What is induce labor in pregnancy

Some women who go this route go into labor within 24 hours without needing to have any other intervention. Other tricks used to open your cervix include laminaria seaweed sticks, which absorb water from the cervix and slowly open it or a urine catheter bulb which gets blown up in the cervix and gradually opens it.

If stripping the membranes does not cause contractions, your practitioner may decide to insert an obstetric tool that looks a little like a crochet hook through your cervix to tear a small hole in your amniotic sac. This technique is also called an "amniotomy. This procedure can be uncomfortable if you're less than a centimeter dilated, but otherwise it doesn't hurt at all.

If labor doesn't begin within 24 hours after your water is broken, your practitioner may then induce you with Pitocin, the synthetic version of oxytocin, or another method to decrease the risk of infection.

Pitocin is a synthetic form of oxytocin, which is your body's contraction-inducing hormone. It's one of the most commonly used drugs in the United States. For most pregnant women , labor begins in part as a result of higher levels of oxytocin in the blood; your practitioner is aiming to mimic this natural process by administering Pitocin.

If your labor is induced with Pitocin, you will be admitted to the hospital where you will have an IV needle inserted into your arm. It usually takes at least 30 minutes for the Pitocin to kick in, and your practitioner will probably start slowly and monitor your reactions and your baby's response to the drug as it builds in your system.

There is no guarantee of rapid labor with Pitocin; still the uterine contractions may be strong, and each contraction may last 1 minute or more. Many women find that the breathing exercises they've practiced for labor help them a good deal during an induced labor as well.

Thinking about inducing because your doctor's vacation coincides with your due date or you're just plain tired of being pregnant? According to the Centers for Disease Control, almost 25 percent of all inductions are elective, or not medically necessary.

Some methods of induction are less invasive and carry fewer risks than others. Ways that doctors may try to induce labor by getting contractions started include:. Stripping the membranes can be a little painful or uncomfortable, although it usually only takes a minute or so.

You may also have some intense cramps and spotting for the next day or two. It can also be a little uncomfortable to have your water broken. You may feel a tug followed by a warm trickle or gush of fluid. With prostaglandin, you might have some strong cramping as well. With oxytocin, contractions are usually more frequent and regular than in a labor that starts naturally.

Inducing labor is not like turning on a faucet. If the body isn't ready, an induction might fail and, after hours or days of trying, a woman may end up having a cesarean delivery C-section. This appears to be more likely if the cervix is not yet ripe. If the doctor ruptures the amniotic sac and labor doesn't begin, another method of inducing labor also might be necessary because there's a risk of infection to both mother and baby if the membranes are ruptured for a long time before the baby is born.

When prostaglandin or oxytocin is used, there is a risk of abnormal contractions developing. In that case, the doctor may remove the vaginal insert or turn the oxytocin dose down. While it is rare, there is an increase in the risk of developing a tear in the uterus uterine rupture when these medications are used.

Other complications associated with oxytocin use are low blood pressure and low blood sodium which can cause problems such as seizures. Another potential risk of inducing labor is giving birth to a late pre-term baby born after 34 and before 37 weeks. Because the due date EDD may be wrong. They should also let you know about the newborn neonatal special care hospital facilities in your area.

If your baby is born earlier than 37 weeks, they may be vulnerable to problems related to being premature. If your waters break before 34 weeks, you'll only be offered induction if there are other factors that suggest it's the best thing for you and your baby. You may be offered an induction if you have a condition that means it'll be safer to have your baby sooner, such as diabetes , high blood pressure or intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.

If this is the case, your doctor and midwife will explain your options to you so you can decide whether or not to have your labour induced. Before inducing labour, you'll be offered a membrane sweep, also known as a cervical sweep, to bring on labour. To carry out a membrane sweep, your midwife or doctor sweeps their finger around your cervix during an internal examination.

This action should separate the membranes of the amniotic sac surrounding your baby from your cervix. This separation releases hormones prostaglandins , which may start your labour. Having a membrane sweep does not hurt, but expect some discomfort or slight bleeding afterwards.

If labour does not start after a membrane sweep, you'll be offered induction of labour. Induction is always carried out in a hospital maternity unit. You'll be looked after by midwives and doctors will be available if you need their help.

If you're being induced, you'll go into the hospital maternity unit. Contractions can be started by inserting a tablet pessary or gel into your vagina. Induced labour, often called an induction, is when you are given medical treatment to start your labour.

Induced labour may be recommended if it would be better for you or your baby for the birth to occur sooner, rather than waiting for labour to start naturally.

Labour normally starts naturally any time between 37 and 42 weeks of pregnancy. The cervix softens and starts to open, you will get contractions , and your waters break. In an induced labour, or induction, these labour processes are started artificially. It might involve mechanically opening your cervix, breaking your waters, or using medicine to start off your contractions — or a combination of these methods.

An induced labour can be more painful than a natural labour. In natural labour, the contractions build up slowly, but in induced labour they can start more quickly and be stronger. Because the labour can be more painful, you are more likely to want some type of pain relief. If your labour is induced, you are also more likely to need other interventions, such as the use of forceps or ventouse vacuum to assist with the birth of your baby.

You will not be able to move around as much because the baby will be monitored more closely than during a natural labour. You will only be offered induced labour if there is a risk to you or your baby's health. Your doctor might recommend induced labour if:. Not everyone can have an induced labour. It is not usually an option if you have had a a caesarean section or major abdominal surgery before, if you have placenta praevia , or if your baby is breech or lying sideways.

During the late stages of your pregnancy, your healthcare team will carry out regular checks on your health and your baby's heath. These checks help them decide whether it is better to induce labour or to keep the baby inside. Always tell your doctor or midwife if you notice your baby is moving less than normal. If they decide it is medically necessary to induce labour, first your doctor or midwife will do an internal examination by feeling inside your vagina.

They will feel your cervix to see if it is ready for labour. This examination will also help them decide on the best method for you.