Induction of labor means that the uterus has been told to contract before labor actually begins in order to prepare for a vaginal birth. Normally, the hormone oxytocin is responsible for labor induction, but sometimes, natural labor induction doesn’t happen in a timely manner. So doctors will resort to inducing uterine contractions through the following methods: Cervical Ripening, Stripping the Amniotic Sac Membranes, Amniotomy, or Intravenous Medications.