After evaluating your cervix and your baby’s heart rate, your doctor might decide if stimulating the uterus to bring on contractions is necessary. Labor augmentation is probably what you need.
Labor augmentation
🤰What is labor augmentation?
Labor augmentation is the process of assisting a slow or stalled labor🤰that has already started. The doctor👩⚕️ may try to augment it if your contractions are coming frequently or powerfully enough to dilate your cervix and push your baby down the birth canal.
🤰How is labor augmentation done?
Before augmenting your labor, your doctor will assess your contraction pattern, your cervix dilation and your baby’s condition.👶 Your baby’s heart rate in response to the contractions is measured using external fetal heart monitoring.
If it’s appropriate to augment the labor, you’ll be given oxytocin through an IV line connected to a pump so the doctor can adjust the amount of drug that you get while observing how your uterus is contracting.💉Contradiction stress test might be conducted simultaneously to truly gauge how strong the contractions are.
The goal of labor augmentation is to give you the adequate amount of oxytocin to stimulate contractions that effectively dilate your cervix and help your baby descend but not overwork your labor. Excess contractions do more harm than good and stress your baby.🙅♀️ The doctor also constantly keeps tabs on your baby’s heart rate to make sure the baby is tolerating contractions well.😃
🤰Are there risks related to labor augmentation?
If oxytocin dose is too high💉, the contractions are overstimulated, leading to various problems with your baby’s heart rate. Because oxytocin wears off quickly, the doctor might give you other drugs to relax your uterus first, then continue adjusting oxytocin dose from the lowest level again to avoid stressing your baby.
If your baby can’t tolerate contractions whether they are spontaneous or manually stimulated by oxytocin, the doctor might recommend you to deliver the baby by cesarean section. Labor augmentation is not suggested for everyone. It’s best to delay it until it’s safe and appropriate to do so.😃
Other ways to augment labor
🤰Getting upright
Birthing positions play an important role in helping moms give birth without medical interventions.💊⛔ Remaining mostly upright, whether it be standing, walking around or kneeling during the first stage of labor can help shorten the stage by about an hour. As long as you’re comfortable with your position, it’s worth a try.😃
🤰Nipple stimulation
Simulating your nipple by rubbing or twisting it might advocate your body to produce oxytocin on its own. It is possible to overdo this so you should discuss with your doctor about guidance on its frequency and rest periods.👩⚕️
🤰Amniotomy
If your water🌊 hasn’t broken on its own, your doctor can insert a slim, plastic hooked instrument through your vagina and dilated cervix to rupture your amniotic sacs. Although membrane rupture accelerates labor and decreases chances that you’ll need oxytocin, your baby is less likely to be protected from infection and umbilical cord compression during contractions.🥺 Based on how far your cervix is dilated, how your baby is descending, and your risk of infection, the doctor👩⚕️ will decide if amniotomy is appropriate for you.