Some people like being pregnant. I am not one of those people. And I remember the seemingly never-ending stretch of time between 37-40 weeks with my first pregnancy, when I just wanted to be d.o.n.e. Everything was uncomfortable and hard, and any sort of pregnancy ‘glow’ that people talk about never paid me a visit.
I’d had several friends choose to get induced at 39 weeks. The thought of being ‘done’ early appealed to me, and I had talked about it with my practice. But I ultimately decided to wait things out. My daughter was one of the rare unicorns actually born on her due date, but had I gone past 40 weeks, I would have gone ahead and asked to be induced.
Over the last decade, inductions have increased dramatically, with as many as one out of three pregnancies getting induced. That includes both medically necessary inductions as well as elective inductions. So yes, if it feels like everyone is being induced right now, they kind of are.
I talked to Dr. Fran Haydanek, board-certified OB-GYN, to learn more about inductions, focusing on elective inductions versus medically necessary ones. Remember that every pregnancy is different, though, and that you should always talk to your doctor about what might be best for you.
Read More:
- In Defense of Induction and Why I Chose to Have One
- The Everymom’s Ultimate Hospital Bag Packing Checklist
Dr. Fran Haydanek, Board-Certified OB-GYN
Dr. Fran is an OB-GYN, mother of 3, and an online educator passionate about sharing real, evidence-based women’s health information.
What is an elective induction?
By definition, an elective induction of labor is when your doctor artificially starts the labor process for you. Because it’s elective, it means it isn’t medically necessary. Some women may need to get medically induced if they have certain medical conditions like preeclampsia.
With my second pregnancy, I was diagnosed with cholestasis, a liver condition that made me extremely itchy all the time. My doctors told me I’d be induced at 37 weeks because the condition causes an increase in potential risks and complications for babies. That would have been a medical induction, but my daughter surprised us by coming earlier without any intervention.
Why do people get elective inductions?
There are lots of reasons that people might get elective inductions. If you have a child at home already, knowing when you’ll be going to the hospital can be helpful to arrange childcare. Others may prefer to have an elective induction if they live far away from the hospital and are worried about going into labor and not being able to get to the hospital in time.
But above all, some people just want to get an elective induction.
“It should be something that you discuss with your OB or midwife early on and often,” Dr. Haydanek says. “I offer all options to my patients with the risks and benefits of each of them so that they choose the option that’s best for them.”
What does the data say about choosing an elective induction?
In 2018, doctors conducted a large study called The ARRIVE Trial. The goal of the study was to understand whether elective inductions between 39 and 40 weeks contributed to a higher risk of needing a c-section or any higher risks of complications or issues for moms or babies.
Over 6,000 moms participated. All were considered to have low-risk pregnancies, and all were first-time moms.
“Before this study, all of the studies that had been done on elective inductions showed that inductions increase your risk of c-section, so a lot of people shied away from being induced, and that’s what doctors were taught,” Dr. Haydanek says. The ARRIVE Trial, she says, was the first of its kind to compare being electively induced between 39 and 40 weeks versus waiting around to see what happens.
The study showed that having an elective induction at 39 weeks doesn’t increase your chances of having a c-section, and also didn’t show any increase in risks or complications for moms or babies.
“The study showed that having an elective induction at 39 weeks doesn’t increase your chances of having a c-section, and also didn’t show any increase in risks or complications for moms or babies.”
“Since then, more and more studies have come out that have supported that notion of a 39-week induction not only not being a bad thing but being one that could be a positive thing for you,” Dr. Haydanek stresses.
“You’re not rushing nature,” she adds. “What we know is that at 39 weeks your baby is fully formed, its organs are fully formed, and the risk of respiratory depression is the same as it would have been at 40 weeks, which is why 39 weeks is what we talk about and not before.”
What to consider when thinking about getting induced
Having an elective induction does mean that a doctor will have to start your labor. This could mean interventions like:
- Inserting a foley bulb to help ripen your cervix
- Giving you medication like Picotin
- Breaking your water
Because you’re pushing your body into labor when it otherwise wouldn’t be, getting electively induced often means your labor will be longer than if you were to go into labor spontaneously. Knowing that it may take days and that you will have to have interventions to get labor going should be something you consider.
You should also talk to your doctor about whether your hospital offers elective inductions or not. Some hospitals don’t offer them because they don’t have enough capacity to manage them.
The most important thing, Dr. Haydanek says, is making sure you’re well-informed about what the process will look like.
“You should know what you’re signing up for,” she says. “You should be informed when you’re making this medical decision for your pregnancy.” Check out the resource Dr. Haydanek co-authored if you’re looking for more of the studies around elective inductions, or questions to ask your doctor about them.
Bottom line: Should you ask for an elective induction?
Your birth plan should be based on what you feel comfortable with and what your doctor feels comfortable with, based on your pregnancy.
But assuming you have a low-risk pregnancy, you feel informed about what an elective induction means, and you’ve talked to your doctor about it, if you want one, you should ask for one. But if you want to reduce the number of interventions as part of your birth plan or just don’t like the idea of being electively induced, that’s ok, too.
You also don’t have to share your birth plan with anyone. No one has to know if you have an elective induction or not.
Either way, know that the best laid plans don’t always work out, especially when it comes to birth. Focus on the end result, having a happy and healthy baby (and mom!), whether your plan pans out or not.
Elliott Harrell, Contributing Writer
Elliott is a mom of two little girls and is based in Raleigh, NC. She spends her days running a sales team and doing laundry and her nights writing about the things that she loves. She’s passionate about all things motherhood and women’s health. When she’s not working, writing, or parenting, you can find her trying a new restaurant in town or working on her latest needlepoint project.
The post Why Does It Feel Like Everyone Is Being Induced Right Now? An OB-GYN Weighs In appeared first on The Everymom.
Source link: https://theeverymom.com/elective-induction/ by Kathy Sisson at theeverymom.com