How can you induce a woman to go into labor, and why would a doctor induce someone instead of just letting them give birth whenever it happens naturally?

Question

How can you induce a woman to go into labor, and why would a doctor induce someone instead of just letting them give birth whenever it happens naturally?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Either

1 there is a risk to the baby (compression of the umbilical cord, inadequate fetal oxygenation, or other emergency)

2 OR the mother is ‘failing to progress.’ Bodies are not perfect, and sometimes the body doesn’t continue or start labor. The risk for the baby and mother increase the longer the baby stays in there after roughly 39 weeks.