What does it mean to induce labor?

 
Live birth: Induction
Watch one mom's induced labor, from first Pitocin drip to final push.
If your labor doesn't start on its own, your practitioner can use medication and other techniques to bring on (or induce) contractions. She can use some of the same methods to augment, or speed up, your labor if it stops progressing for some reason. In 2006, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1 in 5 births in the United States was induced. This rate more than doubled from 1990.

Why would my labor be induced?

Your practitioner will recommend induction when the risks of waiting for labor to start on its own are higher than the risks of the procedures used to get your labor going. This may be the case when:
  • You're still pregnant one to two weeks past your due date. Experts advise waiting no longer than that to give birth because it puts you and your baby at greater risk for a host of problems. For example, the placenta may become less effective at delivering nutrients to your baby, increasing the risk of a stillbirth or serious problems for your newborn.
  • Your water breaks and your labor doesn't start on its own. In this case, you'll be induced to decrease the risk of infection to your uterus and your baby, which is more of a concern once your membranes have ruptured. (However, if your baby is still very premature, your practitioner may hold off on inducing labor.)
  • Tests show that your placenta is no longer functioning properly, you have too little amniotic fluid, or your baby isn't thriving or growing as he should.
  • You develop preeclampsia, a serious condition that can endanger your health and restrict the flow of blood to your baby.
  • You have a chronic or acute illness – such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or kidney disease – that threatens your health or the health of your baby.
  • You've previously had a stillbirth.
You may also be induced for logistical reasons -- for example, if you live far away from the hospital or have very rapid labors. In this situation, your practitioner will schedule your induction for no earlier than 39 weeks, unless fetal lung maturity testing (which requires amniocentesis) indicates it's safe to induce before then. This minimizes the risk of inducing a baby whose lungs are not yet fully mature. more http://www.babycenter.com/0_inducing-labor_173.bc