Induction

[Hoganess]

Hi all, I'm brand new to mumsnet and looking for some advice! I am 42 weeks pregnant tomorrow and am booked in to be induced. The problem is my midwife has been pretty useless and didn't discuss induction with me even when I asked she simply gave me a leaflet which was all too brief! I have lots of friends with children but none of them have been induced, can anyone give me an idea of what to expect or any advice as I'm starting to worry! Thanks in advance

[smEGGnogg]

When I was induced with my third I was 11 days over 40 weeks. It was an early start, I think I had to call around 7am, and was straight in. They got me into a room on the postnatal ward and monitored me and the baby for a while. Then gave me the pessary. Some hospitals use different types but I had the one that you can have every 5/6 hours. Then they monitor the baby again for half an hour or so. After that you can get up and about etc.

I had a second pessary and a bath and that was me 4cm and going down to labour ward. My labour was fast and I didn't have time for any pain relief but it was fine. I had a little tear because she came so quickly but it didn't even require a stitch.

[MrsFlowers82]

Hi. I have no experience of induction but wanted to wish you well as I am also being induced tomorrow at 40+12. My midwife sounds better than yours but I have still done a lot of reading online and it does seem experiences vary. I hope all goes well for you and it's as quick and easy as possible! xxx

[RuskBaby]

My midwife gave me a leaflet too, so many questions but here and google have helped immensely. Firstly, good luck and baby will soon be on your arms. Secondly, take something to distract you if you have to wait when you go in such as a book or music as they can't always see to you immediately.

[readingrainbow]

I was induced with my first - had a pessary that got me to about 3-4cm, then the midwife broke my waters and I progressed quickly to having the baby about four hours later.

If I could do it again, I would avoid them breaking my waters so early on. It became really intense, really quickly, and I prefer having a slower build up to peak contractions.

[Hoganess]

Thank you all for your messages and advice! I'm a firm believer in childbirth being a different experience for everyone so I'm not looking for a magical answer it's just difficult going in so blind when it's your first baby! Good luck to you too Mrs Flowers xx

[Wait4nothing]

I had an induction after my waters broke but labour didn't start.
I had the pessary at about midnight in a delivery suite private room after arriving about 8pm and being monitored in the maternity ward.
Nothing happened so started a drip at 5am-ish.
Had a slight issue with finding baby's heartbeat so had to have internal monitoring so I was quite hooked up (contraction monitor around belly, drip into hand and heart rate monitor into vagina) but could still toss and turn on bed trying to get comfy and move to different positions (including using a ball).
Had increasing painkillers up to diamorphine (after being told at 11am I was still 2-3 cm - I'd been in bad pain since 7am) at 12.30 (so 1.5 hours later) I accidentally pulled the heart rate monitor off while moving and while they were reattaching said I was fully dilated and I started pushing. Baby born 13.13. She came out superman style so I did need a few stiches but healed quickly.

I hope you have a good experience and have a healthy baby in your arms soon (looking at my 6.5 month old and wondering where the time went!)

[QforCucumber]

I was induced - had my 2 pessarys, last one at 3:30, waters went pop all by themselves at 10:15 am. By 9pmish was fully dilated and ready to push but baby wasn't moving , 11pm comes and doctor examines me - decides on a spinal and forceps delivery in theatre as baby was facing sideways the bugger. The induction itself was fine though, I would advise magazines or tablet with movies as the first pessary was Thursday night at 9pm and he didn't arrive until 1am Saturday morning!

Earplugs too as induction suite in our hospital is noisy.

[Spudlet]

I was induced with DS. The process was, get to the ward early, sit about in room for a bit (I had a side room), get checked in, get given DVT socks, then have a pessary put in. That bit was uncomfortable as it has to go under the cervix but it doesn't take long and I was just able to breathe through it. Not much worse than a sweep. Had a check with the belt thing that measures contractions and foetal heartbeat.

Then you get set loose, we wandered around the hospital, got lunch etc. I had bad spd so couldn't walk far, but basically we did what we liked.

DH went home in the evening, I went into labour that night. Unfortunately the midwife assigned to look after me was not the most empathetic so I was told I shouldn't need to call DH and left to it. I had a tens machine so I at least got her to hook me up to that, but that was it until 7am when I called DH to get in there now then pressed the buzzer and cried until an HCA came and sat with me until he arrived. I had been having contractions every four minutes all night and had been unable to lie on my back or my side so had spent all night alone in a dark room kneeling over the back of the bed... it wasn't great. If I pressed the buzzer (which I only did twice btw) I was made to feel an utter nuisance. Once the morning shift arrived another midwife came in with a gas and air bottle, took the pessary out (that bit did hurt) and then shortly after that I went to Delivery Suite where I felt much happier and had a normal delivery, on my knees, no continuous monitoring or anything.

So discuss in advance with your birth partner what you'll do if you go into labour in the night and don't be afraid to take control and call them yourself. My biggest mistake was deferring to the overnight midwife, who was a bitch. But apart from that I had a pretty good birth.

Good luck!

[Samkate]

I was induced at 40+12, sometimes you can ring and get straight in, but if they're busy you can be waiting ages just to get a bed.
The key with induction is patience!

I was given the pessery, basically like a little tampon with hormones on. You are then encouraged to get up and walk. Gravity is your friend.

They then just leave it in, up to 24h for it to do its stuff. Some people very quickly start labouring, I wasn't in full blown labour so after 24h she examined me and said I had progressed enough to break my waters.

I was then moved from the 6 bedded bay into a delivery room.
I was encouraged to have an epidural as it was looking to be a long labour and with all the excitement I hadn't been having much sleep (me and the girl in the bed next to me stayed up late chatting). I was put on a drip to intensify my contractions and continually monitored.

The pessery was inserted at about 1pm Saturday, I was moved into the delivery room at about 4-5pm Sunday and I had my boy at 1am Monday morning. So it was a long process for me.
For others they're holding their babies in their arms only a few hours after it all begins.

[serialbunburyist]

I was one of those who laboured very quickly. Pessary in on the antenatal ward at 1pm, went for a (in retrospect dangerously long) walk in the hospital grounds, then contractions started about 4 pm, came hard and fast (not really ramping up) then by 7:30/8 pm I was fully dilated and trying to push so got moved to the labour ward. 30 mins of pushing later DD was in my arms. My waters had already broken 36h before the induction started so that might have helped things progress quickly.