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Within the past couple years, a number of maternal-infant health organizations have launched campaigns to educate the public about the benefits of waiting for labor to begin on its own: that is, waiting for it to begin without a non-medically indicated induction or cesarean section.

Childbirth Connection, for instance, developed a comprehensive resource on induction of labor, giving women tools to help decipher the evidence on induction.

Last year, The Leapfrog Group released a report documenting individual hospital rates of early scheduled births (i.e. births schedule for induction or cesarean section prior to 39 weeks).

And last but not least, The March of Dimes has worked tirelessly to educate people about preventing preterm birth–including late preterm birth, a complication that can be the result of a scheduled induction or cesarean section that occurred before a baby was truly ready to be born.

Long story short?  Unless there are medical issues that warrant and induction or cesarean section, waiting for labor to begin on its own can have tremendous benefits for moms and babies.

The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) knows this just as much as anyone else, and they also have a fabulous campaign encouraging parents to “go the full 40“–as in the full 40 weeks of a pregnancy–for their babies.  They even have a list of 40 reasons to go the full 40, including (but not limited to) the facts that:

• there are fewer risks and complications when labor begins on its own
• women tend to have faster recovery following a vaginal birth
• babies are better able to regulate their temperature when they are born at term
• babies are less likely to experience jaundice, low blood sugar, and infection when they are full term

AWHONN  even appreciates the fact that waiting the full 40 gives pregnant women a chance to enjoy those stretchy clothes a bit longer!  (Oh, how I miss my maternity jeans!)

Just yesterday, AWHONN shared an especially fabulous image on Facebook to promote a similar campaign that encourages women to wait for labor to begin on its own:

You can share this image too, sign the pledge, and let the world know how important it is to wait the for labor to begin on its own.

You just might help to do another mama and baby a whole lot of good.