925 [link] [comments]”

“5 weeks pp, second baby. I don’t remember this period of time with my first baby, I was such a mess trying to breastfeed, barely slept mostly due to crippling anxiety, so I don’t recall how long this “uneasy” feeling lasts. Sundown scaries, cabin fever, baby blues and all that jazz. I’m just constantly on edge. submitted by /u/cornflakegirl87 [link] [comments]”

“Birth story time! My first is 2.5 years old and was delivered vaginally at 7 lb 14 oz after 4 hours of pushing. I just delivered my second and delivery didnt go as planned. I went in for an elective induction, hoping to deliver vaginally, because the little man was measuring large (84%ile) and i didnt want to deliver a 9 lb baby, especially since I had my first child 5 days after their due date. The induction went AMAZING. I showed up at 3 cm dilated, got two doses of cervadil which got me to 5”

“I'm 35 weeks 5 days and am feeling pretty overwhelmed. My N/MF scheduled me for a growth ultrasound since my fundal measurements weren't consistently going up. My daughter is measuring smaller per the US (just short of the 10th percentile), so they're operating out of caution to put me on more monitoring (doppler and stress testing) every week to two weeks and are now planning to induce me in 2 and 1/2 weeks. Our results today were great (possibly no growth restrictions) so we could”

“i am being induced at 38 weeks due to hypertension (even though it’s well regulated with meds). i always hoped i would go into spontaneous labor so i could labor at home first. but now i feel like induction is my only path available for birth. i am high risk and a FTM. hypertension, GD with insulin, cerclage (will be removed during week 37 most likely). and i’m hoping that one week before induction post cerclage removal will come with a genuine miracle, but is there ANYTHING you might recommend”

“side note: last pregnancy was 2.5 years ago. for those who are pregnant for the second time, just wondering when you were not able to hide the bump anymore? I'm only nine weeks and I already feel like the bump which is mostly bloating is becoming more and more difficult to cover up. I'm not ready to tell people at work so I was just wondering. Would love to hear other people's experiences.💓💓💓 submitted by /u/N123123123123123 [link] [comments]”

“Went in for my 36 weeks appointment. We planned on a 38 weeks induction due to some family history of pre-e. I never had it, my numbers have been good all pregnancy until today. I went in for my appointment and my readings were 134/98, doc was concerned and sent me to L&D for blood work up, NST, and continual pressure readings. My BP normalized and was 110-1200s/70s for two hours while I was here. They took my blood. Liver enzymes came back high. No symptoms of HELLP, pre-e, or choleostasis.”

“Has anyone here done an induction at 39 weeks as a first time mom? If so, how did it go? submitted by /u/Sea_Painter_1184 [link] [comments]”

“I never post so I hope I’m doing this right. I wanted to share my story because it was positive in my opinion and that’s rare online. I was scheduled for induction because I had gestational diabetes. I was scared because lots of people say induction is very painful and has worse contractions. And they say epidural can be bad with slowing contractions. I wanted to add a mostly positive and real experience that I had. I was in minimal labor pain and had a pleasant birthing experience. We went in t”

“I had my second daughter 9 days ago via c section. The newborn is doing fantastic. But I was diagnosed with post partum preeclampsia 5 days post partum. I had been at home for 2 days and then was re admitted to the hospital. They put me on a magnesium drip which made me feel horrible. My oldest daughter (3.5 yo) stayed with my mom and she had a lot of fun, my mom said. I of course missed her immensely. I felt like I was neglecting her. It’s taken a toll on me mentally. Now we are all at home aga”

“Hello, I’m 39 weeks and scheduled an induction right at 41. Well today the internet was ‘interneting’ and I saw a post from a girl who lost the baby at 41 even though she was perfectly fine at 40. I know I need to stay off of socials, but this really freaked my already sensitive emotional state. I’m debating moving my induction up. Is that crazy? I will talk to my doctor about my fears but any suggestions to work through the anxiety? submitted by /u/MulberryHistorical10 [link]”

“Hi All, due on Sept 3 and had my LO on Aug 24th! I had a very positive birth experience that strayed from my birth plan due to unforeseen circumstances. Just thought I’d share incase anyone is worries about the “what could happen”. On the evening of Aug 23rd my water had broke. At first I thought it was more pee that released as I shifted. It was definitely a slow trickle but notably different than pee. I had just recently got my 2nd round GBS results back (positive the second time) in my patien”

