Induction
Induction. Often that’s a loaded word for families because they know they want to avoid it but aren’t exactly sure why. When I hear stories of ‘induction’, especially as told by friends of the families I support, they either happen because something is ‘wrong’ or because the baby is ‘late’. We know that induction means starting labour but there are lots of misconceptions about induction floating around often because of these stories from friends of friends or sometimes even our own family. Hopefully this video helps to sort some of these straight.
So, we know that induction means getting labour going, but how exactly is that done? There are two main categories of induction, one which is more natural and things you yourself can do and the other is medical which involves either one or a series of various interventions. With the natural induction methods, we can start and stop them at any time and typically these are started any time after 37 weeks. With a medical induction, once it’s started there’s no real going back.
So what can we do to naturally induce? I’ve included a little printable below about the different methods of natural induction because it’s a lot of information for this video, but take a peek. Some people swear by pineapples, other use dates, acupuncture is a phenomenal tool, and if you’ve watched the videos on the Miles Circuit or the Three Sisters then you know I also absolutely love those for induction. There are homeopathic remedies that can be prescribed by a naturopath, sex is really high up there on the list of must-dos, and there are herbal remedies you can also find more information about if tinctures are your thing. The ‘natural’ method of induction I do want to talk about here now though is the stretch and sweep. Technically this is done by your medical care provider, but I include it here because it doesn’t involve any medication and it isn’t guaranteed to do anything. With the other medical forms of induction, something is guaranteed to happen but the stretch and sweep is really hit or miss. My biggest recommendation is to ask your care provider if your cervix is favourable enough to do the sweep. If the cervix is posterior, tight, closed and/or long then doing a sweep is mostly unnecessary discomfort that borders on painful for some. When it is tight, closed, posterior, it makes more sense to wait until the cervix is showing signs that it’s interested in birthing a baby because the sweep is only a useful little nudge to a body who wants to into labour.
On the other hand, there are three ways to induce medically. The first is the most known way, which is with Pitocin, a synthetic form of oxytocin that is run with a constant IV drip. However, before Pit is started, there are two other types of medical induction that can be done and usually one of those are done first. One of these ways is Cervadil, or a cervical gel, that is applied directly onto the cervix. Up to three doses can be given anywhere between 6 and 12 hours apart, and that helps to soften a cervix that isn’t very effaced or very thick and it can also definitely get contractions going. The other way is the Foley catheter, also known as a Foley bulb or balloon, that helps to open the cervix. A deflated ‘balloon’ attached to a thin rubber tube is put up through the cervix between the baby’s head and the cervix, and is inflated with a sterile saline solution. This pressure acts as the baby’s head and can help the cervix both thin and open to around 2-3 cm. Once either of these have been used, either the gel or the balloon, then there’s no turning back. Either when the balloon falls out or the last application of gel is complete, and regardless of whether or not there are some contractions, the hospital or your midwifery team will then proceed with the next intervention if applicable. If, for example, the gel works and you can go into labour and are having those 3-1-1-style contractions then no other intervention would be used but if contractions are generally irregular or not very strong, then often the labour will be augmented with Pitocin.
It’s important to note that induction and augmentation are different. Once labour is induced medically with either the gel, bulb or Pitocin, more interventions will be used to augment labour if necessary. So, for example, rupturing the membranes or releasing/breaking the waters isn’t exactly a way to induce labour, but they will often use it as an intermediary step to augment labour if active labour hasn’t started yet or the contraction pattern isn’t effective. Pitocin is another example of labour augmentation because it’s not often the first step when inducing.
I’ve got another video called, “I’m facing an induction… now what?” that I suggest you don’t watch unless you are actually a couple days away from an induction. It goes over logistical details of what to expect, when to call me, good questions you might want to ask, and other details. The reason why I suggest waiting to watch it is because I, being the hippie doula I am, really want you to focus on *not* having an induction more than having one. I want you to spend time connecting with your baby, enjoying the final days of pregnancy, doing any natural induction methods that feel good.. Don’t worry about induction, don’t send any energy its way, until you have no other options.
Remember to check out the information below about those natural options and if you’ve got any to add that you learn or have any questions, shoot me a message or give me a call!
