Being induced - any tips????

[BigBadMouse]

I'm due to be induced on Wednesday morning unless things start off beforehand.

Just wondering if anyone has any tips to make it more errr...pleasurable.

One friend has advised we take some magazines to read to help keep my mind off things. Obviously I have no idea how long the whole thing will take but the baby is back to back (as were my previous two) and I have a history of long, slow starting labours.

STRICTLY NO HORROR STORIES PLEASE coz I'm a wimp

[whomovedmychocolate]

Okay, well the good news:

(1) If you are put on syntocin and fail to make progress within twelve hours you will be offered a caesarian.
(2) If you are put on syntocin you will be offered an epidural (and if you are wise you will accept the offer).
(3) You may well go into labour before Wednesday
(4) You may well start off with the gels and find that's all that is needed.
(5) It will be over by Friday - whatever happens.

If I were you, I would take some puzzle books - make them easy, you can only concentrate a few minutes at a time when you are being induced, also take some glucose/high energy drinks in case they decide you can't eat.

But you've had two before, you know what labour is like, it's just the same only a bit more concentrated.

Good luck

[HensMum]

I know you don't want an horror stories but just be prepared for things to happen very quickly. I took magazines, cards etc into hospital and never used any of them! I was induced at 6pm Fri night, by 9pm was having serious contractions, baby was born via ventouse at 7am Sat morning. A similar thing happened to a friend of mine. One minute nothing the next big strong contractions really close together.
You'll probably be fine if you've had kids before but this was my first baby and I totally panicked!

[calvemjoe]

Food, nibbles etc. When I was induced I was kind of left in a side room and forgotten about, I was starving!

[BigBadMouse]

I had syntocin with DD1 after several hours of little progress but much pain so I have some experience of it. Epidurals are my best friend and I can only concentrate for a few minutes at a time even when not being induced .

Thanks for your reply, I had no idea about the ceasarian thing after 12 hours - how do they usually define 'failing to make progress'?

[Sufi]

I had syntocin induction only (was 3cm dilated when went in, but waters had broken early, hence being induced) and it was fine - 9.5 hours all in, pretty quick and only 1 hour where I thought I couldn't bear it (was in transition then). Was lucky as my body was ready for it, though.

Everyone says the pain is unbearable when induced and I've got nothing to compare it with, but it was OK. Kind of what I expected - just had gas & air and then a shot of pethidine later on.

I really didn't want to be induced, had a huge panic about it beforehand, and what helped me was to do as much research as possible - to think about ALL the possible outcomes, what could go wrong and what, in that case, I wanted to happen, ie. what kind of intervention and when, whether DH could come into the room if I had to have a c-section etc. Facing up to my fears and working through them really helped me relax.

I also found out the hospital's policies on everything so that a) nothing was a surprise on the day and b) I was ready prepared to fight my corner if need be. I annoyed the c**p out of the staff with all my Q's but, honestly, they never tell you ANYTHING unless you badger them!

I also found out policy on moving around while induced, as some hospitals try and confine you to bed. Luckily mine was very happy for me to move around (in fact, I spent no time in bed at all due to pain and gave birth standing up!!!). The midwives were great as they helped me move the drip and held the monitor onto my tummy when I was on all fours on the floor.

If you don't fancy being stuck on your back in bed, I'd recommend you talk to the hospital about this beforehand, just in case - it made a real difference to pain management for me, and also helped me make the birth feel less 'medicalised' and more like the one I wanted to have.

They also turned the drip up a bit when I was pushing (as contractions slowed at this point) - was a fab idea as it got things moving again.

Good luck xxx

[gabbyfemale]

I was induced, my husband and I took books in to read - how we laugh at that now!! No time for anything - got the gel, walked about for an hour, was in labour by the time we got back to the ward, was served dinner which I couldn't eat was in real heavy labour by then, had to be taken in wheelchair to delivery suite, got shot of diamorphine (might have even been 2 shots) and out popped my baby - it was such a painfree experience that I was actually really confused what they had put in my arms - a bit too much diamorphine perhaps ... anyway, my advice is, ask for gas & air for every examination you have (I was embarrassed the first time I asked, they gave me it no probs) but looking back I was relieved to have had it by the last examination - lovely stuff. good luck.

[beckystaffs]

Make sure you take something for your dh to eat. The midwife came in and saw the picnic spread out on the bed and said she thinks it could be wise if I didn't have anything to eat as it might make me feel sick- little did she know it was all for dp (I was hanging on to the gas and air for dear life -wasn't about to let that go to stuff my face).

Be prepared to stay on the ward for the first part- we watched telly and red magazines all morning. Take something dh might want to do also- he might get bored to.(nothing worse than a fed up partner when he should be trying to keep your spirits up.

Agree with Sufi about not being stuck on the bed, the delivery suite I was in had a rocking chair and the was far more comfortable- even with a monitor and a drip- I was perched on the end of the seat. Make yourself comfy.

But with dc3 your probably an old pro at labour so you know what to expect.

I can honestly say it wasn't as bad as i was expecting- Induced Wed 7am, dd born midnight Fri weighing 10lb 8oz and it wasn't that bad honestly!!!!!!!!!!!