Читать книгу New Active Birth: A Concise Guide to Natural Childbirth - Janet Balaskas - Страница 13

An induction may be used to initiate labour or to stimulate contractions once it has begun. It is usually done by introducing an intravenous drip of Syntocinon (Pitocin in USA), a powerful synthetic hormone, into a vein in the mother’s arm.

Normally, when the uterus contracts, the blood vessels which carry blood to the placenta are temporarily constricted. In between contractions, blood is stored in the placenta to keep up a constant supply to the baby during contractions. When contractions are stimulated by Syntocinon they tend to be longer, stronger and closer together than in a normal labour. The periods of constriction are therefore longer than usual so that the overall oxygen supply to the baby is reduced and foetal distress is therefore more likely. Doris Haire writes in Drugs in Labour and Birth,‘The situation is somewhat analogous to holding an infant under water and allowing the infant to come to the surface to gasp for air but not to breathe.’

The incidence of postnatal jaundice in babies who have been induced is also thought to be higher (13-14).

In addition, strong contractions usually occur as soon as the drip begins to work so the gradual build-up in intensity of a normal labour is absent. This often means that the mother cannot cope with the pain of the stronger contractions and will need pain relief, so the baby will end up with the combined effect of painkillers and the drugs used for induction.

Of course, continuous foetal monitoring will probably be necessary with all these risks and so the snowball effect continues as one intervention necessitates another.

Studies have shown that there is no evidence of any natural advantage in routinely inducing births that are ‘overdue’ and a failed induction frequently ends up as a Caesarean section (15-18).

Would it not be better to reserve this option as a last resort and discover how to change position to stimulate contractions, or how to improve the birthing environment so that the mother can secrete her own natural hormones? Learning how to allow the normal physiology to unfold without disturbance is the most effective way to ensure that the mother will secrete her own hormones.