What are artificial ways of inducing labour?
Medical interventions can begin to speed up the process of labour, and you can also try natural methods to help labour progress. Some of the most common medical interventions include: • A membrane sweep in which the membranes that surround your baby are separated from your cervix. A midwife or doctor can carry out this procedure during an internal examination. It’s been shown to be effective in stimulating labour and is now offered routinely to women who are overdue before any other methods of induction. It can be uncomfortable if the neck of your womb is difficult to reach. You should be given a chance to ask questions or read information about the procedure before it’s carried out. • Inserting a pessary or gel containing prostaglandin into the vagina to ripen the cervix (neck of the womb). Prostaglandin is a hormone-like substance, which helps stimulate uterine contractions. Often this procedure will start labour; at other times it is followed by Syntocinon (see below). • Artificiall
