Labor Induction: Inducing Risk

When speaking to many women who have had babies recently, they have admitted that some form of labor induction was used when they gave birth. For months I read and re-read entries of pregnancy journals mentioning the different tactics used to get labor going. Although by week 38 the mother is often willing to try anything to remove the child from her bulging tummy, there are many risks of which the mothers should be aware when choosing to induce labor.

First on the list of risk factors is a cesarean section. According to The Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS), first-time mothers are twice as likely to need a c-section after labor induction compared to those who go into labor naturally. Even mothers who have had vaginal births previously find their chance of a c-section increased to five-times what it would have been without induction. Although the surgery itself is relatively safe today, it does come with its own hazards and risks which are increased when a woman has been laboring for hours to give birth but it just isn't working. This means a longer hospital stay, more trauma to the mother and infant, a longer recovery period, and a higher likelihood of consequent c-sections.

Fetal distress is also on the list of risk factors due to uterine hyperstimulation. Umbilical cord prolapse is also attributed to labor induction according to the CIMS, which is a life-threatening situation for the baby. Something else to take into consideration is that induced labors may be more painful--something all women want to avoid. Besides all of the above factors, there is a higher use of drugs to combat the pain, to induce labor, to keep labor at a steady pace, and to combat the pain afterward-especially with c-sections.

With all of these risk factors, what would be a good reason for inducing labor? In my experience, induction should be avoided if possible, but if your doctor presents good reasons with which you agree, it can be a positive and a successful experience. Possible induction reasons are going past 41 weeks gestation or preeclampsia. Even with good reason, it takes careful monitoring by your doctor and the hospital staff to have a successful induction as they must watch out for contractions that come too fast and too strong, causing distress to the baby.

If you are trying to avoid having labor induced, listen to your physician and stay healthy. Do not gain more than the recommended amount of weight during your pregnancy because in my experience (I've been induced after gaining 43 lbs during pregnancy), it may make you more tired, more uncomfortable, and cause a more difficult labor. Eat healthy, take prenatal vitamins, drink plenty of water, and exercise throughout your pregnancy if you had been doing so prior to it. If symptoms of preeclampsia arise, such as swelling of the hands and feet, high blood pressure, and protein in your urine, stay off your feet and in bed and continue to hydrate your body with water. Bed rest does not mean an occasional trip to the grocery store, either-it means resting in bed and only getting up when absolutely necessary. I realize this may be difficult to follow if you have other little children to watch, but this is the time you must ask members of your support network for help if at all possible. Remember, the longer the baby stays in your belly (during the normal gestation period of around 40 weeks), the more likely it will be born without health issues