Should You Be Induced?

I know a woman who is 39 weeks pregnant and is being induced in a few days. Does she have gestational diabetes? No. Placenta previa? No. Is her insurance ending soon? No. Is the baby in fetal distress or at risk in any way? No again. The reason for her desire to be induced? Maternal convenience. She has decided that she is tired of being pregnant and wants to have her baby NOW.

The idea of scheduling the birth of a child for other than for necessary and serious medical reasons disturbs me. I had a friend who scheduled an induction at the end of her pregnancy because her insurance was expiring within a few days. She was already a few days overdue at the time of her induction and needed to have the baby or be accosted by thousands of dollars in uninsured hospital bills. I can understand this approach for grave financial reasons. However, the idea of scheduling an induction before a baby has reached 40 weeks gestation is irresponsible and even dangerous.

Infant Health
Just because a baby is over the 36 week "full term" threshold does not mean that she is ready to be born. Granted, the risks of a baby being born between 36 and 40 weeks are minimal, complications can still arise. I believe it is selfish for a mother to take unnecessary health risks for her baby on account of her own convenience.

Risks for the Mother
Women who are induced are usually started on an I.V. drip of pitocin. This drug starts the contractions of the uterus. Contractions while under the influence of pitocin are longer, stronger and more painful than contractions which a laboring woman's body naturally produces. These painful drug-induced contractions make medication during labor almost a necessity. Studies also show that pain medications during labor increase health risks to both mother and baby.

Unnecessary Intervention
The rate of medical intervention in normal, healthy pregnancies is at an all-time high. C-section rates at hospitals are as high as 40-50% up from 20% a few decades ago. Much of this rise can be attributed to the rise in induction rates. A woman's body that is not prepared for labor, but is medically forced into it, is less likely to progress smoothly in labor. I had another friend who was convinced she was in labor. She went to the hospital and the physician there decided to break her water. It turns out that what she ignorantly thought were contractions were only Braxton-Hicks, or, pre-labor contractions. She was put on pitocin, but her body would not cooperate. Since her water was broken, the baby had to be delivered quickly. The result? A C-section.

A woman's body is created to be able to go into labor and deliver a baby naturally. I know that there are some instances in which induction is necessary. A baby who is two weeks overdue must be delivered for his own health. However, induction rates are unreasonably high. I believe that scheduling a baby's birth for the mother's or doctor's convenience is both selfish and needlessly risky.