Medically What Can Happen When Overdue:

 At around 40 weeks the midwife will sometimes do a membrane sweep.

• Can be uncomfortable and there may be some bleeding or part of your show to follow – maybe even waters breaking.
• At the same time the midwife may book you for a medical induction at the hospital.  This is carried out around 42 weeks, depending on hospital policy and how busy the ward is at that date. 
• That process starts with insertion of a prostaglandin pessary or gel up next to the cervix. 
• You may be offered up to three doses if your hospital is using gel but only one for pessaries.
• Next level is often the breaking of the waters. 
• Syntocinon is the last of the options.  You will be hooked up to an IV drip of syntocinon.
• You will usually have to have continuous monitoring so that the midwives can check that the contractions are coming and that baby doesn’t become distressed.   

  Refusal Of Induction

• You have a right to refuse induction of labour. 
• Midwife will make you an appt to discuss with the consultant and then you are offered routine scans to monitor the health of the placenta – scans can be daily or every other day. 
• The stillbirth rate for going overdue does double – but only to 8 in 3000 from 4 in 3000.