Induction has quietly become one of the most common interventions in childbirth—so common that many parents assume it’s inevitable or automatically safer. In this episode, we slow the conversation way down and take a careful, evidence-based look at how induction became routine, what the research actually shows, and why so many families are encouraged to induce without hearing the full story. With clarity, depth, and decades of expertise, Henci Goer helps listeners untangle fear from fact and reclaim informed choice in one of the most consequential decisions of the childbearing year.

About Henci Goer 

Henci Goer is an award-winning author, medical research analyst, and longtime advocate for maternity care reform. Known for making complex research accessible and usable, Henci has spent decades reviewing, synthesizing, and translating evidence so pregnant people and birth workers can make truly informed decisions. She is the author of multiple books, including Labor Induction: Why, When, and How and the Take Charge of Your Birth series, and the creator of a widely used online resource library for evidence-based maternity care. At the heart of her work is one guiding belief: every parent deserves accurate information, meaningful choice, and agency in their birth experience.

Listen:

Watch:

What You’ll Learn:

  • Why induction rates have climbed to nearly half of all labors, driven not only by medical need but by a growing category of “precautionary” inductions
  • How induction shifted from convenience to perceived necessity, reframing healthy pregnancies as problems to be managed or prevented
  • Why suspected big babies, overdue dates, and ruptured membranes are often misused as reasons for induction, despite research showing limited benefit and increased risk
  • What the ARRIVE trial really found—and what it didn’t, including how study conditions differ from everyday hospital practice
  • How induction can disrupt the natural hormonal processes of labor, affecting pain tolerance, bonding, breastfeeding, and postpartum recovery
  • Why informed consent, agency, and good questions matter more than ever, and how parents can use tools like BRAIN to make decisions aligned with their values

Resources & Mentions: