A Tale As Old As Time: Induction Turned C-Section
Ruminating on how we get there, the illusion of choice, and how people feel on the other side.
I woke up to a voicenote this morning.
A close friend lamenting the birth experience of a close friend. An induction she felt she had no choice to accept, an inevitable long labour and an eventual c-section. Mum and baby well, but to put it mildly… a little shellshocked by the whole experience.
I shared with her some helpful ways to support her from a distance, whilst she recovers. The whole conversation set me into this reflection.
As a trigger warning, I’m exploring a common experience of induction here and what we can do to avoid that. If that’s not for you - no hard feelings.
It starts the same way it always does.
You go in for a "chat" with the consultant, just to discuss options. You may have already prepared and feel in a good place to have a collaborative discussion. Many, however, see the invite pop up and aren’t quite sure what to expect.
They’re concerned, they say. Baby might be getting a little too big. Or maybe too small. Or your fluid levels are looking a bit off. Or you’re past 40 weeks, and we all know a baby past 40 weeks turns into a pumpkin, right?
So, they recommend an induction. It’s your choice, of course. A strong recommendation, but still your choice.
And then the pressure starts.
Maybe it’s gentle. Maybe it’s subtle. Maybe it’s not. Maybe it’s words like “risky” and “stillbirth” being thrown around like confetti at a wedding you didn’t actually RSVP to. Maybe they make you feel like saying no means you’re making a reckless choice.
Maybe you don’t really want an induction, but - of course - you want to be safe. You wouldn’t knowingly put your baby at risk. So you say yes.
You go in for your induction, hopeful. Expectant. Because they said it would just “get things going.” They said it was just a nudge. A little encouragement for baby to come along sooner rather than later.
Yet your body didn’t get the memo somehow…
Your cervix isn’t quite ready. So you get a pessary. 24 hours pass. Then maybe another. You start contracting, but not in a way that’s doing anything, so they offer to break your waters. Then when this inevitably doesn’t kick things off enough, then its a suggestion you have the drip.
You’re strapped to monitors, stuck in bed, contractions coming in fast and hard, but you’re still only 2cm. So they offer pain relief. And you take it, because of course you do - who wouldn’t?
And then, somewhere between contractions, monitoring, poking, prodding and consent forms, baby’s heart rate dips. Or spikes. Or stops doing exactly what they want to see.
And suddenly, the nudge that was supposed to “get things going” has turned into the emergency we were trying to avoid.
The room floods with people. The CTG trace looks “concerning.” You hear the words “failure to progress” and “baby’s not happy” and “we need to get baby out now.”
And before you know it, you're speeding down the corridor to theatre. It feels rushed, panicked and like a life or death situation.
Your baby is here. They are safe. You are relieved. You are grateful. You are exhausted. Someone places their hand on you and says something along the lines of “baby is absolutely fine, we were really quite worried then! So lucky you choose this option’.
But somewhere, deep down, a quiet voice whispers…
"Did I ever really have a choice?"
A mindset shift needs to take place…
Let’s be clear - induction can absolutely be the right choice in some cases. Genuine medical reasons exist and people may decide that those factors are enough to go down this path. That’s what induction was designed for.
But here’s the problem: it’s wildly overused.
In the UK, induction rates have more than doubled in the last 30 years, with around 35% of births now induced (NHS Maternity Statistics, 2022). And it’s not because women’s bodies suddenly stopped working - it’s because of a system that doesn’t trust them to. A system that far too often treats birth as a problem to be managed, rather than a physiological process.
We know that first-time mothers who are induced have at least a 30-40% chance of ending up with a C-section (NICE, 2021). We also know that induction increases the risk of instrumental delivery, postpartum haemorrhage, and neonatal complications. And yet, the narrative remains: “Your body isn’t doing what it should. We need to step in.”
And so, the cycle continues. Women, believing their bodies are failing them. Babies, born via major abdominal surgery that might never have been needed.
A tale as old as time.
So, what’s the alternative?
It’s informed choice. It’s knowing you don’t have to say yes to anything that is offered. It’s understanding the risks and benefits for YOU, not just the hospital’s policies.
It’s asking the hard questions:
What’s the actual statistical risk of waiting?
What’s the evidence behind the recommendation?
Is my body actually ready?
If we do nothing, what’s likely to happen?
Because the reality is, the system isn’t going to fix itself overnight. We have to prepare for these conversations and, if we choose to engage with it, go into these conversations with open eyes to the potential challenges we might face in communicating.
The reason it matters? Because so often it is the difference between a birth that feels empowering and one that feels like it was done to you.
💭 Have you been down this road? What was your experience with induction? Let’s talk.
Until next time. Find more on the My Pocket Doula App® - available on App Store and Google Play.
Hannah x
