A lot of women find it uncomfortable or painful, but the pain is short-lived. Some people want to start at 38 weeks and do it at every appointment, while others will decline and never have a sweep. Some women may feel uncomfortably pregnant and are eager for their babies to arrive and willing to try anything to spur on contractions, while others are happy to wait and see if they go into labour on their own around their due date.
If you are adamant about avoiding medical induction and feeling stressed about going overdue, a stretch and sweep might be the right choice. A Foley catheter is a small balloon inserted by a doctor into the cervix and inflated about two or three centimetres in diameter. It comes in several forms. The first form is a cervical gel placed in the vagina, near the cervix, by your doctor or midwife.
The third form is a pill called misoprostol, which is swallowed with water or placed under the tongue. It may be used if your water has already broken and your care provider has concerns about introducing bacteria into the uterus through vaginal exams. Misoprostol has the highest risk of causing too many contractions, says Dy, so you would stay at the hospital so the baby can be monitored with an external monitor you will still be able to move around.
All of these methods may cause faster or more intense contractions than if labour started naturally. Oxytocin is naturally produced by your body to help the uterus contract. It may also be called by its synthetic name, Pitocin. An amniotomy is where your care provider uses an instrument that looks like a crochet hook to break the amniotic sac, allowing amniotic fluid to leak out.
Induction will usually be planned in advance. You'll be able to discuss the advantages and disadvantages with your doctor and midwife, and find out why they think your labour should be induced. If your pregnancy lasts longer than 42 weeks and you decide not to have your labour induced, you should be offered increased monitoring to check your baby's wellbeing. Induction will be offered if you do not go into labour naturally by 42 weeks, as there will be a higher risk of stillbirth or problems for the baby.
If your waters break more than 24 hours before labour starts, there's an increased risk of infection to you and your baby. If your waters break after 34 weeks, you'll have the choice of induction or expectant management.
Expectant management is when your healthcare professionals monitor your condition and your baby's wellbeing, and your pregnancy can progress naturally as long as it's safe for both of you. Your midwife or doctor should discuss your options with you before you make a decision. They should also let you know about the newborn neonatal special care hospital facilities in your area. If your baby is born earlier than 37 weeks, they may be vulnerable to problems related to being premature.
If your waters break before 34 weeks, you'll only be offered induction if there are other factors that suggest it's the best thing for you and your baby. You may be offered an induction if you have a condition that means it'll be safer to have your baby sooner, such as diabetes , high blood pressure or intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.
If this is the case, your doctor and midwife will explain your options to you so you can decide whether or not to have your labour induced. Before inducing labour, you'll be offered a membrane sweep, also known as a cervical sweep, to bring on labour.
To carry out a membrane sweep, your midwife or doctor sweeps their finger around your cervix during an internal examination. Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information.
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Products and services. Inducing labor: When to wait, when to induce Considering inducing labor? By Mayo Clinic Staff. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Show references Wing DA. Induction of labor. Some mothers request elective inductions for convenience, but these do come with risks.
Some methods of induction are less invasive and carry fewer risks than others. Ways that doctors may try to induce labor by getting contractions started include:. Stripping the membranes can be a little painful or uncomfortable, although it usually only takes a minute or so. You may also have some intense cramps and spotting for the next day or two. It can also be a little uncomfortable to have your water broken.
You may feel a tug followed by a warm trickle or gush of fluid. With prostaglandin, you might have some strong cramping as well. With oxytocin, contractions are usually more frequent and regular than in a labor that starts naturally. Inducing labor is not like turning on a faucet.
If the body isn't ready, an induction might fail and, after hours or days of trying, a woman may end up having a cesarean delivery C-section. This appears to be more likely if the cervix is not yet ripe. If the doctor ruptures the amniotic sac and labor doesn't begin, another method of inducing labor also might be necessary because there's a risk of infection to both mother and baby if the membranes are ruptured for a long time before the baby is born.
When prostaglandin or oxytocin is used, there is a risk of abnormal contractions developing. In that case, the doctor may remove the vaginal insert or turn the oxytocin dose down. While it is rare, there is an increase in the risk of developing a tear in the uterus uterine rupture when these medications are used. Other complications associated with oxytocin use are low blood pressure and low blood sodium which can cause problems such as seizures.
Another potential risk of inducing labor is giving birth to a late pre-term baby born after 34 and before 37 weeks.
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