In this column, Sara Wickham takes a sideways look at issues relevant to midwives, students, women and families, inviting us to sit down with a cup of tea and ponder what we think we know. There is a growing trend towards recommending induction of labour in older women. This is the first part of a two-part article in which Sara asks whether this recommendation is supported by the available evidence and asks us to consider how such policies are affecting women.