HealthPartners - Your guide to pregnancy

Typically, your body will initiate labor when it’s ready. In some cases, your health care provider may take action to cause uterine contractions before the body begins labor on its own. This process is called labor induction or induced labor.

LABOR INDUCTION

not to have an elective induction before 39 weeks. Unless there is a clear and compelling medical reason for inducing labor before 39 weeks, it should not be an option. HOW INDUCTION IS DONE The most common methods for inducing labor include using medication to stimulate contractions or ripen (soften) the cervix, separating the amniotic sac from the wall of the uterus (sweeping the membranes), or breaking the fluid in your amniotic sac. Inducing labor can take a few hours or a few days. It depends on how your body responds to the treatment. Augmentation (speeding up) is a similar process, usually done when labor is progressing too slowly or has stopped. This is done by rupturing membranes or administering a medication that makes the uterine contractions stronger and more frequent.

Labor may be induced for reasons related to both you and/or your baby. Maternal health issues include diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, preeclampsia, and uterine infection. Baby health issues include early rupture of membranes, pregnancies past their due dates (41-42 weeks), and babies who are not growing properly or have too little fluid surrounding them. Inducing labor before 39 weeks may pose risks for the baby — both at birth and later in life. For example, a baby’s brain develops most quickly toward the end of pregnancy. At 35 weeks, the baby’s brain is one third smaller than what it will weigh at 39-40 weeks of development. Other important organs, including the liver and lungs, are not fully developed before 39-40 weeks. When labor is induced for a nonmedical reason (like convenience or personal preference), it is called an elective induction. Given the potential risks, it is best

52 Your Guide to A Healthy Pregnancy