Going in for induction tomorrow, any advice??

[DiscoTex]

Hi all,

I am off to be induced tomorrow morning, at which point I will be 41+4 with my first baby.

Just looking for some advice on what to expect, what to take, and how it was for you??

TIA

xx

[AKMD]

I was induced with a pessary, which was very manageable but also very slow to get going. After 10 hours of period-pains I had dilated just 2cm and the baby wasn't doing very well (I had pre-eclampsia) so they broke my waters to speed things up a bit. That was really uncomfortable and the contractions became immediately unbearably painful, so much so that I was drifting in and out of consciousness. I'm not saying that to scare you but if I were to have the same situation again, I would make sure I had an epidural before they broke my waters because there is no time ton adjust to the change in intensity. That said, I was induced early and as you are overdue you might just need that kick-start for everything to go as planned :)

[MountainDew]

Expect it to take a ruddy long time!

They probably won't 'induce' you until late afternoon at the earliest. I don't know why. Things move slowly in my experience. (Doctors as well as babies!)

Lovely thouh it would be for a NYE midnight baby - it is very unlikely. Sorry! (this may not have even crossed your mind, but When I was induced with DD it was 28th Feb of a leap year and I was so so excited and convinced she would be born on 29th. No such luck. 3rd March. )

I was induced with DD and DS and both times took FOREVER. Baby not in right position, pessary not working, missed 3rd pessary, had to start again, no progress, had to wait for place on labour ward, etc etc etc. I went in for DD's on 28th, born 3rd - so 5 days, and DS I went in on 19th and had him on 23rd so 5 days again. This was not 5 days of labour. This was 5 days of nothing. Unromantic as it feels, take books and magazines to pass the time.

Walk around a lot, up and down stairs I was told. And try to get some sleep!!!

Good luck! I am very excited for you!

[DiscoTex]

Bump

[HallelujahHeisBorntoMary]

I would say, take the epidural!

I was induced both times, at 37 weeks, then 36 weeks. Both different experiences.

First time, it was the hormone drip that worked (breaking the waters and pessary didn't work), so it went on a bit.

Second time, the pessary worked, and was a lot quicker, so no time for an epidural!

[RockinRobinBird]

Lots of waiting around. I was strapped to a monitor for about an hour after every pessary which meant I couldn't move so have a wee before the pessary! Took 24 hours to get going but once it did....voooooom, she shot out like a greased pig :o

Good luck :o

[RockinRobinBird]

Sorry, that last smiley was meant to be a :), the :o looks a bit sinister!

[HallelujahHeisBorntoMary]

Yes, second the waiting, so take lots to keep you occupied.

And have someone to pass on updates. I didn't think to tell work that everything had stopped for the day, so it was carrying on the next day. They were afraid to call in case it was bad news. In the end, someone came down the hospital to find out

[BiscuitNibbler]

Expect a wait.

Do not get upset when everyone else in the ward goes off to have their baby and you are still 2cm.

Say yes to the epidural.

Have extra stuff you would need for an extended hospital stay laid out somewhere at home so your DH can easily find it if you end up having a caesarean or just end up in hospital for longer than a couple of days. Not only does it make it easier and quicker for him to find exactly what you need, but you save yourself having to give detailed instructions patiently to someone who appears to have no knowledge of the layout of his own house.

Good luck!

[RockinRobinBird]

I had two bags, the one I took in and an 'extended stay' bag which was in the boot of DH's car.

[moocowmrs]

once they break your waters or maybe start the induction you can't eat and drink sips of water so try and have a decent filling slow release breakfast and take snacks for up to that point, take a book and one for dp too. Try to relax tonight soak in the bath etc know hard but you could be in for the long haul x good luck.

[CardyMow]

I have been induced with all 3 of my dc's.

DD I was induced at 34+4 due to pre-eclampsia. They gave me a pessary, did nothing. Then had another pessary, mild contractions. Third pessary, still mild contractions. Then they put me on the syntocinon drip, and broke my waters, and finally it all kicked off. DD was born 24hrs after they first tried to induce me. I had G&A and two shots of pethidine.

DS1 I was induced at 39+4. I had two lots of pessaries, and a syntocinon drip, and waters broken. Due to the fact that he was B2B and had his hand on his head, it took 72 hrs from first pessary to him being born. I had two shots of pethidine and G&A.

DS2 they induced me at 40+2. I had one pessary, nothing else. 5 hours later I was holding him, and had managed with just G&A.

[piprabbit]

I was induced on the Wednesday night.
Baby did not arrive until the Sunday evening.

Take plenty of stuff for yourself in a separate bag from labour/baby stuff as you may be in for several days.

Once they've done the pessary stuff etc. they may decide to move on to using a syntocin drip to ramp up the contractions. If you are offered an epidural at this point, I would be very tempted to accept. There is a reason why they are offering it to you, and not waiting for you to ask.

