Doulas On Call
Doulas on Call is a heartfelt and real podcast hosted by two seasoned doulas, sharing stories, wisdom, and unfiltered insights from life on call. From birth room moments to behind-the-scenes support, we explore what it really means to serve growing families with compassion and experience.
Doulas On Call
The Number One Question We Are Asked: What Do We Think About Inductions?
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We talk through labor induction without fear-mongering, breaking down what it is, why it gets recommended, and how to stay in the driver’s seat with real choices. We explain the most common induction methods and the questions we want you asking so you can weigh benefits against risks for your specific body and baby.
• why inductions are so common and when they are medically necessary versus elective
• the BRAIN acronym for decision-making and how to ask for time
• why cervix readiness matters and how to ask for your Bishop score
• cervical ripening with prostaglandins like misoprostol and Cervidil plus what the timeline can really look like
• mechanical methods including Foley balloon, Cook catheter, and Dilapan and what “mechanical dilation” means
• Pitocin as synthetic oxytocin, why it behaves differently, and what tradeoffs come with IV access and monitoring
• membrane sweeps, consent, spotting, cramping, and why success rates depend on your exact situation
• AROM water breaking, what you can’t undo, and why baby position matters
• reassurance that induction is not failure and birth is not a competition
So share it, follow us on social media, like, subscribe.
Please email us at Hello@fullcirclebirthco.com to request our induction handout.
Evidence on: Inducing for Due Dates
Thanks for listening! Always feel free to message us for more information or, if you have information you feel we should see, please send that. We LOVE to hear and learn from you!
Warm Welcome And Disclaimer
Speaker 1I'm Misty, and I'm Tammy, and we're doulas on call. Remember, mamas, we're not doctors, midwives, or magical birth wizards, I would. Just two passionate birth workers with microphones, sharing personal experiences, trusted information, the best max for labor, and a whole lot of heart. What you hear on this podcast is meant to educate, encourage, and connect with health, but it's not medical-advised at all.
Speaker 2Please consult your trusted healthcare providers when making decisions about your health, your birth, or anything clinical. Basically, don't do it. We're just here to talk birth, fill some tea and share the love.
Speaker 1Do was on call. Hello, hello, welcome back. Hi, hi Misty. Hi, Tammy.
Speaker 2How are you today? Oh, I'm good. I'm ti I'm feeling a little tired. I'm not gonna lie. Today's tired from the weekend. But good baby. I can't cannot complain. Like she's a sweet baby, and she's just itty bitty.
Speaker 1Well, you know what I have to say about being crazy postpartum uh nighttime postpartum doulas. I know. I I I don't know how you do it.
Speaker 2No, I love it. But it's a massive oxytocin boost.
Speaker 1I highly recommend it for anyone and just go in and smell, smell that baby. Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. It's definitely a benefit. Well, welcome back. And
Why We Talk About Induction
Speaker 1um, we are here today to talk about one of the most common topics that we discuss as doulas with our clients. Tammy, what is that? Oh man, inductions. I feel like this is like this is like top top three, top three topics of what my clients are most interested in learning more about.
Speaker 2I agree. I also um it's I always like I just saw a prenatal this week, and at the end of the prenatal, you know, there is a possibility that they may have to have an in be induced medically, right? And we're gonna talk about that. And I'm so excited because in the future I'm literally going to text them this podcast.
Speaker 1Good. Well, I was just gonna say that this is definitely gonna be for anybody that is wondering pregnant, you're wondering about what your options are. Um do you have a scheduled induction? Has it just been brought up? Like Tammy's client, you know, yeah. Whatever the the reason or situation, like this will be a helpful educational yeah.
Speaker 2I feel, you know, and before we start, I will just re-emphasize, you know, we're two duals in Colorado. We um started this podcast in the hopes that it would not, you know, we don't want to scare anybody. There's so many that like are um not fear-mongering. Correct, yeah. Yeah, so just information, give you the clinical, give you statistics, and and there is gonna be personal opinion. I am honest with my clients. I'll be like, I'm biased. Like, I'm gonna totally be honest with you. I have a bias against XYZ, you know. Um, I'm not gonna lie. So much so with induction. We're gonna talk about some of those. Yeah, we are. And also, induction is such a huge topic, like you said, that I I always tell my clients too, if and when it comes up, I really don't spend a lot of time at our prenatals about it. I tell them if we get to that bridge, we will cross it. And I actually need a completely separate conversation with you.
Speaker 1Oh, well, right. I think you do the same thing that I do is if we know that an induction is going to be scheduled, right? I have a pre-induction phone call. Yeah, yes, exactly. We go over and I have an induction, we have an induction because it's a part of our our collective or handouts that we give them about all the options for induction, but also an induction birth plan. Correct. So we go over all of that with that.
Speaker 2Maybe what we do, stay tuned, maybe what we do on our um on our doula, the full circle is you know, comments, induction.
Speaker 1Yeah, all the automated things.
Speaker 2Because Sendju, we are automated, we're working on that because I think it is very, very helpful.
Speaker 1So we do want to remind everybody that you know we support all births. Yes. So, you know, spontaneous labor, induction, epidural, unmedicated, C-section. You know, we are never here to tell you what to do. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2Totally. We are literally here to just support you, honestly, in all all birth scenarios. It doesn't matter what. We're we are going to help you regardless.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2Um we we trust you. Don't you say that? How often do you say that, Mr. Yeah? Well, we just want to make sure you're informed. Like we want to know that you don't you do have choices, which I think a lot of moms sadly don't know. Yeah, that they do.
Speaker 1I always say you know you best, right? Right? You are the only you say you're the only one in your body. Right. So you know you best and you know your baby.
Speaker 2Yeah, and lean into that. Anybody totally lean into trusting yourself because man, yeah, we're really bad at it. Absolutely. I know I know from a faith base. I like I like trusting the Lord with all my heart and all my mind. You know, like I could go scriptural on it, but yeah, in the birth world, we're just really bad at um listening to our own bodies. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, okay.
Speaker 1Well,
What Induction Means Today
Speaker 1let's start with the basics. Okay. What exactly is an induction?
Speaker 2Like when you say that word, how does it mean? Absolutely. An induction is when labor is encouraged or started using medical or mechanical methods instead of like waiting for labor to start on its own or spontaneous labor. So I am not letting the body initiate labor. I am now managing and um opening your cervix knock knock on the brick wall. Yeah, right? Because at that point, 99% of the time your cervix is closed.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah. Well, and inductions are actually incredibly common right now.
Speaker 2It's so common.
Speaker 1Um, I will say that this last year, um this last year, personally, my clients have had less um induction, which has been awesome. I mean, you know, it could be a lot of the education piece that we do. There could be many factors of that, of why. Um, but they are incredibly common.
Speaker 2Yeah, and so and sometimes they really are medically necessary. We're not here to tell you like don't get an induction full stop, like, because sometimes there are risk factors that you you it really is safer to be induced, right? Yes. But sometimes they're they are elective, and they I feel like the way they present it does not make it sound like it's elective. Do you would you agree with that? Oh, absolutely. Yeah, they just say, Oh, you just you know, how do you feel about you can just meet your baby at the time? Well, you're gonna weeks, yeah, how about your induction on the book? Yeah, why don't we just get it scheduled? Yeah. Um, I also think a lot of it is more commonplace too that um we didn't discuss Rose, but the the study, the arrival, the arrive study, yeah, which we will link. And there's been so many um we know now that it's not what it says it is.
