Groomed for Induction

The Slow Build-Up: How Induction Becomes the “Best” Option

It usually starts subtly. A passing comment at a prenatal visit about how “big” the baby is measuring. A mention that the placenta “ages” after 40 weeks. A slight shift in tone when discussing your due date, as if your body might just… stop working after that point. These conversations plant a seed—just enough doubt to make you wonder if your body and baby really can do this without help.

Then, as your due date approaches, the pressure increases. Maybe you hear that amniotic fluid levels are “a little low” (without context for normal variations). Maybe you’re told that going past 40 weeks increases the risk of stillbirth (without hearing that the absolute risk remains incredibly low). Maybe you’re reminded that inductions are “so much gentler” now (without mention of how they can fail, leading to cascading interventions, fetal distress, or if not “successful,” a surgical birth).

None of this is outright coercion. But it is conditioning. It creates a narrative where induction starts to feel not just reasonable, but responsible—even when there’s no true medical need.

We should pause here and say for the record—we are not doulas who are against birth interventions, or even inductions. Every medical intervention has a time and place. But every intervention also carries risks. The problem isn’t the intervention itself—it’s how often the risks are minimized or left out of the conversation. It’s how induction slowly becomes part of the picture, not as an informed choice, but as an inevitability. It’s how birthing people are subtly groomed, step by step, to believe that their bodies won’t know what to do without medical interference.

The Fallout: When Induction Isn’t the “Gentle Nudge” You Were Promised

We see the aftermath of these unnecessary inductions. The exhausted parents who labored for days on medications that their bodies didn’t respond to. The “failed” inductions that led to emergency cesareans because the baby couldn’t tolerate the stress. The stories of feeling blindsided, unprepared, and ultimately convinced that their body was the problem.

On the other side of these experiences, the grooming continues. Instead of acknowledging that induction itself may have contributed to the difficult outcome, parents are often fed a new story:

• “Your baby was just too big to come out vaginally.”

• “Your pelvis was too small.”

• “Your body didn’t know what to do.”

Rarely does anyone say: Sometimes, the medications don’t work. Sometimes, they are too harsh on the body or the baby. Sometimes, the problem isn’t you—it’s the intervention itself.

The Truth: Your Body Wasn’t Broken

Your body wasn’t a ticking time bomb. Your baby wasn’t a disaster waiting to happen. And your ability to birth wasn’t something that needed rescuing just because a clock ran out.

Yes, there are real reasons for induction. But those conversations should be grounded in true informed consent, where both the risks and benefits are fully laid out. If induction is being suggested for reasons that feel vague, exaggerated, or fear-based, it’s okay to ask for evidence. It’s okay to say no. It’s okay to trust that your body and baby have a wisdom that doesn’t fit neatly into a hospital’s scheduling preferences.

If you’ve been through this, if you’re carrying a story that left you questioning your body’s abilities—you are not alone. And you did not fail. The system failed you.

It’s time to stop the grooming. It’s time for real, informed choice.

If you are interested in a confident and informed birth, visit our doula support page to learn how we can offer doula support in Los Angeles