Can you be induced at 38 weeks

Even when the cervix shows signs of being ready, there are reasons to allow labor to happen on its own. Natural labor is usually easier and shorter than induced labor. And you can usually spend the early part of your labor at home, moving around and staying as comfortable as you can.

By contrast, an induced labor takes place in the hospital. You will most likely be hooked up to medical equipment, including at least one intravenous IV line and an electronic fetal monitor. You will be given medicines to start your labor. You may not be able to eat or drink. You may also need labor induced if you are a week or more past your due date.

This report is for you to use when talking with your healthcare provider. It is not a substitute for medical advice and treatment. Use of this report is at your own risk. 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.

This can damage organs in your body, including blood vessels, nerves, eyes and kidneys. High blood pressure is when the force of blood against the walls of the blood vessels is too high and stresses your heart. Preeclampsia is a serious blood pressure condition that can happen after the 20th week of pregnancy or after giving birth called postpartum preeclampsia.

Your baby has a stopped growing. Or your baby has oligohydramnios. What are the risks of scheduling labor induction for non-medical reasons? If your provider recommends inducing labor, ask these questions: Why do we need to induce my labor? Is there a problem with my health or the health of my baby that may make inducing labor necessary before 39 weeks? Can I wait to have my baby closer to 39 weeks? How will you induce my labor? What can I expect when you induce labor?

Will inducing labor increase the chance that I'll need to have a c-section? What are my options for pain medicine? Last reviewed: September, See also: 39 weeks infographic. Prepare for a healthy pregnancy and baby this year. Help save lives every month Give monthly and join the fight for the health of moms and babies. Donate your birthday Create a Facebook fundraiser to let friends and family know you're donating your birthday so more babies can have theirs.

The study also found far higher rates of medical intervention for new mothers who were induced, which is listed as a risk of induction by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Over the year timespan of the data, the rates of induction doubled for first-time mothers at 38 and 40 weeks of gestation. Lead author Professor Hannah Dahlen of Western Sydney University says the most troubling finding was that the rate of inductions among first-time mothers at 37 weeks had tripled.

Infants from induced births in the study were also more likely to be later admitted to hospitals for respiratory and ear, nose and throat infections.

Research has found black and south Asian women, for example, have a shorter average pregnancy length before spontaneous labour than white European women, delivering on average at 39 weeks compared to But, he says, evidence also shows healthy women with low-risk pregnancies can safely deliver babies without unnecessary medical intervention. Australian researchers led a review of studies on low-risk births and found no statistically significant difference in infant mortality rates whether the baby was born at hospital, at home, or in a birth centre.

Dr Alex Polyakov, an obstetrician and senior clinical lecturer at the University of Melbourne, takes issue with the methods used in the NSW study. He points to a well-regarded study, known as the ARRIVE study , in which 3, women were randomly assigned to be induced, and another 3, had spontaneous births. ARRIVE was a randomised controlled trial — considered the most reliable form of scientific evidence because it can demonstrate that the treatment results in an effect on human health.

Observational studies — like the NSW one — can show that a particular intervention and outcome are linked, but not definitively that one causes the other. For many clinicians, the ARRIVE study is evidence that women can be induced at 39 weeks without significant adverse effects. One outcome the NSW study was unable to look at was stillbirths, which occur in Australia at a rate of 7 in every 1, births.