6 Ways To Prepare for Labor Induction, According to a Birth Doula

Finding out you need an induction can feel like someone just tossed your birth plan out the window. Whether it’s recommended for medical reasons or you’re scheduling an elective induction, it’s completely normal to feel a mix of emotions: relief that there’s an end date in sight, anxiety about the unknown, maybe even a little grief for the spontaneous labor you’d imagined.

“Inductions can be intimidating,” says Kristin Revere, certified birth doula and founder of Gold Coast Doulas. “I personally experienced an induction with my first birth. At 39 weeks, I was induced due to rising blood pressure and preeclampsia concerns. It wasn’t my dream birth that I imagined—but inductions aren’t always bad, especially if there is a medical reason.”

Here’s the good news—with the right preparation, you can still walk into your induction feeling informed, supported, and genuinely ready for whatever unfolds. Let’s break down six ways to get prepped for your induction day—with advice straight from a certified birth doula!

1. Understand Your Induction Method (and Ask Questions)

Not all inductions look the same. There are several ways to get labor started, and your provider will choose methods based on your specific situation. Some common options include membrane sweeps, cervical ripeners like Cervidil or Cytotec, Foley balloons, Pitocin, or breaking your water.

And here’s what many people don’t realize: you might not need all of these interventions. “I only had the membrane sweep and the Cervidil (cervical ripener), and that’s all my body needed to kick in,” Kristin shares. “Everyone is different—and if it’s your second or third baby, your body might respond even quicker to an induction.”

The best thing you can do is ask your provider what method they’re planning on using and why. Understanding what’s ahead takes so much of the fear away. For a deeper dive into planning for a hospital birth, check out the book Supported: Your Guide to Birth and Baby.

2. Pack for a Potentially Longer Stay

Inductions are unpredictable. Some of our clients at Gold Coast Doulas have their babies within hours of starting. Others have experienced multi-day inductions before meeting their little ones. There’s simply no way to know which camp you’ll fall into.

So, pack with the marathon mindset, but hope for the sprint. Bring your phone charger (with an extra-long cord, trust us), entertainment for the waiting periods, snacks, drinks, cozy socks, and maybe your own pillow. If things move quickly, great—you’ll have extras. If it takes longer, you’ll be so glad you came prepared.

3. Create a Flexible Birth Plan

Having a birth plan is still valuable, even with an induction. But building in flexibility is key. Think through your preferences for pain management, positions you’d like to try, and who you want in the room with you.

One thing we encourage our clients to do is talk with their partner about a code word ahead of time. For example, if you’re hoping to avoid pain medication but want your partner to help you stay the course, having that signal can be really helpful. And if you change your mind? That’s not failure—that’s responding to your birth as it unfolds.

“We support our clients with whatever decision-making the couple or the client ends up deciding on,” Kristin explains. “If they wanted an unmedicated birth originally and decided to get an epidural, we support those changes.”

4. Line Up Your Support Team

Your partner is amazing. But even the most dedicated support person gets tired—especially during a long induction. That’s where a doula can come in handy. Think of them as your wingwoman who tag teams the physical support like hip squeezes and counter pressure, giving your partner a chance to rest (or eat, or take a bathroom break without worrying about leaving you alone).

Plus, doulas also know the hospital environment inside and out. They know where the ice chips are, how to adjust the bed into different positions, how to request a peanut ball or birthing ball, and where those magical heated blankets are hiding.

“If I’d had doulas with me when my husband was with my daughter in the NICU, I would’ve had someone there,” Kristin reflects. With some births, baby goes to the NICU right away, and the mom is left alone—and that can be overwhelming. Having multiple support people with you (if your hospital allows it) can be very helpful.

5. Prepare Mentally and Emotionally

It’s okay to grieve the birth you imagined while embracing the one you’re having. Give yourself permission to feel whatever comes up—disappointment, fear, excitement, all of it.

The good news? All the comfort measures and coping techniques you learn in childbirth class still work during an induction. Visualizations, affirmations, breathing techniques—these aren’t just for spontaneous labor. P.S. You’ll find more comfort measures and coping techniques for every type of birth in Kristin’s book.

6. Plan for Postpartum Recovery

Consider lining up postpartum support for those first few weeks. Whether it’s family or friends, having help while you recover and adjust is a game-changer. This also includes professional support, too, like postpartum doulas, lactation specialists, pelvic floor therapists, or mental health resources if you need them.

Your Next Steps

You can never be “too prepared” for birth. And that’s why Comfort Measures for Labor was created. In this workshop, you learn about medical and non-medical pain relief options for birth, communication, positions for labor and pushing, and breathing techniques. The best part is that you can do it virtually or even in person, if you’re in the West Michigan area.

But the bottom line? Inductions don’t have to feel as out of control as they seem. With preparation, flexibility, and the right support, you can still have a positive birth experience—even if it looks different from what you originally planned.

Kristin Revere, MM, CED, NCS, is a certified birth and postpartum doula and the founder of Gold Coast Doulas in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is also the co-host of Ask the Doulas Podcast and co-author of Supported: Your Guide to Birth and Baby.