You can barely deal with how to go about labor, and now, you hear that you have to be induced as well. Not to worry, in this post, I give you clear steps on how to prepare for labor induction.
Are you past your due date already? Or has your doctor has affirmed that he will induce? I bet a lot of thoughts are running through your mind now.
I also recommend this post for any woman due for labor because you may never know what might happen in the labor ward, so it won’t hurt if you get some information.
There are many things to learn about, like the do’s and don’ts of labor induction, what to do before labor induction, answers to essential questions about induction.
This also includes clear-cut steps on how to prepare for labor induction, and other essential tips you will find beneficial. Let’s get started.
Dos And Don’ts Of Being Induced
There are rules for every procedure and this includes induced labor. The following are some Dos and Don’ts of being induced for delivery.
Dos Of Induced Labor
1. Sleep early before the induction
2. Have a good time with your partner and kids before the induction
3. Do check your hospital bag to see that everything is packed
4. Do have some “me” time with yourself
5. Seek support (friends, family members, a certified Doula)
Don’ts Of Induced Labor
Just as there are things to be done for induced labor, there are also things to be avoided when you are preparing for labor induction and they are:
1. Do not eat heavy and too sugary meals the night before induction.
2. Do not feed yourself with stories of failed induction.
3. Do not despair
4. Avoid any supplement to speed up labor that the doctor does not prescribe
5. Do not leave home unprepared before going for labor induction. You can check the post “Things to do before baby arrives” to see how you prepare before labor. You can read it here.
What To Do Before Labor Induction
While you are learning how to prepare for labor induction, there are those things that you should do before leaving home to the hospital.
Below are some of the basics you need to cover before labor induction
1. Get your house in order – prepare food, the kids, your pets, etc.
2. Keep the home clean, etc.
3. Pamper yourself, and this would help release tension
4. Do a re-check of your hospital bags to see that you are not missing anything
5. Have some time with your partner
6. Sleep well before that day
7. Eat well but do not get overfull
8. Stock on loads of entertainment to keep you engaged before or during induction.
Does Being Inducted Hurt?
When learning how to prepare for labor induction, you may be wondering if induced labor hurts more than spontaneous labor.
Well, induced labor is usually more painful than spontaneous labor, especially with the type of induction method you have.
Since induction involves creating artificial contractions in the uterus before the body starts its own, it may take some time for the body to get used to the contractions compared to spontaneous labor.
However, you need not worry; there are several pain relief medications and pain management techniques that can help you scale through.
Can I Be Induced At 37 Weeks Due To Pain?
You may ask, can I be induced at 37 weeks due to pain? Well, maybe, but the answer solely depends on your healthcare provider.
Usually, doctors induce women only when it is past the due date by two weeks, and at least the pregnancy is 39 weeks.
But if there are any reasons like pain or discomfort that you feel, and you want to induce labor, it is best to discuss it with your doctor.
How Long Does It Take To Give Birth After Induction?
If you wonder how long induction takes before birth, know that the time varies for different women based on how the woman’s body responds to the induction technique, the gestational age, etc.
However, it usually takes between hours to days (3 days at most).
How To Prepare For Labor Induction
Now let’s discuss some laid down steps on how to prepare for labor induction that you can follow through.
1. Research
You will be unsure of so many things when you are searching for how to prepare for labor induction, so you must ask the necessary questions and get the necessary answers through research.
You probably may not understand why the doctor has scheduled you for induction during your antenatal.
Before D-Day, get yourself equipped with the necessary understanding of induction, the need for induction, types or techniques of induction
1. Different baby positions
2. What to expect when getting induced
3. How long it would induction takes, and other necessary things to read on.
4. Doing your research would help you understand what to expect when getting induced.
2. Ask The Relevant Questions
After doing your research, the next step to take when you are preparing for labor induction is to get information from your healthcare provider.
Your healthcare providers will give you great tips on how to prepare for labor induction and explain how the labor induction would go.
They would also help you allay your fears and uncertainty. Discussing with your health care provider will also help you marry what you have researched and what they would tell you if it relates.
So, schedule a visit with the doctor or midwife before the planned induction. Below is a list of questions that you would ask during the stay:
1. What’s induction?
2. Why am I going to be induced?
3. What type of induction are you considering for me?
4. What’s my baby’s position presently?
5. What are other risks involved in an induction?
6. Do the benefits of induction outweigh the risk?
7. Is induction a helpful procedure?
8. Are there pain relief options available for me?
9. Does the procedure take very long?
10. Will I be able to move around after the induction?
11. What if induction fails? Will I do a C-section?
These questions should not be missed during assessment with your doctor. Ensure you get clarity on all the questions asked.
After the questions and answer session, to a great extent, you would have a picture of what to expect; this is how to prepare for labor induction.
3. Keep An Open Mind
A visit with your doctor will give you an idea of what to expect in induction; now, start preparing your mind for the upcoming process.
