# Induction at 37 weeks if over 40 years old



## Lumboo

Someone said to me today that if you are over 40 you will be induced at 37 weeks.

If you do not want this you have to sign a disclaimer to say you are taking that risk.

Is this true, as it wasn't the case last year when I had my daughter.


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## BabyHopes1974

I've never heard this.


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## StranjeGirl

I've never heard that. It doesn't make any sense to me!


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## Luvspnk31

Are u in the UK or US? I'm in the US and have never heard of that. Did they give u any reason?


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## Lumboo

We are in the UK.

The only reference I could find to this was a BBC news article from 2013 stating that the SANDS charity said if women over 40 did not go over the 40 week period then the chances of birth complication would be reduced.

However there is a BIG jump between an article and someone being told it is the policy.

I can't help wondering if she got it slightly confused and it is still a recommendation rather than a standard procedure.

Seems a bit odd that I can find no other reference to it


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## Luvspnk31

Hmmm.. That is Interesting. Hopefully it's not absolute policy. I find some Drs tend to make up their own policy, even if it doesn't coincide with the norm. I would def ask lots more questions to find out what their thinking.


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## J22

I've never heard of that - hopefully it's not the case x


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## pinksmarties

I think that is very unlikely 37 weeks is still very early term. I was told they 'prefer' not to go over 41 weeks as risks increase ever so slightly when you are a bit older. I was age 38 with my first and will be age 40.5 with this one and they would support me if I wanted to go to 42 weeks although still prefer 41. I started a similar thread back in 2012 and lots of ladies had never heard of it so it may be regional.


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## NandO1

I'll be 40.5 when baby is born and never heard of this either.No-one seems bothered by my age at all.


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## teaandchoc

I'm 42 and currently 37.5 weeks pregnant, I saw my midwife wed when she dropped off home birthing kit. We discussed going overdue and she said they now like to let you go to 42 weeks, but that if I wanted to be induced at 41 we could review then. So no, definitely not in my experience.


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## momof5wants1

Lumboo said:


> Someone said to me today that if you are over 40 you will be induced at 37 weeks.
> 
> If you do not want this you have to sign a disclaimer to say you are taking that risk.
> 
> Is this true, as it wasn't the case last year when I had my daughter.

I was 38 with one and 42 with another and they don't induce you at all before 39 weeks unless there is a reason to. There's been a study that claimed there was a link between induction before 39 weeks and autism, but even my doctor said it sounded like bunk to him. I tried to get induced with my last one but they refused, even though I couldn't even walk most of the time.


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## Pussy Galore

I have been advised by my midwife that NHS policy in my area is to offer an induction for women of 40+ at 40 weeks since they prefer woman of advanced maternal age not to go too far past their due date.

I have no issue with this.. I was induced with my first, but at the end of the day the decision should always be yours...

I agree that it is unlikely they would offer to induce at 37 weeks unless there was a medical reason for doing so?


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## charlie15

In my last pregnancy at booking appointment I was told that they would not let me go over my due date. The reason being that over the age of 40 the placenta doesn't seem to last as long, so can start failing quite quickly at 40 weeks. I know there have been a couple of high profile late losses in the media to women over 40. I would not want to be induced at 37 weeks, but I would be very happy not to go beyond 40 weeks with what I know.


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