Alternative To Medical Induction

There are many reasons why a medical induction may be recommended. These include when a pregnancy has gone post-term, if there is premature rupture of the membranes, various health factors affecting the mother, and if the uterine environment is no longer considered healthy.

Medical induction usually involves the administration of synthetic prostaglandin to induce labour by acting on the cervix. A type of oxytocin may also be administered later to induce contractions.

The disadvantage of hormonally-induced labour is that women often find the contractions too intense and painful, which can often necessitate epidural anaesthesia. This in turn increases the risk of further interventions such as the use of forceps or a caesarian delivery.

Many women who are booked in for a medical induction wish to all explore other options to the this administration of exogenous hormones, and acupuncture is one method that is commonly chosen. A University of Vienna study in 2001 based upon the data of 45 women found that acupuncture is effective in inducing labour.