BEFORE I go on a little bit of a rant, I am all for informed consent. If a mom is well informed and chooses to induce- then that's her prerogative. I don't judge people who make that choice. And, as I always say, and want to reiterate, there ARE situations that WARRANT induction.
Inductions scare me. Point blank. I was induced with my first child, which ended in c-section. Was I informed? Kind of. I didn't really know about inductions. Whose fault was that? Mine. I take full responsibility. I trusted my Dr. They had never lead me astray. They wanted to induce me at 39w 2days but I pushed it as far back as they would allow-- 39w 5d. I was boarderline gestational diabetic. I failed the test by 2 points. I poked my finger 4 times a day- never a high number. When my baby was in fetal distress (60bpm) and I was deemed to small (hip wise) to birth my baby (CPD) he was cut out and ripped from my womb.
Does every induction end like mine? Of course not.
Pitocin. Pitocin forces your body to have contractions. It forces your uterus to contract by loading up your bloodstream with pitocin- a synthetic oxytocin. Oxytocin is a hormone that helps the uterus contract with gradual increasing intensity. Pitocin has one speed: strong. Women who get pitocin are more likely to ask for pain medicine (narcotics) and then eventually an epidural. Medications make it so you can't get out of bed. Gravity can't help in the positioning of the baby on the cervix when you're lying flat on your back. It CAN be a nasty cascade of events that can spiral out of control in no time.
(photo from google images, credit unknown)
My advice (for most healthy moms and pregnancies)-- avoid inductions at all cost. Your body is made to birth. Your baby will come when he or she is ready. Trust yourself. Trust your baby. Trust birth. You are not a lemon. God made your body to work perfectly on it's own. You CAN do it. In those last couple weeks and days -- every mom wants to meet their baby-- but let your baby choose their own due date.
