Women’s experiences of induction of labour - Findings from a Swedish regional study

Abstract

Induction of labour is common in modern obstetrics but its impact on women's birth experiences is inconclusive. The aim of the present study was to explore the prevalence of induction in a Swedish region and reasons for labour induction. A second aim was to compare the experience of spontaneous labour and birth for women to the experience of induction of labour. A third aim was to explore the difference in labour in relation to the length of pregnancy. A one-year cohort of 936 women was included in a longitudinal Swedish survey in which data were collected by questionnaires, two months after birth. The main outcome was a set of data recording women's birth experiences. Labour induction was performed in 17% of births and mostly performed for medical reasons. Women who were induced used more epidurals (OR 2.3; 95% CI 1.4-3.8) for pain relief and used bath/shower less frequently for pain relief (OR 0.3; 95% CI 0.2-0.5). Labour induction was associated with a less positive birth experience (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.0-2.3), and women who were induced were more likely to totally agree that they were frightened that the baby would be damaged during birth (OR 2.1; 95% CI 1.2-3.9), but the assessment of feelings during birth differed with regard to length of pregnancy. Labour induction affects women's experiences of birth and is related to length of pregnancy.