You’re “overdue”

Being overdue is not a reason in and of itself to be induced and there are many reasons for this. Firstly, according to the World Health Organisation, a pregnancy can last anywhere from 37-42 weeks. In the UK, a pregnancy is said to be 40 weeks but in France it is 41 and in Kenya it is 43 weeks! We are often told that the risk of stillbirth doubles if you go over 42 weeks which is true. But it doubles from 1 in every 1,000 to 2 in every 1,000 and for some pregnant women consider the risks around induction greater than this. It is a very personal choice but it is important we know all the facts.

You’re having a “big baby”

Growth scans are notoriously inaccurate so let’s look at this in more depth. They have an error rate of 15% which means if you are told your baby will be 4kg they could be between 3.4kg to 4.6kg. If you still think in old money, that’s anywhere between 7lb7 to 10lb2. That is a huge margin of error! One of the reasons for induction of so-called big babies is that they want to avoid shoulder dystocia. The risks of shoulder dystocia actually increase if you are induced so on two fronts this makes absolutely no sense!

You have Gestational Diabetes

A lot of NHS Trusts still want to induce women with gestational diabetes before their due dates, often at 38 or 39 weeks. If gestational diabetes is causing other problems in your pregnancy, or you are having difficulty managing your sugar levels, then this is fine. However, if your sugar levels are under control and you have no other complications, the NICE guidelines actually state that you do not need to be induced until 40+6.

For an excellent guide on questions to ask if induction is being discussed, visit Dr Sara Wickham’s site, and this article in particular.