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Day 268 of 280 · 38 weeks + 2 days

Induction, explained

Last reviewed · 3 min read · 8 sources · Plain-text version

Thirty-eight weeks and two days. About 1 in 5 labours are induced. Today you ask your provider when they'd offer it, and how they would start.

Size this week
about the length of a stick of rhubarb
Length this week
around 49.8 cm from head to heel
An older Black woman obstetrician in a white coat talking with a pregnant woman in a loose green top who holds a small notebook, both seated, a bright consulting room with plants.

Thirty-eight weeks and two days. Most labours start on their own. Some get a nudge. Today you find out what that nudge would look like for you, before anyone needs to decide.

Your baby

A single stick of pink rhubarb on a plain pale wooden table, soft window light.

Around now your baby is around 49.8cm long from head to heel, about the length of a stick of rhubarb (NHS). Since last week, the NHS has called your baby full term (NHS). If it comes late, MedlinePlus explains what changes: past the due date the placenta may not work as well, the amniotic fluid may decrease and press on the cord, and an overly large baby can make a vaginal delivery harder (MedlinePlus). Those are the reasons induction exists.

Your body

If your pregnancy goes beyond 41 weeks, induction may be discussed; about 1 in 5 labours are induced (NHS). MedlinePlus says that between 41 and 42 weeks your provider will likely want to induce labour, and for women older than 40, induction may be recommended as early as 39 weeks (MedlinePlus). A medical reason can bring it forward too: if preeclampsia is mild at 37 to 40 weeks, labour will probably be induced (OWH).

The methods are IV oxytocin, vaginal suppositories that ripen the cervix, breaking the waters, a catheter in the cervix, or a combination (MedlinePlus).

Try today

  1. The induction conversation

    Time: 10 minutes at your next checkup

    1. Ask: "If nothing happens on its own, when would you offer induction?" The NHS says it may be discussed beyond 41 weeks (NHS); your provider may have reasons to suggest a different date for you.

    2. Ask: "Which method would you usually start with, and why?" Write the answer next to the list of methods (MedlinePlus).

    3. Ask: "Where would it happen, and would I go home at any point?"

    4. Ask: "What checks would you do while we wait past the due date?" MedlinePlus says a non-stress test and a biophysical profile are typical at 41 weeks (MedlinePlus).

    Make it work:

    These are questions, not a decision. Write the answers down, then put them away.

Watch for

  • Normal

    blood pressure and urine checks at your visits; the urine is tested for protein, a check for preeclampsia (NHS).

    Call your provider

    if you have symptoms of preeclampsia, during pregnancy or after delivery (MedlinePlus), such as a headache that won't go away or changes in your vision (CDC).

  • Normal

    aches low in the bump as the baby settles.

    Call your provider

    right away for pain below the ribs, or stomach pain that persists (NHS).

  • Normal

    a home blood pressure reading below 140/90; high blood pressure in pregnancy is 140/90 or higher on two readings at least 4 hours apart (CDC).

    Call your provider

    right away for a reading of 160/110 or higher, which is severe and needs prompt medical attention (CDC).

For you

Induction can feel like a plan going wrong. It's a plan changing, which is different. Many women past 40 weeks aren't truly overdue at all: the due date was miscalculated, because of an unclear last period, varying cycle lengths, or no early ultrasound (MedlinePlus). The date was always an estimate.

If you're the partner: go to this appointment if you can. Two people remember an answer better than one, and induction days can be long.

Sources

This guide is general education that summarizes published research and guidance from groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the WHO. It isn’t medical advice, and every child develops on their own timeline. Your pediatrician knows your child; if something feels wrong, call them. In an emergency, call 911.

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