Why is inducing labor so common

It is not safe to try to artificially start labor yourself by taking castor oil, which can lead to nausea, diarrhea, and dehydration. And herbs and herbal supplements meant to induce labor can be harmful. Breast stimulation can cause uterine contractions by causing the release of oxytocin. However, some studies have suggested that the baby might have abnormal heartbeats after breast stimulation. Some women feel that having sex in late pregnancy can induce labor, but there is no conclusion on this yet.

Talk to your doctor before doing anything to try to encourage your little one's arrival. Inducing labor is best left to medical professionals — you may cause more harm than good. As frustrating as it can be waiting for your baby to finally decide to arrive, letting nature take its course is often best, unless your doctor tells you otherwise.

Before you know it, you'll be too busy to remember your baby was ever late at all! Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is It? Why It's Done Your doctor might suggest an induction if: your water broke but you are not having contractions your baby still hasn't arrived by 2 weeks after the due date when you're considered post-term — more than 42 weeks into your pregnancy you have an infection in the uterus called chorioamnionitis you have certain risk factors e.

Page 2 How It's Done Some methods of induction are less invasive and carry fewer risks than others. Ways that doctors may try to induce labor by getting contractions started include: Stripping the membranes. The doctor puts on a glove and inserts a finger into the vagina and through the cervix the opening that connects the vagina to the uterus. He or she moves the finger back and forth to separate the thin membrane connecting the amniotic sac which houses the baby and amniotic fluid to the wall of the uterus.

When the membranes are stripped, the body releases hormones called prostaglandins, which help prepare the cervix for delivery and may bring on contractions. This method works for some women, but not all. Even for low-risk pregnant women, labor induction may be recommended if they have not gone into labor 1 to 2 weeks past their due date.

Pregnant women may choose to have an elective induction for a variety of reasons. Some women may want to schedule their delivery because they live far from the hospital, and want to make sure they arrive on time.

Others may prefer a scheduled delivery so that they can re-organize their childcare and work responsibilities. If an induction is elective, it will not be scheduled earlier than 39 weeks.

However, when labor induction is done for a medical reason, it can be scheduled earlier than 39 weeks. When considering an elective labor induction, women should understand that the process may take longer than if she were to go into labor on her own; recent research has shown that a properly managed labor induction should not increase the risk of a Cesarean section.

Carnegie Imaging for Women blogs are intended for educational purposes only and do not replace certified professional care. Medical conditions vary and change frequently. Most women have intravenous fluids running, further restricting movement. This lack of control can lead to women feeling disappointed with their birth and some may even be traumatised. A recent review of the evidence found decisions about induction were largely made by clinicians rather than women, whose expectations and preferences were often unmet.

There is widespread variation in clinical practice guidelines about when women should be induced. The World Health Organization has advised against induction of labour without medical indication before 41 weeks gestation. And this month the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in the United Kingdom released its draft guidance for consultation, also recommending women be offered induction at 41 weeks but opening the discussion on induction up for debate.

There is no doubt induction of labour can save lives if used judiciously. This discussion should also include not yet knowing all the potential longer-term effects of inductions. Most important of all, women need to be aware they can decline or accept any intervention or treatment offered or recommended by health providers and the information provided to them must be balanced, evidence based and without coercion.

Read more: So your birth didn't go according to plan? Breastfeeding success was no different between the two groups. The big news? The study participants were also younger, more likely to be black or Hispanic, and more likely to have public insurance than the general population of women having their first baby. So these results would not apply to all women equally.

Also, of all the patients who were initially eligible and asked to join the study, only about one-third chose to participate. It could be that women opting to participate in a study of induction of labor had a particular leaning that could skew the results.

It also tells us that many women may not want to have labor induced. And, while the chance of cesarean was lower in the induced patients, labor took longer than it did for those women who waited for labor to kick in on its own. Doctors sometimes recommend inducing labor and birth for the benefit of the baby, mother, or both. Hypertensive diseases, including chronic high blood pressure and preeclampsia, are dangerous conditions that may require accelerated delivery.

Over time, the health of the placenta that nourishes the fetus can deteriorate, leading to lack of growth and low amniotic fluid levels. When problems like these occur, inducing birth is appropriate.

Other conditions — such as diabetes requiring insulin and, at times, the age of the mother — may be good reasons to induce. But even without a medical reason, the ARRIVE trial tells us it may actually be safer to induce labor in some women than to wait for labor to happen. So, should a woman choose to be induced? The answer may be yes if she is having her first baby, is not opposed to the idea of inducing labor, and is within one week of her due date.