3 Ways To Prepare For Labor Induction

You and your doctor may decide you need to have you labor induced for several reasons including:
• Pregnancy induced high blood pressure
• You have gone beyond your estimated due date
• Gestational diabetes
• Your waters have broken, and labor has not begun
• Your baby is not growing as expected
• Other medical conditions affecting you or your baby

When your body goes into labor on its own you begin to produce a hormone called oxytocin and this triggers labor. Oxytocin creates contractions, causing your cervix to soften, shorten, thin, and dilate. Induction is a medical attempt at getting the process started. About 30% of labors are now induced.

Labor can be induced in many ways, using a variety of tools and medications. Each of these methods have risks and benefits. The primary goal of induction is to keep you and your baby healthy and avoid surgical birth.

If an induction wasn’t part of your original birth plan you might be feeling anxious about proceeding. What can you expect? What should you do to prepare?

Ask your doctor and/or doula your questions, not Google

Don’t be afraid to ask, ask, ask. The whole process will be a lot less scary if you know what to expect. Each doctor and hospital have different protocols. You may want to know what methods of induction your doctor is planning to use, what the risks are, and what will happen if labor doesn’t begin at each step.

You may also want to ask about your Bishop Score. A Bishop Score is a way to assess your cervix and decide if it is favorable for induction, or how effective induction may be in starting labor. Your doctor will need to do an internal exam checking to see how many centimeters your cervix is dilated, how soft or firm your cervix is, and whether it is pointing forward or backward. Your doctor will also note where your baby is in relation to your pelvis. Each of these measurements is considered to determine a score between 0 and 10. The higher the number, the more likely the induction will result in a successful vaginal delivery.

Plan for comfort measures

Your options for comfort measures may change if your labor is induced. You may be less mobile depending on the methods used to get your labour started, especially if you are given Pitocin. You can still enjoy visualisation, hypnotherapy, massage, hot and cold packs, touch therapy, reiki, and of course, medicinal pain relief such as narcotics and epidural.

Other considerations for decreasing pain in labor are:
• Support from your partner or a close friend or family member
• Professional support by a birth doula
• Staying hydrated
• Position changes such as moving from side to side, walking, squatting, standing, sitting/birth ball, etc.
• Creating a comforting environment with low lighting, soft music, aromatherapy (if allowed at your birth place), and comfort items from home
• Shower or bath, depending on how mobile you are and availability
• Counter pressure such as hip squeezes, knee presses, and sacral pressure
• Breathing techniques

Have extra support

Induced labor is often, but not always, longer than labor that begins on its own. You may want to prepare by having additional support. Take it from us, while it’s nothing compared to the effort required to give birth, support people get tired and need breaks. Your partner may need to go to the washroom, grab a meal, or even catch a shower or nap. Having an additional support person available to you, and/or a birth doula, can ensure both of your needs are met throughout the induction process and through labour and birth.

Positive birth experienced are achieved through feeling informed, supported, safe, and in control. If you’re preparing for a labor induction and would like professional support, you can contact Shore Grace Family Wellness to schedule a consultation.