Midwifery Today Community

Hello, my friend sadly found out that her unborn baby, aged 23 weeks or so now, has trisomy 13 and is very ill. The doctors have said that he will probably pass away in the coming weeks, and then if she doesn't start labour on her own, they will induce. I would like to know if there are natural induction methods you might recommend, and I would also like to know the risks of Cytotec on a woman whose baby has already passed away (as it's always a possibility in hospital.) I am well aware of the dangers on VBAC women, and risks to the baby with Cytotec induction, but I am having a harder time finding out about dangers for her particular situation. She has had 2 uncomplicated vaginal births, about 3 and 5 years ago. Thank you for your input.

 A woman is more at risk of amniotic fluid embolism (fatal in more than 50% of the cases) with cytotec induction.  I was just looking at the Safe Motherhood Quilt project online this weekend and reading the stories of all these women who died around the time of childbirth.  Many of the women died due to AFE AND had been induced with cytotec.  You could also go to Henci Goer's website and look up the research about the side effects of cytotec induction.  Joyce

She could wait for her body to do it on its own. This is hard because it can take a month or more for the body to realize it isn't pregnant anymore. In this case, she may want to monitor clotting factors and prepare herself emotionally. It can be done. Our bodies know what to do. She should find an experienced caregiver for this.

I am not sure how the herbal or homeopathic remedies would work in this case but she could try the usual- Cottonroot Bark, Blue Cohosh, Homeopathic Caullophyllum

She could also try Wild Carrot seed and  flower tincture. Take 1-2 dropperfuls in a little water every 8 hours for 3 days. Then stop. This is what you would do for birth control after unprotected sex. It may work for her in this instance.

 Who is to say she really won't go to term? Granted the pognosis for trisomy 13 isn't favorable but she may also not be prepared for an induction done while babe is still viable.

So I'm a bit confused. If a mother is intent on natural induction who will make the call that the babe is already deceased? Will she jsut go with an ultrasound following cessation of fetal movement.

I've attend only one stillbirth induction and mama was term. The baby had been expired a few days so her coloring was a bit off but she was angelic none the less. I think I offered some good compassionate support but in hindsight I know that I was not in the least bit fully prepared for this "with woman" encounter. I was also visibly pregnant with my third at the time and it took all I had with in me not to grieve myself into some sort of distress. Be sure mama has lots of familial, spiritual and emotional support in place.