What factors affect whether I have an induction?
Your health needs and those of your baby can certainly influence whether you have an induction of labor, but some other key factors include:
- Your choice of care provider and birth setting.
- How determined you are to avoid induction that does not offer you or your baby clear health benefits.
Induction rates vary widely across hospitals and across different providers within a single hospital, often because providers differ in how they inform and support women at the end of pregnancy and in their judgment about when to recommend induction. Induction rates also vary from one birth setting to another due to differences in policies and practice styles. Because of this variation, your choice of care provider and choice of birth setting can have a big impact on your labor.
In addition, your commitment to letting labor begin on its own affects your chance of induction. It is common to have physical discomfort and emotional ups and downs at the end of pregnancy, but your baby needs these final days and weeks to prepare his or her lungs, digestive system and other organs for a safe transition to life outside the womb. Keeping this in mind can help you resist the temptation to induce labor for non-medical reasons.
