What really causes labor??????

[SerenityR.N., BSN, RN]

Okay i know there are certain things that could put you at risk for going into preterm labor (imcompetent uterus, med. problems). But what causes labor in an otherwise healthy mom?

[SmilingBluEyes]

tell you what, if and when you discover this, you will be very rich.

there are many theories, but even the best midwives and dr's will tell you----

no one know what really starts spontaneous labor. it's one of nature's best-kept secrets and enigmatic mysteries.

maybe it's meant to be that way!

[mugwump]

Yes that my friend is the million dollar question.

[bethem]

Being pregnant is a high risk factor for labor:roll .

[LovingLnDRN]

Here is one that I know of....the fetal adrenal glands signal the beginning of labor:

http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/full/90/1/279

[foxyhill21]

According to Hippocrates theory "the fetus initiates labor when it feels that conditions outside the uterus are more favorable than those within the uterus"

how funny (hahaha)

[hopeh71]

there is something with the uterus haveing enought oxytocin receptors. i think there is something with the L/S ratio and something being released by the fetus that triggers these receptors. Of course, the size of the uterus plays a factor at term(ie. triplets....more babies...stretch the uterus to a term uterus sooner)

[CEG]

I read an article recently that went along with the previous poster's answer. Apparently they measured the oxytocin in laboring women's blood and there was not much- actually very little more than usual in a pregnant woman. They believed that labor was initiated when the number of receptors in the uterus reached an adequate level for the oxytocin to work. They said that's why differing levels of pitocin have to be used in inducing labor- some women are near ready and have more receptors than others.

[sirI, MSN, APRN, NP]

And, I totally agree with Smilin'.....

That's the age old question. Who knows???

[Gompers, BSN, RN]

According to Hippocrates theory "the fetus initiates labor when it feels that conditions outside the uterus are more favorable than those within the uterus"

how funny (hahaha)

That's actually a pretty good explaination, honestly. Many times we seem women in preterm labor, and in the end find out that the fetus was in distress prior to the onset of labor. Infection, drug use, etc. I've always heard that if the uterus is overstretched, it starts labor - explains why it happens at term, and also explains why premature multiples often deliver early. The baby just feels they'd do better on the outside than on the inside in all of these situations. Strange, simple, but true.

Of course, there is always going to be unexplained premature labor. There are plenty of cases where there is just no rhyme or reason as to why a mom delivered early. Like the others have said, million dollar question!

[SmilingBluEyes]

The fact of the matter is, nobody has come up with a real hard-fast rule as to what physiologic processes bring on labor. And preterm labor is no difference; if we had these answers, PTL and birth would not be the HUGE Problem it is today!