“Whew! I’m coming up on the second trimester, but recently feel like I’m getting hit by a tranquilizer dart extra hard again 🫩 we just moved into a new house and I do have a toddler this time around, but dang, my symptoms seemed like they were easing up, and I can’t even seem to get off the couch today. I’ve also had to pee a lot more frequently recently and have been waking up with that fun hangover/headache feeling. Could that be a blood volume thing? Or hormones dipping? Or just pregnancy bei”

“I’m a FTM and had a pretty high-risk pregnancy. I was on bed rest and ended up being induced at 38 weeks because of suspected cholestasis (the itchy hands thing). My baby is now 12 weeks old, and I’ve had a lot of help from the very beginning. My MIL helped us from day one, and when my baby was 6 weeks old, we traveled back home to be with my family. So from birth until now, I’ve basically always had someone around to help with the baby. Now she’s 12 weeks old, and we have to go back to the US,”

“Hi all. I am being induced on tuesday and I am kind of freaking out about it. This is my second child. My birth with my first was very fast and unexpected at 39 weeks. While I've done this before, knowing its coming is really hard and ive been stressing and psyching myself out over it. What are some things that helped you be less scared/anxious? I think it is the loss of control and the fear of something going wrong that is what I'm most worried about. I just want to come home safely to”

“Baby #1 is 7 months now, but I would like to start trying for #2 around February (1 year post c-section). I am coming back to work tomorrow and I can't even imagine the judgement in case I'm pregnant again.... Babies with 2 years gap 🥲 I would like to wait but also I am 35 🥲 any similar stories? And how much have you waited after the C-section? submitted by /u/VelvetMedusa [link] [comments]”

“I know it’s a little bit of an oxymoron, but has anyone been through a lower-intervention induction? I’m currently 34 weeks and had envisioned and prepared for a natural, low intervention, low/no medication birth. At my 32 week appointment, my doc brought up the idea of induction and after some conversations, research and questions, we both decided it’s the safest route to take for myself and baby. That being said, I’d still like to go as low intervention as possible with the induction. I’m curi”

“Hi all! I’m new to this group. But I wanted to hear some insight from other mommas. When I had my first baby I was induced at 39 weeks. My pregnancy with her was honestly good, I never had any issues or symptoms I couldn’t handle (if that makes sense). I chose to be induced because I was just over being pregnant and I had no signs of labor being near. I never had Braxton hicks or anything. Induced with pitocin, my labor was 5 and a half hours and I pushed her out in 8 minutes. I’m 32 weeks pregn”

“Hi, I’m now 5 days post partum and having a hard time emotionally processing my birth experience. I went in for a normal 37 week apt, had high blood pressure and was sent to triage for an induction. I was very against pitocin and the foley balloon my whole pregnancy but here I was. I dilated to 10 pretty quickly pushed for about an hour and was told his head was in a weird spot and after trying to reposition it wasn’t going to work. I was wheeled in for a c section which was also the last thing”

“Emergency induction after a routine scan showed our baby stopped growing over the last 3 weeks. We were only a couple of days away from the due date, but we rushed to the hospital. After 26 hours of labor, the doctors told my wife she needed an emergency c-section Our son was born 6lbs 2oz but he’s eating a ton and passing all his tests! My wife is already ahead of schedule for recovery, and we are over the moon happy with our new family member. Tonight and one more night after that in the hospi”

“Some context: I (26F) had my son 6 months ago. I was induced at 37 weeks due to hypertension and restricted growth. I had incredibly high blood pressure after giving birth and had a failed epidural. My husband (28M) was sleeping a lot in the hospital and not helping with our newborn a ton. I asked him to help more and it led to an argument and he left me and my newborn son at the hospital while i had extremely high blood pressure. he came back hours later but it was still traumatic to feel aband”

submitted by /u/TouristAdmirable7771 [link] [comments]

“I’m generally pretty anxious, but pregnancy sends it into high gear. I’m 38 weeks, set for elective induction this weekend. My BP has been fine for this entire pregnancy until last week’s appointment, I was slight elevated at 135/88. I’ve been obsessively taking it at home and keep getting highish readings around the same, 135/88. I was at the doctor today, first reading was 105/82 and second was 120/88. Took it again just now and it’s 132/88. I can’t stop fixating on being over 80 as a concern.”