Speaker 1Uh and it's very skewed because of who it participated in the study, right? Um, so we have to be careful when we look at studies like that. Um, and yeah, the arrive study is definitely one that I think threw people for a loop for a while. And that was like really big during like the earlier phases. Sorry, guys, I've got core games. This is what happens when you record a podcast in your home. So for the temporary background noise, they will stop. It will stop. They will stop.
Speaker 2Yeah, we are puppies and babies. Um, yeah, I think that we, you know, people say, Oh, I'm being induced, but there's actually so many different methods that can be used. It's not just like an induction and very straightforward. Nothing from an induction.
Speaker 1What do we say all the time? Birth is not linear. Like nothing, nothing in it is, you know. I mean we're pregnancy, like conceiving, people conceiving. Oh, yeah.
Speaker 2Everything is nothing about it is linear.
Speaker 1Yeah, I just had a consultation with a you know, a young mom. Yeah, yeah, you know, I would say younger, she's not advanced maternal age, um, having you know, troubles with conceiving spontaneously.
Speaker 2So it's not no, nothing is nothing is linear, yeah, you know, ever. Also, it you know, the methods depend on your cervix, yeah, your baby's position, your medical history, and also what your provider recommends. I mean, you would say it'll be different provider to provider. That is right. And we actually have been doing it for so long. If you taught your provider, we're like, they're gonna do this. Like, and we're oh yeah, pretty much.
Speaker 1Oh, they'll want to do an induction guy this time. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2I also want to point out before we get to the next missy, that I love, and I'm gonna um steal from Bridget Taylor, Built to Birth, uh, Azuler out of San Francisco. I love how she presents the talking about induction. And anytime an induction is raised, she talks about, you know, is am I my as a whole, am I safe and well and you know, medically sound. My my whole persona is my baby as a whole, and is my baby's home. So she brings up those three points. And I really love that because it's it makes it very simple to explain if it is medically necessary.
Speaker 1And I know we've linked her before for other things like preparing for birth, so we'll have to do that again because she is one that I really do like to refer my clients to do.
Speaker 2I always say the reason I recommend her too, so Bridget, if you're listening, is because her voice isn't annoying.
Speaker 1Oh, I know. I actually really do even know.
Speaker 2Because if you're gonna do anything online, education and or support-wise, or even I, if I'm virtually supporting somebody, yeah, man, if you don't like my voice, this is not gonna end well.
Speaker 1Yeah, or like I and I've shared this with you, like some of the trainings I've done that like especially they're online.
Speaker 3I'm like two times speed, two times speed. Girl, you talk way too slow for me. I can't do that.
Speaker 1That's really funny. Okay.
When Providers Recommend Induction
Speaker 1So let's talk about some reasons why induction might come up.
Speaker 2Yeah, so we'll we'll bounce some of these off. Um what uh pregnancy continuing put on their due date, right?
Speaker 1So like like the hold on. Yeah, the what, Tammy? I can't say the what?
unknownI don't know what you're doing.
Speaker 1The estimated. Yeah, the due date. Um estimated guess date. But yes, pregnancy continuing beyond the quote unquote normal 40. Such a guess. Yes. Yeah, okay.
Speaker 2But you can also um so up to that point, definitely ask that is a question to ask your provider right off the bat. How long will you let me be pregnant? Yeah.
Speaker 1What is your typical protocol if I go past this date? Yes, that's another one, Mr. Um High blood pressure. No, that's yeah. I I would say that's I would say that is the most common for medically, you know, necessary inductions that I've seen. Yes, because it's a red flag for pre-eclampsia. Well, because we know, yeah, right. Yeah, because we know. Now, I will say, yeah, um, and we could I feel like we can go down rabbit holes on all this stuff, but um, that's gonna be there. That could be maybe you have White Code syndrome, you're nervous, like maybe you're very pregnant and you just walked up a flight of stairs to your wife. Yes, yes. So, anyways, um, that is one reason. High blood pressure. Exactly.
Speaker 2Okay, well, um, how about gestational diabetes?
Speaker 1Yeah, so diabetes in pregnancy. Um, my sister had gestational diabetes with multiple, multiple of her pregnancies. I did not, but that's hard. That is one.
Speaker 2Um, concerns about babies' growth or IUDR interuterine growth restriction. Or was it bigger? Yeah, it's opposite. Too little or too big. Your babies are measuring small. Exactly. Um, what else? How about decreased amniotic fluid? Like if your amniotic fluid is low. That's a big actually, I've had a couple of those in call because we're in Colorado.
Speaker 1Yeah, I had it with my third pregnancy. Oh, did you? Yeah. Um, I was like on the borderline. They were like, uh, you know, your fluid's kind of measuring low. We may want to talk about an induction. Right. We'll have you come back in the office in a couple of days to recheck. And I went into labor the next day. It's so wild. Yeah, exactly. So yeah, it does happen. And sometimes I do see that, and then it resolves on its own. Right. Um, maybe baby just hasn't pee.
Speaker 2Totally. You know, mom needs to drink a little bit more water. That is not a joke. I I really encourage, and if you're listening to this and you are pregnant, grab your water bottle and start drinking. Chuck chuck chuck. Yeah, it directly in the heat corresponds to your amniotic food. Um here's this just happened to me ruptured membranes without labor beginning. So then it turns into an induction.
Speaker 1Yep. Um, any other maternal medical conditions.
SpeakerSo Which is very specific to you, specific to mom. Yep.
Speaker 1Any conditions that mom might have. Okay. Yeah. Um, actually another one, Tammy, I'm gonna throw this out here, is IVF. Oh, true. Yeah, we just talked about that.
Speaker 2Yeah, IVF. And that's becoming way more commonplace now, wouldn't you agree?
Speaker 1Yeah, definitely. So, you know, that's you know, I feel like that will be a reason that's brought up too is or advanced maternal age. Yes. Both of those. Both of those of those the same thing. Sometimes they're combined. Exactly. Yeah. They have both. Um yeah, and sometimes people choose an elective, you know, induction because of certain things like child care. What am I gonna choose by their kids? Yeah, like especially I've worked with single moms too, and then they don't have the support. Um, so sometimes they will do that.
Speaker 2Um severe anxiety. I've had clients that they need to have control over like what's happening, and that trade-off was more important to them.
Speaker 1I've also military experience that were being given away.
Speaker 2Right.
Speaker 1Yeah, or I've had clients like because of a prior birth experience. Oh, yeah. Um, and then they develop that anxiety and they feel like they feel right. I know this sounds a little odd to say, but like a control thing.
Speaker 2No, but it's not odd. I think it's a a total reality for some people that it actually is more calming to them to have to know I'm going in at this time and they're going to do this. And even though that opens a whole Pandora box of options, yeah, to them it's it seems less. And that that goes back to the level of um risk they're willing, you know. What is your level of risk that you have to do? Everyone has a different threshold, that for sure. Yeah. So there's really no right or wrong on answer. That's what we really want to you to take away from this. There is no right or wrong answer. We want you to be informed. And the question is whether the benefit of being induced outweighs the risk for your specific situation. Right. So that I I mean, let's say that again. The question is whether the benefit outweigh the risk for your specific situation, and everybody is different.
