Inducing labour when your baby is overdue (Easy Read) : University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

	Inducing labour means that we don’t wait for your labour to start naturally
	It’s up to you whether you agree to induction (having your labour induced)
	Risks for a baby of being overdue
	When your pregnancy goes over 41 weeks, there is a very small risk of the baby being stillborn – this means your baby will not be alive when it’s born
	Research shows the risk of stillbirth increases slightly with each week past 40 weeks – but the risk is low overall
	1 baby in every 1000 babies may be stillborn at 40 weeks
	6 babies in every 1000 babies may be stillborn at 43 weeks
	We may recommend inducing labour to lower this risk
	Risk factors include being overweight your ethnic background your own medical history if it’s an IVF pregnancy and your age
	Plusses and minuses of having an induction
	Plusses (Pros) Inducing labour at 41 weeks gives you a good chance of having a vaginal delivery and reduces the chances of the baby needing intensive care
	Minuses (Cons) Birth options will be reduced – it is less likely you will be able to have a home birth, use a birthing pool or give birth in a midwife-led birth centre
	We may need to use medical equipment which could damage the area around your vagina (perineum)
	An induced birth maybe more painful
	You may need to stay longer in hospital
	Timing Almost all labours start within 42 weeks so delaying induction may make a natural labour possible
	Delay after 42 weeks makes a caesarean birth more likely
	Membrane sweep There is an informal induction method called membrane sweep used at 40 or 41 weeks – this makes it a bit more likely that labour will start on its own
	This does not affect your chances of needing a caesarean or assisted birth
	If you choose not to be induced If you prefer not to be induced, we will talk about this with you
	We will support you with closer monitoring, sometimes called expectant management – this may include extra hospital appointments and scans
	These scans can’t tell us the risks of stillbirth – they can only tell us how everything is at the time of the scan
	You may want to go ahead with your original birth plan – if so, we will support you here with a special plan made with a consultant doctor or consultant midwife
	You can change your mind any time
	This will include having a planned caesarean rather than an induction
	Maternal Foetal Assessment Unit (MFAU)
	We are an emergency service for women more than 14 weeks pregnant
	We are open all year round, 24 hours a day
	You will find us in the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (EGA) building on level 1
	You can call us on 020 34 47 94 00 (press option 2 when asked)
	If you can’t call, just come in