Is inducing labour good for you and your baby when you pass the due date?

You might be frustrated after passing your due date without any sign of labour. If a pregnant woman is a few days overdue but there’s no sign of any problems, there’s little risk for the unborn child. But if the baby is more than one week late, inducing labor will lower the risk of complications.

Advantages and disadvantages of inducing labor

The disadvantages of being overdue usually affect the baby rather than the mother. The main risk is that the placenta might stop providing the baby with everything he or she needs. The risk of infections in the womb and unexpected complications during childbirth increases too. Although being overdue is generally associated with fewer risks for the pregnant woman, childbirth can be more difficult if the child is too big.

But if a woman doesn’t go into labor – naturally or induced – long after the due date, she or her baby might suddenly develop such serious health problems that an emergency Cesarean section might be necessary.It is difficult to say at what point a woman has been pregnant for too long. In most cases, medical examinations don’t detect any problems even days after the estimated due date.

To lower the risk of complications, though, it is common to induce labor after a certain amount of time has passed, even if the mother and baby are still doing well.It makes sense to induce labor at the point when the benefits to the mother and baby outweigh the potential risks associated with inducing labor.Inducing labor after 41 completed weeks has more advantages than disadvantages

Most hospitals in Zimbabwe offer induction when they realise that there are risks associated with waiting for labour to start naturally. You can also approach your private gynaecologist for this relief if you feel you want to have induced labour.