Speaker 1Yeah, and go over that brain acronym. Benefits, risks, alternatives, intuition. Now, nothing hundred percent. Yeah. Wow. So um what does this mean?
Cervix Readiness And Bishop Score
Speaker 1Um, you know, for your cervix. So before we talk methods, let's discuss the job of the cervix.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, because induction often depends on whether your cervix is ready. So, what do we mean by your cervix being ready? Your cervix analogy for your cervix is literally like the front door of your house. Right? Yeah. So before labor starts, it is usually what, Miss T to describe your cervix. Yeah, it's closed. And also I said knocking on a brick wall. Yeah, it's firm, it's thick, nice and long, and it's positioned towards the back.
Speaker 1So it's like yeah, I always I always joke when you know people talk to me about getting a cervical track and like what that might feel like. Oh gosh. I'm like, okay, if they have to reach for your heart, I always say, does it feel like they're tapping your brain?
SpeakerYeah. If they feel like they're going up, that means your cervix is still very, very posterior.
Speaker 2Yeah, no, no, bueno. Um, so before labor can really get moving, the door has to soften, it has to thin out, and it has to begin opening. Yeah.
Speaker 1Those are all things that your cervix will do in preparation um for labor.
Speaker 2So if your doctor, if you do offer a cervical check and they're like, oh, your cervix is so thin, it's very, you know, it's pliable, it's squishy. Yeah, it's you never thought you'd get so excited about compliments.
Speaker 3I've got on your cervix.
Speaker 2I know, I love it. It's soft. Oh, it's right.
Speaker 1You've been eating your dates and drinking your aspirin tea. Yeah. And if the cervix isn't ready yet, they're gonna start with certain medications, right? So they're gonna start with something called a um cervical ripening medication or prostaglandin. Totally.
Speaker 2I always give the example of a banana because you can buy bananas and they're green. Okay. Okay. They're not ripe. Yeah. Okay. But when they get more ripe, they soften. They soften. I use the butter. Oh, yeah, butter is sweet. So butter in the fridge.
Speaker 1Sure, sure. So like your butter's in the fridge, it's nice and hard and firm. Yeah. Totally. Butter's been out. Yeah. It's gonna melt away. The longer you let it out. Yeah, it's really. So that's what these prostaglandids are doing, in which you know, Tammy mentioned eating the dates. Yep.
Speaker 2Dates is a wonderful that is clinically proven to help ripen your cervix and make it soft. So definitely, I think that's what is a prostagland. Oh, yeah, what is it? Um, they're medications used to soften and prepare the cervix for labor. And and ironically, they're the same medication on the flip side when I write this book that actually help with you don't want to have but like true prostaglandin though is a hormone.
Speaker 1Oh, sorry, yes, yeah. Sorry, but it is a hormone. Yeah, it's okay. I we're going down the same place and we're just taking different things. Absolutely.
Speaker 2Absolutely. Like when your water breaks, it releases prostaglandins and the hormone signals labor is going to start, and that's why you tend to be overly emotional and in your head. Yeah.
Speaker 1Well, so one medication or one, you know, um pharmaceutical prostagland is most common. I think the most common one. Most common, yeah. Cytotech or misoprostal, meso. Yeah, misoprometic. People will talk about that.
Speaker 2Yeah. Yeah. And you can they can do it, uh, they can administer it one or two ways. It can be given orally or vaginally, and it's repeated every few hours. So I was telling my clients, one dose, they can you repeat, you know, every four hours technically, wouldn't you agree? That's typically the the uh protocol for giving this. And that's why if you are, if you do have to go in for an induction, they will always have you come in, if it especially if it's your first baby, at night. Um, and that's the first thing they're going to do because technically they really feel like you could still rest while you're given this medication.
Speaker 1I always joke and say, like, this is well, it's not really a joke, but I always say it's this is the time that's like the days leading up to your spontaneous labor. Totally. This isn't actually labor. Exactly. Like if you were at home and waiting for labor to start, this is like preparation, like cramping that you feel, the lower backache, like those things that happen days or pre-labers. Pre-labour. Yeah. So that's exactly soft signs. Yeah. So it's it's it's not to start right like active labor immediately. I feel like that's what you know a lot of people are very surprised to hear. Oh, yeah. Is that it takes it can take a day. So long.
Speaker 2I to start I know you say this as well, but I always say um for my pre-induction talk that you're just gonna have the mindset that you're checking into the most expensive hotel you've ever stayed at, because it is yeah, yeah. And just, you know, pack an extra weekender back because you need it. Yeah, and it's plan to be there a while. Yeah, exactly. So normal a vaginal, you know, magical vaginal birth, like 24 to 48 hours, typical stay after the baby's born, but you know, leading up to it with an induction, I mean you could be there a week.
Speaker 1I yeah, I've had um inductions take like three days. Four days, yeah. It just it really just depends. I've had inductions go like lickety split too. Oh exactly. That is not a joke. And even first timers, yep. Same not even yep. I and I always prepare them like you're gonna be there for a while, and then it's like I know six hours into it, they're like, okay, things are hot and heavy over here. We just don't know.
Speaker 2We just don't know. It's almost better to be a good idea.
Speaker 1But I'd like to prepare you for the worst that piece, and then that way you're surprised. Yeah.
Speaker 2And the goal in this this stage with those is to make your cervix more favorable. So, what does it mean to have a fabral cervix as your soft, thin, you know, um Ripe. All right. And you know, that's that brown banana. That's that.
Speaker 3I had to. For those who need visuals. Yes.
Speaker 1Yes. Yes. What's another
Ripening Meds And Hospital Timeline
Speaker 1option? So another is Cervadel. Oh, yeah.
Speaker 2I honestly I have not seen this used very much. I haven't either. And I don't know why. Um, I don't know that it's necessarily a clinical study or they're basing it on anything statistically, but anyway. Uh Cervadel is a vaginal insert uh that slowly releases medication over time. Um, one advantage to it is so if I give you the oral, right? I you put it in your mouth and it dissolves and I can't get it back out. Right. Okay. So I think a lot of it depends on the person. A lot of um doctors like to use cervadol if they know they may there there is other things happening where they need to truly manage it because they can't take it out. Yes. Um it's like a tampon. Exactly. And and not every hospital offers it. That's a fact. That's true. Yes. So it's definitely worth asking.
Speaker 1So I've been told, yeah, just been told, like, I don't have actual information on this, but I've been told that one reason they don't carry it is cost. Oh, interesting. So that makes sense. More money. Um, and then the other is that they don't see that it's as effective. Yeah. Have you ever had an induction where they do both? Um, I haven't personally not, but I have talked to other doolas that have. So I do know that it is a possibility that you can. So like you can do cervidol, yeah. It didn't work. Yeah. And then you can start cytotech. That's what happened to my own. Okay. Okay.
Speaker 2So why is it beneficial? What's the advantage to having this type of induction?
Speaker 1Well, it's like, you know, similar to like the cytotech mesoprostal. It's it's helpful when the cervix isn't quite ready yet. It's not ripe enough, right? Yeah. So it helps improve the success of other induction methods. Because we're going to do the next step. I want to and I want to emphasize that you know, neither one of these typically starting labor. Right. Exactly. It's happened. It's right. I have seen it. I have seen moms just need one cycle tech and then their body takes over. But that's with my second-time moms that have to produce more so with the second time. If they've if they've already had a baby. For somebody who's not had a baby before, I feel like it's a lot more likely that you're going to need multiple doses of that along with other with other um methods. Yeah.
