Inducing Labor

Induced labor is a helping hand given to women suffering from a pregnancy that is no longer healthy or a prolonged labor that threatens the well-being of either her or her baby. Several methods, medical and natural, can also be used to help stimulate labor. Induced labor is also done for non-medical or emergency reasons, in which case, it is considered elective.

Reasons for Inducing Labor

Your labor may be induced if your womb is no longer an ideal environment for your baby because:

• The risks of continuing the pregnancy are greater than the risks of delivering the baby right away.
• After 42 weeks the placenta no longer provides your baby with the proper nourishment or oxygen, and your baby may breathe in his or her first bowel movement (meconium).
• Your baby is no longer developing at a healthy rate or suffers from an abnormal heart rate.
• You previously had a full-term stillbirth.
• You have a chronic or acute illness such as high blood pressure, kidney disease, preeclampsia, or diabetes that contradicts the health of you or your baby.

Medical Methods for Labor Induction

Induced labor uses natural and synthetic methods. The method your doctor chooses will depend on whether your cervix has started to soften, efface (thin out), or dilate (open). The most common stimulants include:

• Artificially rupturing the membranes: your doctor will rupture your amniotic sac (bag of water) using a drug called oxytocin (pitocin). The drug will jumpstart your contractions; however, labor may not begin for awhile - or at all - with this method. Ruptured membranes may cause fetal distress or a prolapsed umbilical cord, increasing your chances of a cesarean section.
• Stripping the membranes: in this method, the doctor separates your amniotic membranes from your cervix to release natural hormones (prostaglandins) and promote cervical ripening. This procedure is effective in stimulating labor and not intended to break your water; however, it may also cause infection and be painful.
• Inserting a prostaglandin gel or suppository: the gel or suppository will begin to ripen the cervix which might also require the use of pitocin. Risks range from fetal distress to possible hemorrhaging after birth.
• Nipple stimulation: releases the body's own natural oxytocin. Overstimulation can cause strong contractions that are jarring and dangerous to your baby.

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