Can I request an elective induction? Elective labor induction is the initiation of labor for convenience when there's no medical need. For example, for women who live far from the hospital or birthing center or who have a history of rapid deliveries, a scheduled induction might help avoid an unattended delivery.
When a woman and her fetus are healthy, induction should not be done before 39 weeks. Babies born at or after 39 weeks have the best chance at healthy outcomes compared with babies born before 39 weeks. When the health of a woman or her fetus is at risk, induction before 39 weeks may be recommended.
Some obstetricians have recommended inducing labor at 39 weeks to reduce the risk of complications. But the practice isn't routine.
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. It's your choice whether to have your labour induced or not.
If someone is over 37 weeks pregnant and their waters break with no signs of labour, they may be offered the choice of an induction or 24 hours to wait and see if labour starts . It always remains the woman's decision to accept or decline an induction.
You may be tempted to ask your doctor to induce labor – or even to perform a cesarean section. But be patient. Unless there are medical complications, your body will let you know when it's the right time to go into labor.
All five of the studies found newborn benefits with elective induction at 39 weeks. The largest retrospective study (California data from over 360,000 births, Darney et al. 2013) found lower perinatal death with elective induction at 39 weeks (0% versus 0.2%).
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) do not recommend voluntarily inducing labor before 39 weeks gestation unless there is a medical need to do so.
If you're overdue and have had a straightforward pregnancy, then you'll be offered induction between 41 to 42 weeks because: the risk of stillbirth increases when pregnancy goes beyond 42 weeks. at 37 weeks pregnant the chance of stillbirth is 1 in every 3,000 births.
Many pregnant women worry about exercise and preterm labor. They shouldn't. Exercise does not increase the risk of preterm birth.
Your doctor or midwife will recommend being induced if they think it will be better for you or your baby than to wait. It is generally more painful than labour that starts naturally but the usual pain relief options will still be available to you.
Usually, labor induction is recommended when nearing one to two weeks beyond the due date and labor has not begun on its own, or when the risks of continuing the pregnancy for the mother, baby, or both outweigh the benefits of waiting to go into labor.
No, the induction process itself is not painful, but you might feel some slight discomfort. You may be kept in hospital if you have prostaglandins (although some hospitals may offer you to go home), and you will be kept in if you're having your waters broken.
Moderate amounts of liquid usually are fine, such as water, tea, black coffee, juice, carbonated beverages, or clear broths. We don't want you to have a huge meal when you're going into labor, but Jell-O, applesauce, Popsicles, or toast may be OK during early labor, while you're still at home.
(A note of caution: Doctors do not recommend trying to self-induce labor before 39 weeks, because the fetus's brain is still developing.)
A baby born before 37 weeks of pregnancy is considered premature or born too early. More specific definitions include: Early term infants. Babies born between 37 weeks and 38 weeks, 6 days.
Babies born early (called premature babies) may have more health problems at birth and later in life than babies born on time. This is why it's important to wait until at least 39 weeks to induce labor. If your pregnancy is healthy, it's best to let labor begin on its own.
As it turns out, that deeply-held idea was not based on sound science. And a few new studies have found that, in fact, inducing healthy women at 39 weeks isn't necessarily associated with an increased risk of C-sections, and could be associated with some advantages, too. Do inductions cause C-sections?
However, the proportion of cesarean delivery was significantly lower for the induced group (18.6 percent), compared to the other group (22.2 percent).
Walking and exercise often make it to the top of the list of things to try. While there's no research that says it will induce labor, 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least five times a week can be helpful in any stage of pregnancy.