Induction of Labour
Sometimes, a consultant/doctor or midwife may suggest to start your labour. This is called inducing labour. It happens to 1 in 5 pregnancies in the UK each year.
Inducing labour may be needed if your baby is overdue or if yours or baby’s health could be in danger. For example, if you have high blood pressure, or if your baby is not growing well.
Before your labour is induced, the consultant/doctor and midwife will talk to you about it. They will explain why it might be needed and the risks. You can choose whether to have your labour induced or not.
Induction of labour is done in a hospital where you will be looked after by midwives and consultant/doctors.
Step 1: Preparing your cervix
- Prostaglandin
Sometimes, your cervix isn’t ready for giving birth. The midwife can use a gel or insert a small tablet with a hormone called prostaglandin during a vaginal examination. The gel works in about six hours, and you’ll need to stay at the hospital. The pessary works slower and releases over 24 hours. If everything’s okay, you might go home for a bit. Using prostaglandin can help to start your labour but it might not. You may get more prostaglandin or they could try another method. - Balloon Catheter:
If the prostaglandin doesn’t work or isn’t right for you, you might get a balloon catheter. It’s a tiny balloon put into the cervix which puts pressure on it. This makes the body release hormones to start the birth process. The balloon helps the cervix stretch and get softer, ready for birth over 12-24 hours.
Step 2: Breaking your Waters
If your cervix is starting to open, your midwife might break your waters. This is called “amniotomy.” Your midwife uses a clean hook to make a tiny hole in the water bag around your baby. This can help to start the birth process.
Step 3: Making Contractions Start
If breaking your waters doesn’t start the birth, you might get a hormone called oxytocin. It’s given through a small tube (drip) in your hand or arm until your baby is born. This hormone makes the womb start to contract. The midwife will stay with you and check you and your baby using a CTG during the whole birth.
Induced labour can be more painful than natural labour and you may need some help to get your baby out (with forceps or suction). Remember you can ask for help with pain relief, like an epidural.
Sometimes, inducing labour doesn’t work. If this happens, you might be offered a rest period and then another induction or a caesarean-section. The midwife and consultant/doctor will talk to you about this.
There are some things people say can start labour at home, like herbal supplements, acupuncture, homeopathy, hot baths, and having sex. But there’s no proof that these things work.