Outpatient cervical ripening with a Foley catheter
Part of Women’s health & pregnancy clinical trials.
This study tests whether using a Foley catheter outside the hospital to help your cervix soften and prepare for labor is safe and effective. You may be offered an outpatient approach if you are eligible for labor induction and have a low-risk pregnancy.
Summary written for real people, not researchers, by Clin2.
Who can take part
- You are able to safely start labor induction based on your clinician’s plan
- You are 18 or older, pregnant for one baby only, and it has reached at least 37 weeks but before 42 weeks
- This is your first pregnancy (no prior births after 20 weeks)
- Baby is head-down, membranes are intact (your water has not broken), and your cervix is not yet dilated past 3 cm
- Your cervix score (Bishop score) is 8 or lower, meaning it needs help to prepare
- You can read or understand consent/instructions in English or Spanish and you have reliable transportation and a safe place to return home while the catheter is in place
Quick eligibility check
Answer a few plain-language questions, based on this study's own requirements, to get a preliminary sense of fit.
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