“I'm 40+2 today and scheduled for an induction in 2 days. My doctor told me I must give birth until the end of this week before baby gets too big (EBW 3.6kg right now). My pregnancy has been so smooth until now, but unfortunately I'm still not dilated at all, no contractions, cervix is hard and baby hasn't engaged at all. On one hand I want to trust my doctor and do whatever is best for baby but on the other, in my head I'm terrified that the induction is so rushed and that doing”

“I know there's the Arrive Trial which is regarded well by OBs. For my first I gave birth at 39+5 days, which was perfect. I loved it. I don't think I could have gone past 40 weeks. This time, I really want to give birth between 39 weeks and 40 weeks even if I have to be induced. If it's helpful, I'm going to give birth in NorCal Kaiser. I guess I'm curious if you were electively induced, how hard was it to convince your OB? Were you able to make an appointment? submitte”

“I am currently 35 weeks pregnant with my second baby. My first was born at 38+5 following an induction for gestational hypertension. I have had high readings (140s/70s) on 3 midwife visits, and because of this, they are advising me to induce at 37 weeks. My concern is that I have a history of white coat hypertension and all of my home readings have been normal (under 120/80, probably more like 110/70 on average). I had a 24 hour blood pressure monitor done my first trimester which showed only hi”

“Hi! My first came at 39 weeks when my water broke on its on. Second baby is due at the end of September. She has been measuring small and has needed weekly sonograms since 31 weeks. She is up to 17 percentile and up to 5 pounds but her abdomen is still small at 35 weeks. So my doc is scheduling my induction to be at 37 weeks. I don’t know why but I have mixed feelings-for one, I think it will be more calm than naturally going and water breaking and being scared to have baby in the car on the way”

“So I'm 40+5 (or 40+0 if you go by ovulation) today. With my firstborn I had contractions at night for 2 weeks leading up to the birth. Now with my second there's NOTHING. It feels like she's never gonna be born. So please tell me for some it just starts randonly with absolutely no indication. I need some hope that I'll soon not be pregnant anymore. submitted by /u/rotestezora [link] [comments]”

“I went to my first appointment. After the TVS, the baby should have measured around 9 weeks, but it seemed to be measuring only around 5–6 weeks, and there was no heartbeat. As my period isn’t regular, so I maybe ovulate later. They told me to come back for another ultrasound in one week. But two days after the TVS, I woke up and noticed a large amount of watery brown discharge when I wiped. My previous miscarriage also started with brown discharge, so I’m really scared and don’t know what to th”

“i guess i’m just hoping to get some advice or kind words! i’ve had such a rough pregnancy, and after having to see a high risk doctor twice weekly for the entire 3rd trimester due to my small baby, they’ve told me now at 36 weeks that my baby is only 3rd percentile and i will need to be induced at 38 weeks. so that means instead of a month like i figured, i have 2 weeks until i’m meeting my baby girl. i am so excited to have her, to hold her, but the idea of labor being so soon is absolutely kil”

“Hey there, FTM here! We had our first baby in June. Though things are better now, the birthing/hospital experience was incredibly traumatic and the first 6ish weeks were horrible. I has a 3 day induction/labor, after birth were transferred to the NICU (filing a malpractice lawsuit because it wasn't necessary), and when we got home our baby was colic and would NOT sleep. He was super fussy and gassy. He would scream for 7hrs straight no matter what we did, go down for a 15min nap, then wake u”

“Today I had a growth scan (38weeks) because my first born was 10lbs 5oz. Baby boy is weighing in at 9lbs 2oz so far. I’ve set an induction date two days before my due date. However, baby boy is sunny side up. He’s looking up at the sky instead of down at my back. My nurse came in, I explained this to her and how I was going to have a cervical check to see how things are going. She immediately got this “look” on her face and said “he’s still sunny side up?” (Baby was sideways at 32 weeks) I was l”

“38W1D today and still haven’t had any contractions. Baby is head down but is still pretty high up. They’re scheduling me for another growth scan next week at 38W6D to see if we should discuss induction because she was already 7lbs11oz at my 36W scan. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the decision of induction. I think it’s a personal choice, and I really wanted to experience going into labor naturally (obviously unless induction is medically necessary). I’ve read that having a larger bab”

“I’ll be 41+1 tomorrow and I have thankfully had a very healthy and smooth pregnancy. I’m 26 and this is my first baby and it’s a boy. I know due dates can sometimes be slightly off so that’s what’s making me hesitant to start my scheduled induction tomorrow. They want me to come in for the foley balloon and then send me home and then come back to continue the induction just because I am past my due date. I’m not sure if I am dilated at all yet but I will ask at my OB appointment tomorrow a few h”

“...when did you have your second? I had my first spontaneously at 37+0. I'm currently pregnant again and a little bit worried about having a preterm birth this time (or going a month longer than last time lol). submitted by /u/clarissa_dee [link] [comments]”

