Menu
Did Your Newborn Suffer Cerebral
Palsy or Another Brain Injury Before
or During Labor and Delivery?
Get a FREE guide of resources available throughout Ohio to children and families of children who were born with brain injuries.
Our guide can help you build a foundation of knowledge and tools that will help you help your child
now and in the future.
A great deal of controversy exists surrounding induced labor for a pregnant woman. Advocates believe it can benefit both the mother and infant while those who are opposed believe it’s harmful to the baby. If you’re pregnant, you’ll want to consider your own feelings about being induced along with the facts before it’s time to have your little one.
Get A 100% Free CASE Evaluation
Induced labor or labor induction happens when a doctor gives the patient medication to cause contractions to start before they happen on their own. The goal is to have a natural vaginal birth rather than a C-section. However, induction may be recommended for several reasons:
A pregnant woman may request an elective induction. This type of induction is for women who have no medical need but want to have the baby on a specific timeline. It’s not right for everyone or even a good idea in all cases. However, it may be ideal if the patient lives far from a hospital or has a history of quick-onset labor births.
Induction won’t work for every pregnant woman. Women with a history of C-sections or a breech baby may not be a candidate for being induced.
Other concerns come with inducing a woman. For instance, they may have a failed induction, which means they will need a C-section. It can also lower the baby’s heart rate because of the medicine used to induce labor. Depending on how labor is induced, the risk of infection can go up as well as rupture of the uterus. You may experience bleeding after delivery because the uterine muscles don’t contract on their own adequately.
One of the primary concerns for induction is whether the baby has reached the developmental milestones needed for birth. A due date is at best a guess in many situations. Each baby develops at their own rate regardless of the timeline expected. If the risk of the baby not being born outweighs any concerns of being born early, induction is usually the best choice.
Induction can lead to fetal distress. Your body naturally produces oxytocin when you begin delivery to cause the contractions to begin. In between contractions the baby and mother can rest. With synthetic oxytocin given in an induced delivery, the contractions usually come faster and harder, which means less time for the baby to rest. It may lower the amount of oxygen the baby receives, which can cause distress and an emergency C-section as a result.
Induction is an important option when a mother’s or baby’s health and life is at risk. However, it’s not always the best answer in every case. It’s important to talk to your obstetrician before delivery to ensure you understand the risks and possible need for induction in your unique case.
Induced labor or labor induction happens when a doctor gives the patient medication to cause contractions to start before they happen on their own. The goal is to have a natural vaginal birth rather than a C-section. However, induction may be recommended for several reasons:
A pregnant woman may request an elective induction. This type of induction is for women who have no medical need but want to have the baby on a specific timeline. It’s not right for everyone or even a good idea in all cases. However, it may be ideal if the patient lives far from a hospital or has a history of quick-onset labor births.
Induction won’t work for every pregnant woman. Women with a history of C-sections or a breech baby may not be a candidate for being induced.
Other concerns come with inducing a woman. For instance, they may have a failed induction, which means they will need a C-section. It can also lower the baby’s heart rate because of the medicine used to induce labor. Depending on how labor is induced, the risk of infection can go up as well as rupture of the uterus. You may experience bleeding after delivery because the uterine muscles don’t contract on their own adequately.
One of the primary concerns for induction is whether the baby has reached the developmental milestones needed for birth. A due date is at best a guess in many situations. Each baby develops at their own rate regardless of the timeline expected. If the risk of the baby not being born outweighs any concerns of being born early, induction is usually the best choice.
Induction can lead to fetal distress. Your body naturally produces oxytocin when you begin delivery to cause the contractions to begin. In between contractions the baby and mother can rest. With synthetic oxytocin given in an induced delivery, the contractions usually come faster and harder, which means less time for the baby to rest. It may lower the amount of oxygen the baby receives, which can cause distress and an emergency C-section as a result.
Induction is an important option when a mother’s or baby’s health and life is at risk. However, it’s not always the best answer in every case. It’s important to talk to your obstetrician before delivery to ensure you understand the risks and possible need for induction in your unique case.