Nature controls many aspects of birth, but sometimes nature needs a nudge. If your doctor decides that for you and your baby's health, the birth should be earlier than normal, he or she may initiate labor.
Why Do I Need to Start Birthing?
Your doctor may recommend it for many reasons, especially for reasons that concern you and your baby's health. For example;
- If the expected due date has passed 10 days and still the birth has not started
- If your water broke, but you still have not started contractions
- If there is an infection in the uterus
- If your baby has stopped growing at the expected rate
- If the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby is not enough
- If the placenta has begun to deteriorate
- If you have a condition that could put the baby at risk, such as high blood pressure or diabetes
Can I Wait for Birth to Start Spontaneously?
A wait-and-see approach may be preferred until two weeks after the expected delivery date. Nature prepares the cervix for childbirth in the most effective and comfortable way. However, if your doctor is worried about your or your baby's health, or if it's been 2 weeks since your expected due date, starting labor may be the best option.
So why worry after 2 weeks? The longer the pregnancy goes on, the larger your baby gets, which makes vaginal delivery more difficult. In some cases, the maturation and wear of the placenta puts the baby's development in the womb at risk. An unborn baby will sometimes inhale the feces, the first poop (meconium) in the colon, which can cause breathing problems or lung infections after birth.
Remember, there is no right or wrong way to have a baby. If complications make it necessary to induce labor, do not view it as a failure.
Can I Request Birth To Begin?
If you are interested in an optional initiation, discuss this with your doctor. If you live far from the hospital or have a history of miscarriage, a planned birth is a guaranteed route. However, there are exceptions to this; voluntary birth cannot be made due to lifestyle or work reasons. Remember that unnecessary interventions trigger unnecessary risks.
Can I Do Something To Trigger Birth?
Probably not.
Stimulating the nipple or breast massage can release the hormone oxytocin, which can cause contractions. However, the cervix must be ready to open before labor can begin. These techniques won't work unless labor is about to begin, and more testing is needed to establish their reliability.
Other techniques to induce labor, namely having sex or eating pineapple, are not supported by scientific evidence. If you want a certain food, you can eat it. If you do not have water, you can also have sexual intercourse. However, it is useful to get your doctor's approval for all these.
What Are the Risks of Inducing Birth?
There are some risks of triggering labor, these are;
- Premature Birth: Triggering labor early results in premature birth. This causes difficulty breathing, yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, and other problems for the baby. Even stimulation very close to birth can create these problems.
- Low Heart Rhythm: The drug used to trigger labor called oxytocin can cause too many contractions, which reduces the baby's oxygen and reduces the heart rhythm.
- Infection: It increases the risk of infection for both mother and baby.
- Umbilical Cord Problems: Triggering labor may cause the umbilical cord to be stuck in the vagina before birth, thereby reducing the baby's oxygen supplementation by putting pressure on the ligament.
- Birth Need for Cesarean: Triggering birth defines giving birth before the body is ready for birth. For this reason, the issue of cesarean section may come to the fore.
- Probability of Tear in Uterus if There is a History of Caesarean Section: Tear in the Uterus; It is a rare but serious complication. In this case, an emergency cesarean section should be performed; prevent life-threatening complications.
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