Not long after I created the Positive Induction Facebook Group someone asked me what makes an induction positive? It’s a really important question to address here in the first blog post.
Positive Induction is something that will vary from person to person, the same way positive birth will, some describe their birth as positive when they have a home birth with an independent midwife and perhaps even their dog as birth partner, whilst others describe a Cesarean birth as a positive birth. It’s about more than how you give birth, it’s about how you feel giving birth.
To me a positive birth is one where you feel empowered and informed, it’s when you feel like it’s your birth, your baby and your body. It’s when you feel respected and cared for, no matter what your path your birth takes.
A positive induction, to me, starts with an informed choice to accept an induction, knowing what the benefits AND risks are, as well as the alternatives, and knowing that at the end of the day you have to consent to induction. Then if you decide to go for it once you’ve made an informed choice, to really go for it, and to own that decision and to go in excited about meeting baby, with a good knowledge of what steps may be involved and the options you have.
And one of the most important factors, I feel, is to feel supported, cared for and respected throughout your decision to be inducted, through labour and also postnatally.
When you feel really empowered by your birth, and part of the decision making process, no matter which path it takes, you can feel proud and like super woman, that is what I want for all mums going for induction!
What does Positive Induction mean to you?