When you've waited nine months to meet your baby, going overdue can be frustrating. But don't get too hung up on the due date itself - only 5% of babies arrive on time, and one in five women has her labour induced because she's overdue.Why induction

GP DR ROB SAYS:Castor oil is a powerful laxative and is reported to have been used by midwives for many years to induce labour. It's not clear how exactly it may achieve this, but some suggest that when stimulating the gut it also stimulates

A straightforward natural labour with the least intervention is top of every mum-to-be's wish-list, but in some situations induction is necessary or advisable.Why might you be induced?The most common reasons for induction of labour are as follows

. The stimulation of acupuncture points helps release it and rebalance the body.'InductionOne in every five women has to be induced because they reach 41 weeks with no signs that their baby is about to make an appearance. It may be worth booking a course

, as you could go into labour very shortly. Hospitals have different policies, however, if everything is okay, you may be allowed home to go into labour naturally. Always seek medical help if your waters break early - before 37 weeks.‘I need to be induced

arrive on their actual due date, but 80% make it within two weeks. The average baby measures around 50cm long at birth and weighs about 3.5kg (7lb 7oz).What if I need to be induced?You Signs of labour may include your waters breaking, regular contractions

Pregnant Lily Allen seems like she's trying to naturally induce her labour, with some telling tweets. Lily, who is pregnant with her and husband Sam Cooper’s second baby, tweeted over Christmas that she didn’t intend to spend much of this year

The early phase of labour, when the cervix is less than 3cm dilated, can be very slow. But dilation isn't everything.'The cervix both opens and becomes paper-thin. You may have gone from having a relly thick cervix to a really thin one, so even if you're not dilating, you will ha...

but you don't have any complications or problems, you'll normally be offered the option of waiting for 48 hours or inducing labour.'We'd want labour to start within 48 hours to reduce any risk of infection, because once your waters break there's no barrier

Dental check-ups are free with an NHS dentist when you're pregnant.Research shows that mums-to-be suffering chronic gum disease may be seven times more likely to have a baby that's born too early. The likely culprit is a labour-inducing chenical