Induction advice

[zaffa]

Hi everyone!

I'm booked in for an induction next week and trying to work out the logistics (if baby doesn't come before). I've read on the NHS website that it may not work and could require a few attempts, we live around 45 mins from the hospital and whilst they have said I will stay in (and DH is allowed to remain with me 24/7) him spending two days solidly with me doesn't seem practical.

He won't be able to get any rest really and i don't know if it's a case of him needing to be there the whole time as labour could then happen at any moment, or if he could go home (or to a friend's) for a rest / overnight sleep. I can't really envision how it all works, they said it would be six hours between giving me the gel and then they would assess depending on the situation. The website said it could take up to 48 hours to get labour to start as well - I know if we were at home he would get some rest, whilst being in hospital there will he pain relief so I can get some rest, but I don't know what happens to him if I'm there for that full length of time.

Could anyone share their experiences? I don't want things to start happening and him to be 45 mins away.

[redexpat]

Ive been induced twice.

First time: pessary at 6pm. Both kept in. He slept in an armchair while I laboured. 2am it got really painful (transition) and by 5.04 I was holding ds.

Second time: pessary at 8am. Sent home (45 minutes awsy) and told to come back at 5pm. Came back, given second. Mw came in with an appointment card for the next day and I shouted Im not going anywhere. Sent to labour room at midnight. 634 dd was pulled with the ventouse from me.

[zaffa]

Thanks - that sounds like I would want him to stay with me and sleep in a chair! It sounds about as fast as I would have expected too, in a best case scenario, so that is hopeful.

Thanks for sharing!

[Lunafortheloveogod]

It took me 2 pessaries and even then 12hours from “labour” to birth.
The first pessary went in in the morning and produced small contractions but my cervix hadn’t changed enough for any progress really but they didn’t want to over stimulate me so instead of 6 hours I waited 12. It went in at bedtime and I slept until 4am when contractions started. DP came in for 7 (which seems like ages but I was 1cm and waited till I’d been on the monitor and checked to see if it was number 3 or ward).

Down to labour n delivery at 10am baby at just before 5pm.

We weren’t offered dp to stay as they had no where to put him and same position of being over half an hour away. He was just told to keep his phone on loud and we’d call him to come in before my waters were broken. Midwife said it wasn’t likely to be quick.. perhaps they can tell somehow or she didn’t want to panic him😂

[zaffa]

Thanks @Lunafortheloveogod . At what point did they decide no.1 wasn't working? They said they will monitor me and baby for 45 mins before and after, so I'm wondering if they decide at that point that it's moving slowly. I think realistically he could stay in the first six or so hours with me, but we also have DSS who is with us that week and although his parents will step in, he can be very anxious so we are worried about leaving him for up to three days without seeing his dad (although of course if it is necessary we will do, just don't want to make things worse for him without any benefit to me or baby) and of course I am worried about how exhausted DH will he if he doesn't get any proper rest. I need him after the birth to be on top form lol!

[Lunafortheloveogod]

It was after the full 6hours, she could see there were contractions but they weren’t strong enough as I couldn’t really feel them and then she went on to check my cervix and it was thinning and barely 1cm. The monitoring before n after was more to checking his heart rate and making sure he was ok.

I was fully mobile that full day and went along to the hospital cafe for lunch with dp and mil (her birthday day out lol) and wandered about on my phone to friends so you could always have dp there for the start, nip away to get dss bring him up for lunch and a little adventure and back home later.. obviously depending on how you’re feeling but it might break it up for him if you’re not moving along quickly.

Some of the induction rooms in our hospitals had sofa beds for partners (they were just full) so he might manage a better sleep on those lol. And there’s always red bull 😂

[Reader1984]

I was induced. Being in hospital is scary, and it's a very emotional time. Whether it works first time, or quickly or not, my advise is he is there to support you through all of it. Good luck.

[Allotmentgarden]

I had gel at about 3pm and by 9pm they said nothing was going to happen tonight and sent DH home. I had to stay because it had made my cervix hyper and they wanted to monitor. An hour later my waters went and I was having contractions every 2 mins, I was holding my baby at 9:40am.

[Twickerhun]

They started my induction at 2pm, baby born at 8pm. Most of the time though it can take longer - the midwives will give you advice about how imminent things are. Try not to plan to much as every body reacts so differently, go with the flow as far as you can be prepared to be in for. A few days an soft your husband to be in the chair sleepy next to you but prepare mentally as well for a quick labour.

[Twickerhun]

*and for

[Doje]

My induction took over 3 days! And whilst it was good to have DH around it did mean that he was using up his paternity when I didn't really need him.

I had a pessary each morning, with not much happening in between. We just did a lot of walking around the hospital.

