Labor is usually allowed to take its natural course. However, in some situations, a health care provider may recommend induction. Induction also can be appropriate under certain circumstances, as with a mother who is full term and has a history of rapid deliveries or lives far from a hospital.
Some mothers request elective inductions for convenience, but these do come with risks. 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. Your due date is 40 weeks from the first day of your last menstrual period LMP. Babies born late pre-term are generally healthy but may have temporary problems such as jaundice, trouble feeding, problems with breathing, or difficulty maintaining body temperature. The same processes we found may also be occurring in the cervix," Menon and Dr.
Saade say. Unlike transvaginal cervix checks, though, more research is needed before telomere testing can be put into practice. By Tina Donvito December 16, Save Pin FB More. Credit: Shutterstock. By Tina Donvito. Be the first to comment! No comments yet. Close this dialog window Add a comment. Add your comment Cancel Submit. Close this dialog window Review for. Back to story Comment on this project.
Understanding how labour initiates in humans has proved almost impossible due to the obvious ethical issues surrounding human foetal experimentation.
The prize for unravelling the complex initiating mechanism of labour is the potential to help prevent premature birth, which is the most common cause of neonatal death worldwide. Images: shutterstock , skitterphoto. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Skip to content Home Features Initiating labour. Syed Asaad Qadri explains the complex internal communication of giving birth.
Syed Asaad Qadri is studying for an MSc in Reproductive and Developmental Biology Images: shutterstock , skitterphoto Tags: biology childbirth communication developmental biology pregnancy. Next Big Data in the Big Apple. And from a mother who is not yet in labour- thankyou for your insight, very helpful.
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