As someone who's had a section and two VBACs and three quite large
babies (9lb 11.5 ounces, 9 lb 8 ounces and 10 lb 4 ounces), I'm a bit
perplexed. For starters, it is very hard to accurately estimate the
size of a baby at term - they can be off as much as 20%. Unless your
wife has had babies before and thus has a history of large babies and
big problems with delivery, or a known pelvic or uterine deformity,
you can't know how big this baby might be or how big a baby she is
capable of birthing. I'm not a big woman, and I pushed out a 10 lber
no problem.

I think its NUTS to schedule a section at 39 weeks because she MIGHT
have a problem. It seems a very extreme solution to something that is
only a potential issue - to leap to surgery with all that entails
(including increased risks and problems for future pregnancies and
births). I can't see any advantage to this at all.

Nor can I see any advantage to induction at 40 weeks. In the last
weeks, babies tend to put on body fat, not head and shoulder size, so
a few extra days, even into the overtime innings is not going to make
much difference in the scheme of things. Fat squishes. So, even if she
goes to 41 or 42 weeks, as long as she is healthy and baby is doing
well, you would not be losing anything at all to wait for spontaneous
labour. If she has any difficulty, she may end up with a section, but
at least then you've given a vaginal the best possible shot
(inductions often fail - a full 30% of first time moms who agree to
induction end up in the OR, even with smaller babies).

I'd be saying no to either option and letting labour kick in and see
what happens.

Mary G.