Where labour is started artificially, happens in around 20% of pregnancies
Indications:
Where patients go over the due date (between 41-42 weeks)
Also offered when beneficial to start labour early, such as:
- Prelabour rupture of membranes
- Fetal growth restriction
- Pre-eclampsia
- Obstetric cholestasis - increases risk of stillbirth
- Existing diabetes
- Intrauterine fetal death
Contraindications
- cephalopelvic disporportion
- major pracenta praevia
- Vasa praevia
- cord prolapse
- transverse lie
- acute genital herpes
- previous c-section