“Today was my first time seeing my doctor since being diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I had a growth scan and saw my doctor after. Right away they hooked me up me up to do a non stress test and I’m told I’m going back to MFM to have an additional ultrasound done to check baby’s heart and breathing. I’m also told I will be doing a NST, ultrasound, and seeing my doctor weekly until 38 weeks when I’m being induced. I wasn’t expecting any of this outside of having my growth scan and seeing my do”

“Currently 35+2 with second baby, 34yo. Last pregnancy ended in a medically necessary induction at 39 weeks (started 39+3, delivered 39+4), for pre-eclampsia. Also needed a magnesium drip the night after the birth (after not needing it during labor), as my BP spiked/the pre-e lingered after (this part really sucked). Was completely low risk (no blood pressure issues etc.) up until that point, though. So far, current pregnancy is going well. Normal blood pressure, baby growing well, etc. Anyway, I”

“FTM mom here, 36+6 weeks. I’ve never had a cervical check before and I have a male OB. Dr has discussed an induction with me previously due to a history of hypertension, however I haven’t had a single high BP reading throughout my whole pregnancy (even after stopping meds bc they made me feel faint). Dr now is saying I should be okay to try for spontaneous labor. I’m absolutely terrified of cervical checks and just being touched down there in general. I can’t even think about it without getting”

“Hi everyone! Trying not to stress here but I’m getting induced on the 9th due to gestational hypertension. I did a cervical check today just to see what we’re working with and I’m 2cm dilated, 50% effaced, but baby’s station is at a -3. Everything im reading says a baby that high up has a low chance of a successful induction. I am trying to avoid c-section at all cost because I have a pretty large scar on my stomach already and I’m not wanting to add more scar tissue. Anyone have a similar exper”

“I needed to be induced at 37 weeks because of gestational hypertension. The induction went smoothly, and I'm glad we got him out early because he was pretty small at birth (5 lbs, 11 oz.) and I suspect he might have had some degree of intrauterine growth restriction as his head was larger than his torso. He's been eating like CRAZY for the last two weeks since he was born and is now up to 6 lbs, 7 oz. so I thought for sure he would have gone up at least a couple of percentiles. Well, he”

“My bp this pregnancy has been teetering just on the edge of gestational hypertension and given that I had pre-e last time, they made the call for a 37 week induction. My older baby was born at 38 weeks, and had a low apgar, struggled with latching (not a tongue tie) and was only six pounds so I just worry a 37 weeker will be even smaller. submitted by /u/Western_Geologist_12 [link] [comments]”

“I’m about to be a mom of 2, my son is 4. For some reason this time around I’m more scared to give birth! Simply looking for some positivity, good vibes sent my way. My son was 10 pounds 1 oz and we’re anticipating this baby boy is going to be big as well. I’m feeling soooo anxious and scared this time!😭 submitted by /u/strangerrtings [link] [comments]”

“Hi! We’ve been home for a month now but my 2nd is a lot different than my first. My first was born at 37 weeks but my second was 36 W4D and need some nicu time for breathing on her own. I am also meeting with Lacation again this week but we met the first few days she went home. (As of now she’s about 40 weeks gestational) I want to know if anyone else had this experience with preemies. We have been sticking to bottles because it is easier for her. We went from a preemie nipple (which took foreve”

“Hi everyone, I have a beautiful baby boy born on 2nd July 2026 . ❤️ My induction started on** 1st Jul y, but labour wasn’t progressing, so I ended up having an emergency C-section. In the recovery room, the nurse brought my baby to me, expressed some colostrum, and said my milk supply looked great. But she also pointed out that I have **flat nipples —and that’s where our breastfeeding journey became challenging. Even in the hospital, I didn’t receive much practical help. The lactation consultant”

“I have had two inductions, one was 21hrs and the other was 3hrs. I’m due with my 3rd baby in two weeks and hoping to avoid another induction. However, at my 38 week appointment my cervix was completely closed, soft, but closed. I had a membrane sweep last time that took me to 3cm and 50% but my doctor says they can’t do it until my cervix opens. Currently the babies head isn’t even engaged in my pelvis. I don’t know if this is normal or what this means but i feel like my labor should go even fas”

“I returned after summer (at 39 weeks and 2 days pregnant)and worked 9 work days. I need frequent monitoring and then delivered at 41 weeks and 5 days after being induced.) It was my 2nd pregnancy so I expected to go late again. It was hard but I did the absolute minimum. Left only the plans I needed. Didn’t decorate much. Etc. I returned at 8 weeks because I couldn’t afford unpaid leave. 😔”