[SarahScotChristmasSpirit]

I was induced with DC1. Didn't need the pessary they said, went straight to the drip. It took 3 hrs before I had my first contraction, but then only another 3 hours before my son was born. They didn't even offer me an epidural, but if it comes to it again i will be demanding it before the drip. It frickin' hurts! BUT, it is completely worth it, and you get over it pretty much the second you get to hold your gorgeous baby in your arms.

[Casmama]

Not sure I agree about the no eating thing - I was given the pessary and monitored until about 7pm then went out the hospital with my dh to macdonalds - with the knowledge of the midwives. For what it is worth I was fully dilated by 7.30am so about 12hrs(just the one pessary). Ds was in the wrong position and had the cord round his neck so ended up going straight in for forceps delivery but that wasn't related to the induction.
Be open-minded - you often hear the horror stories but many people are induced and have really straight forward labours and births.
Good luck x

[piprabbit]

Hadn't spotted the not eating thing - but definitely not 100% accurate.
I had my first pessary on the Weds night, waters broke on the Friday and baby arrived on the Sunday evening. I had all my meals up to and including Sunday breakfast.

[westlake]

Hi, I had to be induced due to baby distressed.

Was put on drip immediately (no pessary) at about 7am after waters had gone naturally and had baby at 3:41pm.

Bloody painful and because of the drip couldn't move around. However i've never had a natural labour and i've heard that hurts like hell too

I had an epidural, BIG RECOMMENDATIONS but it's not always offered, depends on staffing etc (apparently)

At the end of the dy, yes it hurts, but it's manageable, you go off into your own little coping world and it's over soon enough.

Good luck for tomorrow

[BiscuitNibbler]

Oh and meant to say re the epidural - bear in mind if you want it you have to wait for an available anaesthetist, I kept putting it off and then when I really needed it I had to wait two hours as they were all in theatre. I wish I had accepted it sooner.

[pearlgirl]

I would agree with taking a second bag of waiting around stuff - it can take time.
I have had 3 inductions and have eaten each time after the pessaries were inserted.

[itsawonderfuldarleneconnorlife]

Do you want to be induced?

I ignored my induction 'invitation' and went in, in labour the next day. The very fact of being in hospital (change in environment and increased stress) can stop natural labour from starting.

You aren't actually over due until 40+14. Would you be happy with daily monitoring until then?

Induction carries a very high risk of forceps or EMCS (I think more than 50/50).

[stillfrazzled]

I had my waters broken and nothing much happened, then told it would be syntocinon.

I accepted the epidural before they put the drip in.

I HIGHLY recommend it. Had lovely, chilled-out, pain-free childbirth which took about four hours, and pushed DS out with no problem at all.

I am a card-carrying wimp , so it suited me down to the ground.

[mumatron]

frazzled were you able to be mobile atall after the epidural?

i have always been anti epidural (not for everyone, just myself) but now we are looking at being induced i'm thinking it may be sensible to at least consider one.

i just hate the though of being pain free (ish) but not able to move.

[londonmackem]

Waters broke, induced by syntocin drip 48 hours later (pessary would have been no good as already 2cm dilated just no contractions). Was not allowed to eat or get off bed other than to go to loo because of monitoring (only got to go once anyway as then needed a catheter).
I managed 3 hours before I gave in to the offer (midwife was very keen) of an epidural and it was great, I was in labour for another 12 hours (was also not keen on an epidural going in but glad I went for it).
If I had to be induced again i would have the epidural before the syntocin drip as I found it very difficult to manage pain when I couldn't move around.
Was a ventouse delivery and it did probably increase the risk of intervention but I couldn't have coped with 15 hours of sitting and being in very intense pain - was the right decision for me.

[Louii]

On DS,induced at 36 weeks due to PET, I had a pessary, 3 hours later got waters broken, into labour pretty much right away, slowed down a bit and needed drip, but waters broken at 18.00 and DS born at 06.18.

On DD, induced due to PET again but 40+3 this time, was 3-4 cm when examined so just got waters broken at 22.00 and DD born at 0716.

[mumatron]

when i saw cons on thurs she thought if i did need to be induced then they would start by breaking my waters as already slightly dilated.

would this mean less monitoring?

sorry for hijacking op

[stillfrazzled]

mumatron the hospital called it a mobile epidural i.e. light dose, but I was basically stuck on the bed - couldn't feel my legs at all. Was being monitored anyway so realistically couldn't have gone far.

The thing is, because I wasn't in pain I didn't feel the need to keep moving (am lazy cow, just read my way through final Harry Potter).

Like I say, it suited me fine but I can see that if you feel differently about epidurals and childbirth, it could sound like a nightmare.


On plus side it wore off very quickly, I was up and about within a couple of hours of getting back to the ward.