Labor and Delivery
5301 McAuley Drive,Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Labor Induction
Most women go into labor on their
own. When this does not happen or
when there is a medical need, other
methods may be used to induce
(bring on) labor. Labor induction
causes a pregnant woman's uterus
to contract. It also causes the cervix
to soften (ripen), open (dilate), and
thin out (efface). Typically, labor is
not induced before 41 weeks of the
pregnancy unless there is a medical
reason. There are several choices
for inducing labor. Your doctor or
midwife will help you choose what
is best for you and your baby.
Induction of labor may take more
than one day, especially if this is
your first baby. Your doctor or midwife
may start with a process called
cervical ripening, since an induction
may take several days. Cervical
ripening helps the cervix become
soft and thin. A medication taken by
mouth or placed in the vagina to
help the cervix ripen requires you to
stay in the hospital. Another method
is placement of a small water-filled
balloon, which passes through the
vagina into the cervix. The balloon
stays in the cervix for 12-24 hours.
Some women may be able to go
home with the balloon in place and
return in the morning for the next step
of the induction. For your comfort,
and to help your labor, you will be
encouraged to remain active.
Before Your Induction
If you have not pre-registered for your delivery already,
please call 734-712-7000 or toll free 877-791-2051 as soon
as possible. TWO HOURS before your induction time, call
the Labor and Delivery charge nurse at 734-712-9828. Your
scheduled induction time is not a promise for admission
to Labor and Delivery. Inductions depend on how many
patients are already in labor. The charge nurse will guide
you if there is a delay in your induction. If the charge nurse
tells you to come to the hospital or if she asks you to wait
at home, it is important to eat a light meal and drink fluids.
After your induction begins, you are limited to clear liquids
such as popsicles, apple juice, clear sodas, and chicken
broth. As you enter the hospital area, follow the signs to the
Treatment Centers Area and park in visitor lot Q near the
Family Birth Center entrance.
During Your Stay
When you come to Labor and Delivery, your doctor or
midwife will ask you to sign a form, which states you
agree to begin the induction. You will get fluid through
your veins (IV). Sometimes the fluid going into your veins
has another type of induction medication called Pitocin.
The OB team of doctors, midwives, and nurses are in Labor
and Delivery 24 hours a day and carefully watch over you
and your baby. Occasionally delivery does not happen
even though labor is induced, and it might be in your best
interest to try again another day.
If you need more information, please refer to pages
37-38 in the “Pathways to Motherhood Parent Guide”
or call your doctor's office.
Your induction has been scheduled for: _________________________________________.
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