How is induced labor done

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. This action should separate the membranes of the amniotic sac surrounding your baby from your cervix.

This separation releases hormones prostaglandins , which may start your labour. However, some studies have suggested that the baby might have abnormal heartbeats after breast stimulation. Some women feel that having sex in late pregnancy can induce labor, but there is no conclusion on this yet.

Talk to your doctor before doing anything to try to encourage your little one's arrival. Inducing labor is best left to medical professionals — you may cause more harm than good.

As frustrating as it can be waiting for your baby to finally decide to arrive, letting nature take its course is often best, unless your doctor tells you otherwise.

Before you know it, you'll be too busy to remember your baby was ever late at all! Larger text size Large text size Regular text size.

What Is It? Why It's Done Your doctor might suggest an induction if: your water broke but you are not having contractions your baby still hasn't arrived by 2 weeks after the due date when you're considered post-term — more than 42 weeks into your pregnancy you have an infection in the uterus called chorioamnionitis you have certain risk factors e. Page 2 How It's Done 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. The doctor puts on a glove and inserts a finger into the vagina and through the cervix the opening that connects the vagina to the uterus.

He or she moves the finger back and forth to separate the thin membrane connecting the amniotic sac which houses the baby and amniotic fluid to the wall of the uterus. When the membranes are stripped, the body releases hormones called prostaglandins, which help prepare the cervix for delivery and may bring on contractions. This method works for some women, but not all.

Breaking your water also called an amniotomy. The doctor ruptures the amniotic sac during a vaginal exam using a little plastic hook to break the membranes. If the cervix is ready for labor, amniotomy usually brings on labor in a matter of hours. If your labour is induced, you are also more likely to need other interventions, such as the use of forceps or ventouse vacuum to assist with the birth of your baby. You will not be able to move around as much because the baby will be monitored more closely than during a natural labour.

You will only be offered induced labour if there is a risk to you or your baby's health. Your doctor might recommend induced labour if:. Not everyone can have an induced labour. It is not usually an option if you have had a a caesarean section or major abdominal surgery before, if you have placenta praevia , or if your baby is breech or lying sideways. During the late stages of your pregnancy, your healthcare team will carry out regular checks on your health and your baby's heath. These checks help them decide whether it is better to induce labour or to keep the baby inside.

Always tell your doctor or midwife if you notice your baby is moving less than normal. If they decide it is medically necessary to induce labour, first your doctor or midwife will do an internal examination by feeling inside your vagina.

They will feel your cervix to see if it is ready for labour. This examination will also help them decide on the best method for you. There are different options for inducing labour and you may need a combination of treatments.

It can take from a few hours to as long as 2 to 3 days to induce labour. It depends how your body responds to the treatment. It is likely to take longer if this is your first pregnancy or you are less than 37 weeks pregnant. Induced labour is usually more painful than natural labour. Depending on the type of induction you are having, this could range from discomfort with the procedure or more intense and longer lasting contractions as a result of the medication you have been given.

Women who have induced labour are more likely to ask for an epidural for relief. Because inductions are almost always done in hospital, the full range of pain relief should be available to you.

There is usually no restriction on the type of pain relief you can have if your labour is induced. This chemical stimulates contractions and helps to speed the labor process. During amniotic sac rupture, the doctor will place a plastic hook inside your vagina to open up the sac. You may feel a warm rush of water as the sac breaks. The hospital staff will monitor your contractions to see how your labor is progressing.

Labor induction risks. Health concerns and a long pregnancy are reasons why you might consider labor induction. Labor induction side effects. The drugs and techniques used to induce labor can cause side effects in both you and your baby. Pitocin and other medicines that ripen your cervix can intensify your contractions, making them come faster and closer together. More intense contractions may be more painful for you. Your doctor might stop giving you the drug if your contractions are coming too quickly.

Rupturing the amniotic sac may cause the umbilical cord to slip out of your vagina before your baby. This is called prolapse. Labor needs to start within about 6 to 12 hours after rupturing your amniotic sac.

Not going into labor within that time frame increases the risk of infection to both you and your baby. Bishop score for induction. It gets its name from obstetrician Edward Bishop, who devised the method in Your doctor will calculate your score from the results of a physical exam and ultrasound.

Your odds of a successful induction go down with a lower score. Induction vs. Induction uses medicines or medical techniques to start your labor. The length of a labor that happens without medical intervention varies. Some women deliver within a few hours of their first contractions. When you go into labor naturally, first the muscles of your uterus start to contract. During active labor, your cramps become stronger and come more often.

At the end of this stage, your baby is born. What does labor induction feel like? What labor induction feels like depends on how your doctor induces your labor. Membrane stripping is slightly uncomfortable. Expect some cramping afterward. Afterward, there will be a rush of warm fluid.

Using medicine to induce labor produces stronger and faster contractions. Benefits of waiting. The biggest benefit of waiting for labor to naturally occur is that it reduces the risk of complications from induced labor.