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Childbirth

Outpatient induction/pessary induction

8 replies

AndIAskMyself · 06/08/2016 19:34

At the moment I am 41 + 2, today I had a sweep with a bishop score of 3, I lost my mucus plug two days ago though.

Obviously I am hoping to labour naturally in the next 48 hours, but if I don't, I am booked for an outpatient induction on Monday (I'll then be 41+4), and I just wondered if anyone else had any experience of this? Basically it's where they bring you in if you're low risk, insert a pessary, and then all being well you're allowed to go home to labour there.

I hear a lot of horror stories of induction, but is that more with the drip than the pessary? Also, I hear that often the pessary doesn't work first time?

Given my bishop score and that I have lost my mucus plug, do you think it could be successful? Has anyone else had the pessary? Any positive stories to share?

Also, I did want a birth centre delivery, and my midwife implied today that it may still be possible to have that if it just takes the pessary to induce labour. So I am just trying to stay positive.

Thanks!

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AppleMagic · 06/08/2016 19:38

I've had the pessary in both my pregnancies (followed by the drip but mine were early inductions for medical reasons).
Mine were hospital based obviously, but I'd have been fine having it at home. Each time I just wondered around the hospital to try to get things moving anyway.

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Jayfee · 06/08/2016 19:55

dont know about pessaries but sex seems to get some reluctant births started as does housework in some circs. my second child was inducted and the labour was quicker and a bit sharper than the first. good luck!!

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frikadela01 · 06/08/2016 20:26

I had prostaglandin gel (I believe it's similar to the pessary althoigh may be wrong) at 39 weeks for medical reasons. When inserting the gel the midwife said my cervix wasn't even close to ready and she suspected I would need at least one more go with the gel 24 hours after the first lot went in. First lot went in at 14:00. Period type pains started around 21:00, was told not necessarily labour. Contractions started at 02:00ish and built up bloody fast. Baby born at 05:38 using only gas and air because it was too late for the epidural. Midwife that did the gel came in the next day and was gobsmacked it went so fast.

I've answered a few threads and told my birth story mainly because I was terrified of being induced, hearing about days long labours that are excruciatingly painful. Yes labour was horrifically painful, I screamed the place down, it wasn't as bad an experience as I was led to believe.

Best advice I have is to move around after the pessary has gone in. my dp and me did several laps of the hospital grounds after my gel went in.

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AndIAskMyself · 06/08/2016 20:36

Thanks frikadela, that's really helpful. I'm hoping that as we will be at home that we can keep moving a bit more, and I'll also be able to rest a bit more when I need to.

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Harris123 · 10/08/2016 03:53

I was induced at 38 weeks due to a Kidney problem ( first baby) and was given the pessary at 6pm! Slight pains around 10 o'clock and then by 5 in the morning I was 3-4cm checked again at 7.30 and was 5 so was taken to the delivery suite.. Was checked at 9.25am and was still 5cm, then at 9.45am I told the midwife I needed to push, to which she told me I was ready it was just where I was back to back and was getting urges! By 9.55am my darling little girl was born! So from being induced early at bang in 38 weeks it went pretty quickly for me!

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ICJump · 10/08/2016 06:19

I had a pessary induction for DS 2.
First lot at 6pm then second at 10pm.
Woke with a sore hip about 2ish, walked to get a pillow, had a contraction on my way back, thought I'd have a shower, had some full on contractions, midwife checked me at 3am I was 3/4cm do got in the pool. DS was in my arms before 5am.
I felt joyous and empowered afterwards.
It was a brilliant birth

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Shanster · 11/08/2016 02:07

I had pessary inductions with my first two - with the first, I was 0cm and 40+4 - I had one pessary at 8pm, did nothng. Another at 6am....did nothing. I ended up with some awful balloon thing being inserted to start my labour, which worked but was awful.
DC 2 was completely different - 41 weeks, 1 cm. The pessary was put in around 9pm, contractions started around 10pm.....got an epidural at 3cm around 11pm, then went to sleep, woke up at 5am with urge to push and baby was born at 5.30am (lovely birth)

Bet the pessary will work if you've already got a favourable cervix. Good luck!!

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AndIAskMyself · 11/08/2016 11:31

Just as an update, I did have this, and my beautiful DS was born a short time later. I'm obviously delighted.

But I thought I'd update with my experience because I hadn't found much info on outpatient inductions (using propess), so this might help some people.

I went in on Monday morning at 8.30 - it was all really efficient. I was monitored, scanned and then at about 10.30 the propess was inserted. I was monitored again, and then told to go for a walk for 2 hours, then to come back for further monitoring.

The propess did work quickly with me, and after an hour or so I started getting period pains in waves very frequently. They were probably every 5 minutes lasting at least 45 to 60 seconds each time, but the pain was bearable.

I asked the midwives what I should be looking for regarding contractions and when I should come in, as obviously I'd started getting labour pains, and they were much closer together than I had anticipated at such an early stage. I was just told 'you will just KNOW'.

I got home and quickly the pains progressed to two minutes apart. Still period like pains. I went back to the hospital to again be told I would just 'KNOW' when it was 'real' labour.

I go home again and then it progresses and there's then no gaps between contractions so I pulled the propess out and decided to go back in to the hospital. By now the pain was just unbearable because there were no gaps between contractions. But these pains were still period pains, just very strong period pains.

It turns out I had reacted to the propess and I had a hyper stimulated uterus, from that point labour was 100 miles an hour, with no gaps in contractions, and I wasn't able to have pain relief other than gas and air because no one had any idea how long labour would take.

In the end, the contractions made baby distressed, his heart rate dipped with every contraction and he then had to be delivered by kiwi.

This reaction to propess can happen to anyone, regardless of whether the induction is outpatient or not. But I think because of the lack of guidance, it led to a really distressing experience for both of us. I felt that because I'd been left to just go home, it meant it progressed too far for me to be able to take advantage of any pain relief.

I'm ecstatic to have my beautiful son, but I wouldn't recommend an outpatient induction for this reason.