Make an informed decision on whether or not induced labor is best for you and your baby.
Deciding on whether or not to have your labor induced is a huge decision and one that many women do not give much thought to since it is so prevalent these days. There are some things to be aware of, however, to make the most informed decision for your pregnancy.
The first question is the reason for an induction. If there is a medical indication then it certainly is something to consider seriously. Some medical conditions warranting a medically induced labor with intravenous Pitocin, would be high blood pressure that is not resolving and thus putting both mother and baby's lives in danger; evidence that the baby is not doing well in utero by either not growing properly or having suspicious heart rate activity or a pregnancy that has gone beyond 42 weeks gestation.
Often times women think being tired of a pregnancy is a good reason for induction or wanting to hold their baby sooner rather than later. Physicians will give in to this need more than a rational person would believe. Since inductions even occur because the woman's provider is going on vacation and she does not want to get the on-call doctor. This, too, is not a valid reason for induction since it is putting two lives in danger that otherwise probably would have been fine.
The problem with a non-medically indicated induction is that it is the physician and/or mother deciding when the baby is ready to be born. A woman's body knows how to grow a baby, so why shouldn't her body know when to deliver one. Again, this is for a non-medically indicated induction.
Prior to natural labor, the uterus begins practice contractions to be conditioned for labor and delivery. Eventually, when the time is right, the cervix begins to efface, thin out, and dilate, open for the passage of the baby. This can be a very slow process or a quick one, depending on various factors.
If the cervix is not ready then an induced labor is forcing contractions on a body which may or may not tolerate it. What can happen with an induction is that it can fail. The uterus may contract and the cervix may still not make the changes necessary to have a baby.
No induction is a guarantee of a baby. What is likely is that the induction can fail and the woman ends up having a cesarean section instead. Some physicians will allow women to go home and come back another time and try again, but once a pregnant woman has been through so many induced contractions she is going to be exhausted and just want her baby no matter what it takes.
The uncertainty of the success of an induction is a good reason to avoid one. Unless you are willing to take the chance of ending up with a c-section, wait until your baby is ready and your body will cooperate better. Patience really is a virtue and that has never been truer than when waiting for labor to start.
