Intravenous Medications: A medication will be placed through an IV into your hand or arm. One medication that is typically used is Pitocin. The hormones in the medication cause contractions, which can speed up or start labor.
When is artificial induction necessary?
When there is a risk to either the mother’s health or her baby’s, a physician may suggest artificial induction. Some reasons why a doctor may advise the woman to be induced include:
- The mother’s water has broken and labor has not started after 24 to 48 hours.
- The mother has developed a medical condition, including an infection in her uterus known as chorioamnionitis, preeclampsia, hypertension, heart disease or gestational diabetes.
- The mother is experiencing a placental abruption (the placenta detaching from the uterus) or vaginal bleeding.
- A mother’s labor has stalled or failed to progress, and the baby shows signs of distress.
- The baby has stopped growing properly or at all.
- The pregnancy has passed 42 weeks.
What are the risks?
Being artificially induced does increase the risk of the mother or baby facing complications during the delivery. If the cervix has not begun to thin or dilate prior to induction, the woman may require a C-section. Medications that are used to induce labor can trigger too many contractions, which could result in a low heart rate in the baby, decrease the baby’s oxygen supply, and cause very painful contractions in the mother. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommend inducing labor only when it is to risky for the baby to remain in the uterus. If your physician has recommended that you be artificially induced, voice your concerns and questions prior to the procedure. Labor induction is not always necessary; however, in some cases it is critical to protect the health of both the mother and baby.
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References:
Labor induction. (2011, July 22). Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/labor-induction/MY00642/DSECTION=what-you-can-expect
Inducing labor. (2007, January). Retrieved from http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/inducinglabor.html