| If your pregnancy has extended beyond your | | | | there is a risk of infection of the uterus |
| expected due date, your obstetrician or | | | | and nearby organs, respiratory complications |
| health care provider may have informed you | | | | and unexpected reactions to anesthesia and |
| that you may need to be chemically induced. | | | | other medications during the surgery, such as |
| However, statistics show that labor inducing | | | | sudden drop in blood pressure. Babies born by |
| medication is not the safest way to induce | | | | Cesarean section are more likely to develop |
| labor because it may have serious | | | | breathing problems and get low Apgar scores. |
| complications for both mother and baby. In | | | | The low score can be an effect of the |
| fact, medical labor induction should be used | | | | anesthesia, or the baby may have been in |
| only as a last resort. | | | | distress to begin with. Another downside is |
| | | | that the baby does not receive the same |
| Despite modern techniques, medical labor | | | | stimulation as a vaginal birth during |
| induction still introduces considerable risk | | | | delivery. |
| compared with natural onset of labor. | | | | |
| According to the Coalition for Improving | | | | Vacuum births commonly cause more damage and |
| Maternity Services first-time mothers have | | | | tears for the mother. When a vacuum is used |
| more than twice the likelihood of Cesarean | | | | as an aid during labor, babies may suffer |
| section with induction compared with labor | | | | from injuries including a dislocated |
| that starts naturally. The risk is not from | | | | shoulder. When inducing labor is necessary, |
| inducing labor but from the procedure. | | | | the smarter decision is to consider |
| | | | alternative methods before trying using |
| Even when using cervical ripening chemicals, | | | | chemicals. |
| sometimes the cervix is just not ready. Using | | | | |
| medications to induce labor increases the | | | | One of the most studied natural labor |
| occurrence to Cesarean sections five times. | | | | induction methods is acupressure. The |
| Also, using medications to induce labor | | | | holistic system of acupressure, used to |
| requires constant monitoring. The mother may | | | | induce labor, works by building on what the |
| need to be hooked up to fetal monitors | | | | body does naturally. In this way, the use of |
| continuously as well as an IV drip, confining | | | | acupressure can be remarkably beneficial |
| the mother to bed and causing further | | | | during childbirth. Labor acupressure can be |
| distress. | | | | very helpful in descending your baby, |
| | | | dilating your cervix, and starting and making |
| Induced labors are usually more painful, | | | | the labor contractions more frequent and |
| which can increase the need for epidural | | | | successful. |
| analgesia. Epidurals introduce a higher | | | | |
| likelihood of adverse effects on the labor, | | | | Acupressure for labor has been proven to |
| the baby, and the mother. In general studies | | | | shorten the delivery time by helping your |
| have shown that inducing labor with chemicals | | | | body to function better and to use its |
| increases remarkably the chance of having a | | | | remarkable underlying capabilities. The |
| vacuum birth or a Cesarean section. | | | | chances of having a long labor are decreased |
| | | | because of this, therefore reducing any |
| Cesarean delivery is major surgery, and thus | | | | distress or suffering to the child. |