What are Inductions? And How does an Induction Affect Your Labour & Birth Experience

Anne Matei
Sep 25
8 min read

Updated: Nov 1

Many think induction simply starts labor early, but synthetic interventions like IV oxytocin change the hormonal and physical experience of birth. This post explains how induced labor differs from spontaneous labor, the evidence on risks and benefits, and why making an informed, personal choice with your care team is essential.

When people hear the word “induction,” many imagine it as a simple jump-start to labor.

The idea goes: if contractions haven’t started yet, the medical team gives you a little help, and from there your body takes over. But research and physiology tell a different story.

Induction is not simply a kickstart. It is a medical intervention that changes how labor unfolds — hormonally, physically, and emotionally.

It is important to understand that sometimes inductions are recommended for medical reasons. Or that you may choose it, electively.

As a doula, I am not a medical professional, and my goal is not to push people toward or away from induction. My role is to help families understand what induction involves so they can make a real decision with their care team.

You have options, you have the right to ask questions, answered with accurate information. You have the right to say yes and you have the right to say no without being pressured either way! And if you choose an induction you have the right to be part of the conversation to decide the method that will be used.

What is an Induction?

Usually, spontaneous labour begins naturally: the body releases its own hormones, such as oxytocin and prostaglandins, which gradually soften and open the cervix and trigger regular contractions. Labour starts when both the baby and the body are ready.

In contrast, an induction of labour means that labour is started artificially by medical means before it begins on its own. This is usually done for medical reasons, for example when there are concerns about the mother or baby’s health, or when complications like high blood pressure arise. But some people may choose it electively too.

A medical induction typically involves two main steps: cervical ripening, artificial stimulation of contractions

The first step is cervical ripening, which helps the cervix soften, shorten, and begin to open if it is not yet ready. This can be done with medication, such as prostaglandin gel or pessaries inserted into the vagina, or mechanically with a small balloon.

Once the cervix has become favourable, the second step is to stimulate contractions. This can be achieved by breaking the waters (artificial rupture of membranes) or by giving an intravenous oxytocin drip, which encourages the uterus to contract and labour to progress.

What Methods Exist?

There are multiples methods to induce labour (including to ripen your cervix and to stimulate contractions).

Some are mechanical methods: drug free, using hands or a medical device. For example: membrane sweep, Folley Baloon, Dilapan-S rods. These have notably less risk of uterine overstimulation.

Some are pharmacologic: using drugs (alone or in combination), such as Misoprostol, prostaglandins, syntethic oxytocin etc.

What matters here is that you ask questions to you care team, and potentially also do your own research to understand the pros and cons of each method that is offered to you.

Why Inductions Are Offered

Inductions are becoming increasingly common. In many high-income countries like Germany, more than 20–25% of labors are now induced. The trend goes up...

The reasons for inductions vary, but the most frequent include:

Going past the due date – This is one of the leading reasons for induction. Research shows that the risk of stillbirth and complications does rise gradually after 41–42 weeks. Trials found that induction in some cases slightly reduced risks like high blood pressure or stillbirth.
You can find objective data on inductions for passing your due date here

Official recommendation in Germany about inductions for due dates (from DGGG, official German college of obstetricians):

Starting from 41+0 weeks of pregnancy, induction of labour can be offered (elective)

Starting from 41+3 weeks of pregnancy, induction of labour should be recommended.

Starting from 42+0 weeks of pregnancy, induction of labour should be strongly recommended.

Medical conditions – Examples include gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, high blood pressure, or certain chronic illnesses. In these cases, induction may be recommended because the risks of continuing the pregnancy outweigh the risks of intervention.
Concerns about the baby – Slow growth (intrauterine growth restriction), low amniotic fluid, or changes in fetal monitoring can prompt providers to suggest induction.
Elective induction – Some people choose induction for reasons such as scheduling, living far from a hospital, or anxiety about waiting, or being tired of being pregnant at the end of pregnancy.

The important thing to remember is that the reason for induction matters. Inducing at 41 weeks for a healthy pregnancy is not the same as inducing at 37 weeks for preeclampsia.

Ultimately, what matters the most is that you discuss your situation openly with your care team, so that you fully understand risks/benefits/alternatives in your specific case.

How Spontaneous Labor Works

To understand why induction is not “just a push,” let’s look at how labor starts naturally.

In spontaneous labor, the body releases oxytocin.

It causes the uterus to contract, helping the cervix dilate and the baby to descend.
Because oxytocin is also released in the brain, it influences emotions, bonding, and pain perception. It reduces anxiety, promotes calm, and supports the release of endorphins, the body’s natural pain-relieving chemicals.

Your natural oxytocin is released in pulses, which gradually increase in frequency and strength as labor progresses.

Labor is also supported by a cascade of other hormones, all of these are carefully balanced in a feedback loop between the body and the baby.

How Induction Works, in Principle.

Inductions come in different shapes and sizes, as mentioned there are multiple reasons why one would want/decline an induction, and types of methods used.

Here I am talking about more generally, the idea of labour contractions being triggered by synthetic oxytocin.

When induction is started with synthetic oxytocin, the process is very different than the natural spontaneous labour process.

Synthetic oxytocin stimulates contractions but lacks the calming, bonding, and pain-relieving effects of natural oxytocin. Given continuously, it can cause stronger, more frequent contractions, and prolonged exposure may reduce uterine responsiveness, sometimes requiring higher doses.

