Although, there are many childbirth methods, induced labor is often recommended for a number of reasons determined by a patient's medical history. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) informed that induced labor doubled from 1989 to 1997 and it is estimated that about 15% of all deliveries are induced today.



Physicians often recommend induced labor to avoid childbirth complication or when the fetus is exposed to harmful lesions due to health problems of the expectant mother, such as vaginal infections. Labor is induced by means of stimulating uterine contractions before they occur spontaneously in the last weeks of pregnancy.

Medical considerations for inducing labor may include preeclampsia, premature rupture of membranes, placental abruption, and chorioamnionitis, which is an infection of the membranes enclosing the amniotic fluid.

However, induced labor is a birthing method that can be chosen for pregnant women with good health, but living far from the hospital or medical childbirth facility. Expectant mothers who are at risk of suffering a rapid delivery are also candidates for this method.

Induced labor is recommended, and necessary, when it comes to post-term pregnancy. This means an option for women that are 2 weeks or more past their due date. In most cases, it is the obstetrician who will evaluate the circumstances that a woman will face delivering on the due date, before recommending this method.

Otherwise, an expectant mother can talk to the doctor and explain reason why she would like to have an induced labor as an alternative to other childbirth methods. Apart from the distance of the hospital, a woman may want induced labor for accommodating the date when a trip, move or work is scheduled, and she needs to stick to a strict timetable.

Even though, most physicians refuse inducing labor for matters of convenience. From their approach, the method might be unethical, because the cervix has to be ripe in order to induce labor, unless synthetic prostaglandins or mechanical dilators will be used to induce it, as well as hormones or by means of intravenous oxytocin drip.

Women who support the ideas of induced labor as birthing method, suggest nipple stimulation and even sexual intercourse to help naturally release the oxytocin the body produces.

If the doctor determines that you are a candidate for induced labor, he may suggest artificial rupture of your membranes, which is often a painless, safe method that triggers spontaneous labor. If not, your doctor may prescribe misprostol, oxytocin, or mifespristone to promote "breaking the water".

Talk to your doctor and if your baby is at risk, discuss the possibility of having induced labor instead of other birthing methods that you have considered for your due date.