INTRODUCTION
Labor induction consists of using methods aimed at triggering uterine contractions to achieve the child's birth within a determined period of time. This method is used when continuing the gestation period will cause elevated risk to the mother and/or child. The procedure demands not only equipment, but also professional knowledge and experience, as it involves implications for the mother and baby(1).
A large proportion of women, especially those who undergo high-risk pregnancy, experience induced labor - a procedure that is usually invasive and may cause discomfort, requiring caution and sensitivity when it is being performed.
Pregnancy is considered a physiological process, occurring most of the time without complications. However, some pregnancies may present the probability of clinical events that negatively affect the mother or the fetus, either due to pre-existing health conditions or to existing health conditions, defining this group of people as "high-risk pregnant women"(1).
Feelings such as fear, anxiety and sadness can be experienced by women who have undergone a high-risk pregnancy. These could be associated with insecurity, lack of information, loss of control, acceptance of the risk factor, anguish or others(2). These feelings were observed in the pregnant women as soon as they were informed about the procedure. However, the use of non-invasive technologies during the prenatal stage, such as listening actively to the parous woman's verbal and non-verbal expressions, valuing her feelings, giving her freedom to move, encouraging the presence of a companion during labor and the possibility of liquid ingestion, promotes results seen as beneficial, making the pregnant women protagonists of the event(3).
Human care goes beyond physical condition, disease and risk; it must embrace the person and the bio-psychosocial perspective of these high-risk women. In this context, the present study was planned using the following guiding questions: how did the high-risk pregnant women experience the stages of induced labor? What feelings emerged during these stages?
This study aims to describe how high-risk pregnant women experienced induced labor and to discuss the feelings that emerged during that moment.
Given these considerations, the study has been shown to be relevant because it demonstrates the perception of women when going through induced labor. This allows the healthcare professional to re-evaluate the concept of comprehensive care, preceding, therefore, a holistic care contemplating bio-psychosocial needs - focusing on the physiological, following a healthcare model centered on humanization, integrality and on the preservation of women's autonomy.