You’re 37 + weeks pregnant. Maybe you are even already “overdue”, have broken waters, are in the hospital or even in early labour. And now the doctors are talking about scheduling an induction or giving you oxytocin to progress your labour (augmentation). This is not what you envisioned for yourself. What should you do?
It’s surprising the number of people who turn to the internet to ask complete strangers the answer to this question. It is also not surprising at all. You hear the medical advice being given to you but you are also following your intuition. The doctors are saying one thing but something inside of you is saying something else. The truth is, that you probably are not being given the information that you need in order to make an informed decision. And if you cannot make an informed decision then you cannot give informed consent.
So now you are facing this decision of labour induction, are feeling backed into a corner and you don’t know what to do.
So you ask …
How do I avoid an induction?
The answer is quite simple, and yet, this is not the typical answer you will be given.
Just say “No thank you”. Mind blown. Yes you can just say no. You can give them a reason but you don’t have to. It is unethical for them to use scare tactics and try to coerce you into something you do not want to do. You can say "I understand your recommendation and I am choosing to decline at this time, feel free to mark it down in my chart".
Ask the doctor these questions: What are you concerned about happening? What is the likelihood of that thing happening? If they give you a crazy high statistic they are probably making that number up. Have you ever seen (the thing they are worried about) happen before? What are the risks of being induced/augmented? There are many! Make sure they don’t skimp out on the answer to this question.
Ask yourself what you are afraid of happening. Figure out which event is more likely. Are you worried about having a cesarean section? For example, if you agree to an induction, what are the chances that you will have a cesarean section vs. if I don’t agree to the induction, what are the chances of the thing they are worried about happening.
Ask yourself what risks you are willing to take. There is no such thing as a birth without risks. Is avoiding the thing that might happen if you don’t agree to the induction/augmentation worth risking the thing that might happen if you do agree to the induction/augmentation?
What do you want? A healthy baby? Of course you want a healthy baby! EVERYONE WANTS A HEALTHY BABY, that is not in question! What do you want for you? It’s not selfish to prioritize your own health and wellbeing as well as that of your baby. The decision is only yours to make, not anyone else’s. Only you will have to live with the consequences of the decision.
All in all trust your intuition when making this decision. Your intuition is there for a reason. It is your body trying to tell you something. Your body, you know the one that is about to birth a baby. Tune into what it is telling you.
Then take the information that you have and use it to make the best decision for you. Choose the option that sits right with you and which you feel confident in it.
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