Speaker 2So there's a lot of things to consider if you choose this well as a whole, and an induction as a whole. But particularly for this type of induction. The yes, if they're going to use cytotech or mesoprotool, that um it can cause frequent contractions. Very right, like inconsistent. Yep. What else?
Speaker 1Um requires um monitoring. So fetal monitoring, monitoring your contractions. So you usually um use something called the toco monitor or sometimes the portable monitor.
Speaker 2Yeah. And that's a big one because a lot of my clients really do not want monitoring, but you have to remember that if I'm presenting anything that you you're carrying your baby, you're your baby's house. So if I'm giving you any medication, we need to make sure baby's okay with what we're right in you.
Speaker 1Yeah, because your baby gets it too.
Speaker 2So that's kind of the mindset you have to have.
Speaker 1Yeah. Um, one thing to point out for these two methods specifically for prostaglandins, especially cytotech, I've heard conflicting information on Cervadel um with this specifically, but it's not typically used for VBAC. That's correct. The cytotech more specific. Yep, that's correct. So VBAC, vaginal birth after C-section. Totally.
Speaker 2Um, and you may need more. I mean, I'm gonna almost guarantee you're gonna need more methods. Like you, like you said, it's not the thing that puts spins you into labor more than that. Not typically, yeah. Yeah. Okay. What that what else? What other types of induction? Or this goes along with it. It's like
Mechanical Options Foley And Dilapan
Speaker 2step two. Well, what are some other medication-free options, Tammy? Ugh, so there are some mechanical methods that physically help the cervic open. So there's no, they don't have pharmaceuticals, there's no medication in it. Um, one of them is called the Foley Balloon or Cook Catheter. Cook catheter.
Speaker 1That's another um brand. Yeah. So how does that work, Misty? So um it is a small balloon that is inserted um through the cervix. So you do need to be dilated a little bit. Um I've been told, and it just makes me cringe every time that I've been told this. Like, my doctor was able to force it in there. Oh gosh. I feel that too. I just I'm like, please, like I'm sorry. Yes, I'm so sorry. I really can't emphasize enough. It is really important to get your cervix more favorable before this option. Just for for that um there alone.
Speaker 2That's provider dependent too. Like, I know I can name three off the top of my head. Yeah, me too. I pretty much guarantee they're just gonna keep trying, quote unquote. Yeah, yeah, which makes me crazy. This I actually let's stop. Look, I'm gonna sidetrack, side note. Um, let's talk about the bishop score for a hot minute. Um, because I feel like that is really important. If you're going in and it is an elective induction, and they're, you know, it really is up to you, right? They will want to do a cervical check. You know, let's see where your cervix is. But they can also you can ask for what's called your bishop score. Yep. Right? Okay. So if which they used to do this all the time. All the time. This was something they did all the time. They don't they haven't been using it. They really don't. And so the bishop's score addresses like it assesses um where your cervix is. Position the cervix. Position, um, how dilation. Yep, how dilated you are, how thinned you are, how thinned you are, and then and then they give you a number for each adjustment. We'll we will link uh how to assess your bishop, like how to figure out your bishop score.
Speaker 1That's okay. Yeah, but we can link that for sure.
Speaker 2Yeah. Um, and I think that is really helpful because a lot of my clients, if if your induction is not medically necessary and you want you are going in for what is truly an elective induction, and you have a low bishop score, I highly recommend you don't go in.
Speaker 1Yeah, I think it's anything off the top of my head. Four to six? I think it's anything less than six. Yes. Correct. Um is not favorable. Yeah, states that it's not necessarily favorable to have a vaginal birth. Correct. Yeah.
Speaker 2Yeah. So we use the um mnemonic bishop, literally stands for um if effacement station, whether you're sort of harder station.
Speaker 1Where your baby's at in your pelvis. Correct, yeah.
Speaker 2The opening or dilation and the pres what they call the presenting part or like where your is it what is the head? Is it the kind of bottom? Correct. Yeah. Yeah. So we'll we'll we can link that. Yeah. And how to determine how to you brought that up. Yeah, how to determine your bishop score. Because I think they don't bring it up a lot. And that is kind of infuriating. Like when I mention it and they're like, oh, what is that? I don't know what that is. But if you ask them, they are more than happy to tell you.
Speaker 1Oh yeah. And it's crazy because I've had clients tell me they're they're um, you know, oh, I had a cervical technique and I'm at a three. And they're like, a two. Well, what was your bishop's for? They're like, I have no idea. Or they'll go back and they'll ask their their provider, and their provider will say, I don't know. Oh no. I'm like, really? Well, let's figure it out. Yeah, they know, truly. Like, let's do it now.
Speaker 2Yeah. Um ask for your stats.
Speaker 1Anyway, yeah. So, but back back to the fully balloon. So the the fully balloon is a medical uh or I'm sorry, medication-free mechanical method or a mechanical dilator. So it goes in through the cervix, um, it's then inflated. And it's really uncomfortable. Yeah. I I tell my clients I'd be lying if I told you, oh, it's not a big deal. I always warn people that when you have this, I want you to either, depending on what their comfort level is with medication. Like you can either get something for pain to give you something for relief. Yeah. Or if if my clients are not on that spectrum of clients, sure, I'll say, get in the bath. Absolutely. Get in the bath. That's gonna help for that for that hour or two afterwards. Because your body is going to adjust to something that was just put in there. Yes. And so oftentimes what I was finding is that clients were texting me right away and they're like, oh, active labor's happening because contractions are every two to three minutes. No, it's your cervix going, what did you just totally? Because you're mechanically opening it.
Speaker 2Like the the in the it gets yeah, and more anxious from the inside out. Yeah, you're putting this balloon in there to like mechanically open it.
Speaker 1And your body has to catch. Yeah, your body's gotta catch up. And that's another thing I always tell people when the balloon comes out. So balloons, yeah, balloons are awesome because they can stay in there until 12 hours, yeah. Until your water rakes, whatever. But they will usually come out sometime between about three and five centimeters. Yeah. Um, I do want to tell you because if you're like, oh wow, it gets me to five centimeters, like your body's gotta catch up, like Tammy said. So like you're in mechanical five.
Speaker 2Totally.
Speaker 1You're not a labor-y five. Yeah.
Speaker 2So there's a there's a huge distinction in that. Yeah. Because our bodies into our bodies know, and that it will, it does work. That's why we use it. Like, and and we do know clinically there are multiple studies that say, hey, if I start with a cervical ripener and then a fully, or at the same time, a lot of them will do it at the same time, that I am more likely to have a vaginal birth with an induction. Yep. That's how we how we accomplish that. And so that's why they use it. But Missy's not wrong. Your body has to catch up. It is, you know, so I guess I would say, what are the benefits that we know statistically that uh a vaginal birth can't be achieved, and more often than not, it is. But what are the risks? Um, it's an the risk to you and your baby. I don't think the risk is high for not having a vaginal birth, but it is an intervention, right? You are being induced. And also it is hella uncomfortable. So if you are, you know, if you're already uncomfortable or you have anxiety over labor, that it's just going to increase it. Yeah. And how are you open to pain intervention? Because if you're not, that's probably not a great option for you. Right. Induction as a whole is not. Yeah. But right? Yeah. Would you agree? Um, just know the downsides too. Like, know all of like what it looks like. It is lovely because it doesn't have pharmaceuticals, but it does cause it can cause script cramping and uncomfortable.
