We use cookies to allow us and selected partners to improve your experience and our advertising. By continuing to browse you consent to our use of cookies. You can understand more and change your cookies preferences here.
Sometimes, extra help may be recommended by your midwife or doctor so you can give birth safely. You might hear this help referred to as ‘interventions’.
Below we describe the different types of interventions in labour and why they might be needed, so you can feel prepared for different scenarios.
Baby & child product reviews - from child car seats and pushchairs to nappies and baby monitors, we review all the essential baby products so you can feel confident in what you buy.
An induction is when your labour is started artificially through the use of a pessary, gel, hormone drip or breaking of your waters. This is sometimes done once you've been admitted to hospital so that health professionals can monitor you and your baby, but in other cases you might be able to go home while you wait for it to work.
An induction can take hours or days, depending on the methods used and how your body responds to them.
Potential induction complications include a higher chance of needing an emergency C-section and more painful labour contractions.
Labour can be induced for many reasons, but the most common are:
There are several different ways to start labour and it's not unusual to start with one method of induction and move on to another if the first doesn’t work.
Use our guide to help you spot and understand the different signs and stages of labour.
Yes. It's your choice whether to have an induction or not, and your wishes have to be respected. Before making a decision you should always have the opportunity to discuss why an induction is being recommended and what's best for you and your baby with your doctor and midwife.
If you decide to not be induced, alternatives include:
If you’re overdue and don't want to be induced, you should be offered increased monitoring as an alternative.
The charity AIMS has a useful list of induction facts to consider when deciding whether or not to have an induction. It's also worth adding your preferences when it comes to interventions in your birth plan.
When instruments like forceps or ventouse are used during the second stage of a vaginal birth, it’s known as an assisted delivery. This is very common and can be recommended for a variety of reasons.
Below, we've listed some of the reasons why you may need an assisted delivery:
Birth is unpredictable and complications can occur in any situation. However, there are some things you can do to reduce the likelihood of an assisted birth, including being in an upright position or lying sideways when giving birth and avoiding an epidural for pain relief.
Like all birth intervention, an assisted birth comes with some potential complications for both you and your baby.
However, it can be worth bearing in mind that sometimes the only safe alternative to forceps or ventouse is an emergency C-section, which comes with risks of its own. In other cases, the baby is already so far down the birth canal that it would be very difficult to even have a C-section, therefore an assisted delivery is the safest option.
See our guide for more information on emergency C-sections.
Both forceps and the ventouse cap can be used but the decision will depend on the circumstances of your birth and the clinical judgement of the midwives or doctors involved.
Generally speaking, a forceps birth is more likely to be successful in allowing the baby to be born without need for a C-section, but a ventouse is gentler and less likely to lead to a severe tear for the woman in labour.
If you’re giving birth at home or in a birth centre, you’ll be recommended to transfer to the nearest labour ward if your midwife is concerned for you or your baby’s health, or if you request stronger pain relief which can only be given in the hospital.
Some common reasons why you may be transferred from home to hospital include:
However, it might be comforting to know that most transfers are precautions rather than emergencies.
Use our choosing where to give birth tool if you’re still weighing up your options. The tool lets you put in your personal circumstances and preferences to see whether giving birth at home, in a birth centre or in the labour ward might be best for you.
If you or your baby need more help after a home birth or freestanding birth centre, you’ll travel together to the hospital by ambulance. If you need to be admitted to the postnatal ward for overnight care, your baby will stay with you unless they need to go into neonatal care.
In this video, a consultant midwife explains what being transferred means in practice.
Still thinking about where to give birth? Find out about your maternity options and the questions to ask in our guides to birthing options.