Can i be induced at 38 weeks

Mission stories Spotlights Impact Stories. Medical reasons for inducing labor. E-mail to a friend Please fill in all fields. Please enter a valid e-mail address. Thank you! Your e-mail was sent. Save to my dashboard Sign in or Sign up to save this page.

Saving Just a moment, please. You've saved this page It's been added to your dashboard. In This Topic. What is inducing labor? What are medical reasons for inducing labor? Your provider may recommend inducing labor if: Your pregnancy lasts longer than 41 to 42 weeks. After 42 weeks, the placenta may not work as well as it did earlier in pregnancy. The placenta grows in your uterus womb and supplies your baby with food and oxygen through the umbilical cord.

Your placenta is separating from your uterus also called placental abruption or you have an infection in your uterus. Your water breaks before labor begins. This is called premature rupture of membranes also called PROM. You have health problems, like diabetes , high blood pressure or preeclampsia or problems with your heart, lungs or kidneys. Diabetes is when your body has too much sugar called glucose in your blood.

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.

This is uncomfortable but not painful. Again, this is usually done once the cervix is favourable, and oxytocin is used to keep labour consistent. Each induction method carries some specific potential risks, so you and your care provider have to weigh the risks and benefits against the risks and benefits of continuing the pregnancy without inducing labour.

Some uncommon but serious risks include uterine rupture and heavy bleeding after delivery. Labour normally starts naturally any time between 37 and 42 weeks of pregnancy. The cervix softens and starts to open, you will get contractions , and your waters break. In an induced labour, or induction, these labour processes are started artificially. It might involve mechanically opening your cervix, breaking your waters, or using medicine to start off your contractions — or a combination of these methods.

An induced labour can be more painful than a natural labour. In natural labour, the contractions build up slowly, but in induced labour they can start more quickly and be stronger. Because the labour can be more painful, you are more likely to want some type of pain relief. 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. Abbey McCauley, a year-old Melbourne woman, has had three medically-necessary inductions for her pregnancies. With her first child, she was suspected of having cholestasis of pregnancy, a condition associated with intense itching.

Pelvic instability and gestational diabetes were diagnosed for the second and third. Emma delivered her second child last year, as a vaginal birth after caesarean.

Compared with her first birth, she felt supported in the process by an experienced obstetrician, as well as a doula and student midwife. This article is more than 5 months old. A new study has found the number of women being induced for low-risk births has risen. Her son was born at 3. How harmful is bushfire smoke during pregnancy? Read more.