Dear Friends:
    This topic needs to be on LACTNET because it has a profound influence on
breastfeeding.
    I did a search of PubMed, or Medline on induction of labor. There were at
the time 941 articles. My survey showed that 665 of them were about
techniques of induction: how, where, when, what drug to use, etc.
    50 articles were about side effects and complications.
    Less than 10 were on the experience of induction.
    Tells you something about priorities doesn't it?
Some articles:
    Kato K, Nagata, Furuya K et al "Programmed induction of labor for
primiparous women to ensure daytime delivery" Asia J Oceania J Obstet
Gynaecol 1987 13: 405-415. (Doesn't the title alone give you the creeps?)
    McNeil TF, Blennow G "A prospective study of postpartum psychoses in a
high-risk group. 6. Relationship to birth complications and neonatal
abnormality." Acta Psychiatr Scand 1988 ; 78: 478-484.  Sample is only 24, so
trends are non-significant. However......induction, fetal distress,
instrumental deliveries and offspring abnormality were associated with
postpartum psychosis within 3 weeks of delivery.
    Wigtron WR and Wolk BM "Elective and routine induction of labor. A
retrospective analysis of 274 cases" J Reprod Med 1994; 39: 21-26.
Basically, the authors say induction is not a problem for anybody, except
those primips with unfavorable cervixes that had twice as many cesareans. And
the respiratory distress syndrome in 3 cases, all secondary to meconium
aspiration and all from the elective induction group.
    Out JJ, Vierhout ME et al " Elective induction of labor: a prospective
clinical study, II: psychological effects" J Perinat Med 1985; 13 :163-170.
Elective induction again not a problem, except that mothers with induced
labors were rated as being generallly less emotionally involved in the first
contact with their newborn than mothers with spontaneous labor. "Differences
not significant." How can one breastfeed if there is less emotional
involvement at the first meeting?
    Xenakis EM et al "Induction of labor in the nineties: conquering the
unfavorable cervix" Obstet Gynecol 1997; 90:235-239. Nice title. Kinda like
saying rape is merely conquering the unfavorable vagina.
    Smith, Nagourney et al. "Hazards and benefits of elective induction of
labor" Am J Obstet Gynecol 1984; 148:579-584. "For the obstetrician and
nursing staff, there has been great value in the concentration of 88% of
deliveries to the hours of 9 Am and 9 PM on weekdays......The hospital has
benefited, not only from better use of staff and reduction of weekend and
holiday workloads, but from improved occupancy of beds with the leveling of
the peaks and valleys associated with deliveries after spontaneous onset of
labor."
    I strongly encourage you all to research this and talk about it with
everybody who will listen, particularly girlfriends, daughters, female
relatives, anybody. Our female process is being taken from us, and we are
letting it happen. Our babies are being injured, taken too soon, not ready to
be out in the world yet. Then we lactation professionals have to work so hard
to undo the psychic damage and support the basic mechanisms of lactation and
infant maturation until mother and baby are ready. I would cheerfully give
this up, even if it meant my private practice disappeared.
    One can refuse routine induction. In fact, if one's heart is not behind
it, it will not work because the internal chemistry will work against the
technology. Then the technology will be intensified, because after all, that
unfavorable cervix must be conquered. If the baby is breathing, and goes home
with the mother, then all must be well, right? NOT!!!
    Warmly,
Nikki Lee RN, MSN, Mother of 2, IBCLC, CIMI
craniosacral therapy practitioner; childbirth educator
Elkins Park (a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; northeastern USA)
supporter of the WHO Code and the Mother Friendly Childbirth Initiative

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html