My advice? Don't do either. There is no reason you can't deliver this baby naturally. All of my babies were "big" and only got bigger. My last baby was a 10 pounder. Women's bodies were designed to birth babies. It is only the medical professionals that have lost faith in our ability to birth our babies, and insist on "managed labor and delivery." Too much intervention leads to problems.
C-section is major abdominal surgery. The World Health Organization says that no hospital in the world should have a C-section rate higher than 10%, yet in America, we top the scales at over 30%! This is insanity! It is a risk to Mother's and babies alike, yet the most common surgery performed on women. Anytime you have a C-section you are putting yourself at risk, your baby at risk, and any future pregnancies at risk. This is a SERIOUS decision.
Induction often leads to C-section, yes, but carries its own risks as well. Often what happens is Mom gets pitocin, contractions begin and are unnatural, so very intense. Mom gets epidural, which relaxes her to the point the pitocin has not been working as effectively, so they up the pitocin. Mom feels uncomfortable again, so more epidural is needed. While Mom doesnt feel this, the baby DOES. He is being unnaturally squeezed and often heart rates drop, baby is in distress, and WHAM! C-section...Thanks God the doc's were there to save your baby! (please note the sarcasm...the doc's CAUSED the need for a C-section, in this case)
I am very involved and passionate about the birth movement here in NY and am sickened by the lack of "Mother-friendly" choices we have. Women are being scared into intervention that is rarely necessary, yet with all this technology and medicine, we have the highest infant/maternal mortality rate in the developed world!
My advice to you? EDUCATE YOURSELF! This is your baby and your labor and you are your only advocate. If you don't know your options, you have NONE. And your options arent just "C-section or induction?" Know about informed consent (knowing all the risks, benefits, alternatives to any procedure and agree to it) and informed refusal (knowing all the risks, benefits, and alternatives to any procedure and refuse it). You have the right to refuse ANY TREATMENT! Have faith in your body and what it was designed to do. Learn how your body births and what you can do to help the baby out if he IS big, instead of being cut open, or forcing a baby out that isnt ready. Try squatting instead of lying flat on your back. When you lay flat on your back while pushing, you are compressing your pelvis which makes it more narrow and you are pushing against gravity. Squatting opens your pelvis and has gravity working with you, so your "big" baby could be born easier. Frankly, "big baby", to me, isnt justification enough to intervene, but thats my feeling.
Contact a local ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network) leader and talk to them about how you feel about C-section. They are there for support and know everything there is to know about C-sections.
http://ican-online.net/
Please, please research more about these interventions. They are unsafe and unnecessary (in most cases). Know all the risks, benefits and alternatives before making ANY decision. Don't let your doctor bully you into doing something you arent comfortable with. They love to use the "baby is in danger" scare tactic. Big babies have been born vaginally successfully since the beginning of time. You decide how you feel about it and what you feel is best for you and your baby, but do some MEGA reading in the meantime. You also might want to consider getting a second opinion, perhaps from a midwife, who is trained to deal with natural birth, trust women's bodies to do it, and don't view big babies (or prenancy in general) as a medical emergency. Good luck with whatever you decide!!!
Send me a private message if you want to chat further. I have some great resources if you want/need them!