Speaker 1I love it for my VBACs. I do too. Because of the risk that medication, introducing medication to a VBAC, the implications that can have. Yeah. Um, so I do love it for that. So again, it's like not specific.
Speaker 2Yeah, and VBACs are multi multips. They've had a baby before, regardless of indigenous section, their body has carried a baby before. So that looks different too. Yeah. Um, yeah. So what is another option that's just it's another mechanical option? There's let's talk about the next.
Speaker 1Oh, so I can say it's one of my favorites. And I've only seen it, do it. I've only seen it a few times. I haven't had a client with it. I haven't had a doctor use it yet. I had a midwife. My latest, um, one of my last injections was a V back. Okay. And it was a repeat client of mine, love her to death. Um, we talked about all her different options. She called the midwife back, told her, hey, this is what me and my doula were talking about. She's like, I love that plan. Come into the clinic now. Dun dun dun. It is dilapan. Those are called, they are rods. Don't let that scare you. Um, but they're small and they go in similar to like the fully, they go into the cervix, but they are smaller. They expand over time. Wow. So they can go home. Like they go home. They go home. Yeah. Wow. So they don't have to be so she was able to go home and they can stay in for up to 24 hours. Wow.
Speaker 2Um, and then they require monitoring. Nope. Yeah. And they're safe for V-backs. I've had just so before we back up for a second, I have had clients go home with a foley.
Speaker 1Yes, I have had clients go home with a foley. Okay. But it's not as I don't see it as uncomfortable. Yeah, I don't, I haven't seen it yet at all. I don't see it as often. But the dialopan, and you know, it it's kind of similar of the foley is like the placement. You're it's not the most comfortable thing at first. Right, right. Again, we're putting something into your cervix, but these are smaller. Yeah. So like a foley or coca catheter, it's like a one and done. It's in there, right? Yeah, totally. So then the body adjusts to it. With the dilapan, it's something that takes time to expand. It's like a tampon, it expands with moisture.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1They look like a tampon. We'll we'll link it. We'll link uh I'll link the dilapan information too. Because that you should ask. That has recently become my preferred method. I would agree. One of the midwives at one of our local hospitals told me that she is encouraging that all inductions that are necessary start with this.
Speaker 2A medical, so if it's medically necessary.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2Wow. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Right. I'm I'm sure it has to do with um cost.
Speaker 1Oh, that's another one with cost 100% of what we carry. Just know your options. Will insurance cover it? Real insurance cover. Because that's what, you know, I was talking to my client about it, and I said, Yeah, you have to be willing to, if your insurance doesn't cover it, that you're gonna pay for it. Which, you know, it's not like crazy amount, but it's still something you have to be okay and know ahead of time.
Speaker 2So maybe you know, at the on our link to this, we will link induction. Like we could just do the I mean we should we just link our hand out and watching. So we're just gonna say that. Yeah, we probably should. Okay. Well, load it, what's to consider? This is an another induction method. So again, like Mysti said, placement can be uncomfortable. Cramping is common. Um, also, it's a labor y, you know, it's not gonna put you in active labor. It's an additional method. Additional methods definitely gonna be needed. Um and it is we should point out, it is not generally used after your water's broken. But that goes for you know, that is important to note.
Speaker 1Um, once your water breaks, nothing can go into the vagina. Totally different.
Speaker 2So, as duelists, you know, we we often um like we said, we support all birth. You know, and I would say from the majority of my clients who are not who want what I consider um we should point out, we should have done this on our first podcast. When people say natural, all birth is natural. I know.
Speaker 1So I know so if you've ever talked to me, yep, I will correct natural.
Speaker 2We don't because I'll say birth is natural. Yeah, having a baby is natural. What we do say is low or intervention, no intervention, no intervention, so when we're unmedicated, medicated. That I usually say unmedicated or medicated, and that's a good distinction because all birth is natural. So majority of our clients did the baby come out through the moon roof. Yeah, moon roof, yeah.
SpeakerOr the trunk. Hey, that's misleading. It can feel like they're coming through the trunk.
Speaker 3Oh, it definitely feels like they're coming through the trunk. Oh my god, I'm gonna die. Um, but it's another reason you tune in, right? No my gosh. What unhinged thing will must you say?
Speaker 2So I think that majority of our clients, their goal is to have an unmedicated or low or no intervention uh vagin vaginal birth. And because it's a mechanical and not chemical method, it is they they do appreciate the option. Yeah. Yeah. So the preferred there.
Speaker 1Yep, yep, yep. Yeah. So what about the big one, Tammy? Uh
Pitocin The Synthetic Oxytocin
Speaker 1let's talk about the induction medication that most people already know about.
Speaker 2They do, and it's usually the first thing they bring up to me, and they are terrified, which or adamant I don't want that at any point. Um, and it's pitocin. Fun bud. Pip or pit.
Speaker 1Or pit. We call it or pitocin.
SpeakerYeah.
Speaker 1So what is pitocin, Tammy? So, oh, sorry.
Speaker 2Talk about a cork if I'm like, hi, Tammy. Okay. Um, pitocin is a synthetic form of oxytocin. What's oxytocin? A hormone, the love drug. Oxytocin is literally, I always tell my clients, when you first, you know, those first dates, it's like the love part, uh dating. It's my favorite part. Smell with the pheromones or like you like that feeling, you overwhelming, like, oh, he's gonna kiss me, that nervous butterfly. Yeah, yeah. That and that is what gets us going in labor. Well, we or when you have an orgasm, ladies. 100% oxytocin, or when you hold a newborn, yeah, yeah. Isn't it amazing? All the puppies blow, same hormone, same hormone. Yeah, yeah. But um, it is typically delivered through an IV and it basically encourages the uterus to contract.
unknownYeah.
Speaker 2Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, so they always say it is oxytocin. Oh, it's just oxytocin in a bag. Have you heard a nurse say that?
Speaker 1Oh, yes, it's oxygen.
Speaker 2Sometimes it actually just says oxytocin. It does smell. Literally says it on the back. Yeah.
Speaker 1Because scientifically, yeah. Scientifically, it the chemical compound is the looks the same. The makeup, everything is the same, right? Yeah. But here's a little science thing for you. Yes. Why is it different?
Speaker 2Why is it different? Why is it different? The whole it doesn't have yeah. Mind, mind, the blood brain. Correct. And and it also, I always tell my clients a good way to analogy is that your body doesn't have a referee for it.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2Your body typically, with all hormones, has like I I give this analogy. My husband is soccer, can you tell? Um, you know, if there's a game going on and there's like this player's being super aggressive, the referee's like, hey, whistle, you know, there's too much of you. Yeah, back it up, back it up, player number seven, you know. Whereas, and that's how our body regulates all pretty pretty much all hormones, but when you are given the synthetic form, your blood brain kind of like, oh my gosh, connection can't doesn't recognize it as that natural oxy, and so it cannot regulate it like it would the natural hormone. And so you can't get all those other amazing hormones that come along. That's right. They do not come together. So if I'm given that, yes, it does do its job, it will it is effective, it is effective getting that service to open. It does, but there's no referee, so your contractions can come back to back to back. And I always give it like, do you do this with your clients? Like when they bring up Pitocin at any time during labor, I really do do the brain acronym. And then I actually ask them just can you know, can we have a minute? And when I talk to them, I say this is a dance. I literally call it the Pitocin dance because how do they administer it, Misty? Mm-hmm. What does that look like?