Induction. Often that’s a loaded word for families because they know they want to avoid it but aren’t exactly sure why. When I hear stories of ‘induction’, especially as told by friends of the families I support, they either happen because something is ‘wrong’ or because the baby is ‘late’. We know that induction means starting labour but there are lots of misconceptions about induction floating around often because of these stories from friends of friends or sometimes even our own family. Hopefully this video helps to sort some of these straight.
So, we know that induction means getting labour going, but how exactly is that done? There are two main categories of induction, one which is more natural and things you yourself can do and the other is medical which involves either one or a series of various interventions. With the natural induction methods, we can start and stop them at any time and typically these are started any time after 37 weeks. With a medical induction, once it’s started there’s no real going back.
So what can we do to naturally induce? I’ve included a little printable below about the different methods of natural induction because it’s a lot of information for this video, but take a peek. Some people swear by pineapples, other use dates, acupuncture is a phenomenal tool, and if you’ve watched the videos on the Miles Circuit or the Three Sisters then you know I also absolutely love those for induction. There are homeopathic remedies that can be prescribed by a naturopath, sex is really high up there on the list of must-dos, and there are herbal remedies you can also find more information about if tinctures are your thing. The ‘natural’ method of induction I do want to talk about here now though is the stretch and sweep. Technically this is done by your medical care provider, but I include it here because it doesn’t involve any medication and it isn’t guaranteed to do anything. With the other medical forms of induction, something is guaranteed to happen but the stretch and sweep is really hit or miss. My biggest recommendation is to ask your care provider if your cervix is favourable enough to do the sweep. If the cervix is posterior, tight, closed and/or long then doing a sweep is mostly unnecessary discomfort that borders on painful for some. When it is tight, closed, posterior, it makes more sense to wait until the cervix is showing signs that it’s interested in birthing a baby because the sweep is only a useful little nudge to a body who wants to into labour.
On the other hand, there are three ways to induce medically. The first is the most known way, which is with Pitocin, a synthetic form of oxytocin that is run with a constant IV drip. However, before Pit is started, there are two other types of medical induction that can be done and usually one of those are done first. One of these ways is Cervadil, or a cervical gel, that is applied directly onto the cervix. Up to three doses can be given anywhere between 6 and 12 hours apart, and that helps to soften a cervix that isn’t very effaced or very thick and it can also definitely get contractions going. The other way is the Foley catheter, also known as a Foley bulb or balloon, that helps to open the cervix. A deflated ‘balloon’ attached to a thin rubber tube is put up through the cervix between the baby’s head and the cervix, and is inflated with a sterile saline solution. This pressure acts as the baby’s head and can help the cervix both thin and open to around 2-3 cm. Once either of these have been used, either the gel or the balloon, then there’s no turning back. Either when the balloon falls out or the last application of gel is complete, and regardless of whether or not there are some contractions, the hospital or your midwifery team will then proceed with the next intervention if applicable. If, for example, the gel works and you can go into labour and are having those 3-1-1-style contractions then no other intervention would be used but if contractions are generally irregular or not very strong, then often the labour will be augmented with Pitocin.
It’s important to note that induction and augmentation are different. Once labour is induced medically with either the gel, bulb or Pitocin, more interventions will be used to augment labour if necessary. So, for example, rupturing the membranes or releasing/breaking the waters isn’t exactly a way to induce labour, but they will often use it as an intermediary step to augment labour if active labour hasn’t started yet or the contraction pattern isn’t effective. Pitocin is another example of labour augmentation because it’s not often the first step when inducing.
I’ve got another video called, “I’m facing an induction… now what?” that I suggest you don’t watch unless you are actually a couple days away from an induction. It goes over logistical details of what to expect, when to call me, good questions you might want to ask, and other details. The reason why I suggest waiting to watch it is because I, being the hippie doula I am, really want you to focus on *not* having an induction more than having one. I want you to spend time connecting with your baby, enjoying the final days of pregnancy, doing any natural induction methods that feel good.. Don’t worry about induction, don’t send any energy its way, until you have no other options.
Remember to check out the information below about those natural options and if you’ve got any to add that you learn or have any questions, shoot me a message or give me a call!