How common is induced labor?

[dulcemariamar]

I am watching 16 and pregnant and it seems that every girl on this show is induced. On this one episode the doctor was like oh, you seem big enough, why wait another week?

Is this the new normal?

Or should I stop watching 16 and pregnant?

[NomadicMama]

I wonder if part of it has to do with the age of the patients. Young mothers and "old" mothers (I say this as an "old" mother) are more at risk for complications. There may be factors that we, as viewers, are not privy to.

[pseudoagain]

Not really. With DS, I was given a little help with pitocin after 20 hours, because just ugh. That labor and delivery was 26 hours start to finish. With DD, she was an emergency induction because she had low fluids, no movements and meconium ingested. That one was 8 hours start to finish.

I dislike doctors that push (heh) inductions and c-sections on their patients.