Your midwife or doctor will explain why induction of labour is being offered to you and will discuss what options you have. Always remember in most cases there is room for discussion about when the best time for induction would be, or whether it would be safe to just wait a bit longer to see if your labour begins spontaneously.
Things to consider and discuss with your midwife or doctor
- Your personal and medical circumstances
- Your preferences for where to give birth
- Keeping mobile in labour and birth positions
- How induction may make labour more painful
- Your preferred options for pain relief
- How induction may increase interventions (vaginal examinations and instrumental or caesarean birth)
Your decision
The decision to have an induction or to wait is yours and will be respected. If you do not want to have an induction at this time, you will be invited to attend a clinic or the hospital for monitoring to check how you and your baby are.
Remember that you can think ‘BRAIN’ to ask questions at any point and discuss what the best option would be for you.
For more information on your rights as a patient: Informed Consent – Maternity Services (nhslothian.scot)
You can also get information from trusted sources that base their advice on research and evidence. You may find these websites helpful:
Inducing labour – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Overview | Inducing labour | Guidance | NICE
