Threats, Pressure and Veiled Coercion: Decision-Making About Induction of Labor in Ireland

Induction of labor is an increasingly common routine intervention in most high resource maternity settings. This article focuses on the experiences of birthing people by asking to what extent they felt involved in the decision-making process to have an induction. We present qualitative findings from a national mixed methods survey, drawing on text responses from women who gave birth in Ireland between 2018 and 2023. The survey was part of a larger participatory research project on the medicalization of birth in Ireland. Our findings suggest that many women did not feel well informed, and that coercion and duress are commonplace.