The idea that you would be induced may have come unexpectedly and scrambled your previous plans. Do not let that unsettle you. Rather, be ready for the unexpected.
It would help if you were realistic now; you probably may have prepared a birth plan. Talk to your healthcare provider about it to find a way to work around your birth plan even while you have to be induced.
Though things may not go exactly as you planned because of the changes, you also need to prepare yourself physically and, most significantly, mentally.
Labor induction is quite different from normal vaginal birth. Prepare yourself and be ready for it. Prepare your mind to feel some pains but assure yourself that you will scale through and deliver a healthy baby.
4. Do A Cervical Examination
Most likely, your doctor would be the one to require this procedure before the induction.
To know the state of your cervix before induction through a cervical/vaginal exam, the doctor or midwife would aim to calculate what is called a Bishops score.
This is done to estimate how well an induction will bring about labor.
In a cervical examination, the doctor will determine the firmness of the cervix, how open it is (dilation), effacement (its thickness), position (i.e., the way it is angled), and station (that is, how the baby’s head is positioned in the cervix).
The doctor will give a score after examining each of the points above. It could range from zero, one, two, three, etc.
A higher score indicates that the cervix will likely open easily and labor will begin, but a lower score will show that otherwise.
There may be a need for treatments to ripen the cervix for easier induction in such a case. That is why this is an essential tip on how to prepare for labor induction.
5. Learn About Your Available Options
Different types of labor induction are suitable for different individuals. Therefore, while you learn how to prepare for labor induction, it is good to ask the medics which induction technique will be ideal for you.
Factors like the
1. Condition of the uterus,
2. The position of the baby,
3. Amniotic fluid volume
4. Pre-existing complications of the mother,
5. If you desire a vaginal C-section birth,
6. The number of babies you have had,
7. Mothers’ preferences,
8. Doctor’s preferences, all determine the type of induction technique that will be useful.
For a woman with a low Bishops score whose cervix needs ripening, she may be induced using prostaglandin medications taken orally or vaginally, or the cervix dilated mechanically with a balloon catheter.
Standard methods of induction to stimulate a woman’s contraction are Pitocin drugs. It is like the hormone oxytocin in your body, which will hasten contraction.
At other times, the practitioner may require other natural labor induction methods like nipple stimulation or breaking the amniotic sac.
All these come in handy for different situations. While you visit with your doctor before induction, talk about the options available for you and see which one will be suitable for you; this is how to prepare for labor.
6. Find Out Your Due Date
Most likely, you should already know your due date by now, but if you haven’t or you are not so sure, you need to find out because it is essential to realize it when preparing for labor.
You can calculate your due date yourself, get the date from your birth scan or ask your doctor for your due date. It will help you plan and prepare mentally, physically, and all way round.
As you get closer to your due date, your body is getting ready for labor.
Your doctor may have scheduled you for induction for one or two important reasons, or probably you have requested an elective induction (induction that has no medical indication) yourself.
Your due date will make the doctor recommend the best time for induction (within 38-29 weeks of gestation) and balance the risks and benefits of early induction.
7. Prepare By Packing Your Delivery Bag
Before D-day, you need to start packing your hospital bag as this is an essential tip on how to prepare for induction labor. This bag should contain essentials for you and the baby because, after the induction, you ought to deliver the baby.
It would be best to prepare an extra bag for your plus one (i.e., whoever will be with you at the hospital). I have written a detailed post on how to pack a hospital bag. You may want to check it out here.
Aside from you and your baby essentials, one thing that should be in your hospital bag should be lots and lots of entertainment that will keep you busy.
The induction may take time, so while you wait, keep yourself busy with books, games, snacks, and anything that would get you not to worry about the planned induction.
(Take a poo before going to the hospital: It is usually advised not to eat before induction. So, how to prepare for labor induction is to watch what you eat before that time.
Try as much to follow the doctor’s orders; do not eat on the day of the planned induction. So, you do not start standing and leaving the labor room to use the restroom.
8. Get Support
Induced labor is quite different from spontaneous labor. For one thing, it is quite more painful.
You need a lot of physical and mental stamina to carry through with the whole process till delivery, and after; hence you need all the support you can get.
Work hand-in-hand with the medical team, your partner, a doula, and relatives. It isn’t too much as long as it works with the hospital policy.
9. Be Focused
It is easy to get carried away with fear, tenseness, and anxiety. It is also easy to be distracted by the pains of the contraction, the time you spend waiting, unsure of what will happen next, yet, it is worth it.
Preparing for labor induction is by training your mind to focus on the goal, which is delivering a healthy baby without any risks, despite the pains, fears, worry, and uncertainty you endure until you get your prize; this is how to prepare for induced labor.
For You
With all the tips you have gleaned from the post, I believe you can confidently carry out your induction if you have one coming.
Please note that despite everything stated in this article, you should follow3 a practitioner’s instructions if it contradicts this.
Your doctor knows best and wall try to give you the best experience and prioritize your health. I wish you a safe delivery.
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