Labor Induction: Why, When and How?: Get the Data. Make a Plan. Take Charge of Your Birth.

by Henci Goer

"With clarity, depth, and unwavering commitment to evidence-based care, Henci Goer empowers birthing people to make informed choices about labor induction. This book is an indispensable resource for those who want to take charge of their birth experience with knowledge and confidence." — Neel Shah, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Maven Clinic

“Henci has once again delivered an incredible resource for expecting mothers and birth professionals. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to take charge of their birth experience and feel truly informed, prepared, and empowered every step of the way." — Nina Spears, The Baby Chick® Founder & CEO of Baby Chick, Pregnancy & Birth Expert

For fans of Emily Oster's Expecting Better and Penny Simkin's

Award-winning author and birth options expert Henci Goer has done it again. In this, the second book in her groundbreaking Take Charge of Your Birth series, Henci tackles induction.

Focusing on precautionary reasons for induction—suspected big baby, release of membranes, impending postterm, and routine induction at 39 weeks—Henci brings her forty years of experience analyzing and synthesizing obstetric research to the table and creates a judgment-free zone where you can decide what’s right for you.

What’s more, she won’t just provide you the evidence for deciding about induction. You’ll also have the data to implement your choice, whether it be care practices that promote safe, healthy birth if you choose to await labor, guidance on strategies for bringing on labor, or, should induction be medically indicated or simply your choice, what practices the research establishes as best promoting an induction that’s problem free.

Kindle Edition

Published May 15, 2025

About the author

Henci Goer is an award-winning author, research analyst, and advocate for maternity care reform whose work has helped to shape the evidence-based birth movement for more than 40 years. Her commitment began with her own transformative second birth, which revealed how profoundly maternity care practices can affect parents’ physical and emotional well-being for good or ill.

Henci has dedicated her career to closing the gap between research and practice. She is the author of five books, including The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth and Optimal Care in Childbirth, and has written more than a hundred articles, guides, and analyses, many of which she shares through her free online Resource Library.

Her latest work, the Take Charge of Your Birth series of books, builds on decades of advocacy—equipping families and birth workers with the clarity, confidence, and evidence needed to make informed, collaborative decisions throughout pregnancy and birth.

Reviews

[Carly Bonderud · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-have for any birth worker or mother needing to make a truly informed decision on induction!

This book is an invaluable addition to literature pertaining to induction and has quickly become one of my go-to resources. As a doula and birth coach who has supported many women to plan and get their natural births, I found this book to be a quick, easy reference to follow while also breaking down the relevant statistics in a way that fully examines the full scope of research and how it applies to birth physiology.

Goer has set this book up in a way that allows the reader to skim through any topics they are most interested in, such as the "big baby", prelabor rupturing of membranes, and the 39 week induction recommendation typically pushed on first time moms.

I greatly appreciated how she's asked several important questions all throughout this book, such as whether induction ACTUALLY reduces risks vs how it affects birth physiology. I am already recommending this book to my audience and to my clients as one of the main sources for understanding all the risks and benefits of induction vs waiting for labor.

Finally, the section on making a plan will be most helpful for mothers and pregnant people who are seeking concrete tips on how to avoid an induction or to make it a more empowering experience and mitigate their risks.

Truly an excellent addition to birth education!

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henci Goer does it again! Easy to read, clear, and to the point, Goer sheds light on a complex topic that many parents (and doctors!) need more information about in the birth world of today. I'm especially grateful for this information as a childbirth educator and doula. I've been a fan of Goer's work for years (Thinking Woman's Guide was pivotal in helping me form my own birth plans 16 years ago!) and this volume is no exception.

[Whitney Bak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of working on this book as an editor at just the right time in my life—when the content was not only engaging and interesting to me on a professional level but also relevant on a personal level. It formed the backbone of many conversations I had with friends, family, and my own doctors, and I felt fortunate to be among its first readers!

For me, Labor Induction was a manifest example that "you don't know what you don't know." As someone who prides myself on staying informed and doing deep research, I was shocked to realize I knew next to nothing about the topic of induction, nor did many of my expecting friends, even in the final trimester of pregnancy. This book, in conjunction with Labor Pain: What's Your Best Strategy?: Get the Data. Make a Plan. Take Charge of Your Birth, formed the backbone of my birth plan and empowered me to stay in the driver's seat of a process in which so many components are out of our control.

Insightful, practical, and concise, Henci's book strikes the perfect balance between "essential information" and "nonjudgmental openness." It is clear through every page that her intention is to ensure all readers have successful, positive birthing experiences. Though she advocates for a (scientifically-backed) physiologic approach to birthing, she engages the discussion with openness and an acknowledgment that every pregnant person's preferences may be influenced by their own goals and life circumstances. As she explores the various ways in which the topic of induction may come up throughout pregnancy and labor, she provides options to help guide and support each person's unique birthing experience, regardless of whether or not induction is part of their plan.

I have found no better resource to empower birthing people to "take charge of their birth" when it comes to this essential and very underexplored topic within pregnancy and birthing resources. You won't regret adding it to your list!