Eating on day of induction. What's the usual advice?

[fluffyraggies]

I'm going in at 12 mid-day tomorrow to be induced.

I was thinking i should have breakfast and then a snack before we leave the house, as kicking into labor could take hours - BUT then i started thinking about nausea, full tummy if labor kicks off easily, etc. ...

The hospital haven't said anything about eating/not eating. Googling throws up some advice about having nothing for 8 hours or so before induction. I'm worried about energy levels rather than hunger. I've had natural labors before - no not had this dilemma!

Any wisdom?

[KiwiBanana]

I'd just eat something like porridge or whole meal toast with peanut butter. You could have a small portion of pasta as an early lunch.
Basically you won't want a full stomach but you will need something in you and complex carbs are the best way of getting a slower release of energy.

Good luck!

[Awkwardsis]

I was ravenous. I had been booked in at 9am but didn't get the first pessary til gone 12. Then there was lots of hanging around waiting. That was my second induction, third birth. In my experience throwing up is inevitable when I get to transition anyway, but if I'd actually eaten I'd have felt stronger. Ds was born at 6 pm, after only an hours labour. That was a long old hungry day! My first induction took 3 days! Pack lots of snacks and make sure the ward orders your meals. It's no big deal if you miss them due to being in labour, but if you're just hanging around being hungry will just make it worse.

[Reiltin]

They'd have told you to fast if you had to. I was given food in hospital before the induction and after - ie after both the first and second pessaries. I had food in the labour ward for me and partner because, as you say, it goes on a bit! Good luck

[WheresItTo]

I was told to eat normally to make sure I had plenty of energy. You never know how long things will take to get going and if it is a while you don't want to end up not having eaten for hours. I was induced at around midday and then promptly given omlet and Chips! FWIW I had DS 5 hours later with no nausea or vomiting so I wouldn't automatically assume that eating before or during labour equals feeling I'll.

Good luck for tomorrow!

[WheresItTo]

Ill, not I'll!

[WheresItTo]

I was told to eat normally to make sure I had plenty of energy. You never know how long things will take to get going and if it is a while you don't want to end up not having eaten for hours. I was induced at around midday and then promptly given omlet and Chips! FWIW I had DS 5 hours later with no nausea or vomiting so I wouldn't automatically assume that eating before or during labour equals feeling I'll.

Good luck for tomorrow!

[Ilovekittyelise]

i went in for induction at 8am on a tuesday; my son was born at 1132am on the friday. so of course my advice iseat, and take some nice food with you as well!

good luck x

[fluffyraggies]

Thank you ladies.

It's a tough one isn't it!? Preparing for induction. I've heard about it taking days and i've heard about it taking just 3 hours. Lordy.

I'll eat then.

I'll have some toast and peanut butter for brek. Then maybe a little bit of something at 11ish, before we leave.

I suppose i can always send DH for a sandwich if things are dragging and i get really hungry.

It's no big deal if you miss them due to being in labour, but if you're just hanging around being hungry will just make it worse. awkward this is it exactly. I know i wont be thinking about food once the contractions kick in. But goodness knows how long that'll take

[fluffyraggies]

ilovekitty Oh.my.GOD!

I think there was muttering about breaking my waters pretty much as i go in - so i pray it wont take that long!

[Pregnantberry]

Might I suggest bananas? Slow release energy, but not all starchy like pasta. I agree you will need all the energy you can get!

[Poledra]

I ate breakfast before I went in, as they were not sure when/if they'd have space for me and I was one of those pg women who need to eat at regular intervals or someone dies . I couldn't have the pessaries (previous c-section) so once they'd broken my waters, they sent DH and me off to walk around and get something to eat to try and get things going. I ended up with a synto drip, snacked throughout labour (I had an epi, so couldn't feel much at all...) and my DD was born late in the night. I was not sick at all.

I remember the sun coming up that morning - it was a beautiful summer day.

[LydiaLunches]

If you are having an uncomplicated induction you will be offered meals as normal in the induction bay/ antenatal ward until you go to the delivery suite (and maybe a light diet there, varies), which as you have been reliably informed could be days.

[BEEwitched]

My mom was given liver pate in hospital when she was induced with me and it was not pleasant coming back up - she said when she noticed labour with my brother was starting she just made a pot of rice pudding, as it was quite light, easy on the stomach and if it comes back up it's not too horrendous...

[fluffyraggies]

I'm pleased to hear you get fed while waiting for it all to begin. This is all very different to what i know, ie: the usual night-time scramble to get in the car as contractions get closer and then a good few hours of hell laboring till baby makes an appearance. Last thing on my mind being food!

I think they want to monitor baby continuously this time too. So i've been told i'll be attached to the machine and will only be able to walk around the bed as far as the lead reaches, sadly.


i'll be a quivering wreck tomorrow! Fear of the unknown.

[fluffyraggies]

lol about the liver pate, btw!