“I am pregnant and freaking out. 1 has been hard for me but I really wanted the second, now hormones are making me panic even more. please tell me about how the transition from 1-2 kids was easy for you. PLEASE. I‘m painfully aware of all the hardships that are coming our way, I need some bright sides I beg of you submitted by /u/thecoolgemini [link] [comments]”

“My sweet baby girl arrived at 41 weeks 3 days, after a long induction process. The process was quite stressful (50 hours, doctor wanted to push for a c section from the get go and the nurse was an angel and advocated for me). I didn’t sleep much those nights before the delivery, and was obviously quite stressed during the process, but the first 24 h she latched really well (according to the nurses) and was peeing/pooping a lot. then they took her for the hearing test and bath, and gave her a pac”

“I had an induction at 39 weeks with my first because I wanted an epidural and in my rural Japan birth clinic they only do epidurals scheduled (9-5 on a weekday haha) and even then it's a light version...maybe also called walking epidural? Labor still hurt anyway. They also make it at 39 weeks so less chance of baby coming first. With my first, it took 2 days and generally uneventful, just long and tiring. Baby came out with umbilical cord wrapped twice around her neck so I'm glad it went”

“FTM mom, 26 years old and due in two weeks with a little boy! My pregnancy has been up and down, some days are wonderful some days very very hard physically. I’ve been emotionally very even keel through it though as I have a busy career and am a part time STEM grad student working on science degree. Now I’m winding down at work, handing off tasks etc, and the emotions are starting to creep in. I’m not nervous about birth or labor per se, I have a great support system and doula, plus me and my fa”

“I'm scheduled for an induction next week at 39 weeks due to pain. I have 2 chronic illnesses one effects my joints and the extra weight from pregnancy is causing a lot of pain. I decided to move forward with an induction next week, I'm 1cm dilated, 50% effaced. I'm a FTM, I felt immediate relief, my OB was the one who suggested it after reading notes from my physical therapist. She felt confident and it made me feel confident. I'm home now and my baby is so happy in there, he&#39”

“After my 38 week induction failed i ended up having a c-section. My induction was horrible. The insertion of the cervidil or whatever its called was just awful and the cervical checks were terrible. I was in so much pain when my contractions started I couldnt do anything to calm down. The contractions were coming eratically. It felt like one long 12 hour contraction when the cervadil was in play. In the morning I ended up requesting a dose of narcotics so I could sleep. I slept for one hour befo”

“Hello- second time mom expecting to deliver next month. With my first, I had a failed induction that ended up in an unplanned (but not a medically emergent) c-section. For my second, I have a scheduled c-section but feeling a little nervous about the recovery with a toddler at home. My doctor told me how the state of my body at a scheduled c-section would be a lot different from an unplanned c-section that happens after a failed labor… but not sure how that translates to postpartum. Has anyone h”

“We went to an elective boutique ultrasound place at 15 weeks and were told we are having another boy. This pregnancy has felt SO different than my first that I was fully convinced it was a girl. I feel awful for evening feeling disappointed and sad because a healthy baby is the important part and I know when I meet him it, I won't have it any other way. The past few days I've been struggling with denial researching how accurate ultrasounds this early are and asking chatgpt to interpret t”

“(Not sure if this is the right subreddit to post this 🤞) 10 minutes after my 24 hr labor with my son, I said "let's have another!" with a beaming glow. The hormone crash three days later was my first introduction to the cross of motherhood; this teeter-totter of emotions that circle back around as time continues to tick on. The desire to have another child (and maybe more!) has always been in the background, but as I have seen many women online and in person who have already had a”

“What used to keep me from pursuing motherhood was the fear of labor and delivery. I saw many women in my life go through it and they all freely shared how terrible and awful it was. I was terrified. Finally, I decided that if a pain that would last maybe up to three days (worse case) was the only thing preventing me from being a mom, that wasn’t a good enough reason for me anymore. I had done hard things, and the best things in my life were a result of overcoming a challenge. It took over a year”

“Hi guys! So I’m 39+3 with baby #2. For context, with baby 1, I went into labor in my own at 40+4 (the same day I had a scheduled induction) and delivered her at 5:30am the next day, at 40+5. I had a vaginal delivery with epidural but no other medication or augmentation etc. No pitocin, cytotec or any other medicines since I was already in labor on my own. The scheduled induction was due to some “high blood pressure” - it’s never high at home, I just had/have white coat syndrome. So now I’m due o”