Most people assume being induced makes a C-section more likely. For healthy first-time mothers, the best research we have shows the opposite: a planned induction at 39 weeks lowers the chance of a C-section.
That’s why Dr. David Seil Kim recommends induction at 39 weeks for most healthy pregnancies at Yunella Women’s Health in Los Angeles. It’s also why our inductions start differently. We begin in our office the afternoon before, so you spend the slowest hours at home instead of in a hospital room.
It’s a recommendation, not a requirement. The decision is always yours.
What Is Labor Induction?
Labor induction means starting labor with medication or other methods instead of waiting for it to begin on its own. The goal is still a vaginal delivery.
Some inductions are medically necessary. Others are planned in a healthy pregnancy because delivering at 39 weeks, when a baby is full term, has advantages over waiting. You’ll often see this second kind called an elective induction.
An elective induction can’t happen before 39 weeks. That isn’t only Dr. Kim’s preference. National guidelines and hospital quality standards don’t allow a planned delivery earlier than 39 weeks unless there’s a medical reason.
Does Induction Lower Your Chance of a C-Section?
For the group that’s been studied most carefully, yes.
The ARRIVE trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2018, followed about 6,100 healthy first-time mothers. Half were induced at 39 weeks. Half waited for labor to start.
- C-sections: about 19 in 100 women who were induced had one, compared with about 22 in 100 who waited.
- Blood pressure problems: about 9 in 100 women who were induced developed them, compared with about 14 in 100 who waited.
- Babies: did equally well in both groups.
Put another way, women who were induced were about 16% less likely to have a C-section than women who waited.
Two limits are worth knowing. First, the difference is real but modest. Induction improves your odds of a vaginal delivery, but it doesn’t guarantee one. Second, the study included only healthy women having their first baby. If you’ve delivered before or have a medical condition, those exact numbers may not fit you.
Why Does Dr. Kim Recommend Induction at 39 Weeks?
He has four reasons.
A better chance of a vaginal delivery. This is what the ARRIVE trial showed. A vaginal delivery also avoids the longer recovery and surgical risks of a C-section.
Your baby keeps growing. Babies gain weight in the final weeks. We routinely do a growth ultrasound at 35 to 36 weeks to estimate your baby’s weight and see how it compares with other babies at the same stage (the percentile). If your baby is measuring large, delivering at 39 weeks may be more helpful than waiting until 40.
Some risks increase the longer a pregnancy continues. High blood pressure is one example.
You can plan your birth. A scheduled induction means you know the date. You can arrange time off work, childcare, and family support ahead of time instead of waiting and guessing.
The recommendation also rests on experience. Dr. Kim has delivered more than 7,000 babies and spent 15 years teaching OB/GYN residents at Cedars-Sinai.
Is 39 Weeks Right for Everyone?
Not always. Think of 39 weeks as the starting point. The plan changes when your pregnancy calls for something different, and Dr. Kim looks at:
- Whether your cervix has started to soften and open
- Your baby’s size and position
- Your health and any complications in this pregnancy
- Your previous deliveries
- What you want
At Yunella Women’s Health Dr. Kim does an ultrasound himself at every prenatal visit. That gives him a current picture of your baby’s growth and position when the two of you talk about timing.
If you’d rather wait for labor to start on its own, that’s your choice. Dr. Kim will explain what waiting involves.
When Is Induction Medically Necessary?
Sometimes delivering is safer than continuing the pregnancy. Common reasons include:
- Pregnancy reaching or passing 41 weeks
- High blood pressure or preeclampsia, a pregnancy condition involving high blood pressure
- Gestational diabetes, or diabetes you had before pregnancy
- Low amniotic fluid
- Concerns about your baby’s growth or well-being
- Your water breaking without labor starting
How Does Labor Induction Work?
An induction has two steps. First the cervix has to be ready. If it’s firm and closed, it needs to be softened and opened, which is called cervical ripening. Then contractions are started with medication.
At many practices, both steps happen in the hospital. At Yunella, the first step happens in our office and at your home, and only the second happens in the hospital.
Step 1 happens in our office and at home. Around 4 PM the day before your induction, Dr. Kim places a Foley balloon to prepare your cervix. Then you go home. You eat dinner, rest, and sleep in your own bed while the balloon does its work.
Step 2 happens at the hospital. Around 2 AM you arrive at Cedars-Sinai. This is the induction itself. The hospital labor team and Dr. Kim start your contractions with a medication called Pitocin, and sometimes add another medication or break your water to help labor along. From here on you’re in a labor room with an IV and monitoring.
The Foley Balloon: The Step We Do in Our Office
The Foley balloon is one of the things that makes an induction at Yunella different. It’s a thin tube with an inflatable balloon on the end. Dr. Kim inserts it into the cervix and fills the balloon with 30 mL of saline solution (about two tablespoons of salt water) to gently begin opening the cervix. That opening is called dilation.
Dr. Kim places the balloon in our office at 4 PM the day before your induction. The goal is to dilate your cervix to about 3 centimeters so labor can begin.
The balloon may cause some discomfort and cramping, but it shouldn’t be too uncomfortable. Afterward you can go back to your normal routine. Dr. Kim asks only that you avoid intercourse and exercise while it’s in. If the balloon falls out on its own, that usually means it has done its job.
At many practices, the balloon is placed after you’ve been admitted, and you wait in a hospital bed while it works. We do it the day before, for four reasons.
