NHS Suffolk and North East Essex - Labour and Birth Booklet

27 Assisted birth Assistance with labour and birth may be recommended either prior to your due date, for medical reasons, when you go beyond your due date and/or during labour. For more information visit: • Tommy’s www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/labour-birth/assisted-birth • Which Choices www.which.co.uk/birth-choice/safety-and-interventions/inductions-and- interventions-in-labour When pregnancy goes beyond your due date If you have had a healthy pregnancy without complication and haven’t gone into labour by 41 weeks you will have a routine appointment with your midwife to discuss the next steps. You will be offered a membrane sweep at this appointment, which is an internal examination of the cervix. During this examination your midwife will insert the tip of her finger into your cervix and sweep around the bag of membranes that cover your baby’s head. This has been shown to release hormones that may encourage labour to start within 24 hours. Sometimes the cervix isn’t yet open, and a sweep isn’t possible. You may be invited to return for several sweeps. At this appointment your midwife will also offer you a date to have your labour induced. This is normally recommended by 41 weeks and three, four or five days (depending on your maternity units guidelines and availability). Some maternity units are able to offer complementary therapy to encourage labour to start naturally. Ask your midwife about this. For more information visit: • Tommy’s www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/over-40-weeks-pregnant- overdue