Induction date can’t be set

So since the beginning of this pregnancy, due to serious medical complications and risks it has been talked about and discussed that induction most likely would occur between 37-39 weeks with that date being determined closer to time. Understandable so because no one has a crystal ball.

Tomorrow I will be 36 weeks. I had not heard anything about when that date would be, which again I wasn’t extremely panicked considering it was discussed as closer to time. So I reached out to see if I could find out because you need the date to plan accordingly (I’m a single mom, 3 kids) so that I could try to arrange care for them. But also on the medical side of things I am supposed to halt the medications and blood thinners they have me on 12-24 hours prior to induction time so it has time to leave my system and so that they know when to start it up again afterwards. This medicine being in my system is incredibly important so that my risks stay as low as possible for becoming life threatening as they did during my last pregnancy. Which all has been communicated to me a million times how important and vital it is that this is all figured out for best possible outcome for all.

So in all this we have this pandemic, and policy changes and appt changes and all kinds of things that is out of everyone’s control. We also have a holiday weekend thrown in there. So I reach out trying to find out what I’m supposed to do, first can’t reach anyone. Okay understandable. They finally get back to me to say okay well we need you to come in and have an appt, then we’re going to send you to one of the hospitals for an ultrasound, then we need to send you to another building for labs before we can set your induction. I’m like well with the pandemic I don’t see how I’ll be able to do all that since with the policy changes you can’t bring anyone with you and definitely no kids. Which again, understandable I have nothing against that for safety reasons. My kids have been no where but home since the stay at home order was placed in March for exactly those reasons - safety. As a single mom however I don’t just have someone waiting around or readily available to watch my children. Not their fault, just a factor in the dilemma. So without them being able to go for obvious reasons and without me having someone available to watch them I don’t see how I’m supposed to make it to one of those 3 much less all 3. So I explain this to the girl and she’s very nice and understanding but basically nothing she can do. I’m wracking my brain but basically nothing I can do. If there was there wouldn’t be this dilemma. She’s like well for legal reasons they can’t set it without doing those things first because if you fell into harms way. Again understandable. Makes perfect sense. This pandemic has really made things complicated in more ways than one not only for providers but patients as well. I can’t just pick any random person off the street to stay with my children, one safety reasons, two of them are toddler aged and my oldest is special needs and requires specific care that you can’t just get any random person to know how to do. So without this they cannot set the induction they say. They also don’t want me to go into labor because of the risks to my health etc if I was to have that happen and the needing to stop the medicines they have me on prior to and to keep me heavily monitored. Soooo I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I feel like I’m between a rock a hard place for sure. In normal circumstances I’d just take them with me and go to whatever was needed but gearing up to having a baby during a pandemic may prove to be more difficult than actually having the baby. Sorry for the vent. Just had to get that out while trying to problem solve if at all possible. Thanks for listening.