What You Should Know: Methods of Labor Induction

This article is part of my series on pregnancy. For more on pregnancy, see the articles on my content producer page. Also see my articles on homebirth.

This article is to teach you all of the forms of labor induction that are out there, starting with the ones in hospitals and going down to more natural, least invasive or dangerous forms of induction.

Oxytocin, or Pitocin, is a synthetic form of oxytocin that is naturally released by a mother during labor. Pitocin can decrease the other positive hormones the mother would usually receive during labor like endorphins, that can help her cope with pain.

Prostogladins - gel (prepidil) and insert (cervadil). These are used to ripen a cervix and are sometimes used in conjunction with pitocin to start a labor that might not take otherwise.

Cytotec/misoprostol - not recommended for induction of a live birth, but it's cheap so it's administered 'off label' by doctors. It can be taken orally or a pill can be placed near the cervix. Can be quite dangerous.

AROM - breaking the bag of waters to put more pressure from the baby's head onto the cervix can make contractions more productive, as well as more painful. Could cause complications like heart rate problems with baby.

More natural forms of induction

Enema or castor oil - the cramping of your intestines can set off labor. Uncomfortable, unpredictable, and sometimes unproductive.

Herbal preparations or homeopathic remedies - effective when used safely. Midwives know about this form of induction and how it should be done. They also know how to use evening primrose oil to ripen a cervix.

Foley Catheterization - catheterizing the cervix and inflating the foley can ripen and open a stubborn cervix.

Stripping the membranes - can be done by a doctor or a midwife, mildly uncomfortable, may accidently rupture bag of water. Somewhat effective, if you're ready to go into labor.

Acupressure - mostly done by midwives and alternative health practitioners, this is said to be an effective way to induce labor.

Nipple stimulation - touted as somewhat effective if labor is off to a groggy start, nipple stimulation causes the release of oxytocin.