12/12/2024
*Clears throat* To be clear… this 👆🏽
There are many reasons why someone may want to avoid an induction of labor or want to elect or inquire about an induction of labor — from current medical complications, to past medical complications, to mental and emotional factors, to physical discomfort — all of these considerations are normal and valid.
For parents-to-be straddling these lines, here’s our advice: have a great big conversation with the care team you really trust about all of it. Get all your questions answered, understand all the factors in front of you, make a decision for next steps, and then give yourself a big hug (maybe a warm bath?). You’re going to walk out everything that comes up next together, day by day.
For medical providers who feel this engenders medical distrust: We hear you. We see you. We recognize that the vast majority of you only have your patients best interest in mind and at heart — and we also see that there are real gaps and fragments in traditional care patterns and policies that lead many parents to feel that their experiences with decisions like induction weren’t based on mutual understanding, or even felt misrepresented or coerced.
The bottom line is both parents and providers deserve a shared relationship based in transparent, compassionate, patient-centered care — that’s how we get the best outcomes for everyone involved, even when we meet challenging situations outside of control (as pregnancy and birth sometimes bring). ❤️
