Babies Tale

This is an artificial way of starting labor. Labor may be induced if all indications are the baby is overdue or if there is some need to deliver the baby early. Normally you will not be allowed to go much more than two weeks past your due date if the dates are firm and have been confirmed by ultrasound. There is some risk that the placenta will not be functioning as well by then. This is a particular risk in older mothers. Induction doesn’t always work. Then the mother may be under pressure to have a Cesarean.

“They took me in when the baby was due and said they’d like to induce me. They said that the placenta fails quickly in older mothers and I was 47. They said there was no sign of placental failure, but that this was a fact. They tried to induce me and it failed. The next day they tried again, but the doctor said, ‘Let’s do a Cesarean, we want a healthy baby.’ So they did.”

Tests can be done to find out that the placenta is working normally. You may also be asked to keep a record of the fetus’ movements. If there is evidence the baby is not growing well, that fetal movements are becoming infrequent or the mother is suffering from high blood pressure, then induction will almost certainly be recommended. By this time, many women are quite willing for the birth to be induced:

“The last few months of pregnancy I was in and out of the clinic having tests. I had an agonizing pain under the ribs, which I knew was from the baby, but they wanted to be sure it wasn’t something else. I felt incredibly tired-I couldn’t cope with the pain and not sleeping-so they decided to induce the birth. I was happy about that. But when I went to the hospital they told me I was too tired to cope with labor-to go home, rest for a week, not do anything. ‘Then, if the baby doesn’t come, we’ll induce it next week.’”

Labor can be started artificially in several ways. The membranes containing the waters can be broken if the baby is overdue or near term. This usually starts labor. But if it doesn’t, other intervention will be needed. That’s because if the baby isn’t delivered within 24 hours after the waters have been broken, he or she is at risk of infection. An artificial rupture of the membranes (ARM) or amniotomy is performed with an instrument that looks like a long crochet hook. This procedure is normally painless. The technique is also used to speed up labor. Once the waters have broken, the baby’s head, unprotected by the bag of waters, presses harder against the cervix, encouraging the uterus to contract. The contractions will become much stronger and you will also feel some of the waters gushing out with each contraction.

Prostaglandin suppositories may be used to start labor. These are usually inserted into the vagina. The effect of the hormones close to the cervix is to trigger labor. A man’s sperm contains prostaglandin, which is why women at risk of a premature birth should avoid full sexual intercourse and why one of the best natural ways to induce labor is to make love. A prostaglandin induced labor works well because, once started, it can proceed without further intervention.

If labor does not start in any other way, an oxytocin drip is used. Oxytocin is the hormone that naturally causes the contractions of labor. Various artificial forms of oxytocin can be used. (The trade name is Pitocin’v.) A drip is inserted into your arm-you can ask to have it put into the arm you use least. You can also ask to have a long tube connecting you to the drip so you can move around and change position as much as possible. Contractions caused when you are on an oxytocin drip are usually stronger, longer and more painful. You may also find that you are plunged into the height of labor without having time to adjust to gradually increasing contractions. This can make the pain more difficult to cope with. In fact, pain relief is often necessary in these circumstances. This in itself can lead to further intervention.

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