Help me to prepare for induction please.

[MrsSawyer]

I was hoping it would have happened naturally, but its not to be, so on friday im going to be induced (at 40+1 due to GD), so what do I need to know and what should I have in my hospital bag?

Im going to get a puzzle book and some snacks and drinks, but is there anything else?

Another question is how long can DH stay with me, as long as he wants or will they kick him out at some point? Am I in the delivery suite or on the antinatal ward?

Thank you for helping.

[nametapes]

I think DH can stay with you for the whole duration...
I have had 3 babies and thats normally the case. I was induced with my lst baby and i went straight to the delivery room where they put a line in my hand for intravenous fluids as I wanted an epidural. They then inserted a pessary inside me to soften the cervix, and 5 hours later my waters broke. This doesnt always happen with the first baby, they often need to give you another pessery for the waters to go.
you wil also need as i am sure you know already: baby clothes, nappies, blanket for babe, night wear for you, all toiletries .
Wishing you lots of luck and i hope you labour goes ok.
best wishes xxx

[MummyGemx]

I was induced for my first son and my husband was only allowed in during visitiong times unitl i was in labuor. By that point I had contracts very close together from the off so did not need any entertaining - I was not about to be doing puzzles! However it maybe a good idea for before labour starts as some people do have a long wait and it can get frustrating.

As soon as my labour started my husband was allowed to stay with me. I had a longish labour when I was induced and it was alot more painful than my second but that may have been due to the fact that gas and air was making me very ill in my first labour but I was able to use it in my second and it made all the difference, I have to say I think i am in the minority and most people are able to use G and A fine when induced. I have also heard a few of my friends having really positive birth experiences whne being induced. Mine was not the best but it was not the end of the world and baby arrived safely and mummy recovered quickly. I did end up having an epidural which I would not have again unless absolutely necessary but it has its plus points.

I am overdue with my third right now so will probably be heading towards an induction myself next week. RIght now I just want baby to arrive safely - I have considered putting off induction for a couple of days but have been told thats all they will give me and now I am so fed up I may well just go for it when they offer it to me and hope it happens easily this time.

Good Luck - a couple of things I should have taken last time but didnt - a hat (they said they could not let me take baby home without one and i had forgotten to pack it - but it was october) and a disposible nappy. I was using cloth so just took them but it is good to use disposible for that first black poo! Luckily the midwife found me both from a bounty pack she had!

Good Luck again and hope all goes well. Gemx

[Firawla]

I think it can depend a bit from hospital to hospital, i was induced with ds1 and 3 in two different hospitals and ds1's one they were trying to send husbands home after visiting hours finished, even if the women were in early labour already, but ds3's hosp was much better on that and no suggestion of sending him home, they brought him a comfy chair incase he had to stay in that room over night.
I would say a yes to bringing puzzles and whatever else to entertain, cos it can take some time for the labour to get going, and in some hospitals it takes ages before they even give you the first pessary or gel (ds1's hosp again...) in both cases i was waiting around a full day before getting into proper labour, which i think is quite common, and it can get boring being in hospital for that length of time so would bring a book to read aswel, and whatever else you can think to entertain yourself for a bit
procedure in both hosps for ds1 and 2 was giving the gels or pessarys in an induction bay or triage area and then moving to labour ward once at about 2-3cm for breaking waters.
my ds2 was induced for diabetes too, and because of that they said i had to be on a fluids drip and constant fetal monitoring, so was stuck on the bed. luckily didnt need the synto drip, but for ds1 i needed that one so was stuck on the bed with him aswel. tbh i would expect that probably you will have to be on the bed with limited mobility, although you do hear of people allowed to stay active after having induction but if you bear it in mind about ending up stuck on drips atleast wont be too disappointed or wouldn't come as a suprise?
i had an epidural for both my induced ones, and in future i think for any more induced labours i probably would do again, but the good side of that i did find they were very quick bringing the epidural and very quick and happy to offer it, didnt have to beg them for it or anything, as you sometimes here people say
oh also, if its painful them trying to break waters, or doing any painful sweeps while trying to check the progress or hurry things along, ask them for gas& air while they do it, it helps a lot!
good luck!

[nocake]

DW's induction took 4 days so you might need more than just a puzzle book. Make sure your DP has something to keep him entertained as well. Books, magazines, Nintendo DS, portable DVD player. DW started in a ward they use for inductions and I was able to stay until about 10pm. Once she was moved to the delivery room I stayed with her until DD was born.

[Flisspaps]

Definitely take something to do.

I went in on the Thursday (antenatal ward) to wait for a delivery room. Didn't need a pessary so was just waiting for ARM. There was no room available until Friday morning, and when I asked to go home on the Thursday night the MW said I'd need to speak to a doctor even though I'd had nothing done (but never sent one to see me). Take a pillow (comfy and not in a wipe clean cover like a hospital one), and earplugs in case you're on there a while.

DH was expected to leave the ward for mealtimes but I went with him rather than sit on my own.

In the delivery room DH was able to stay with me from start to finish (24 hours). Try to avoid CFM if you can as it means you're most likely to end up sitting in bed which then increases your chance of more pain (and then wanting an epidural) and there starts the cascade of intervention. You can request regular monitoring with a doppler instead. That doesn't make life easier for the staff, but you're not there to help them, they're there to help you.

If you know that you do want an epidural then you might be better refusing to accept a synto drip until the epidural is sited.

Dextrose tablets are good in case you don't feel like eating (or are advised not to)

[MrsSawyer]

This is all great thanks, I had a sweep last thursday and mw said i was already 1-2cm, so not expecting to be that long after having the pessary for it all to kick off, fingers crossed.

I was strapped to the bed with DS1 as they wanted to monitor his heartbeat and it was sooo restrictive, and I was told I had to labour laying down, which I did and that was such hard work, im defintiely in a more determined frame of mind this time around to ask for things to be done differently, i mean with your first, you dont question anything do you? i certainly will this time!

Have some dextrose tablets, just hope im allowed something more than water with having GD.

Thanks again

[Flisspaps]

Exactly MrsSawyer. DH is already really pissed off with my decision to question pretty much everything that I don't see the point of (such as height and weight check at booking in when it's not monitored throughout pregnancy nor of any use at the time of birth as it has no bearing on whether you can give birth or of your BMI at time of labour) and to fight my corner to get the birth I want this time (at home, no induction unless medically indicated as in your case) and we've not even made it to the booking-in appointment yet!

Anyway, I shall have everything crossed for you going into spontaneous labour well before you get to induction

[notasausage]

Also booked for induction on Friday at 41 + 4 and glad to see your thread as also not sure what to expect. I think I'm going to send DH home so I can try and get some sleep but will have to see what the policy is in the hospital as I want to get him back in plenty of time for labour. This is my second and I went into labour myself at 41 weeks last time so still hoping for things to get started before intervention kicks in. Had a sweep this morning and only 1-2 cm, same as last week . Good luck MrsSawyer