Induction experiences please!

[WinterRose92]

Hi, all!
I started a thread last week asking how your 2nd labour went compared to your 1st and got some great responses - thank you so much.
Since then I had a bit of a scare with reduced movements (2nd time this has happened in this pregnancy) so went in on Sunday to be monitored. There were no concerns thankfully but they did suggest induction at 39 weeks to me. I thought long and hard about it and have decided to go ahead and be induced. I’m going in tomorrow morning. Feeling a bit nervous but very excited at the same time!
I went into labour naturally with my son at 40+5 and had a great experience so am a bit clueless about induction really.
I’ve asked a few close family/friends who have had inductions how it went for them and now I’m asking Mumsnet please! And don’t worry about putting me off if you had a bad experience, if you want to share it then please do. Good or bad - tell me! I like to be prepared for any kind of outcome, I like to know what I’m going into.
Thank you 😊

[20viona]

Mine was overall good

5am 1st prostin pessary 1cm dilated head very low.
1pm 2nd pessary, different midwife unable to break my waters as cervix posterior. (This was really painful and wish I'd accepted gas and air!)
5.30pm started getting some mild contractions.
9pm had my waters broken (had gas and air As super painful) 3cm dilated.
10pm up to labour ward having intense contractions with barely any break inbetween.
11.50pm baby was born!

I was induced due to small baby at 37+4.
I had a retained placenta which resulted in a trip to theatre and a spinal block but I don't think being induced contributed towards that.

[WinterRose92]

20viona Wow, in the end things sped up really fast for you! Sounds a bit scary in the end having to go to theatre but you never know what’s going to happen in labour really. Thanks for your response.

[SnuggyBuggy]

I had the drip and an epidural. It would have been barbaric without an epidural. If think if you're going to go down the medical route go all the way.

[twoheaped]

From 1st pessary to birth was 4 days in both my pregnancies.
1st was back to back, so can take longer anyway.
2nd ended up as a ventouse as the little monkey had the umbilical in her hand and squeezed it with every contraction, which showed as in distress with her heart beat.

Take the epidural every time.

[WinterRose92]

Thanks, will take it into consideration, definitely.
My son was back to back until the last minute, he turned (luckily!). I had gas and air and diamorphine, he was born after 17 minutes of pushing.
I’d never rule out an epidural though.
twoheaped 4 days? You must have been so exhausted.

[Moncwf]

Similar to you, spontaneous labour for #1 at 40+3, induced at 39 +1 for #2. I found induced labour much less painful. Probably because baby was smaller and in a better position. My waters were breakable so no need for balloon catheter/pessary. Didn't have any contractions within a couple of hours, due to needing antibiotics progressed to the drip. They start it really low and turn it up gradually. Maybe because I didn't have the drip particularly high but I found it less painful than spontaneous labour by a long long way. I found the drip contractions regular but very defined with beginning peak and end, whereas spontaneous where all over the place in terms of pain peaking and duration. I managed to breathe through it without even gas and air for most of it. I was checked after 3 hours and was 6cm. I was starting to find it difficult so asked for gas and air and epidural. Anaesthetist came within half an hour, but at that point realised that the reason the pain had suddenly ramped up was because I was in transition. No time for epidural and he was born 8 minutes later.

[WinterRose92]

Moncwf That’s really interesting, a lot of people seem to say that being induced can be more painful as I suppose your body is being forced into it.
Everyone is different though, no two labours are the same. You never really know how it’s going to go!
Thank you for sharing with me.

[SpadesOfGlory]

Induced at 39+1, first baby.
Pessary put in at 12.30pm, taken out at 3pm due to over stimulation - basically I was having 6 or 7 'contractions' in 10mins but they weren't real ones.
2 injections to stop the contractions over the next hour, then nothing til 11pm when they took me to labour ward and settled me into a room.
Broke waters at 12.20am, non stop contractions started 20 mins later, went from 2-8cm in 20 mins and then 5mins later was 10cm, 14mins pushing and DS was born at 1.37am, so just over an hour after they broke my waters

It was pretty damn painful if I'm honest, didnt have time for any good pain relief, and ended up with a 3rd degree tear. But I've healed fine 5 months later and no lasting issues.

[Mintypea5]

Induced baby 1 42 weeks ... pessary in at lunch things kick started pretty quickly from there down into delivery that afternoon. Had the drip ... it was incredibly painful but I have a rubbish pain tolerance so had epidural. Baby born early hours

Over all very positive experience. Once had the epidural done it was very pleasant and calm ... no interventions needed and I didn't have any tearing etc

Induction baby 2 last year at 38 weeks for reduced movements and stopped growing in abdominal Curve. Unlucky timings (very busy time to be having a baby!) delivery was shut so after my pessary didn't really kick start things I was waiting two days to be taken down for waters to be broken. Had own room so all fine ... once down for waters to be broken and on the drip
Things moved pretty fast. Process started at 7pm and baby was born at 2:58 after 6 mins of pushing. Had epidural again although things spread up so fast it hadn't fully taken effect so I knew I needed to push / had gas and air to get through that bit! Again no interventions like forceps needed and no tears or damage to me. Very very positive experience

Was up showered and dressed within the hour

[turtletum]

Was induced at 39 weeks. Had pessary in the morning but no effect. Second pessary following morning, no effect all day. Went to bed. Waters broke a bit after 10pm, contractions started and were strong and frequent from the start, 4cm dilated and moved to delivery an hour later. Used tens machine to help as baby was back to back so I was getting most of the pain in my lower back. Baby was delivered by 4.30am with ventouse, as baby was distressed due to cord around his neck, had some tearing and episiotemy. Overall, it was fine.

