Induction today?

I had a non-stress test this morning as scheduled at the hospital. Got there at 8:30 am. Bob went to work and I was there by myself. The NST was normal with good fetal activity. It seemed like all was well and they rescheduled me to come back on Thursday, but then they did the AFI and found the amniotic fluid level to be 4.6, which is too low. They recommend an induction today. They are concerned that the placenta isn't functioning. They wanted to admit me right away, but I negotiated to be able to come home and get my bag and get my husband and doula and go back to the hospital later. So I'm home now.

The plan as the midwife described it to me is that they will first do a Stress Test, or an OCT (Oxytocin Challenge Test) to see how the placenta handles the contractions. They can tell by how the baby's heart rate responds during the uterine contractions. They will give me an IV with low dose of Pitocin to cause the contractions. If that goes well then they will start the induction by first giving me a prostaglandin to ripen the cervix (probably Cervidil), and then waiting a few hours or so for that to take effect, and then eventually starting a Pitocin drip to induce contractions. If the OCT is bad and the baby goes into distress with contractions, then they will want to do a C-section. If the test is borderline then they might choose to induce with Pitocin right away instead of starting with the Prostaglandin.

The midwife (Sue M., who is one of my favorites in the group because I am familiar with her and she is nice and clearly explains things) checked my cervix and said it is 1.5 cm dilated, 3/4 cm long, moderate consistency, -2 station, and anterior position (that means the cervix is anterior, not the baby). Sue said my cervix is "not bad", and that it is probable that induction will go smoothly.

Bob just got home from work. I called him from the hospital to let him know what we are planning. We are getting ready for the hospital now, and I am making a few calls. I'm considering trying a homeopathy remedy to assist with the induction. We plan to head over to the hospital for the OCT about 2 pm. Our friend Christina will go with us, and our doula Britt will meet us there. Thank you for your positive thoughts, prayers, and love vibes.
xoxo

ps. I took a cab home from the hospital, and when I got into the cab there was a red rose sticking out of the back of the driver's seat. It was a pleasant and unusual welcoming into the cab. After I told the driver that I was being induced today, he gave the rose to me. I put it in a vase when I got home. It's pretty. Here's a picture: