Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/855118
Labor induc on rates have risen drama cally in recent decades, and along with this and in part as a result, so have cesarean sec on rates and preterm births. We know that labor induc ons are too o en done unnecessarily and for inaccurate indica ons, and they may lead to a host of addi onal unnecessary interven ons that increase risk for mom and baby. A recent ar cle even speculates that there might even be a rela onship between labor induc on with the hormone oxytocin (Pitocin) and au sm. While I absolutely don't want any woman, who has had an induc on to feel judged or to judge herself as a result of this ar cle, as a midwife and physician I do want to encourage and empower women to say no to unnecessary induc ons, and help you be able to assess when induc on is appropriate and how to minimize your risks. This ar cle looks at labor induc on rates, reasons for induc on, problems with induc on, how to gracefully decline or delay an induc on that does not seem to be medically indicated, and maximizing yours and baby's safety if induc on really seems necessary. A Story of the InductIon thAt dIdn't hAppen Answering my phone one Friday morning in December some years back, I found Inga on the other end in a panic. She was just told she'd have to be induced in a few days because her baby weighed 10 pounds by ultrasound and her midwife's physical examina on. She said, anguished, "I'll only be 40 weeks tomorrow. I wanted to have a natural birth. I'm so worried about an induc on and they say I might have to have a cesarean because I might not be able to get this baby out vaginally. They're not even really giving me a chance. I don't want to be induced but I want to do what's best for my baby. I just don't think an induc on is best!" I'd met Inga about 6 months prior. I was teaching a course on herbal medicines in pregnancy at a prominent nurse- midwifery program. She was a student in the program. Now, not only did she find herself being pressured to be induced, but to complicate ma ers, her midwives were her professors in her training program so she didn't really feel like she could argue. They told her that if she did not go into labor within a few days, she was going to have to be induced. She was desperate for a second opinion. I invited her to my office to talk. LAbor InductIon Choosing What's Best for You and Your Baby, and the Low Down on Natural Approaches Abby's Magazine - Volume 5 Issue 4 | Page 43