Sometimes, due to health or other concerns, labor must be induced, or artificially started. Labor inducement can be a long process and induced labor is slightly different than “regular” labor.

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!

by Christine Ramos

Not much else changes your life in so many ways as having a child does. Pregnancy and childbirth are life altering events for women and their involved partners. Many women enter their birthing facility as a private and reserved individual only to succumb later to the throes of labor and literally let it all hang out.

Having a baby can tell a woman a lot about herself that she previously did not know. Like the strength of her endurance, the magnificence of her body, and yes, the fact that there exists an occasion where she will not give a hoot who sees her in the most private of body positions. I strongly encourage pregnant women to embrace this truly magical time, a time when their own soul allows the entrance of another into this world. The following is a list of the five things I advise every expectant couple to know.

1. Understand what is happening.
Pregnancy is a time when you should be educating herself on the many wondrous changes your body and that of your unborn baby undergoes. You and your partner should learn about the course of childbirth, what birthing choices are available to you, and what to expect in both a normal delivery and one that requires medical intervention. Know what can be expected for your particular prenatal health status and draw up a birthing plan based on your educated wishes. But please remember, a birth plan is a list of wishes for your birthing experience. Changes in your, or your baby’s, health status may necessitate having an entirely different birth than what you initially wanted, and being prepared will put you in a position to better cope. Sign up for childbirth preparation courses and tour the birthing facility before the big day approaches.

2. Learn various options available for pain management.
Epidurals, though very common, are not without risks. Low blood pressure, slowing of your baby’s heart rate, back pain, severe headache, and seizures are all associated with administration of epidural anesthesia. The inability to recognize the natural urge to push your baby out is also a side effect of it. Water birthing is a marvelous birthing option which has been shown to be as effective as an epidural for pain control. Acupuncture, Reiki, and even hypnosis can also assist in obtaining effective pain management. Research these wonderful options, you owe it to yourself and your baby.

3. Avoid becoming submissive.
I strongly urge expectant parents to take an active role in their birth experience while discouraging submissiveness. So many times I have seen couples surrender their experience to the authority of their well-meaning, but very occupied, physician. What you need to know is that you must work to make the birthing experience your own.

No matter how caring the physician is she has a ton of other responsibilities she must be mindful of while attending to your birth. Many of the procedures she orders are routine and quite possibly can be negotiated in terms of your vision for your individual birthing experience. Say for example, you prefer to not have intravenous fluids during birth because you desire to walk about unencumbered by an I.V. pole.

Intravenous fluids are often routinely ordered, not so much because the birthing woman is at risk for dehydration, but to ensure easy access for medication administration via I.V. route should the need arise. Your physician may agree to only having intravenous access by the use of a saline-lock, an I.V. catheter inserted and taped to your arm but not hooked up to the tubing and bags. If the course of the pregnancy has been uncomplicated there is no reason why laboring couples cannot experience the birth of their child without medical intrusion.

4. Consider a Midwife.
Certified midwives are skilled and competent clinicians who advocate non-intervention in the normal processes of pregnancy and childbirth. These caring practitioners encourage active participation of their patients and their families as well as providing education, emotional, and social support throughout the childbearing experience. Always working with a physician as a back up measure in the event of an obstetrical emergency, the certified midwife is a safe, highly satisfying alternative to an M.D. for normal pregnancies.

5. Consider expert support during labor.
Doulas and labor support specialists, like myself, are also a very nice option for the birthing woman. We are certified professionals who work to improve the normal progress of your labor. We provide emotional support and use various comfort measures such as positioning, massage, and effective relaxation techniques during this momentous time. Having this type of assistance for pregnant women has been proven to reduce the need of medical intervention. Ask anyone who’s had a doula during their birthing experience and more than likely you’ll hear raves.

About The Author
Christine Ramos is a Registered Nurse and Certified Childbirth Educator, with experience in High-Risk Antepartum and Maternal/Child Health. In addition to writing articles Christine offers private maternity services. Her first book, entitled ‘A Journey Into Being. A Guide to Knowing Our Children as Spirit and How to Nurture Their Inner Being’ will be due out in June 2006. She is the mother of 2 boys ages 15 and 12, and a girl age 4. Visit Christine at www.IntuitiveNurturing.com for more information.

Today’s pregnant woman has many different choices when it comes to her prenatal care. Often, the first choice a woman makes is who to have take care of her during her pregnancy, a midwife or a doctor.

For some the decision is simple. Women who either have medical problems or have had a previous c-section and know that they are going to have another one, choose to see an obstetrician because only they can perform c-sections. However, for most women, the choice isn’t as obvious, and careful research must be undertaken to determine what choice is best for her and her family.

Midwives
Prior to labor, during office visits, a mother to be might find that a midwives’ office is much more personal, friendly, and quicker than a doctor’s office. The wait isn’t as long, and the midwife is willing to listen and answer all your questions no matter how long it takes. While in labor, either at home or the hospital, a midwife will generally not leave the mothers side until labor is over, remaining with the mother to give constant support.

Midwives are generally believed to be more personable and more willing to listen, and to do exactly what the mother-to-be wants during her pregnancy and birth. Midwives generally support and believe in a more natural, comfortable birth for the mother and baby, as well as using less traditional birthing aids such as birthing balls and water births. A midwife also is knowledgeable about perineal massage to help avoid tears and episiotomies during labor, as well as using oils and teas to help your cervix soften and prepare for labor. Also, if a mother-to-be wants to have a homebirth, a midwife is who she would choose to assist her.

Doctors
Doctors can offer a lot of benefits as well. Often a doctor can come with a lot of recommendations from friends. Also, if you register with a group of doctors you will have more than one option of who to see. Many times you will actually see all the doctors at different appointments so you’ll get to know each one. You will also be able to get several different opinions regarding any problems you might be having in your pregnancy in one place, rather than having to go elsewhere for a second opinion. Another benefit is that if your doctor is ill, or has to deliver a baby, you probably won’t have to reschedule your appointment because there should be another doctor that you could see in the practice that day.

Often, you will find that the doctor’s office is packed and you have to wait for your appointment. When you finally get in to see your obstetrician, he is rushed and doesn’t want to take the time to answer your questions. These are common complaints from women who have a doctor versus a midwife for their prenatal care.

Obstetricians can also support and believe in a more natural method of childbirth, but they can also be quick to recommend pain medication during labor. They might also be quick to recommend a c-section if labor is not progressing as fast as they want. You also often won’t find the doctor at the hospital or in your room until it is time to actually deliver the baby, instead leaving the labor, early pushing and delivery up to a nurse to take care of.

The choice between an obstetrician and a midwife is purely personal for each mother-to-be. It is a decision to be weighed carefully and not taken before first getting all the facts. In the end, the mother-to-be wants to be happy and 100% comfortable with whoever she chooses, because this is the person she is going to be depending upon to bring a new life into the world safely.