Speaker 1Well, they through your IB. Yep. And they start it at typic most hospitals are gonna start low at around two million. Yes, right. Um, and then they have some will go lower. That's true. I have had some do the low and slowing method, which yeah, depends on you, and you can ask for that. Yeah. Um, but yeah, that's typically how they do it. And they they they they can go up based on certain factors. Correct. So based on how's baby doing, how's baby tolerating it? How are those contractions looking? Yeah, you know, there's a lot of things. How are you? Yeah, how are you? So those are the those are the reasons why they can increase it.
Speaker 2And it can be a very scary drug. I would love, I will find the article. Um, she was on evidence-based birth. She's literally known as the uterus, the placenta queen. They call her the placenta queen. Have you ever done this? Yeah. Maybe I have maybe I have, but I'm not recording. Sorry, I'm going off cuff here. But um, I really love her because she's she's British. Um, I believe she's British. And she gives this entire like basic TED talk on Pitocin. Because we get it's very commonplace. We kind of, it's very blasé. It's like, oh, we'll just get pit, pit, pit, pit. You know, it's like they just they do not. But as a drug as a whole, we really do need to have the utmost respect for it because it can go one or two ways. Yeah, that's why it's that dance, and that's why they only increase it very minimally every 30 to 30 minutes, basically. They'll come in, they'll keep giving you some everything to like 25, 26, 30.
Speaker 1Have you ever seen anything? I have I have seen so typically what I hear in a hospital is we go up to 20. Yep. And then after 20, we can get approval from the OB. Yeah. If we don't that's very seldom. It's very seldom that I've seen very, very rarely. Thank God I've been able to you know work with my clients like and do other things totally before using Pitocin before just jumping right to that.
Speaker 2Yeah, and that's why having a dual it is so effective. Yeah, because we are also encouraging movement and other methods to increase the oxytocin.
Speaker 1Natural oxytocin. Well, because Pitocin is a tool, yes, right? It's a tool and how do we use it? When do we use it? I am not 100% against using it. I'm not either. Um, but I don't do I think every single person going in for labor needs it.
Speaker 2No, I do not. And I and I tell my clients too. The other thing about Pitocin is that it has a um what we call a half-life. A short half-life. Yeah.
Speaker 1So it's out within. I think they said I think fully out by six minutes. Yeah, is what I've heard. Almost complete at two and a half clinically, I think. Yeah. So they can just stop it. You can control it more. Yeah. So one thing that I hear a lot from my clients who, when we're talking about Pitocin, and they have a fear about it, is well, I don't want to have a C-section always. Well, we don't most people, I I'm not gonna say every person, but most people, their goal isn't a C-section. Correct. Right? Right. But you know, just because somebody has Pitocin in their labor doesn't automatically say they will have a C-section.
Speaker 2No, I think you and they forget that what we call that tree of intervention, you have to look at it as a whole, like from the very beginning. What did you do? What didn't you do? What choices did we make? And making the informed choices all the way along. Pitocin isn't the thing that broke the camel's back. It's truly not. Sometimes it can be. Um, and it just depends on your your own body. Correct. There's too many variables. There's way too many variables in an induction to be like it was pit, you know. But it does get a bad rap. I will say that as duos. Absolutely. Um, and I'm sure some duos are gonna be listening to this and being like, How can you not be a summary? It's okay, it's okay. I I okay that because I have seen it used effectively and responsibly, and it is a tool, so yeah, well, and it can be effective, especially when the cervix is favorable. Absolutely, and the fact you can turn it off. And you can turn it down, and I've had clients say turn it off. I've had them ask like I don't want it anymore.
Speaker 1Yeah, and that's fine too. Yeah, so mom's always in in control.
Speaker 2Yeah, so tell me, tell me about what it looks like if I opt for pitocin. I also, like I said, it's a Pitocin damp. So I it's similar to when I say you get a epidural, the epidural trade-off. So if I opt for Pitocin, know that I'm going to have these things.
Speaker 1The yeah, you always you're gonna have that IV access, number one. Um, number two, the continuous monitoring because we're introducing something to your body. Um, the contractions can feel stronger, closer together. No rhythm. Yep, no rhythm than that spontaneous, then that spontaneous labor. I also want, you know, want to remind you, like Tamy said, like you can turn it off. Yeah. Um, yeah, and you can still move around. I think a lot of people don't know. Bring your I call the IV pole, I call him Bob. I'm like, let's bring Bob. No, I'm bringing Bob. Let's go, Bob. So you know, we we still can do that. But I want to remind you, yeah, you are in control. Yeah, you say no, yeah, you say yes.
Speaker 2Or timing. I need a minute. You know what? A lot of times they want to introduce it, and my client is exhausted, or they haven't really been able to rest because they went in that night and they got the balloon and then their water broke, and then you know, and all of these things, and they haven't had a chance to really eat anything, or they are comfortable finally. And I'm like, you know, why don't you take a nap, have lunch, and then we'll and then we can do it, do it. You do you have options? Yes, you know, you've always if it's not an emergency, if it's not, you know, ask that brain acronym, ask for time. Nothing. Do you have time?
Speaker 1Have you, Tammy, yeah, ever had a client start an induction, including using BITOSIN, and go home?
Speaker 2Interesting.
Speaker 1No, because I have.
Speaker 2Have you really? Oh, like because they said stop. Yep.
Speaker 1And they weren't stop. I got you. And they weren't, you know, it was there for an elective induction. Okay. Um, their water was intact, baby was fine, things were just not progressing. And they were like, Wow, we just want to shut it off and go home. Amazing. Um, so I have had that happen. So you you can always do that. That is also an option for you.
Speaker 2Wow.
Speaker 1Yeah. Right. Think about what Tammy said. You know, you as that person, you physically, how are you? How's my baby? And how's my baby's home? Yep.
Speaker 2Those two things. If all those are well, you do not. You're in control. You are in you are in control. It's wonderful. It does, it's frustrating. Yeah, I will say. So it's frustrating, but you do have that choice.
Speaker 1Yeah. So one of the last categories, and sorry, this is longer.
Membrane Sweeps Consent And AROM
Speaker 1I'm hoping you have a new drive.
Speaker 2I knew it was gonna be.
Speaker 1I hope you're on a long drive. Yeah, and I knew it was gonna be because I was like, we got far too much to say. You're in rush hour. You're in rush hour now.
Speaker 3We love you. I have 25. You're on there, yeah.
Speaker 1Um so the last category um is what I will say things that can you it it helps your natural hormones come. Yeah. I don't this is this is one topic, guys, it gives me a little ick to say what are natural well that and also all the reels that are like do this one thing and you're gonna go into labor. Yeah. Um natural induction methods. Yeah. Can we talk about why I hate that taming thing? Why do I hate that term?
