As expectant mothers near full-time in their pregnancy, they often wonder daily when the baby will come out. Mothers, throughout time, have discovered a variety of ways to induce labor. With the climate of an over-medicalized birth, many women now are turning to different ways of birthing. They are looking for natural ways to induce labor that will mitigate pain and keep the baby safe.

I’d like to discuss the comparison between a medicalized induction and a natural induction. In a medicalized induction, the expectant mother will have a synthetic hormone, Pitocin, administered to help stimulate the uterus to contract. In a natural induction, maternity acupressure can be applied to key areas to help stimulate the body to move forward with labor.

Once labor has begun, contractions with a mother on pitocin can be quite painful. Unlike an un-medicated induction, the contractions are much longer and much stronger. Because of this, often mothers ask for medication to manage the pain. In a natural induction, the body will work naturally to help the baby to progress. The contractions are manageable and can even be assisted, additionally, with continued acupressure during labor.