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If you have any concerns with your own health or your baby's movements please call:

Maternity Triage: 01384 456111 Ext 3053

This is a 24/7 service

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Any concerns with your own health or your baby please contact 01384 456111 Ext 3053

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Watch a video on what is ideal to pack for you and your baby's arrival. We encourage mobilisation during the IOL process but please bring things that would keep you occupied such as magazines,  headphones, tablets and a home comfort to get the oxytocin flowing like a pillow.

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Your feedback is important to us and we are always looking at ways to improve our service. Please clink on the link below and fill out the family and friends test.

Maternity Wards - Surveys (dgft.nhs.uk)

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Google Map Pin point to attend Maternity entrance and shows closest car park

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Attending for your Induction of Labour  

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Attending for your Induction of Labour  

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On the day of your booked induction of labour, women are asked to ring delivery suite at 10am on 01384 456111 ext 3430. This time allows delivery suite handover to have taken place where beds and times of admission can be allocated to yourself. Each day we commence 1-6 induction of labours all for different reasons and risk factors so you could be asked to come in anytime after 10am until the end of that day. Please note that sometimes inductions can be delayed until the following day due to capacity on the ward. You would be invited in for monitoring if this happens.

Please bring in all prescribed medications in from home. Some medication you may be on would have to be ordered from pharmacy and could cause delay in you continuing your medication.

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A timeline will be on display in all Induction of labour bays that represents a visual journey when being induced.

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Information about your Induction of Labour 

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Information about your Induction of Labour 

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Please follow the link below to visit the hospital website. At the bottom of the screen will be link to useful leaflets.
Please click on Induction of  Labour leaflet for more information.

Maternity - The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust (dgft.nhs.uk)

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If you meet the criteria in the attached document, don't forget to ask your midwife about outpatient induction of labour.

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At Dudley Group we encourage you to hand express and collect colostrum after you reach 36 weeks pregnant. This enables you to have some colostrum stored ready if your baby needs it, and you will have learnt a really useful skill for your breastfeeding journey. Hand expression also encourages the release of oxytocin which is the hormone that supports labour and contractions which can be helpful in supporting your IOL. This link shows you how to hand express.
Hand expression video - Baby Friendly Initiative (unicef.org.uk)
Ask your midwife, the Infant Feeding team or any member of the maternity staff for a hand expression kit.

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An induced labour is one that's started artificially.

It's common for labour to be induced if your baby is overdue or there's any risk to you or your baby's health.

This risk could be if you have a health condition such as high blood pressure, for example, or your baby is not growing.

Induction will usually be planned in advance. You'll be able to discuss the advantages and disadvantages with your doctor and midwife, and find out why they think your labour should be induced.

It's your choice whether to have your labour induced or not.

If your pregnancy lasts longer than 42 weeks and you decide not to have your labour induced, you should be offered increased monitoring to check your baby's wellbeing.

Why you might be induced

if you're overdue

if your waters have broken

if you or your baby have a health problem

If you're overdue

Induction will be offered if you do not go into labour naturally by 41 weeks, as there will be a higher risk of stillbirth or problems for the baby.

If your waters break early

If your waters break more than 24 hours before labour starts, there's an increased risk of infection to you and your baby.

If your waters break after 34 weeks, you'll have the choice of induction or expectant management.

Expectant management is when your healthcare professionals monitor your condition and your baby's wellbeing, and your pregnancy can progress naturally as long as it's safe for both of you.

Your midwife or doctor should discuss your options with you before you make a decision.

They should also let you know about the newborn (neonatal) special care hospital facilities in your area.

If your baby is born earlier than 37 weeks, they may be vulnerable to problems related to being premature.

If your waters break before 34 weeks, you'll only be offered induction if there are other factors that suggest it's the best thing for you and your baby.

If you have a health condition or your baby is not thriving

You may be offered an induction if you have a condition that means it'll be safer to have your baby sooner, such as diabetes, high blood pressure or intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.

If this is the case, your doctor and midwife will explain your options to you so you can decide whether or not to have your labour induced.

Membrane sweep

Before inducing labour, you'll be offered a membrane sweep, also known as a cervical sweep, to bring on labour.

A membrane sweep would usually be offered to you after 39 weeks.

To carry out a membrane sweep, your midwife or doctor sweeps their finger around your cervix during an internal examination.

This action should separate the membranes of the amniotic sac surrounding your baby from your cervix. This separation releases hormones (prostaglandins), which may start your labour.

