Yes, it's good to remember that you are in charge of whether or not you consent to be induced. From the mother who ordered them to induce her because she instinctively sensed her baby was not well, to the mother I just heard about who gave birth naturally both times at 45 weeks, these things are determined by you as the consumer, not on whether the careprovider 'allows' you or not.

Induction is associated with increased pain and intensity, so therefore natural pain management methods prove insufficient, so pharmaceutical drugs are resorted to, which carry side-effects including diminishing the mother's mobility; which leads to more interventions including epidural and caesarian, and also haemorrhage. Induction can start that cascade of interventions - once it's started, it's hard to prevent the domino effect.

So, assuming that your baby is well, it's best to avoid induction and let labour start naturally. It will! I think the high rate of induction lately has caused us to lose a sense of how long pregnancy is naturally. We would see a lot more 42-43 weekers and more clusters of births around the full moon and thunderstorms, if we weren't doing so many inductions.

Induction is one of those things that can be used wisely and appropriately when there is a medical need, but being 41 or 42 - or even 45 weeks - pregnant is not a medical condition. It's normal. If the amniotic fluid is fine and the placenta is normal, and the mother's BP is fine and both mother and babe are fit and well, an induction isn't required ... only patience and trust are.