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| Category: Birth and Pregnancy |
Date published: September 16, 2007 |
Why You should Consider Inducing Labor Naturally
by Lena Leino
When it comes to considering whether you should induce your labor naturally or choose medications you need to be informed. There are some rare pre-existing medical conditions that could require medical induction in a highly controlled environment. It is, however, important to carefully consider the potential risks, as compared to the benefits, that labor induction may have to the mother or the baby. There are many natural methods for encouraging the labor to start naturally and their benefits far outweigh the seriousness of risks that are involved with medical induction.
First, you should realize that natural methods for inducing labor work. Therefore, they should never be used during the early trimesters of your pregnancy, and should not be attempted without the approval of your midwife,. Although natural labor methods are powerful, when used appropriately, they have less side effects then medication. Never use natural induction methods during the early months of pregnancy because they could lead to miscarriage.
When you are past 40 weeks pregnant and need to induce labor, natural methods have far less risks when compared to medication. Natural labor inducing methods include acupressure, walking, sexual intercourse, herbs, stripping the membranes, and nipple stimulation. These methods help to start labor through different mechanisms; for example nipple stimulation help increase natural hormones that stimulate labor, such as Oxytocin and Prostaglandins.
Medications used to stimulate labor are synthetic forms of the naturally occurring hormones, Oxytocin and Prostaglandin The brand name form of Oxytocin is Pitocin and the brand name forms of Prostaglandin include Cervidil and Prostin E2. These medications are associated with serious side effects and risks.
First, Pitocin is known for causing uterine contractions that are extremely intense, painful, and last for a long duration. Some other side effects associated with Pitocin include vomiting, nausea, cramping, and stomach pain. More serious side effects have also been reported. These serious side effects and risks include an irregular heartbeat in the mother, feeling lightheaded or dizzy, swelling, headaches, blurred vision, and seizures. There is also a chance that after childbirth the mother may develop severe bleeding.
Unfortunately, Pitocin may also cause serious side effects in your newborn. These include irregular heartbeat, jaundice in the eyes and skin, bleeding in the eyes, and seizures. Notify your doctor immediately if you notice any of these side effects in your child.
Cervidil and Prostin E2 are brand names for the drug, Dinoprostone. These are synthetic forms of Prostaglandins and are also associated with specific adverse reactions. These come in suppository form and when inserted, you must lay down for at least two hours to ensure that he medicine softens the cervix. Sometimes it is necessary to repeat the procedure for up to two days.
Both Cervidil and Prostin E2 have been shown to cause nausea and vomiting. Fever, chills, lightheadedness and dizziness are also common reactions. Some women may develop diarrhea and a fever as well. More serious side effects include trouble or difficulty breathing and a feeling of tightness in the chest. There are many conditions that may occur in the woman that will attribute to negative and adverse reactions, some of these include heart disease, kidney and pelvic infections, and Diabetes.
If you or your doctors are considering medical labor induction, you need to be aware of the associated risks and negative reactions of these pharmaceuticals. Remember also that the biggest, and probably the most frustrating, risk of chemical labor induction is that it could take days for the labor to start, or it doesn't work at all. As an alternative to labor induction medication, there are many natural methods for inducing labor that do not have these types of side effects.
Discover simple, safe and effective Maternity Acupressure techniques that help you to induce your labor naturally and avoid the side-effects of medical induction. Maternity Acupressure helps the cervix to dilate, strengthens contractions and more. Visit www.MaternityAcupressure.com for more information.
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