Your Myth-Busting Guide to Induction

In this episode of The Pulling Curls Podcast, Hilary Erickson delves into the world of labor inductions, debunking common myths and sharing personal anecdotes. Hilary, a seasoned nurse and mother, brings her professional insight and experience to the table as she addresses the pain levels associated with inductions, the potential duration of the process, and the discussion surrounding doctor-recommended inductions. Whether you’re curious about the induction experience or navigating the decision-making journey yourself, this episode offers a candid look at what to expect when you’re expecting… an induction. Tune in to Episode 231, “Busting Induction Myths,” to get the full untangled truth.

Find it here on Apple or Spotify Podcasts

Big thanks to our sponsor Inductions Made Easy: https://pregnurse.com/induction-class/ if you don’t have time for a FULL class (or feel like you only want to review inductions) — it’s the quick class for you!

Links for you:

My other episode on choosing an induction (episode 206).

Timestamps:

00:00 Long inductions depend on cervix readiness.
04:50 Discuss induction with doctor to understand reasons.
06:58 Exciting upcoming episodes on Pulling Curls podcast.

Keypoints:

1. Episode 231 of the Pulling Curls Podcast, hosted by Hilary Erickson, is dedicated to debunking common myths surrounding labor inductions.
2. Hilary, with her background as a nurse and a mom of three, shares her personal experiences with being induced and provides insights based on her professional knowledge.
3. One prevalent myth addressed in the episode is that inductions are more painful than natural labor, but Hilary explains that the pain levels are quite similar, as supported by the Arrive trial.
4. The duration of an induction is another myth tackled; while some can be lengthy, especially when the cervix isn’t ready, others can be relatively short if the cervix is favorable.
5. Hilary emphasizes that, contrary to the myth, inductions are not always pushed by doctors; they are instead offered as an option, and the decision to induce should be a collaborative one between the patient and the provider.
6. The podcast suggests that listeners should engage in open communication with their healthcare providers to better understand the reasons behind the suggestion for induction.
7. Hilary advises discussing alternatives to induction, such as monitoring with non-stress tests (NSTs) and biophysical profiles (BPPs), when the need for an induction isn’t urgent.
8. By sharing her own story, Hilary provides a balanced perspective that while providers may strongly suggest inductions for medical reasons, the final decision lies with the patient.
9. The podcast promotes Hilary’s own online resource, Inductions Made Easy, for those expecting and considering induction, as well as the online prenatal class for couples.
10. In future episodes, listeners can look forward to topics such as family travel anxiety and postpartum preeclampsia, indicating the podcast’s continued focus on important pregnancy and postpartum issues.

Producer: Drew Erickson

Transcript

[00:00:00.380] – Hilary Erickson

Hey, guys. Welcome back to the Pulling Curls podcast. Today on episode 231, we are busting induction myth, so let’s untangle it.

[00:00:09.680] – Hilary Erickson

Hi, I’m Hilary, a serial overcomplicator. I’m also a nurse, mom to three, and the curly head behind Pulling Curls and the pregnancy nurse. This podcast aims to help us stop overcomplicating things and remember how much easier it is to keep things simple. Let’s smooth out those snarls with Pregnancy and Parenting Untangled, The Pulling Curls podcast.

[00:00:30.240] – Hilary Erickson

Big thanks to our sponsor today on the podcast, Inductions Made Easy. If you are being induced, you do not want to take a prenatal class, you don’t have time for one, you think it’s too expensive, come join me in Inductions Made Easy, where I go through what happens in an induction and what to expect as you go forth in yours. So come join me. You can find it in the show notes.

[00:00:57.050] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, so I got induced with my last daughter after crying for a full day. I was 12 days overdue. That’s right. I said twelve days overdue, and I was so sad to be induced, which was completely useless. But that is a podcast for another day. Today, I want to tell you all the things that people say about an induction and if I found it to be true or not true in my case.

[00:01:20.050] – Hilary Erickson

So first off, everyone seems to say that induction is more painful, and inductions are painful. I’m not saying inductions aren’t painful. So I had natural labor on my I had natural and augmented labor on my second. I honestly felt like the contractions were very similar. I was just way more bored because I was stuck in the bed. I was on Pitocin because by the time I went into the hospital, I was already 5 centimeters.

[00:01:45.590] – Hilary Erickson

Just bored out of my mind sitting in that bed watching TV. Should I have walked? Probably. Should I have gotten to the side of the bed and lunch? Maybe. But it was just more boring. And so finally, I was like, I want an epidural. I’m so bored. I mean, it was hurting, like real bad menstrual cramps. But I don’t know. Does an induction hurt more than… I don’t think so. And honestly, if you look in the ARRIVE trial, the ladies actually write their pain, a very similar between an induction and natural labor. So take it for what you will. But for me, I didn’t find the induction all that much more painful. Now, I will say that I didn’t. I had an epidural by the time my water got broke because I was so bored and I wanted to nap, and it was keeping me from being asleep. So I do wonder if once I’d have my water broken, if it would be more painful. But honestly, by that point, you’re in active labor. And as a nurse, watching induction versus non-induction, I think that that is very similar once you get into active labor. Just personal opinion.

