One vital aspect of prenatal care is ensuring that you have the necessary nutrients and minerals for a healthy journey.
Iron is particularly essential as it helps in creating more hemoglobins, which are the proteins in red blood cells that carry oxygen to the body’s tissues.
But what happens when a pregnant woman is diagnosed with iron deficiency (anemia)? Cases like that are when doctors recommend iron supplements or, in more severe instances, an iron infusion.
An iron infusion is a procedure in which doctors deliver iron directly into the bloodstream through a vein, rapidly increasing your stores (for irons).
Some people might wonder how this medical intervention can have the unintended effect of inducing labor. Your concern is pretty valid! We discuss this further:
What is an iron infusion? And How is it Important during pregnancy?
An iron infusion is a medical treatment where iron, a vital mineral needed by our bodies, is delivered directly into the bloodstream through an intravenous (IV) line.
We usually resort to this method when oral iron supplements seem ineffective, not well tolerated, or when a quick increase in iron levels is necessary.
During the process, liquid iron is mixed with a solution and administered over a period, usually lasting a few hours, under the supervision of healthcare professionals.
While pregnant, maintaining adequate iron levels is crucial because iron plays an essential role in producing hemoglobin. It also helps develop the placenta, and the hefty part of your baby’s brain development relies on it.
Pregnant women are highly likely to develop iron deficiency anemia because their bodies require more iron than usual. There’s always a needed increase in blood volume to support the fetus, and then the baby’s iron demands. Both factors can deplete mom’s iron stores quickly.
Anemia in pregnancy can lead to premature birth, low birth weight, and postpartum depression. An iron infusion provides a quick and efficient way to restore iron levels.
This ensures that both the mother and baby have the necessary oxygen and nutrients for a healthy, fantastic journey.
Can Iron Infusion Induce Labor?
Based on my knowledge as a certified nurse midwife and current findings, the simple answer to whether iron infusion can induce labor is a big NO.
No direct evidence or scientific research suggests that receiving an iron infusion during pregnancy will trigger the start of labor.
Labor is more complex than you see it. It involves the body preparing for birth, with the cervix dilating and contractions starting. Factors that influence it to start include hormonal signals from the fetus and the mother’s body, which indicates that the baby is ready to be born.
Iron infusions are administered to treat iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy. It’s quite understandable why you might wonder about its effects now.
While iron levels must be within a healthy range, the treatment itself is not associated with starting labor. Instead, they aim to strengthen the overall health of the mother and the developing fetus for a safe journey.
Can Iron Infusion Induce Labor? Alternative Labor Induction Methods
If you’ve reached or passed your due date and labor hasn’t started naturally, or if there’s a medical reason to deliver the baby sooner, your doctor might consider using other methods to induce labor. Let’s take a look at some common approaches:
Medications
Your doctor might talk to you about using medications to help start labor if you’re getting ready to have your baby and labor hasn’t started on its own, or if it’s safer for the baby to be born sooner.
There are a few different medicines that can be used to get things moving and they are really important in making sure both you and your baby stay safe and healthy during the process.
One usual medication is called prostaglandins. These can be given in different ways, such as a pill you swallow or a gel that’s put right inside the vagina.
They work to soften up the cervix, which is the lower part of the uterus that opens up into the vagina. For babies to come out, the cervix needs to be soft and open. This makes it easier for them to come out when the big time is due.
After the cervix is ready, or if labor needs a bit more help, the doctor might use another medication called Pitocin. Pitocin is more or less like the oxytocin hormone, which our bodies naturally make and that starts labor.
It is given through an IV, usually in your arm. And helps make the contractions stronger and more regular, helping labor along so you can deliver your baby.
Doctors use these medications because they are endorsed for a safe delivery when labor isn’t starting on its own. Your doctor will explain them to you and keep a close eye on you and your baby during labor to make sure everything is going well.
Foley Bulb or Foley Catheter
Sometimes, the body needs a little help getting started with the labor process. One way doctors can help is by using something called a Foley bulb or Foley catheter.
For me, this is the gentlest labor induction method and aims at opening up the cervix to let the baby pass through.
It’s a small, soft balloon on the end of a thin tube which your midwife carefully places the balloon part into the cervix and then fills it with a safe amount of water.
This gentle pressure from the filled balloon helps the cervix stretch and open up. I’d describe it as helping a tight door open a little so it’s easier to push open the rest of the way when the time is due.
The body naturally wants to help the process, too. While you could feel the balloon in place, the body responds by making its own preparations for labor, including softening the cervix even more as well as perhaps starting some contractions.
These contractions are the tightening and relaxing motions the uterus makes to help the little one come out. Once the cervix has opened enough, usually about as wide as the balloon can help it stretch, the doctor can take the balloon out.
By this time, the body is often ready to keep going with labor on its own. If it needs a little more encouragement, the doctor might use other safe methods to help along the way.
Breaking the water (Amniotomy)
Sometimes during childbirth, if your body is having a slow time getting labor going, the doctor might suggest breaking your water. This is another way to help start or speed up labor, and the official name for it is amniotomy.
Inside the womb, the baby is cozy in a bag of water called the amniotic sac. This water, or amniotic fluid, protects baby and helps everything go smoothly while the baby grows.
When your time is due, this water bag breaks and the fluid comes out. This can happen on its own when labor starts, which people often call their “water breaking.”
To help move labor along, sometimes, your midwife might break the water for you. We’ve got a special tool for this, which is smooth and doesn’t hurt.
Doctors gently reach in and tear the amniotic sac just a little bit, letting the water come out. This may help to kick-start labor asap. It’s a very simple step done with care to ensure both you and your baby are safe.
Natural Methods
Walking is first on my list of natural remedies to kickstart labor.
Moving around and staying on your feet might help the baby to settle down into the pelvis. The pelvis is the area of the body where baby needs to lodge to start labor. Walking is easy to do and it’s also a good way to keep fit and healthy.
Let’s talk relaxation techniques, too. People use this method a lot to encourage labor naturally. Taking warm baths or getting massages is the most effective. These help the body feel calm and might send signals to help labor start ASAP.
Some women also take advantage of certain spicy foods, drinks or special teas that are said to help start labor. While this isn’t scientifically proven, we can confirm it as part of old family traditions and can be comforting to try.
It’s always advisable that you don’t jump-start the process without talking it out with your doctor. Doctors assess your situation and make sure that the baby is ready to be born and that it’s safe to encourage labor to start.
It’s worth mentioning that sometimes, despite trying different methods, the body will start labor when it and the baby are ready. I understand patience can be pretty hard during this exciting time, but it’s a huge part of the process when waiting for a new arrival, so you’d want to be as calm as possible.
Can Iron Infusion Induce Labor?: This is a wrap
To wrap up, it’s worth re-emphasizing that iron infusion, which is a treatment to fix low iron levels in the body, is not typically used as a way to start labor.
Doctors would put you on it to keep you stronger and healthy, especially if you’re low in iron, which is common in pregnancy. They also resort to it to prevent anemia. There’s no known evidence that getting more irons will induce labor.
If there are any worries about labor and when it should happen, those are separate from iron treatments and are best talked about with a healthcare provider.
Want to kickstart labor naturally? Inform your doctor bout these methods discussed above, including medications, using Foley bulbs, or amniotomy, and I trust they’ll surely guide you through.
