Overdue pregnancy – inducing labour

When your pregnancy is overdue, we will keep an eye on you and your baby. Sometimes, is it necessary to induce labour. An induced labour is one that is started artificially to reduce the risk of complications.

Here we explain how labour might be encouraged by inducing labour and what this involves.

A normal full-term pregnancy lasts between 37 weeks and 42 weeks.

25% of all women with a normal pregnancy will not give birth by 41 weeks. If the pregnancy continues beyond 41 weeks without inducing labour, 5% of women with a normal pregnancy will not give birth by 42 weeks.

Research shows that when a pregnancy prolongs, the risk of serious pregnancy complications increases accordingly – for mother as well as baby. In Denmark, we therefore recommend inducing labour before 42 weeks and 0 days.

When your pregnancy is overdue, we will keep an eye on you and your baby. Sometimes, is it necessary to induce labour. An induced labour is one that is started artificially to reduce the risk of complications.
Here we explain how labour might be encouraged by inducing labour and what this involves.
A normal full-term pregnancy lasts between 37 weeks and 42 weeks.
25% of all women with a normal pregnancy will not give birth by 41 weeks. If the pregnancy continues beyond 41 weeks without inducing labour, 5% of women with a normal pregnancy will not give birth by 42 weeks.
Research shows that when a pregnancy prolongs, the risk of serious pregnancy complications increases accordingly – for mother as well as baby. In Denmark, we therefore recommend inducing labour before 42 weeks and 0 days.
Last midwife consultation (from 40 weeks, 0 days until 41 weeks, 0 days)
During this consultation, your midwife will inform you about overdue pregnancy and induction of labour. The midwife will also:
- measure your blood pressure
- examine your urine
- check your baby’s heartbeat
- measure the size of your baby and check its position.
You will also be offered a membrane sweep, also known as a cervical sweep, to bring on labour.
Check at the pregnancy and ultrasound day unit (41 weeks and 3 days)
When you are 10 days past your due date, we want to check you at the hospital. You must call to make an appointment.
On _________day the ____________, you are 41 weeks, 3 days / 41 weeks, 0 days pregnant.
Therefore on _______day the__________, you must call:
- The pregnancy and ultrasound day unit
  (Ambulatorium for Graviditet og Ultralyd).
  Tel: 97 66 30 01
  Between 9.00-10.00
- Delivery Suite Reception
  (Fødemodtagelse)
  Tel: 97 66 31 08 (press 1)
  No later than 19.00.
During this check, the midwife will:
- measure your blood pressure
- examine your urine
- perform a cardiotocograph (CTG) to monitor the fetal heart rate (the baby’s heart rate)
- measure the size of your baby and check its position
- perform an ultrasound scan to check the level of amniotic fluid.
The midwife will offer you a vaginal examination to check the length and the firmness of the cervix, so we can plan the best method by which to induce your labour.
Uncomplicated pregnancy
If you have an uncomplicated pregnancy, we recommend induced labour when you are 41 weeks and 5 days pregnant.
If your examinations are normal, the risk of complications for you and your baby is small. You can therefore wait for spontaneous labour until you are 41 weeks and 5 days pregnant.
If you decide to have your labour induced, we will schedule an appointment for you when you are 41 weeks and 5 days pregnant.
We usually offer an outpatient induction of labour. This means that you can return to your home after the induction of labour process has been started and return to the hospital, when you reach an active birth.
If we find anything abnormal during the examinations, you remain hospitalized until you have given birth.
Complicated pregnancy
We recommend induced labour after 41 weeks, if:
- your BMI is higher than 35
- you are 40 years old or above
- you have gestational diabetes (GDM)
- you have become pregnant with IVF treatment.
Induced labour is an offer with the purpose of reducing the risk of complications in the final stage of your pregnancy.
It is your choice whether to have your labour induced or not. If you do not want to have your labour induced, we will offer you increased monitoring to check your baby’s wellbeing.
We will offer you extra checks with cardiotocograph (CTG) and ultrasound scans to examine:
- whether your placenta works in the best possible way
- whether your baby is fine. It is always important that you sense the movements of your baby several times a day and contact the maternity unit (Fødegangen) if the movements cease or change significantly.

02. oktober 2024

Overdue pregnancy – inducing labour

Indledning

What happens when you pass your due date?

When do we recommend induced labour?

If you are not interested in induced labour