Simple Procedure to Prepare Cervix for Labor and Delivery for Low-Risk Women at Intermountain Health

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Intermountain Health Offers Simple Procedure for Low-Risk Pregnant Women to Help Prepare the Cervix for Labor and Delivery

(PRUnderground) April 20th, 2026

Many women at the end of their pregnancy feel ready for labor to start — but it doesn’t. It can be difficult to wait for nature to take its course and hard to plan for when baby will be born. When labor needs to be induced, moms often spend many hours in the hospital preparing for labor and in labor before their baby is born.

But Intermountain Health now offers low-risk pregnant women the option to have a simple procedure to help prepare the cervix for labor and delivery and to safely prepare for labor at home before coming to the hospital. This means less time in the hospital and more time in the comfort of your own home.

For labor to start naturally, the cervix or the narrow opening of uterus needs to begin opening wider or dilate and it also becomes soft. Your body starts this process by naturally releasing hormones in your body, ripening the cervix for delivery.

“If your cervix is not ripening on its own and you and your OB provider or midwife decide it would be safe to help your labor get started, we can help stimulate those hormones and start the dilation process,” said Erin Clark, MD, an OB-GYN and maternal fetal medicine physician and medical director for obstetrics at Intermountain Health based in the Salt Lake City area. “We do this with a cervical balloon, medication, or both.”

“The cervical balloon provides mechanical dilation of the cervix. We use a catheter to place a very small medical balloon in your cervix. The balloon provides safe, natural pressure to help stretch your cervix and tells your body to release the hormones needed to soften and open your cervix naturally,” she added. “The balloon can be safely used outside of the hospital as a gentle way to prepare for labor.”

After the procedure, moms can choose to spend the labor preparation time at home. According to Dr. Clark, most moms will spend an evening and overnight at home and return to the hospital after about 12 hours.

“Some women can sleep through this cervical ripening phase Some won’t sleep as well as they’d like. Changing positions, taking some acetaminophen and using a heating pad can help,” said Dr. Clark.

“When women come back to the hospital, if they’re ready for labor, they can try for the type of delivery they want – from natural or unmedicated to getting an epidural or other options for pain relief. Some women may need medication to help further cervical ripening before labor progresses toward delivery. Our ultimate goal is to keep mom and baby safe, maximize the chance of a normal vaginal delivery, and if mom desires, then to get there as naturally as we can,” she added.

According to Dr. Clark, the procedure is a great option for women who prefer to spend early labor at home in their own environment, without interruptions and want to shorten their overall time in the hospital.

Moms can call their OB provider or midwife from home with questions and can come to the hospital earlier if their pain or labor is getting really uncomfortable, or their balloon comes out, or their water breaks,” said Dr. Clark.

What to expect before and after the procedure

Before the procedure to place the balloon takes place, you will have an ultrasound to check on the baby’s position and the amniotic fluid. The baby’s heart rate will be monitored. During the procedure, you may have some cramping and discomfort. Afterwards, you may experience mild-to-moderate cramping, pelvic pressure, a feeling of fullness, or even contractions.

While at home, you may rest, walk, eat and drink, go to the bathroom, and do most normal, nonstrenuous activities.

Research shows the procedure is safe

“The data from medical studies on home cervical ripening, shows it’s safe and effective and many patients prefer it to being in the hospital. And it may reduce your risk for a Cesarean section. It’s currently being done at many health systems in the U.S. and it’s important that we offer it as a safe option for our patients,” said Dr. Clark.

The Intermountain hospital locations In Utah where this is available

Intermountain plans to ultimately make this procedure available at all Intermountain hospitals with labor and delivery units.

For more information about this procedure, talk to your OB provider or midwife. For more information about the women and newborn services available at Intermountain Health visit the pregnancy and baby page at https://intermountainhealthcare.org/services/womens-health/pregnancy.

About Intermountain Health

Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 34 hospitals, approximately 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a nonprofit health plan called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://news.intermountainhealth.org/. For more information, see intermountainhealth.org/ or call 801-442-2000.

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