Less time in the hospital. In a randomized trial of first-time mothers having a planned induction, women whose balloon was placed the day before spent about 4 fewer hours in the hospital before delivery (about 17 hours, compared with about 22).
It’s especially helpful in a first pregnancy. First labors take the longest, and the balloon helps your body progress into labor.
Your induction spot at the hospital is secured ahead of time.
You can plan your birth. Because everything is scheduled, you know the day and can time things around it.
What Happens at the Hospital?
This is the induction itself. By the time you arrive, the slow first step is behind you.
Around 2 AM: you arrive. Dr. Kim delivers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center.
Contractions are started. If the balloon is still in place, the hospital team may give you misoprostol, a tablet that keeps softening the cervix. Then you get Pitocin through an IV. Pitocin is a synthetic form of oxytocin, the hormone that causes contractions.
Pain relief is available right away. You can have an epidural as soon as Pitocin is started.
Labor progresses. Once your cervix is open enough and your baby is in a safe position, Dr. Kim may break your water to help things along. Each step depends on how your body responds, so no two inductions follow exactly the same plan.
Delivery. Dr. Kim attends his own patients’ deliveries. The doctor who has followed your entire pregnancy, and who placed your balloon the day before, is the one who delivers your baby. Babies don’t always arrive according to schedule. Dr. Kim plans his time away carefully around his patients’ due dates, and in nearly every case, he is the physician there to deliver your baby. On the rare occasion that he cannot be present, such as an unexpectedly early delivery or two patients laboring at the same time, you will never be left with an unfamiliar physician without a plan. Dr. Kim arranges coverage in advance with a trusted physician, personally communicates your medical history and care plan, and remains available as needed.
How Long Does an Induction Take?
It depends mostly on two things: whether you’ve delivered before, and how ready your cervix is. If you’ve had a vaginal delivery and your cervix is already partly open, labor can move quickly. If this is your first baby and your cervix is still closed, expect 24 hours or longer.
The early hours are spent preparing the cervix, so several hours can pass without much visible change. A slow start doesn’t mean the induction has failed.
Can I Still Need a C-Section If I’m Induced?
Yes. Induction improves your chances of a vaginal delivery, but nothing in childbirth is guaranteed. If labor stalls despite strong contractions, or your baby’s condition or your own becomes a concern, a C-section may be the safest choice.
Induction also isn’t for everyone. Some women would rather wait for labor to begin on its own. Above everything else, your decision matters most, and we will honor it.
Whatever you choose, Dr. Kim will always do what’s best for you and your baby. This process exists for one reason: to give you the best possible chance at a safe vaginal delivery.
Is Induced Labor More Painful?
It can feel different. Some women find that contractions with Pitocin build faster than contractions that start on their own. Others notice little difference.
The same pain-relief options are available either way: movement and position changes, breathing techniques, IV pain medication, and an epidural. With an induction you don’t have to wait for labor to get intense first. You can have an epidural as soon as Pitocin is started, which makes the whole process easier.
What About Induction After Age 35 or 40?
Being over 35 doesn’t by itself mean you need to be induced. Some pregnancy risks do rise with age, especially after 40, and in those pregnancies delivering around 39 weeks is often the safer plan.
Dr. Kim has cared for many patients over 35 and many high-risk pregnancies. When he recommends timing, he considers your baby’s growth, your blood pressure, your medical history, and your prenatal test results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still have a vaginal delivery if I’m induced? Yes, and most women who are induced do. In the ARRIVE trial, it was about 8 in 10.
Can I be induced before 39 weeks? Only when there’s a medical reason. Babies born before 39 weeks are more likely to have trouble with breathing and feeding, so national guidelines and hospital rules don’t allow an elective induction earlier than that.
What happens if the induction doesn’t work? Usually the answer is more time or a different method of preparing the cervix. If labor still doesn’t progress, or your baby shows signs of stress, Dr. Kim will talk with you about a C-section.
What is a membrane sweep? It’s a quick step during a cervical exam, where the doctor uses a finger to separate the sac around the baby from the lower part of the uterus. It can encourage labor to start on its own.
Does a Foley balloon hurt? Most women describe pressure and period-like cramps during placement, which takes a few minutes, and milder cramping afterward. It varies from person to person.
Can I go home with the Foley balloon in? Yes. We place it in our office around 4 PM, and you spend the evening at home before going to the hospital.
Can I eat during my induction? At home with the balloon in, yes. Have dinner as usual.
Will Dr. Kim be at my delivery? In nearly every case, yes. Dr. Kim attends his own patients’ deliveries and plans his time away around their due dates. On the rare occasion he can’t be there, such as an unexpectedly early delivery or two patients in labor at the same time, a trusted physician he has briefed on your history and care plan in advance will cover, and Dr. Kim remains available as needed.
Labor Induction at Yunella Women’s Health in Los Angeles
If you’re getting close to your due date and hearing conflicting advice, you deserve a clear plan.
At Yunella, delivery planning starts in our office, well before you reach the hospital. Dr. Kim reviews your cervical exam, your baby’s growth and position, and your health. Then he explains his recommendation and your alternatives, and the final decision is yours.
Call 424-404-8832 or request an appointment to schedule a visit.
Medically reviewed by David Seil Kim, MD, PhD · Last reviewed: [October 8th, 2026]
This article is for education and does not replace individualized medical advice.