Labor can be induced using a variety of methods. Check with your provider to determine which method they prefer to use. Some practitioners prefer to begin the process in the evening, with the hopes that you can sleep through most of the night. Other practitioners prefer to begin in the morning with labor inducements.

How to Induce Labor

The process can take anywhere from 1-3 days depending upon a variety of factors including your health and the overall well being of the baby. Because of the risks, most women who are induced will need to be regularly monitored. This may mean that you are confined to bed for the majority of the process. For some women, this can be bothersome.

I’ve found that contractions are different during inducements. During naturally occurring labor, I found that I was able to work with the contractions. During my inducements, I felt that the contractions were much more powerful and intense. They were also very close together which made me feel very overwhelmed. I ended up asking for pain medication for some of the inducements; with others I was able to get through the process without pain medication. During one of my inducements, it went so quickly that there simply wasn’t time for pain medicine.

Get Support

Getting support during the process is important. It’s also important that your labor support person is aware that this is an inducement and that he or she is aware of the possible complications which could occur during the process. During my most recent inducement, my husband became so discouraged when I “stalled out” at 3 cm for 6 hours. I found myself encouraging him instead of concentrating on the labor!

Be prepared to be flexible. After 18 hours of labor, it appeared that I would need a c-section to complete the delivery because I just wasn’t progressing in my labor stages. I have to say, I was slightly discouraged. By the time the midwife left to make some final arrangements and came back a short time later to discuss options with my husband and I, I had fully dilated. Our son was delivered shortly thereafter.

My grandmother gave me some sage grandparenting advice 16 years ago before the birth of my first child. When I asked her how she handled the demands of childbirth, she simply replied: I kept my eyes on the prize. I find that “keeping my eyes on the prize” is essential to handling an inducement. Hopefully this advice will help you too!

After 42 weeks of pregnancy, two days of undergoing inducement and physical stress on the baby, my daughter was delivered via an emergency C-section. Oh, it was music to my ears when my gynecologist arrived in my hospital room at 4:30 a.m. and told me they were going to do an emergency C-section. I must have been in shock or delirious! However, after going through a traumatic two days, I had had enough and I wanted to meet this precious baby who lived inside of me for 9+ months. The time came and I was wheeled to the operating room, and what a blessed event it was to see my sweet new baby girl!

I wasn’t prepared for the aftermath of a C-Section but I am so grateful that I had a great family who were there for me and helped me every step of the way.

1. Plan ahead. No one can predict whether or not you’ll need an emergency c-section. So prepare yourself with information.
2. Try not to be upset if you are told you have to undergo a C-section to deliver your baby. I know that many new parents are less than thrilled at the prospect and have anticipated a natural delivery. Plenty of women feel put down and feel less like a woman because they did not deliver their baby through the hard work of labour. I know it is emotionally hard. Truly, the main concern is you and your baby’s health and that is more important than how you delivered your baby.
3. Expect a brief hospital stay. My daughter and I were in the hospital for four days after the birth. If you require assistance at any time in caring for you or your baby, are uncomfortable due to the pain, or have any questions, do not be afraid to ask for help. There were times when I was too proud to press the buzzer to ask for assistance. But, believe me, their assistance is very much required, especially with the care of your newborn baby.
4. When the time comes and the nurses and/or doctors tell you to walk around, do try. It may be difficult but do try to do a little walking if and when possible. It helps to alleviate the stomach gases that are very much a part of the discomfort you feel after a C-section.
5. The day arrives when you and your newborn can finally go home. Enlist support! Ensure that you have family, friends or loved ones to assist you and, once again, do not be afraid to ask for help. Do not try to be supermom! I was fortunate to have a supportive family at home and could not imagine going through the recovery without them. It will take you 6 weeks to fully recuperate from a C-section, afterall, it is major surgery.
6. Do not pick up heavy items. Remember, you have just had surgery and your incision is in the healing process.
7. Ensure that you eat healthy and drink lots of water. This is important to ensure that your digestive systems returns to normal. Plenty of rest is vital for recuperation. Enjoy this period of relaxation because you have many years of motherhood to go!
8. Enjoy this special time with your new baby!

I survived my first C-section and 18 months after the birth of my daughter, I gave birth to a healthy baby boy via a scheduled C-section. The second C-section was easier. I am grateful to have two healthy children who are the joy of my life, irregardless of how I delivered them.

About The Author
Lee-Anne Robert, proud mother of two healthy young children and owner of Cuddles ‘n Gifts,
Copyright 2004 info@cuddlesngifts.net

Several things can lead to your baby being breech. Most of the time it just happens, and there is no medical reason for it. It can happen with twins or other pregnancies with multiples as there isn’t enough room in the uterus all the time for the babies to flip around. It can also happen if there is a smaller than normal amount of amniotic fluid, a short umbilical cord, or other uterine abnormalities. If your baby has a congenital defect he is more likely to be breech as well.

Less than 5% of babies are breech when a full term labor begins. Premature babies are more likely to be breech as they have not had enough time to turn around. At 28 weeks of pregnancy 25% of babies are still in the breech position. It is the weight of the babies head that draws on the gravity to pull your baby to a head down position, and therefore the percentage of breech babies goes down drastically as the baby gets bigger and the end of pregnancy nears.

There are actually four different versions of breech presentation in babies. They include:

• Frank Breech where your baby comes out bottom first and the feet are up by your babies ears
• Complete Breech where your baby is sitting cross-legged and comes out bottom first
• Footling Breech where your baby’s bottom is higher in the uterus, but his feet are at the opening of the pelvic bone, set to come out first
• Kneeling Breech where your baby is in a kneeling position at the top of the pelvic bone

Frank Breech is the most common way a breech baby will be presented. Both the Footling Breech and the Kneeling Breech are very rare positions.

Many couples will prefer the doctor or midwife to try an external method of tuning the baby from the outside prior to labor beginning. This is done in the hospital and generally the baby is monitored on your baby to make sure he does not experience fetal distress.

If the baby cannot be turned, or the couple chooses to not try turning the baby, then a c-section will often be scheduled in order to deliver a breech baby. There are risks to delivering a full term breech baby, Including a prolapsed umbilical cord, oxygen deprivation, the baby’s head getting stuck since the bottom is softer and may not dilate the cervix as much as it should, as well as possible injury to the baby’s brain and skull. Because of these risks, doctors will generally not agree to do vaginal breech births, and will instead insist on delivering the baby by c-section as it is safer for both the mother and the baby.