What Is Induced Labor?
If labor doesn’t start on its own, the practitioner can use medication and other techniques to instigate contractions. Similar methods are applied to speed up labor if it stops progressing for some reason.
Numerous medical conditions can call for induced labor. Complications endangering the woman’s health; including preeclampsia, heart diseases, gestational diabetes, are reasons to induce labor. If the baby is in danger due to inadequate supply of oxygen or nutrients, or is small for its gestational age, labor may be induced. Sometimes mothers develop chorioamnionitis, which is a uterine infection; such cases would require labor induction. Chronic or acute illness; such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or kidney disease; that threatens the health of the mother or baby and cases of women with full-term stillbirth history; call for induced labor.
If labor doesn’t start naturally within 24 to 48 hours of the breakage of the amniotic sac; labor must be induced. Labor is also induced when the pregnancy goes beyond 42 weeks. Labor has to be instigated when the placenta begins to deteriorate and there is not enough amniotic fluid surrounding the baby.
When induction is necessary and the cervix is not dilated; induction is induced by inserting medication that contains prostaglandins into the vagina. Alternative to using medication to ripen the cervix, practitioners may insert a catheter with a very small uninflated balloon at the end into the cervix. When the balloon is inflated with water, it puts pressure on your cervix, stimulating the release of prostaglandins, which cause the cervix to open and soften. When the cervix begins to dilate, the balloon falls out and the catheter is removed. If the cervix is dilated, the practitioner inserts a small, plastic hooked instrument through the cervix to break the amniotic sac. This procedure- Amniotomy, causes no more discomfort than a vaginal exam.
If the cervix is very ripe and ready for labor, rupturing the membranes alone will be enough to get the contractions started. If this doesn’t happen, the practitioner medicates the mother with oxytocin.
If the cervix is almost dilated, the practitioner inserts a finger through the cervix and manually separates the amniotic sac from the lower part of the uterus. This causes the release of prostaglandins, which may help further ripen the cervix and possibly get contractions started.
Inducing labor may result in a premature birth, which poses risks for the baby; like difficulty breathing, yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes (jaundice), and other problems like lower heart rate. Inducing labor increases the risk of infection for both mother and baby and also increases the chances of a C-section.
Even though induction of labor seems risky; its benefits rule over the consequences. Moreover medical science has advanced so far that practitioners can surely deliver mother and child from dire straits.