Speaker 2Because even though they're natural, they it it can still be an intervention. It can actually be in the induction method. Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1So while these things are they are natural in the wheel. Meaning there's no chemicals.
Speaker 2There's no chemical outside chemical, I should say, or pharmaceutical. Let's be more specific.
Speaker 1Yeah, there's chemicals involved. Yeah, uh hormones, hormones, but no pharmaceutical things, nothing that um, you know, side effect-wise, yeah, yeah, side effect-wise or whatever.
Speaker 2Yeah, but these are induction methods, so and this is a big one. The first one's a big one because I feel like a lot of providers taught this as, oh, you know, and and honestly, they'll do it while their hand is, excuse me, um, you know, T Map, if you have kids in the car, they'll literally do it while you're their hands in your vagina. They'll literally be like, hey, hey, I'm already. Why don't I just do this?
Speaker 1Why don't I just give you, you know, I can do a membrane sweep. I've had a client say their their provider did it and then told them, I just went ahead and stop swept you.
Speaker 2No, no, she didn't. Okay, I'm kicking that, I'm throat punching her after she takes her hand out. No.
Speaker 1Yeah. You should always get consent for sure. Oh my word. And yeah, no, yeah. But wow, wow. Membrane sweep is um performed during the side. I think that's the most common one.
Speaker 2Yeah. Would you agree? I think it's the most common one.
Speaker 1Most common is what talked about more quote unquote natural methods. Yes. Yeah. I would say I always prepare people once you hit around 36, 37 weeks. Yeah.
Speaker 2What's the earliest you've had somebody be like, hey, 30 check your six? Yeah. What?
Speaker 3Oh my god.
Speaker 236 weeks. First time mom? First time. Oh my god. So if you're a first-time mom and you're about to go into your 36 week appointment, please turn the radio up.
Speaker 1Yeah. You volume up. You maybe asked about doing a cervical check. You do not have to say it. You do not have to do it. It is not a magic.
Speaker 2Especially if you don't want intervention. Like, oh my word. I can play a mind game with you. Oh my word. I I think that's the biggest downside to the membrane sweep. Um, that's performed. And it depends on when you get it. So what are the membranes? Yeah, first of all, what are the membranes? Right. In between your uterus and in in your uh oh my gosh, I'm picturing it. A service in your uterus. Uh-huh. So they literally are taking their hand and sweeping that like back and forth in this big UE motion, honestly, to like Yeah.
Speaker 1Think about putting your finger through a artificial rupturing and then sweeping over and over and over and over. Totally. So you can imagine, like, what would a downside to that be? Like, what is my cervix going to tell you after that?
Speaker 2Yeah. Well, it I always tell my I warn my clients that if you opt for a cervical check full stop, you're gonna have some spotting because it's so vascular down there. There's so many blood vessels. Oh, so many bloodshed. So and that also plays tricks on their head, especially first-time moms. They're anxious because they're like, oh, this could be the beginning of labor, because it does cause cramping sometimes, the after, like when they get home. So I would say put on always. Yeah. Um, and I think um that it also it separates the membranes from the cervix to encourage that prostaglandin release. And so when the prostergland is released, it has an emotional context to it. So if my client is at all like anxious, it just increases the anxiety every time. Yeah. Um, also, they do not tell you. Most providers do not tell you. It's not one and done. A lot of times you get a membrane sweep, and those membranes, guess what? They come back. Yes. They retouch. Yeah. Like, I don't know, you know, clinically, but I'm not saying it correctly, but you can get multiple membrane sweeps. And that is infuriating to a lot of my clients because they're so done being pregnant, and then they think, oh, this is it, because they get the cramping, they see the bleeding.
Speaker 1I hear the statistic thrown out there that this my provider said this works about 50% of the time. I what's your bishop bishop score? Yeah, which the bishop, have you had a baby before? How pregnant are you? How pregnant are you? With gestation. Right. So it it's not fair to say 50-50. Because it really depends on where you're at. Yeah. And I want to be clear on this. We and I know Tammy, Tammy, and I very much feel the same way. We are not against them 100%. We're not. Like it's let's talk about it first. Like, let's talk about, well, you know, why are we considering having it? Yeah, how far are you gestation-wise? Have you had a baby before?
Speaker 2Like there's all of these things that those are variables that really matter because if you're 40 weeks at, you know, at your gestation and uh or even past 40 weeks, by all means get a membrane sweep. I do not like go for it. Yeah. Because I know that if you're probably gonna hit spontaneous labor at any clinically, you know, statistically, I know at a certain point after that you're going to go into labor, regardless.
Speaker 1Yeah. So I always say if it's going to if we're approaching an induction date. Correct. And you want to throw the kitchen sink in. Yeah, then then we can go for it.
Speaker 2That's right. Right? Then we can go for it. But if you're just if you are doing an elective and you're 37, 38 weeks, and why? Like why we don't mess. Like, just leave your body alone. Please, please, please. I beg of you, leave your body alone.
Speaker 1Just let your body do it. It's, you know, not quite not helpful. Well, let's let's move on because I feel like we could really get out of the weeds on that one. We could do a podcast on a membrane screen. Yes. Yeah. Or what we've seen because Oh my gosh. I I think if we really let this go, we could do like a two-hour episode. That's okay. Okay, we're going. Um moving moving on. Um, nipple stimulation or breast pumping. Yeah. Um, can encourage the body to release natural oxytocin. So again, that love hormone, right? Yeah. So nipple stimulation can be, you know, just your partner. Yep. Like it doesn't have to be in a sexual like manner.
Speaker 2No, it can be. You can add sex to it. Yeah. No pressure. No pressure partner.
Speaker 1No pressure, partner, orgasm. Yeah. But you know, nipple stimulation can be, you know, through you, through your partner, um, or by brass pumping. Totally.
Speaker 2Um, haven't you? I know um we do this a lot. If our client has is in a medical induction and things are stalling, we will before they encourage PIT or anything else. This is one we'll go to.
Speaker 1We can start. Let's try it. And it's awesome too because you can stop it. So, like if you start contracting regularly, we stop it. Exactly. Um, we don't keep going.
Speaker 2And we have a very specific protocol for it. So if you're our client, it's not like we just have to do it. You may have had this. Yep. Yeah.
Speaker 1If you're like, I know Misty's pump protocol. I've done it. Or the the oxytocin sandwich. What do we call it? Oh my gosh. Lauren, Lauren coined that, didn't she?
unknownYeah.
Speaker 3I can't remember. I can't recall what it was. I know what it is.
Speaker 2And we're you have to be our client. Okay. That's the benefit of being our client, Misty. That's our hanger.
SpeakerThat's our hanger. That's a that's our hope.
Speaker 2Um want to know what the high-res full circle birth.com. Um, yeah, but um, it is one that releases uh natural oxytocin and it is what we consider more natural, quote unquote. Natural. We use the air quotes. Yeah. Yep. Um, another one that we talk about is um our big one, a big, big one. This could be its own podcast too. But um, we call it AROM or artificial rupture of membranes. Okay. Yeah. So this is when the provider breaks the water using a small sterile instrument. Um looks like a wool hook. Literally looks like a crochet hook. Um, and as opposed to your body um right, um pre-rupture of membranes and or um spontaneous, yeah, spontaneous strong strong.