It can lead to more interventions. In general, most inductions require being on CTG (electrocardiograms and tocogram) during most of your labour, being held in the hospital (depends on method but usually that's the case), more frequent examinations etc.

In short: Induction is a medical intervention. It doesn’t just speed up what would have happened naturally. It creates a fundamentally different hormonal environment.

Induction may also not "work", or they can be "slow". This is just a fact: it's common for an induction for a first birth to take 24, 48 or even 72 hours.

Because of that, it is important that you try and stay rested, hydrated and fuelled.

And during this time it is very important that you guard your headspace! Don't look at the clock, google too much, compare to others inductions or birth stories.

Sleep and rest whenever you can, eat nourishing food, try to stay in your bubble (dim light, music, block noises, avoid conversations that make you stress...). Your partner here has a key role, to support you morally and protect your space, and guard rest.

How Induced Labor Feels Different

Because the hormonal cocktail is altered, many people experience induced labor differently from spontaneous labor. Research and lived experience suggest:

Contractions may feel stronger, sooner. Without the gradual build-up of natural hormones, contractions can become intense quickly.
Less rest between contractions. Continuous infusion can create back-to-back contractions with shorter breaks, leaving less recovery time.
More pain management needs. Studies show that people who are induced are more likely to request an epidural.
More monitoring. Continuous fetal monitoring is usually required, which can limit mobility unless wireless monitors are available.
Risk of overstimulation. Too-frequent contractions can reduce blood flow to the baby, requiring careful dose adjustments.

It’s important to note that not every induction feels the same. The experience depends on the starting point (whether the cervix is “ripe”), the medications used (prostaglandins, oxytocin, or both), the hospital’s protocols, and the individual’s coping tools and support.

Communicate with your care team about how you feel and what your fears and preferences are.

Having the support of a doula can help you feel held and have a better experience.

What the Evidence Says About Induction

Evidence Based Birth has reviewed dozens of trials on induction. Here are some key takeaways:

Past the due date: Inducing at 41 weeks, compared with waiting until 42 weeks, is associated with fewer stillbirths and fewer babies admitted to NICU.

At 41 weeks, out of 10,000 pregnancies --> 17 babies may experience stillbirth.
At 42 weeks, out of 10,000 pregnancies --> 32 babies may experience stillbirth.

This means that inducing at 41 weeks could potentially prevent about 15 stillbirths per 10,000 pregnancies. For the other 9,985 people, induction won’t change the outcome (source). What matters here, is to discuss with your care team what the risks/benefits mean for you, in your specific case, because each case is different!
Cesarean risk/ Instruments: Having your labour induced may increases your chance of having a caesarean or birth with instruments. However, this is a topic that is really controversial, as there have been over time, multiple small and larger studies on the topic, which found sometimes controversial results.

What I can say, as a fact, is that inductions lead to more medicalised births. This is a simple objective observation: labour is triggered by a medical procedure, you most likely will be in the hospital for most of your labour (rather than doing your pre-labour at home, unless you have the opportunity to have a ambulatory induction), you will most likely get synthetic oxytocin to boost your labour, your induction may make labour longer and more painful leading to satellite interventions such as multiplication of medication (e.g. for pain, IV drips etc.) This is a reality to consider, to have a realistic expectation of inductions.

Birth experience: Some studies looked at how induction affects the parent’s emotional experience: qualitative research suggests that induced labor can feel more painful, slow, medicalised, less flexible, and more intense.

Making the Decision: Questions to Ask

Whether induction is suggested for medical reasons or offered as an option, it’s worth pausing to gather information.

Usually this is not an urgent decision,

Take the time. Research, communicate with the medical team, tune in with your gut feeling and baby.

Some useful questions to ask your care team:

Is induction medically necessary for me, or is it being recommended as an option?
How “ripe” is my cervix (Bishop score)? What does it mean for me?
What methods will you use to induce (prostaglandins, balloon catheter, oxytocin)? Why? What are the pros and cons of each method?
What is your cesarean rate with inductions? From the last 10 inductions you had, how many resulted in a cesarean?
Do I need to stay in the hospital during the induction or can I go home? Why? If I prefer to go for an ambulatory method, where I can go home, is this possible? How? If I need to stay in the hospital, will I get my own room?
How long will you let the process take before suggesting more interventions?
What are the monitoring requirements? Will I be able to move around?
What support will be available for coping with contractions (medicated/unmedicated)?

A simple tool you may use is the BRAIN framework:

B – Benefits: What are the benefits of induction in my case?
R – Risks: What are the risks, both short-term and long-term, for me and my baby?
A – Alternatives: What are the alternatives to induction? (e.g. waiting, extra monitoring, natural methods).
I – Intuition: How do I feel about this option? What does my gut say?
N – Nothing: What happens if we wait and do nothing for now?

Use my safety card for informed decision at birth

The Bottom Line

As a doula, my role is not to convince you one way or another. I respect that every pregnancy, every baby, and every family’s circumstances are unique.

What’s essential is that you understand the difference: induction is not just “flipping the switch” on labor. It creates a distinct birth experience, usually more painful, longer and leading to more interventions. You may or may not opt for one based on your medical and personal circumstances. Communicate with your care team to make an informed decision based on your circumstances.

Every labor is unique. What matters most is not whether your birth is spontaneous or induced, but that it reflects informed choice, open communication, and respect for your wishes.