A labor induction is when you or your healthcare provider brings labor on instead of waiting for it to happen naturally. It can be done for medical reasons, for an overdue baby, or if the baby is old enough and the mother chooses to be induced.
There are a lot of unknowns about labor, especially for first-time moms, and an induction can surprise you just like actual labor might. Although you don’t know exactly what will happen when labor is induced, you should be focused on ways to prepare for an induction. The more relaxed and prepared you are, the better your experience will be.
Reasons for an Induction
Inductions typically fall into three different categories: medical, overdue baby, and elective. If your life or your baby’s life is in danger, your doctor might order an emergency labor induction. This includes if your water has broken but contractions haven’t started naturally.
Most babies are born between the 38th and 42nd week of pregnancy. If a baby hasn't arrived by week 42, they're considered late or overdue. If you’re pregnant with an overdue baby, you can be induced without worrying about your child being too young. The longer you wait to give birth, the more your overdue baby will grow and the more complicated your birth could be.
If you’ve reached at least 39 weeks of pregnancy and you decide on having an elective induction for a nonmedical reason, many healthcare providers will support your decision. Your healthcare provider will have to make sure an elective induction is a safe choice for you by doing the following:
- Going over your medical history to make sure that you haven’t had a complicated pregnancy, birth, or other condition that would make early labor dangerous.
- Confirming your due date. If you are less than 39 weeks pregnant, your baby might be underdeveloped, and inducing labor might be dangerous.
- Checking if your cervix is ripe. Often with elective inductions, the cervix isn’t ready, and you’ll have trouble dilating and progressing through labor.
What to Expect
You're probably wondering what will happen when you're induced. Unfortunately, there might not be a straightforward answer. Your questions will come, and even though it might be tempting, you shouldn’t turn to the internet for information. Address all of your worries with your doctor, midwife, or other healthcare providers.
You can ask about the methods of induction they have in mind, each step they will take as your labor progresses, and if there's any possibility of danger to you or your baby. If they use terms you don’t understand, ask them to explain. If they don’t answer your questions completely, ask them to tell you more. Your healthcare provider is trained to help expectant mothers just like you.
You might still be nervous after talking to your healthcare provider. A great way to calm your nerves even further is to lean on your support person, if you have one. A significant other, a mother, sister, other family members, or a woman who has had a baby can be a great resource for knowledge and comfort.
What You Should Understand
Once your labor induction has started, you can’t change your mind. It’s not safe for you or your baby to try and reverse what your healthcare provider has started.
Like with any kind of birth, there are risks to having an induction. Induction risks can include:
- Induction failure. If your cervix doesn’t progress like it needs to, your labor induction can fail. You might need to have a C-section if the induction risks are too great.
- Decreased heart rate. If you're medically induced, you could have irregular contractions or too many of them. This can make your baby’s oxygen levels and heart rate drop.
- Possible infection. Sometimes with long inductions of labor, you and your baby become at risk for infection. How long your membranes have been ruptured can play a part in that.
There’s no way to know how long your induction will take. You’ll be monitored and checked for progress, but it will only go as quickly as your body will let it. If your cervix isn’t ready when you’re induced, it will need time to prepare to dilate.
As far as pain goes, an induction probably won't change the amount of pain you feel during the active part of labor, it just may get you there quicker. You’ll still have contractions and there will still be pressure on your cervix, even if labor doesn’t happen naturally. Factors that will affect how painful labor is include your pain tolerance and whether you want to be medicated.
Questions to Ask Your Healthcare Provider
Be upfront and confident when going over your options with your healthcare provider. Although the doctor is a licensed professional, nobody knows your body better than you. The final decision will be up to you, so make sure you know enough to make the best choice. Ask yourself:
- Is an induction the safest option for both me and the baby?
- Do I fully understand the risks of labor induction?
- Do I fully understand the benefits of labor induction?
- What would happen if I choose to wait for labor to start naturally?
- What would my healthcare provider do to induce labor?
