| A normal pregnancy lasts from 37 weeks to 41 | | | | |
| weeks. If the baby has not born when the 42th | | | | In addition, medical induction occasionally |
| pregnancy week begins, your labor caregiver | | | | results in hyperstimulation of the uterus. |
| is most probably going to induce your labor. | | | | This means that you have contractions that |
| If you face the threat of medical labor | | | | come too often or are abnormally long and |
| induction in a hospital, it's wise to try | | | | strong, which in turn can stress your baby. |
| natural ways to induce your labor. | | | | Rarely, hyperstimulation can cause placental |
| | | | abruption or even uterine rupture. |
| Research consistently shows that medically | | | | |
| induced labors often end in cesarean section, | | | | The most common and disappointing |
| forceps deliveries, serious infections, and | | | | complication of the medical induction is, |
| greater complications for both the mother and | | | | however, outright failure. Inductions simply |
| the baby. | | | | don't always work. The medical induction can |
| | | | take a long time. If you haven't gone into |
| The statistics reveal that up to 50% of | | | | labor after two days of medical induction, |
| medical inductions lead to cesareans, use of | | | | your practitioner most probably considers it |
| forceps and vacuum or shoulder dislocation of | | | | a failed attempt and you'll have to deliver |
| the baby (Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2000, Obstet | | | | by c-section. This process can be very hard |
| Gynecol. 2000). This is the reason why | | | | psychologically on you and your partner. |
| professional organizations, such as the | | | | What's more, having a c-section after a |
| American College of Obstetricians and | | | | failed induction is associated with higher |
| Gynecologists and the American College of | | | | rates of complications, especially infection, |
| Nurse Midwives, now discourage medical | | | | and longer hospital stays. |
| inductions without severe reasons. | | | | |
| | | | The good news is that there is much more you |
| Induced labors generally require stricter bed | | | | can do than just hope for your labor to start |
| rest, omission of food and even fluids, more | | | | and prepare for the worst. |
| time on fetal monitors, and more frequent | | | | |
| monitoring of maternal vital signs. Labors | | | | If your labor isn't starting on its own, you |
| are often longer. Since the medications most | | | | can use certain easy acupressure techniques |
| commonly used are administered by IV pump, | | | | to bring on labor. You can use some of the |
| induction usually requires being tethered to | | | | same techniques to augment, or speed up, your |
| that equipment as well. Because the | | | | labor if you stop progressing for some |
| effectiveness of the induction medications | | | | reason. |
| can be difficult to assess, especially in the | | | | |
| long early phase of labor, vaginally placed | | | | Acupressure is very simple: it is just a |
| internal monitors are often used, further | | | | specific way of touching a body. Acupressure |
| restricting mobility. | | | | techniques help in getting the labor started, |
| | | | giving effective labor pain relief and |
| Induced labors require frequently an epidural | | | | helping the mother to relax. Some acupressure |
| anesthesia. The epidural can cause various | | | | techniques are helpful in more specific |
| complications for the birthing mother and the | | | | situations, like in turning the breech or |
| baby - such as failure to progress, decrease | | | | posterior baby into the right position and in |
| in muscle tone and strength, and lower | | | | slow labor. |
| neuro-behavioral scores of the baby. | | | | |