It's my first baby, I'll be 40 +4 and I've been booked in due to rapidly rising blood pressure and I'm terrified. Begged the midwife for a sweep today, which she did, but she didn't seem very hopeful that it was going to do the trick.

I feel really disappointed as I thought I would have at least till Monday to let things happen naturally, but given the BP level I think I have to accept that this is the right course of action. I've had the threat of induction hanging over my head for weeks so I've been taking evening primrose oil for a while and hopefully this will have had some effect.

I had high hopes of labouring at home for as long as possible, doing it all naturally, possibly in the pool if it's free when we get to the hospital and using the hypnobirthing techniques we've been practising.

How can I make it the best experience possible under the circumstances? If anyone's got any positive stories, I'd also love to hear them.

[scared emoticon]

Don't worry - I was induced, as were two of my friends, and it can be absolutely fine. It all depends on how ready your body is to labour, with some people all they need is the pessary to get them going, other people need the drip and all that as well.

The hospital will take very good care of you, but the best thing you can do is be as relaxed as possible, so as to allow your body to do its thing without your stress hormones interfering. It's quite late in the day, but can you get some acupuncture in before tomorrow? It can really help.

Make sure you feel calm and safe wherever you are in the hospital, don't be afraid to ask for a different room for example, practise some deep breathing and think positive, and it will all help your body to go into labour.

It will all be fine

All my babies have been induced. Really, not too big a deal.

Once you have the prostin in place, try to walk as much as poss. You can experience prostin pains and these are difficult to tell from contraction pains (apparently), but you progress with one and not the other. So don't be afraid to ask for pain relief if you need it. No badges for heroics

And look forward to meeting your baby!

My biggest tip is to take lots of books, magazines and music with you, as it could be a long wait, either to start the induction process or for labour to kick off once you've started the induction.

Keep a VERY open mind. Some women go into labour straight away (I did, within a couple of minutes of having the prostin gel) but for others it can take hours or even days.

Also, if the hospital is busy they may move you down the lists if there are other women already in labour in emergency situations, so even though they've asked you to turn up at a certain time, that's no guarantee that they will be ready for you.

On the plus side, induction can be a really good experience, and at least you know you are now going to meet your baby!

Relax, you will be fine. I have had two short labours following induction.

Thanks for the replies. I think I've got myself into such a state that I've lost sight of the fact that this means I'll actually meet the baby at last. I need to hold on to that, I think.

When I had the sweep done today the midwife said that my cervix was soft, 1 cm long (had been 1.5 on Monday) but still fairly high. Any idea whether that means it's going to "take" or whether it might be more difficult?

Sounds like things are starting to happen, maybe they will just speed things along a bit.

Charge dh's phone and the camera!

I had an induction at 40+15, after 3 sweeps!!

TBH it was far better than my spontaneous labour with dd. I was given a pessary at about 8pm, walked round the hospital for hours. Started having terrible irregular contractions and they gave me some pethidine. I slept until 4am when I woke up I was 6cm. Moved to delivery suite and ds was born at 10.35am.

So a 6.5 hour induced labour, compared to 25 hours spontaneous with dd

good luck you will be fine, and just think of that beautiful baby at the end of it

I had an induction at 40+9 with DS2, they put the gel in at approx 10am & we waited & waited ALL day, nothing happened until 12 midnight- I went to the loo & had a show, went back to the room to tell DH & get midwife, within minutes I was having contractions, then after 3 big contractions waters broke & I felt ready to push, ( it wasn't quite that time, but I did feel ready) they took me down to delivery suite on the bed !!!! DS2 born at 3am ( 9lb 7oz!!!!) , so was v-fast which was great as DS1 had taken nearly 3 days to arrive!!! & that was spontaneous.....

All I can say was- yes I was nervous but just wanted to meet the little man & was soooo fed up of waiting & back ache etc I was glad it would all be over & I could hold him at last.

Good luck- you will be fine, relax & don't worry- you will be having big snuggles with your beautiful baby v-soon.

I was induced for ds1 and it was fine. And I was petrified! I had nothing to compare it with, but it really wasn't that bad! I second the advice to walk about as much as possible. And just think, you'll be meeting your lovely baby very soon!

Hi, just wondered if Aubergenie could let us know how it went in the end?

I am 40+12 and probably going to be induced tomorrow for similar reasons (blood pressure).
Feeling very anxious about it and it would be great to hear how you got on!

pookamoo I was induced at 40+13 and although was v scared in advance was absolutely fine - best tip I have is to do lots of walking up and down stairs. I really wanted the gel to work so as soon as they'd given me that leant on poor DH and walked up and down eight flights of stairs for ages. Seemed to get things going (pressure of baby's head apparently).

Best of luck - just try and go with the flow. Am about to have my 2nd DC and part of me would like to be induced again because it's much more predictable! It doesn't have to necessarily mean lots of intervention - you still get to make choices and it can be that your baby just needed a bit of a start.

pookamoo I was induced at 40+13 and although was v scared in advance was absolutely fine - best tip I have is to do lots of walking up and down stairs. I really wanted the gel to work so as soon as they'd given me that leant on poor DH and walked up and down eight flights of stairs for ages. Seemed to get things going (pressure of baby's head apparently).

Best of luck - just try and go with the flow. Am about to have my 2nd DC and part of me would like to be induced again because it's much more predictable! It doesn't have to necessarily mean lots of intervention - you still get to make choices and it can be that your baby just needed a bit of a start.