OBJECTIVE: to explore and understand how midwives perceive and experience decision-making about augmentation of labour. DESIGN: focus-group discussions. SETTING: Stockholm, Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: 20 midwives experienced in working in labour wards. FINDINGS: five categories were identified that illustrate the factors considered by the midwives to influence decision-making during augmentation of labour: 'regulations and guidelines'; 'shortage of delivery rooms'; 'influence of obstetricians'; 'women in labour'; and 'midwives' professional selves'. The theme identified was how midwives managed to 'navigate' these factors, which provided midwives with a decisive influence during the decision-making process. KEY CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: midwife job satisfaction can result from a sense of professional power over the possibility of navigating factors that influence decision-making during augmentation of labour. This sense of power can subsequently influence co-operation with both obstetricians and women during labour.