[WinterRose92]

Thank you everyone.
It’s really good to get idea an of different experiences - I appreciate everyone taking the time to reply.
I’m getting quite nervous now (hence being up at this hour!) but I think once I’m there I’ll deal with it better and take it as it comes.
Just so ready to have her now.

[FrecklesFreckles]

I was inducted at 39+2 a growth scan showed baby to be on the small side. Had the pessary in for 24hours which did nothing. After 24hours I had the drip fitted with the stuff to bring on labour and my waters were broken. The contractions came on pretty quick after that and the speed and intensity that they came at was pretty rough! I ended up having diamorphine. Never dialated past 2cm and after another 24 hours had an EMC. I found my experience to be pretty negative but I've heard a few positive induction stories too!

[Thattwatoverthere]

It was my first birth so I didn't have anything to compare it to but it was fine.
It was a 20 hour labour that did actually start spontaneously although I was already in hospital planned for an induction the next day. They ended up breaking my waters and putting me on the drip as I wasn't progressing quickly. I really would recommend an epidural though as the pain ramped up very quickly once on the drip, it was totally manageable beforehand so I'd refused anything more than gas and air. The epidural saved my sanity but I wish I'd had it before the pain was at a high level. She was also back to back which made it a lot worse.
We ended up with forceps due to my DDs heart rate dropping and was prepped for a c section. I don't think that was directly related to the induction though and hopefully your body will have some memory of what to do, with it being your second. My second shot out with no pain relief etc so hopefully you'll be in for a faster one than me!
Good luck and congratulations!

[IndieTara]

Induced Thursday lunchtime and DD finally arrived by emergency c section Sunday morning

[Lauren83]

Mine just wouldn't get going, was induced at 38.1 for a big baby and after 3 days of pessaries I had a section as nothing really started

[Megan2018]

I think it depends on how they induce you.
I’m booked for induction on EDD for diabetes and being over 40 (first baby). They intend to use a balloon catheter to open cervix to break waters, then only use drip if labour doesn’t start. I’m not having pessaries as they apparently take too long for my case.
I am hoping to avoid the drip!

Good luck! I have 2 weeks to wait and getting nervous now!

[WinterRose92]

They’re going to start me off with a pessary. I hope it’ll get things going, fingers crossed but will just have to see!
Thank you for the support - I’ll come back and let you know how it goes. Hoping it won’t be too long still she’s in my arms!

[YorkshireLawyer]

I was induced with my third, also for reduced movements, after two quick and straightforward deliveries with my first two. Already 3cm dilated when I went in so they broke my waters. I thought that would get things going as it had with DS1, but after four hours... nothing. Started the drip at 6pm. As others have said, it starts off low and gets gradually turned up. By 8pm I was having to breathe through the contractions, by 8.30pm they were painful and I needed gas and air. In transition by about 9.15pm (I think they’d actually turned the drip down by this point because the contractions were coming so fast) and DD was born at 9.50pm.

My experience was fine. I do remember thinking it was more painful than the two natural deliveries, but maybe that’s just because everyone says the drip is more painful. It was a calmer experience overall than DS2’s birth who came very quickly, was back to back and there were also issues with his heart rate slowing and my blood pressure shooting up.

Good luck today. FX you have a good experience. If you go in expecting it to be a long and slow process you might be pleasantly surprised, and take whatever pain relief you need!

[pleasedontbreakthechain]

I’ve had one of each - the induction ended in a very traumatic forceps delivery but ultimately we both (baby and I) got through that in time. I remember being surprised that my spontaneous delivery was just as painful as the induction but I got through that with well timed use of gas and air. The biggest issue for me with induction was that it was slower and I was less able to move around. I did have an epidural in the end which was the best decision because the induced contractions were intense, and I was tired and fighting them. Induction, for me, was a little bit like being stuck in transition for hours and I would definitely consider an epidural. I think that part of the problem is that my induction was a 38 weeker, and I suspect the smoother inductions happen at 41-42 weeks in general. I’d absolutely have another induction for a baby I was worried about, but not necessarily for dates

[WinterRose92]

Hi, everyone, just coming back with an update!
I’m doing fine, pessary was put in at 11:30am, I was 1 cm dilated, so midwife gave me a sweep too.
I’m now beginning to get some pains/tightenings & some backache so trying to keep active bouncing on the ball, been for lots of walks.
Feeling pretty chilled. Hoping things might start progressing soon.
They haven’t examined me so no idea if I’ve dilated more but they said if after 24 hours there isn’t much progress then they’ll put me on the drip.
Midwife seemed very positive this morning that things would get going so let’s hope so!

[Thattwatoverthere]

How are you doing OP? Hope all is well

[JamesonCask]

@SpadesOfGlory I had similar story to you. I gave birth a few weeks ago and the first hour I had 40 contractions! Only got worse after that!

[WinterRose92]

Progress has slowed now, annoyingly.
The pessary is staying in till 30 hours. I can take it out then.
I’m 2cm so was a bit gutted when they examined me after 24 hours as I was having an awful lot of pain and pressure - I thought I’d be a bit further along but no.
Good thing is that they’ll be able to break my waters once a bed becomes available after 6, they said they’ll be arranging that.
Hopefully things will speed up for me then and she’ll be here soon.
It’s quite a process but we’re getting there. Thanks for all the support ❤️

[20viona]

Fingers crossed once those waters go things progress! I went from 3cm to 10cm in like an hour and a half x

[WinterRose92]

20viona hoping so! When they broke my waters with my son I went from 6-10 in about the same time. Can’t wait to have her now!