I drank orange juice for breakfast at the beginning of this preg. as it is the best thing, drink wise, for coming back up just as it went down (milk being the worst)

[Awkwardsis]

Just to say fluffy, my first induction was pretty terrible. The I had a natural birth, then another induction that was marvellous. You have rights. You don't have to be strapped to a monitor if you don't want to. I didn't now any better and ended up with an epidural and three hours of pushing. My second induction I had minimal monitoring and a fab water birth, completely different experience. The worst thing you can do is be immobile

[Wuxiapian]

My induction time was for 8am. I ate breakfast as normal before I went - didn't have any info from MW not to.

Good luck!

[fluffyraggies]

Oh awkward :(

I would love to be more mobile. I have a horror of being 'tethered' as all my previous labors have been back to back, only made bearable by lots of walking about, squatting, being on fours and leaning over birthing balls etc. I feel like i've got natural labor down!

Torn between doing what they suggest is best for baby (continual monitoring) and laboring the way i'm 'used to'. Dunno how short the lead will be to the machine

[Ilovekittyelise]

how far are you? ie are you overdue? and its not your first, these things count massively in your favour for a quicker induction.

i was induced at 39 plus 3/4 for first baby and cervix not favourable in the least. had two days of pessaries before having waters broken when still unfavourable followed by hard 20 hour drip labour and forceps delivery; episiostomy plus third degree tears. not a good scene but a lot of that due to it being first labour pre dates.

at a diff hospital this time and protocol very different they dont mess around for days. im booked in at 40+5 and honestly expect it to be much better as a)second time labour so im much more likely to labour through ARM and not even need drip and b)likely to be much quicker.

one piece of advice; if you need the drip get epidural put in at same time it fucking hurts.

another piece of advice: last time like you i felt annoyed by prospect of monitoring. however, a drip induction is about as medical as it gets, its not natural, and you dont know how you will react or the effects it might have on babys heartrate. as it happens my son had no issues, but honestly, im glad he was monitored. the other thing is, as i said with drip labour you would be mad not to have epidural and will probably be on your back!!!

you wil be ok, just make sure you are always kept informed of whats going on and have input and control over what happens to your body.

[fluffyraggies]

Thank you kitty.

I am exactly 40 weeks tomorrow. I had 2 sweeps last week in the hope of stirring things up. MW said my cervix is dilated about 1cm, and is soft and low, so it was 'in the right place'. She could feel baby's head. (They were going to induce me a week early, but consultant changed her mind saying i'm healthy - so leave it till due date).

I'm not clear on the hospital policy. It seems they play it by ear a bit after they've examined me on arrival. Got a feeling they'll want to break waters right away so they can put the little cranial monitor on baby. Weather or not they try the pessary (tea bag/tampon thing, as it's been described to me!) is going to depend on the state of my cervix - i think.

I want to avoid a drip if poss. I'll tell them that.

[KiwiBanana]

Fwiw I was induced and my labour was less than 24 hours long, vaginal delivery with no help. I know some of the horror stories can be pretty scary but no induction is the same.

Try get an early night and relax, good luck for tomorrow.

[VivaLeBeaver]

If you went into labour naturally you might get no warning. I went out for a huge three course Italian meal and my waters went two hours after getting home and contractions started.

I wouldn't think about it to be honest. Eat as normal.

[fluffyraggies]

viva - tell me - i've been googling ( i know i should back away) - and i cant find out if, once contractions are started by the drip, the drip can then be stopped ever, or does the drip have to be administered through to the end?

Most of the horrible experiences seem to be down to the intensity of the contractions on the drip, hence the need for epi, hence the need to stay in bed. etc.

kiwi - i know i should have an early night, but i'm now in a tizz about tomorrow! Arrgghh!

[Awkwardsis]

Fluffy, why are you being induced? I was induced 2/3 dc because I was so far overdue. All of mine have been back to back so you have my sympathies with that. Again, my first baby didn't turn, I pushed her out after three hours on my back, and she came out 'stargazing'. Lovely expression, slightly less lovely experience
My other two, I was allowed to be mobile, and both turned in labour. And see we're stubborn little boys who'd resisted every attempt to be turned. I spent bloody weeks scrubbing floors, leaning over sofas, you name it. Ive not been induced by drip, only by pessary. I would say, you have every right to intermittent monitoring unless they have a damn good reason not to. My last two births didn't even need any internals after I was in labour, a well trained midwife can tell a lot more than a reading from an often faulty machine ime. Good luck for tomorrow anyway, I'd do it all again in a heartbeat x

[fluffyraggies]

Purely maternal age awkward. I'm 44 and my hospital policy is to induce labor in mothers over 39. They originally wanted to induce at 39 weeks! Placental deterioration is the given reason. And the increased risk of still birth at term in older mothers. All scary stuff. And none of it mentioned before my 34 week appt. with the consultant! (You could have knocked me off the chair with a feather).

Interesting that you didn't need a drip, only pessary. I'm so so hoping that breaking my waters is enough.

At the mo this baby is not back to back. But she has been. I've been sat in the evening leaning forward onto a pile of cushions for the last 4 weeks, lol.