Nothing, not even pitocin, will work until your baby is ready to be born.
http://www.kellymom.com/nursingtwo/articles/bfpregnancy_safety.html#uterus
The well-protected uterus
The specter of breastfeeding-induced preterm labor appears to spring in large part from an incomplete understanding of the interactions between nipple stimulation, oxytocin, and pregnancy.
The first little-known fact is that during pregnancy less oxytocin is released in response to nipple stimulation than when a woman is not pregnant.5
But the key to understanding breastfeeding during pregnancy is the uterus itself. Contrary to popular belief, the uterus is not at the beck and call of oxytocin during the 38 weeks of the “preterm” period. Even a high dose of synthetic oxytocin (Pitocin) is unlikely to trigger labor until a woman is at term.6
Instead, the uterus must actively prepare in order for labor to commence. You could say that there are two separate states of being for the uterus: the quiescent baby-holder and the active baby-birther. These states make all the difference to how the uterus responds to oxytocin, and so, one can surmise, to breastfeeding. While the baby is growing, the uterus is geared to have a muffled response to oxytocin; at term, the body’s preparations for labor transform the uterus in ways that make it respond intensely to oxytocin.
Many discussions of breastfeeding during pregnancy mention “oxytocin receptor sites,” the uterine cells that detect the presence of oxytocin and cause a contraction. These cells are sparse up until 38 weeks, increasing gradually after that time, and increasing 300-fold after labor has begun.6,7 The relative scarcity of oxytocin receptor sites is one of the main lines of defense for keeping the uterus quiescent throughout the entire preterm period—but it is not the only one.
A closer look at the molecular biology of the pregnant uterus reveals yet more lines of defense. In order for oxytocin receptor sites to respond strongly to oxytocin they need the help of special agents called “gap junction proteins”. The absence of these proteins renders the uterus “down-regulated,” relatively insensitive to oxytocin even when the oxytocin receptor site density is high. And natural oxytocin-blockers, most notably progesterone, stand between oxytocin and its receptor site throughout pregnancy. 8,9,10
With the oxytocin receptor sites (1) sparse, (2) down-regulated, and (3) blocked by progesterone and other anti-oxytocin agents, oxytocin alone cannot trigger labor. The uterus is in baby-holding mode, well protected from untimely labor.4
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/timely.asp
Induction Risks
But induction of labor causes so many problems that it should be a rarity, performed only when the benefits can be proven to outweigh the risks. Induction multiplies the risk of cesarean section, forceps-assisted delivery, shoulder dystocia, hemorrhage, fetal distress and meconium aspiration. It is a major contributor to birth-related expenses and complications in the US. Yet it is so common that we almost think of it as normal. More than a third of American women were induced in 1999, and another third had labors augmented with Pitocin. (The FDA says that this is the lowest estimate and that the true incidence of induction is "widely under-reported.")
Even with early pregnancy tests and ultrasounds, induction of labor remains one of the largest causes of prematurity. Ultrasonic estimation of gestational age is still an inexact science; the range of error increases as pregnancy advances. Artifact and technician inexperience can multiply the inaccuracy. Many practitioners seem unaware of this error range or, alternatively, are unwilling to second guess a due date "confirmed" by ultrasound, even when the woman's history and clinical assessment indicate a later due date. Hence, the woman may be induced, even though the baby is clearly several weeks early. Some people discount the danger of early induction as long as the baby is within the last month of gestation. But even minor degrees of prematurity can cause harm. Babies born before full maturity can suffer from breathing difficulties or transient tachypnea, requiring separation in the hospital. They may be more prone to meconium aspiration. They are at risk for hypoglycemia and may have trouble maintaining body temperature. They are at increased risk for nursing difficulties and feeding disorders. They suffer from colic and digestive disturbances. These "minor problems" can affect the early bonding experience and make family adjustments more difficult. The incidence of child abuse is higher with "difficult" babies.
http://www.amazingpregnancy.com/pregnancy-articles/173.html
he Bishops Score generally follows this scale:
Score Dilatation Effacement Station Position Consistency
0 closed 0 – 30% -3 posterior firm
1 1-2 cm 40 -50% -2 mid-position moderately firm
2 3-4 cm 60 -70% -1,0 anterior soft
3 5+ cm 80+% +1,+2
A point is added to the score for each of the following:
Preeclampsia
Each prior vaginal delivery
A point is subtracted from the score for:
Postdates pregnancy
Nulliparity
Premature or prolonged rupture of membranes
Interpretation
cesarean rates: first time mothers women with past vaginal deliveries
scores of 0 – 3: 45% 7.7%
scores of 4 - 6: 10% 3.9%
scores of 7 - 10: 1.4% .9%
Induction is generally attempted when a mother has a favorable Bishop's score. A mother may be given misoprostol, cytotec or prostaglandin gel to help ripen the cervix and improve the score. A score of five or less is said to be "unfavorable." If induction is indicated, the mother would be a candidate for a cervical ripening agent. These are usually introduced one or two nights before the planned induction. A score of eight or nine would indicate that the cervix was very ripe and induction would have a high probability of being successful.
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Induction: Getting Labor Started
http://www.transitiontoparenthood.com/ttp/parented/pregnancy/induction.htm
Let the Baby Decide: The Case against Inducing Labor
http://www.mothering.com/articles/pregnancy_birth/birth_preparation/inducing.html
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Ginger Y,
I can't even tell you how many moms I know that were induced because the doctor was going on vacation or had too many patients due at the same time, and that's just the ones that admitted it. Not to mention all the pseudo-science reason like "too big" baby, mom overweight, previous "large baby", or my personal favourite "mom wants a vbac so we are going to induce so baby doesn't get too big/whatever" -inductions are contraindicated in VBACs.
Doctors will let mom induce to avoid holidays (like Christmas) because their spouse has to go away on work, and for many silly reasons as well.