Some women find the procedure uncomfortable or painful. You may get some cramping and vaginal bleeding afterwards.

If labour does not start after a membrane sweep you may be offered an additional sweep or induction of labour.

Induction is always carried out in a hospital maternity unit. You'll be looked after by midwives and doctors will be available if you need their help.

How labour is induced

If you're being induced, you'll go into the hospital maternity unit.

There are 2 main ways labour can be induced:

Hormones can be put inside your vagina using a vaginal tablet (pessary) or a gel, or given as tablets that you swallow.

Devices such as balloon catheter (a small balloon, full of water) or an osmotic dilator (a type of sponge) can be used to widen your cervix.

You'll usually be offered hormones first to see if they work, unless there's a medical reason you cannot take hormones.

It usually takes many hours for these treatments to start working. You will usually stay in the hospital maternity unit, though you may be able to go home in some cases.

Sometimes a hormone drip is needed to speed up the labour. You may also need to have your waters broken artificially.

What induced labour feels like

If you need to be induced it may affect where you can give birth. You may need to stay in hospital for longer and have more examinations.

Induced labour is usually more painful than labour that starts on its own.

Your pain relief options during labour are not restricted by being induced.

You should have access to all the pain relief options usually available, such as an epidural or water birth.

If you are induced you'll be more likely to have an assisted delivery, where forceps or ventouse suction are used to help the baby out.

If induction of labour does not work

Induction is not always successful, and labour may not start.

Your obstetrician and midwife will assess your condition and your baby's wellbeing. You may be offered another method of induction or a caesarean section, or you may be able to wait a few hours and then be assessed again.

Your midwife and doctor will discuss all your options with you.

Natural ways to start labour

There are no proven ways of starting your labour yourself at home.

You may have heard that certain things can trigger labour, such hot baths, certain food or drinks, having sex or herbal supplements. But there's no evidence that these work. Also there's no information about the safety of herbal supplements and they could be harmful to you or your baby.

Having sex will not cause harm, but you should avoid having sex if your waters have broken as there's an increased risk of infection.

For more information on induction, you can read the NICE information for the public on induction of labour.

Community content from HealthUnlocked

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Find out about induction of labour, where the midwife or doctor starts labour artificially using a membrane sweep, pessary or hormone drip.

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Every hospital follows the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence to ensure that women have standardised care throughout the UK. Guidelines also get formed around the doctors that work in the hospital where you are having your baby. This links to the national guidance to allow you to understand the evidence behind the risks and benefits to induction of labour and reasons why an induction of labour may have been offered to you in your pregnancy.

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Overview | Inducing labour | Guidance | NICE

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This guideline covers the circumstances for inducing labour, methods of induction, assessment, monitoring, pain relief and managing complications. It aims to improve advice and care for pregnant women who are thinking about or having induction of labour

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 Your baby's movements tell you your baby's well. 

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 Your baby's movements tell you your baby's well. 

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It is not true that baby's should move less at the end of pregnancy. It is important that you monitor your baby's movement throughout your pregnancy and during the induction process. Please always call your local maternity unit if you're concerned with your baby's movements or inform your  midwife who is looking after you in hospital.

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As soon as you're admitted for the Induction process your birthing partner can stay with your 24/7. Please be aware this is in a double bedded bay, and we will try our very best to provide a pull out chair bed but this may not always be possible to provide. Your birthing partner will be asked to sign a disclaimer prior to them staying on the ward with you. Your second birthing partner can attend when you are moved into your own private room this may be before or after your waters are broke.  During your induction children and 2 other visitors are able to attend the ward between 3 and 5pm. Once you have your baby your own children can visit between 12-8pm. Please see full visiting details below.

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Conditions for Birthing Partners Staying Overnight

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Conditions for Birthing Partners Staying Overnight

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Please see our postnatal information padlet for advice and support for after your baby is born.

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You will soon be able to go home and we will provide you with some useful information to support you and your new baby.

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Labour Pains - Information on pain relief choices during labour

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Information for expectant parents and healthcare professionals on pain relief choices during labour

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Inducing labour

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Inducing Labour :: Black Country 0-18 years website

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An induced labour is one that’s started artificially. Every year, 1 in 5 labours are induced in the UK. Sometimes labour can be induced if your baby is overdue or there’s any risk to you or your baby’s health. This risk could be if you have a health condition such as high blood pressure, for example, or your baby is not growing.