With hindsight, I could have had my mum / a friend with me for those days and DH could have worked, which would have meant he'd have had longer paternity after DS came out. Whether I would swap or not, I don't really know. -sorry, not that helpful-

[Doje]

Forgot to say, DH had to go home overnight, so didn't get the choice on that one.

[Mrsbclinton]

I got the gel around 8am and had DS at 11pm by e c section.
My previous two births were also inductions however I was put on drip( as waters went at home )and they were 9 hours and 7 hours.
Its very unpredictable in terms of how things will progress and I was glad my partner was with me.
He will have to power through the tiredness, will be good practice for when he is up all night with the baby and has to keep going the following day!

[Littlefrog99]

I had 1 pessary at 5pm and by 6 pm I was contracting every 3mins. DS was born at 5.50am by EMCS.

[Sar1520]

Hiya
I was induced at 40 weeks exact on my first, due to gestational diabetes. I had a sweep done at 38 + 3 by my consultant and she done my bishop score which helps to determine the likelihood of induction to work.
I had the pessary in for 24 hours could see my contractions on the monitor as they do that every 12 hours with me anyway as I wasn't complain about pain.
I was really nervous upon arrival, first child, first time staying at hospital, walking into the unknown, my partner was aloud to stay and tbh probably would of demanded as I was petrified! He slept in the chair, was a long 2 1/2 days for us, but we got there I went to labour the evening 11pm following taking the pessary out and he arrived 3pm following, obviously long labour due to induction and being my first!
As much as it was a waste of two days got his leave I couldn't cope without him, it's a very long process on your own!

Booked in next Friday for another induction on my second if not home naturally as 40 weeks Sunday baby's supposed to be measuring bigger as they say.. so we shall see how that labour goes if I do get there haha x

[Dyra]

First gel at 10am. Second a few hours later (?4pm). Sent down to delivery suite to break waters and drip at 11pm. Baby born just before 5pm the next day.

DH was with me the entire time. In hindsight, he really wasn't needed until the evening. But since it was our first baby, and we were hoping the gels would work better than they did, he stayed

[Littlemissdaredevil]

Had Propess at 2am and hooked up to monitor. 3am go to bed and send DH home as nothing would happen. 3:15 text DH is pain is bad and I need him to come back. 6am fully dilated! 9.30 DD born (got stuck ended up with forceps in theatre)

2am is a stupid time to be induced. I wish I had told them I was going home then I could have got some sleep and come back at 9am

[Mummyme87]

I sent OH to work up in London (a good hour away), did school run then drove in to labour ward. Didn’t actually have pessary until 8pm (arrived aT 11am). Was mega busy, then I started contracting and baby’s heart rate was decelerating so we held off, particularly being a previous CS). But didn’t want OH to waste a day of paternity leave. Worst case, he would miss The birth If it was mega quick 🤷🏼‍♀️

[20viona]

1st pessary 5am
2nd pessary 1pm
Got to 3cm with no regular pains
9pm They broke my waters
11:50pm baby in my arms.

[Hugsandpastries]

In my case I went in for an induction and it didn’t actually happen till four days later as they had no spare beds in the labour ward! Was on a kind of ‘waiting around’ ward and DH was going home each night to get sleep. At one point they started the pessary as a bed became free, only to remove it less than half an hour later as the bed was needed for an emergency. I don’t know how usual that is but be prepared that they may be busy.

Once a bed finally became free, the drip meant strong contractions kicked in very quickly. I wouldn’t have wanted DH to leave after it all started.

[raspberrymolakoff]

My SIL was exhausted after 24 hours with no sleep and induction doing not very much (post waters breaking spontaneously) so we sapped in so he could go home for a shower and arranged a time to swap back. Whilst he was away my DD became unwell and I called him immediately and he came back. I'd say don't let the partner go too far away (not more than 20 mins maybe) but if you can give them a break they're much more use to the mother after a rest and a shower!

[raspberrymolakoff]

We swapped in...

[zaffa]

Well I'm on now for my induction and so far I've had the gel at around 2:30 and almost immediately started having a fair amount of pain. Even though I'm not even one cm yet! So fingers crossed it might not be too long a wait ....

[Sar1520]

Walk around or find a ball or something to keep active what my cousin kept telling me to do and I had the pessary which was in longer and I was already half way on my journey before induction began!

Hope it all goes smoothly for you well as smooth as it can go!

Had my sweep today and cervix is looking very favourable maybe she will come before I'm in induced Friday morning! Another sweep Tuesday! Fingers crossed for you! X

[zaffa]

The ball is great - it's actually really alleviated a lot of the pain!

Fingers crossed neither of us are waiting too long!

[Sar1520]

Hopefully!!!!

Have you been checked out yet?