Scheduled Elective Inductions - Making Birth Convenient?

I will first say that I am personally against scheduled elective inductions. If you think that they are wonderful, you probably won't want to read this. I am not saying all inductions are bad. I do believe that there are times when induction is medically necessary.

I am not writing to criticize women who have had an induction, I am writing this because it is getting scary how normal induction is. My hope is that women will educate themselves on the risks to them and their babies before they make the decision to be induced and that providers will not encourage it so much.

My issues stem from those women who choose induction for shear convenience or because they don't want to be pregnant anymore. I know the feeling at the end of your pregnancy when you feel like you are willing to do anything to get that baby out. The desperation that makes you do laps around the block, eat spicy food, and have a lot of sex. It is hard! I would be lying if I said that induction didn't ever cross my mind when I was pregnant. I just reminded myself that there was nothing more important than getting myself and my baby through it safely. Not to mention, I would probably have an easier labor and delivery if I wasn't forcing it and I wanted a positive experience.

I once heard a story about a woman who chose to be induced early because she had plans the following weekend and didn't want the possibility of those plans being interrupted by labor. O.M.G. Isn't the safe birth of your child more important than any plans you may have???? Induction can be dangerous and increases the need for medical intervention, including c-sections. It is important to take that into consideration before you agree to have an induction. Think about it this way...you are FORCING a baby out of your body when he or she and your body may not be ready for it. Because of this, you may be setting yourself up for a more difficult labor that your body may fight.

Cervidil and Pitocin are NOT FDA approved for elective inductions. There are side effects that come with the use of Pitocin that can cause significant problems. There is even a possible link to autism. These drugs cross the placenta and enter the bloodstream, brain and organs of the baby. Here is a great article detailing the effects of a variety of drugs on moms and their babies. Some of the drugs on the list are FDA approved and others are not.FDA approved obstetrics drugs: Their effects on mother and baby.

The manufacturer of oxytocin even warns the provider in the package insert:

"Maternal deaths due to hypertensive episodes, subarachnoid hemorrhage, rupture of the uterus, fetal deaths and permanent CNS or brain damage of the infant due to various causes have been reported to be associated with the use of parenteral oxytocic drugs for induction of labor or for augmentation in the first and second stages of labor."

Most of the time I don't blame the mom for having an induction...Many times doctors encourage it and make it seem like a safe and desirable option. It seems so normal. It is a convenience thing for them. It ensures that they can deliver their patients babies, and that they won't have too many middle of the night deliveries. I get it. On their end, it tends to make their lives easier. However, being that I believe in more natural ways of delivery, this is just too un-natural for my taste.

I Go to Bed With Pancakes And Wake Up With Implants

I bet if you are a breastfeeding mom, you knew right away that I was talking about my boobs. It is amazing to me that I can start my day with full perky breasts that resemble implants and by the end of the day they are saggy and sad. I affectionately call them my "pancakes" at the end of the day.

It is hard to be a mom to a newborn and we often get these fun little perks (insert sarcasm) to go right along with the sleepless nights, diaper blowouts and spit-up.
Regardless, I remind myself that my boobs rock. They are the sole provider of nutrition to my son and they provided my daughter nutrition for 14 full months. Not only did they provide nutrition, they helped prevent sickness in my children, they help lower my chances for cancer, they help develop an unmistakable bond between mom and child, and so much more. I really think that breast milk is the most amazing fluid on this planet, and that we are going to discover more of its wonderful healing abilities.

Yes, I sound crazy, but I want to remind all of the mommies out there who are standing in front of the mirror looking at deflated breasts, that it is worth it. You are doing a fantastic thing for your child and it will pay off in more ways that we can imagine.