This overstimulation can cause your uterus to contract too frequently. Too-frequent contractions may lead to complications, including problems with the umbilical cord and the fetus's heart rate. Other possible risks of labor induction include: Infection.
Your provider may recommend inducing labor if your health or your baby's health is at risk or if you're 2 weeks or more past your due date. For some women, inducing labor is the best way to keep mom and baby healthy. Inducing labor should be for medical reasons only.
Risks of Induction
Pitocin causes contractions that both peak and become stronger more quickly than naturally occurring contractions. The result is a labor that is more difficult to manage. In addition, the uterine muscle never totally relaxes between contractions, increasing stress on both the uterus and the baby.
It's painful
Oxytocin-induced contractions can also be very strong, and there is often less time to get used to these than when labour starts spontaneously. In addition, the increased number of vaginal examinations and other interventions (such as the insertion of cannulas) can create additional pain or discomfort.
Inducing labor involves intervening in the body's natural processes by breaking the amniotic sac, using medication, or both. However it's done, it can lead to fetal distress (such as abnormal heart rate). 1 In addition, when labor is induced using medication, labor may take longer.
Labor induction increases the risk that the uterine muscles won't properly contract after giving birth, which can lead to serious bleeding after delivery.
Here's what they found: About 17 percent of women who had labor induced ending up having a C-section delivery, while 20 percent of women in the wait-and-see group ended up delivering via C-section.
Induced labor can reduce maternal anxiety and discomfort related to normal pregnancy, especially when the patient lives far from the hospital or has a history of previous pregnancy with labor abnormalities, or in case of concern for rapid labor in multiparous women.
Take a long, Epsom salt bath to relax. If you're into pedicures, go get a pedicure or do an at-home manicure. Go get one last (or your first) prenatal massage. Eat your all-time favorite meal and savor the quiet.
The risk of a failed induction and the subsequent risk of c-section are for the most part tied to the degree to which the patient's cervix is ready for labor, or “Ripe” as it is sometimes said. That is, when the cervix is “Ripe,” induction of labor is much more likely to be successful.
Your cervix is assessed regularly to check its progress. Induction is not a quick process. Once it has started, it may take more than 24 hours until your baby is born. If your cervix needs to be primed, it may take two days or more.
Induction keeps the baby from getting any bigger, which lowers the risk of Cesarean. Elective Cesareans for big baby are only beneficial; that is, they don't have major risks that could outweigh the benefits.
Can I wait for labor to begin naturally? Nature typically prepares the cervix for delivery in the most efficient, comfortable way. However, when there's concern about mother's or baby's health or the pregnancy continues two weeks past the due date, inducing labor might be the best option.
What induced labour feels like. Induced labour is usually more painful than labour that starts on its own, and you may want to ask for an epidural. Your pain relief options during labour are not restricted by being induced. You should have access to all the pain relief options usually available in the maternity unit.
' Safety warning: While induction stoves may reduce risk of injury and burns, parents should always supervise children in the kitchen and use extreme caution when children are present to prevent accidents.
Each induction method carries some specific potential risks, so you and your care provider have to weigh the risks and benefits against the risks and benefits of continuing the pregnancy without inducing labour. Some uncommon but serious risks include uterine rupture and heavy bleeding after delivery.
If you're induced, 3 in 10 are, it can take a while before you go into labour, so don't worry if it takes 2 or 3 days. Some women say an induced labour can also hurt more than a natural labour, so make sure you're prepared and have thought about pain relief.
In addition, it is not an all-or-none choice: the option is not to have elective induction of labor at 39 weeks or refuse elective induction of labor completely. A woman may choose not to be induced at 39 weeks, but may change her mind at 40 weeks.
The short answer: Being induced doesn't necessarily mean you're on the fast track—inductions can go quickly or last for hours or even days—but you're one step closer to holding that sweet baby in your arms.