[00:02:42.710] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, second one is that inductions take a long time. Now, there are inductions that take a long time. I am here to tell you that some people need to be looking at a three-day induction. When you come in early because you have preeclampsia or baby’s not growing well, things like that, it’s a long induction because your cervix is not ready But my induction, if I had let them break my water, it probably would have been three or four hours because I went in, I just futzed around. They kept trying to break my water. Again, I was 5 centimeters. Once they broke my water, I had the baby within a couple of hours, I believe. Inductions can be really long, but if your cervix is favorable, it’s likely not going to be super long. That being said, you honestly never know. Sometimes people come in at a five and it just takes a long time to get going, how you react to the meds at that case. But sometimes it doesn’t take very long. I’ve definitely gotten a patient at seven and delivered them before I was done at seven. That being said, I’ve also had patients that I’ve seen three days in a row because their induction is so long.

[00:03:43.620] – Hilary Erickson

While it can be true, it’s not true all the time. Sometimes your induction can be nice and short. I will have to say I absolutely loved being able to drop my kids off at our friend’s house who was watching them before we had the induction. That was really nice compared to natural labor, which I had experienced the other two. So a mom of two boys who were stressed out about how this was all going to go down, that part was pretty great.

[00:04:06.700] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, the final one is that doctors push inductions on you. Doctors offer inductions. Now, the choice that you make is really up to you. And I would look at it as if your doctor is offering an induction. Now, they may offer pretty strongly. They think your blood pressure is too high, you really need to get things going. But sometimes they’re just like, Well, you could have an induction. You could not. You guys should check out my I did with my OB/GYN friend where we talked about how sometimes an induction is not clear-cut, but we think that we should give you the option because maybe it would be better if baby came out.

[00:04:40.140] – Hilary Erickson

Same thing if your doctor gets an ultrasound result that baby is a little bit big. It really is their job to say, Well, baby looks like it could be a little bit big. Would you like to get induced early? Now, they may not term it that way. They may say, I think you should get induced. We have a spot for your induction Monday at 08:00 AM. How are you okay with that? And Then at that point, your job is to say, Okay, what are you seeing? What are you seeing that I should have an induction? And then your provider can wrestle it out with you. Not wrestle, but you guys can go back and forth and decide what really is best for you. Can we wait? What would be the problem with waiting? Can we monitor me while I’m waiting? Because if they think something’s wrong with a baby, could we do NSTs and BPPs in between to wait till your cervix is a little bit more favorable? So talk with your provider about all those different things. I have to say my doctor offered it once, and I was like, No. And then she offered it again, and I was like, “Come on, no.”

[00:05:34.790] – Hilary Erickson

And then she sat down and she told me all the reasons that I should probably be induced. I had had a previous nine-pound baby last time. I had had a fourth-degree tear with my first one. I had glucose intolerant with this pregnancy. I was this many days overdue, which I knew was not awesome. So she just laid it out, and then I made the choice myself. And that is always how it happens. Even if you feel like your provider is pushing you into an induction, it is ultimately your choice. Your provider is not going to come to your house and pick you up. So remember, it is always your choice. Your doctor is just giving you the evidence that they see that maybe you want to be induced.

[00:06:14.710] – Hilary Erickson

Now, I know a lot of people feel like doctors are pushing 39-week inductions. And again, you’re lucky if your provider does offer it, because there’s a lot of people who are like, “My provider won’t allow 39-week inductions,” usually due to the hospital. So if they offer 39 weeks for no particular reason. That’s just… ACOG says they should. So if you’re like, “My cervix is still closed. I think I’m going to wait.” They’re like, “Great. Let’s move on.” So don’t feel like your doctor is pushing it. Even if you feel like they’re being pushy, remember, it’s just them offering, and you get to make the choice for yourself.

[00:06:47.910] – Hilary Erickson

Thanks for joining me on this episode. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Of course, come join me in the online prenatal class for couples, where we have a whole section on inductions. We have a whole chapter, bonus video on provider communication. I think you guys will love it, and it will help you to make choices with your provider instead of feel like they’re pushing things on you.

[00:07:05.570] – Hilary Erickson

Stay tuned. We have some great episodes coming up. Next week, I’m going to talk about how I stopped freaking out so much about family travel. And then the week after that, we’re talking about postpartum preeclampsia, which is really important. So I hope you guys join me then.

[00:07:19.630] – Hilary Erickson

Thanks for joining us on the Pulling Curls podcast today. If you like today’s episode, please consider reviewing, sharing, subscribing. It really helps our podcast grow. Thank you.

Keywords:

induction myths, Pulling Curls podcast, prenatal class, inductions made easy, labor induction, overdue pregnancy, natural labor, augmented labor, Pitocin, menstrual cramps, Arrive trial, labor pain comparison, active labor, long inductions, cervix status, preeclampsia, baby growth, short inductions, OBGYN, ultrasound, NST (non-stress test), BPP (biophysical profile), glucose intolerance, fourth-degree tear, ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists), 39-week induction, provider communication, family travel, postpartum preeclampsia, podcast reviewing.