No medical reason for inductions?

[wild~blossom]

Anyone have any links on this? I'm needing info for a friend who wants to be induced for the sake of convenience. I'd like to show her some stuff on why it's a bad idea. She's due in a couple of months, and wants to be induced at 38 weeks.

Thanks!

[jplain]

There are valid medical reasons for induction.
But there are also reasons that convenience inductions aren't safer than waiting for labor to begin on its own.
This info from the Lamaze Institute for Normal Birth might be helpful.
It is fairly short but comprehensive:
Care Practices That Promote Normal Birth - Labor Begins on its Own (http://www.lamaze.org/institute/carepractices/LaborBegins.asp)

:) Carolyn

[ZeldasMom]

www.hencigoer.com/articles/elective_induction/

HTH!

[LoveChild421]

This article explains it perfectly
http://www.sarahjbuckley.com/articles/ecstatic-birth.htm

"Induction and Augmentation
In the US in 2004, 53 percent of women reported that they had Pitocin administered in labor to strengthen or speed up contractions.36

Synthetic oxytocin administered in labor does not act like the body’s own oxytocin. First, Pitocin-induced contractions are different from natural contractions, and these differences can have significant effects on the baby. For example, waves can occur almost on top of each other when too high a dose of Pitocin is given, and it also causes the resting tone of the uterus to increase.37

Such over-stimulation (hyperstimulation) can deprive the baby from the necessary supplies of blood and oxygen, and so produce abnormal FHR patterns, fetal distress (leading to caesarean section), and even uterine rupture.38

Birth activist Doris Haire describes the effects of Pitocin on the baby:

The situation is analogous to holding an infant under the surface of the water, allowing the infant to come to the surface to gasp for air, but not to breathe.39

These effects may be partly due to the high blood levels of oxytocin that are reached when a woman labors with Pitocin. Theobald calculated that, at average levels used for induction or augmentation/acceleration, a woman’s oxytocin levels will be 130 to 570 times higher than she would naturally produce in labor.40 Direct measurements do not concur, but blood oxytocin levels are difficult to measure.41 Other researchers have suggested that continuous administration of this drug by iv infusion, which is very different to its natural pulsatile release, may also account for some of these problems.42

Second, oxytocin, synthetic or not, cannot cross from the body to the brain through the blood-brain barrier. This means that Pitocin, introduced into the body by injection or drip, does not act as the hormone of love. However, it can interfere with oxytocin’s natural effects. For example, we know that women with Pitocin infusions are at higher risk of major bleeding after the birth43 44 and that, in this situation, the uterus actually loses oxytocin receptors and so becomes unresponsive to the postpartum oxytocin peak that prevents bleeding.45 But we do not know the psychological effects of interference with the natural oxytocin that nature prescribes for all mammalian species.

As for the baby, ‘Many experts believe that through participating in this initiation of his own birth, the fetus may be training himself to secrete his own love hormone.’29 Michel Odent speaks passionately about our society’s deficits in our capacity to love self and others, and he traces these problems back to the time around birth, particularly to interference with the oxytocin system."

[stafl]

have her ask for the patient info sheet from the manufacturer on the drug(s) her doctor wants to give her. I believe technically they are supposed to give it to you without you asking, but I've always had to ask and then put up a fuss about it before getting the information you are legally entitled to have before giving informed consent. It can't be informed consent if you are not informed. That sheet (along with the package inserts) will have listed all the known side effects and risks associated with that medication. A couple more good places for info would be to search that particular medication at www.pubmed.com and www.fda.gov

[Ammaarah]

Just wanted to chime in...even if you have one of the official "OK" reasons for induction, it's not always the way to go. Trust me. I spent Tuesday and Wednesday in the hospital having a failed induction. I have chronic high BP (well, it ran borderline and then went up at 12 weeks) for which I take meds, and my BP's gone up in the last week. I took the advice of a peri and ended up trying three different drugs for cervical ripening as well as a Pit drip for half a day.

I'm now dilated to 1-2 cm, and 50% effaced. Guess the apple will drop when it's ripe. I'm on bedrest since my BP is great when I am laying down. Probably should have tried that FIRST but I ignored my intuition and went with that of a peri who also falsely dx'd me with GD when my sugars are perfect. Ugh. Sorry to hijack, I'm just feeling like a dishrag today. I need some MDC influence. :)

I am happy to report that the docs were prudent with dosages and baby's heartbeat was rock-steady, so I did not have a c-section. But neither did I have a baby yet, either! Mollie, tell your friend of the very real possibility of the induction being a total flop!

[MamaTaraX]

Thanks for the links mamas,e ven though I didn't ask for them ;) I have a friend who's begging for an induction because she's tired and just "ready to be done". Makes me sad. I recently sent her a big email explaining the common types of inductions. It was very matter-of-fact. She goes tothe dr. todayto talk about having an induction. I'll send her the links even though I don't think it will change hermind any. She's a little over 37 wks right now. I'm attending her birth, she's a friend of mine andI really want to see her have a wonderful birth experience. I almost feel bad trying to persuade her out of it, it is her choice, but the mama and doula and birth junkie in me want to see her have the most awesome powerfulbirth she can have and I don't think an inductionis the way togo.

Phew, sorry to use this post to unload :)

Namaste, Tara
mama to Doodle (6), Butterfly (2), and Rythm (due at home 1/06)

[wild~blossom]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I've learned a LOT from those links as well! I hope my friend will change her mind & go naturally.