Speaker 1Yeah, and you know the the benefits of it. Yeah, right. So we're gonna use our our natural hormone, right? So it's releasing those now those natural hormones for sure. Um, it can reduce the use of other medications, not always, but it can. Yeah. Um, and it can encourage that labor progression.
Speaker 2Of course, because typically, if you can visualize, I'm holding my fist up high and that's my baby's head. And then right below it, I have this big bulging bag there in their swimming pool. So naturally, if I break that, um, the theory is baby will come down into the pelvis further and engage. Yeah. And then labor progresses, right? Full stop.
Speaker 1That's that's the whole puts that pressure, more pressure there on the survey. Yes. Um, you know, like like with the sweep too. I'm not 100% against this. I just I may have used an audible reaction to that just because I I hear this one a lot. Let's just break your wine.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1Let's just break your well, let's talk about that.
Speaker 2Like let's talk about that's the example I use of why a doula actually is so important in the bird space because the way they present it, and again, like that it's for everybody. Correct. And I will reiterate that. And like I say, you've if you've been my client, you've heard me say this a thousand times. I if I walk in your door and your dog jumps on me, I'm not mad at your dog. It's not your dog's fault. There, it's just how they're trained. So when the nurse walks in, say, I just talked to the provider, we're going to break your waters and then we're gonna duh duh duh. There was no question in there. They did not ask. It's how they present it, like it's good for everybody, but it's how they're trained. I don't fault them. But what I do say is, um, can we talk about that? Because where are you at in your labor?
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2What's baby's positioning? Do we know what baby's position is? Are they still are they still super high in the pelvis? And it and the results vary because depending on all those variables, uh, we don't know what's gonna happen.
Speaker 1And it because that's what you can't do right after you break water. Yeah. I mean, there are other interventions we can go down the line of like, yes, you could put water back up in there, but like we can't undo that.
Speaker 2You cannot undo that, and you can you can put fluids in, but it does not. It's not the same thing. Correct. You took away their swimming pool. Yeah, you just went from a swimming pool to a sauna, literally. Yeah, and it is a it is really hard for babies sometimes. Pav sometimes babies stress.
Speaker 1I I always want to know how how is baby doing. Correct. How has baby tolerated all the things, all of these things, yeah, right? Because when when we take that away, like what does water do with their cord? It it provides that protection, that buoyancy. Yeah. So there's a lot of there's a lot, there's a it's a guarantee.
Speaker 2It's no, there's no guarantee that it's the thing that's going to spin you into people.
Speaker 1Are really surprised when I say this. Sorry guys, we're over an hour now. Um, but people are really surprised when I tell them that most of the time, if we left everything alone, their water will break close to complete or birth or birth while they're pushing. While they're pushing, yeah. I feel like, well, I know, like I got chills. There's a reason why God made us that way. It's to help protect everything, right? So there's a reason for that. Yeah. So I feel like let's let's leave them intact. Um, by the way, guys, I have seen four what we call in-call births.
Speaker 2Four of them. You have not. I have seen so much.
Speaker 1Um become mermaid babies. Yeah. And it's amazing. It's where their water is intact when the baby has come out. I should say probably a good two and a half because they were almost all the way out and the water broke. Yeah, yeah. Um, but like fully still counts, like complete intact. Oh, that's cool. Um, so cool. So when we leave them alone, a lot of times, you know, they're just gonna stay that way.
Speaker 2Or they can be like my daughter Macy, and that is what helps her be born. And I'm she's my second. And you know, that's how that's how they induced me. That is the kind of induction method they used. And I'm gonna say to I'm gonna.
Speaker 1And I had already had a baby and I was 41 plus. I was just gonna say, on the other hand, I have seen it. Yeah, maybe it wouldn't have been like what I would have the the route I would have done. But then the baby, like, there's there's no complication, there's none of that. So, like, this isn't like a yeah.
Speaker 2It really, really does depend on white specific situation because it does reduce the medication, it can encourage labor. Yeah, it's just nothing is guaranteed. But it is, it is one that I really take. I there's so many variables that go into it. I would love to have a conversation before you do any of them, but especially this one, I would say. Yeah. No, absolutely. So let's really quick wrap it up.
Smart Questions And Final Takeaways
Speaker 2Let's um go through and we'll include these questions um on our um, we'll link them because I think they're really important questions to be asked. So let's just go through them. We'll just read them out loud. Why is induction being recommended? You need to know that. Yeah, what's another one?
Speaker 1Is this urgent? Um, can I take time to think about it? Like that whole the brain, like the in all the brain, nothing. All the benefits, risks, alternatives.
Speaker 2What if we wait? So here it is. Literally alternative. Yeah. What's another one, Misty?
Speaker 1Well, what happens if we decide to wait? And you know, which inductions, induction methods are available to me.
Speaker 2Right. Specific to your provider. Yeah. Yeah. Um, and then the bishop score, what does my cervix currently look like? And when am I opting for that cervical check? And I will tell you I'm biased against this. Please wait till you're at least 40 weeks. Yeah. Like there if everybody is if everybody is well. You are well, your baby's well, your baby's home as well.
Speaker 1Yeah. The 40 weeks, okay. People when we talk, yeah, yes, yes. Here's that due date, right? When people hear 40 weeks, like if you're 40 weeks one day, yeah, people will think they're late. Right. You are you're not. You're not you're actually just considered due full term. You're considered term, right? Late term is 42 weeks. Correct. Right? Yeah, nobody's uh there, you know, you really have a five-week window. Yeah. Anything before 37 weeks is considered preterm.
Speaker 2I always say for my new sorry to interrupt my mom's. If you're a first-time mom, tell everybody that your due date's actually a week past your date.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2And you at least it will create such less, like such more, it will create more peace for your home, truly.
Speaker 1But you know, there's definitely a lot of attachment there to 40 weeks. So um anyways, yes again, we could go another hour, I think. So we really could.
Speaker 2So basically it's not a one-size-fits-all, it's just not. And also, this is uh, I think another important thing to note is that if you have to have an induction, you didn't fail.
Speaker 1You did not fail. Yeah, you did nothing wrong. Your body did nothing wrong.
Speaker 2Yeah. It's not, it's not uh your birth isn't defined by whether it started on its own. It's just not. There's too many specific situations.
Speaker 4Yeah.
Speaker 2So we just want to help you understand your options. We want you to feel more confident and prepared because Yeah, well, knowledge reduces the fear surrounding birth.
Speaker 1Um I I want to go back to the whole we want the we want to get rid of this whole competition thing. Right? Yeah. Because I hear I see that a lot.
Speaker 2Is or you know, my sister, the sis the secret to having the unmedicated birth like there. It's no one size fits all. It's a lie. No, they're lying to you.
Speaker 1No, yeah. My goal is to make sure that you feel supported and safe. And safe.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, and and educated. Um, and then so I will say it we just want it to be helpful. So share it, follow us on social media, like, subscribe. We had a thousand. Yeah, we have a thousand downloads. Thank you guys. Thank you guys, thank you so much. We should do something for that. I will think of something we can do for that. Maybe a giveaway. We'll do a giveaway. Um, but thanks for spending time with us. So much time. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3So much time. Yes, and we are going to see you next time. Next time, tune in. Thanks. Bye. Bye.
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