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