Were you induced with subsequent births?

[Miaou]

Am due to have baby no. 3 in July/Aug and really don't want to be induced, mainly because it means having to go up to the main hospital 3 hrs away (not so nice) instead of the lovely cosy cottage hospital half an hour away!

I know there is no hard and fast rule - but did anyone have an induction with a 2nd/3rd/etc baby after delivering without induction first?

I think I am looking for reassurance where there is none!!

[janeybops]

no - was induced with first (2 weeks late). second labour started naturally - just - I was 6 hours away from the time I was due to be induced for the same reason.

[Mosschops30]

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[debs26]

had induction with 1 & 2, went 8 days over with no 3 but started off myself, am sure mainly due to having a couple of membrane sweeps. ask you midwife for them when you get near your due date. good luck!

[Miaou]

Thanks guys - anyone else? Or can I safely assume that no-one needed an induction after no. 1?

[frogs]

Had induction with dd2 after waters went (we think). Had spontaneous labours with dd1 (posterior, epidural, ventouse) and ds (10lb, born 10 mins after we got to hospital, still on trolley in admissions unit).

With dd2 I showed no signs of going into labour, so they kicked off with a pessary, which brought on strong contractions but (as it turned out) didn't actually do anything. Eventually went onto drip, cranked up drip, still nothing. Late evening they were going to turn up drip still further (still not even 1cm dilated), so asked for epidural, as contractions painful and I was exhausted. Sent off down corridor to have a wee first. While in the loo thought I might as well have a poo while there (sorry if tmi!) and then realised swiftly that something rather larger was heading southwards fast.

I was all set to give birth in bathroom, which seemed entirely reasonable to me at the time, but a posse of midwives manhandled me into wheelchair (with hindsight there really wasn't room in the bathroom for the midwives to assist the birth, but I find that the baby's head crowning does nothing for my powers of rational argument). Back in room, stood up and leant over bed, two pushes and dd2 was out. (9lb 5oz)

I was annoyed about having to be induced after two spontaneous births, mainly because I wanted to use the new lava lampy birthing unit rather than the proper labour ward. But three babies later I've finally recognised (a) best not to make any assumptions about what to expect; and (b) as long as you end up with a healthy baby, none of it really matters.

[Miaou]

Thanks frogs, re your last comment, I know you are probably right, I also know that I am being irrationally anxious during this pg (was all dreamy and calm with previous two!). I have just heard lots of stories about the big hospital, re too few/unpleasant midwives, people left on their own for long periods etc, and rubbish postnatal care, SO different to our local hosp where I know all the midwives and they are all lovely, and nothing is too much trouble.

How overdue were you when you were induced with dd2?

[Mosschops30]

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[Miaou]

I'm sure there are probably as many good stories as bad mosschops, just I haven't heard them! I would probably feel less anxious if I could go up and have a look around but it is SUCH a long way (6 hour round trip, fgs!) that I am really reluctant to do it unless I have to.

[pabla]

Don't want to worry you but I have heard from several sources that whereas a second birth can often be easier than the first, the third can be less straightforward. I had spontaneous labour with my first two and only just escaped induction with my third, by the skin of my teeth - he was 11 days overdue and I was actually in the hospital waiting for the induction process to start when eventually contractions started and I asked them to hold off. I have a few friends who also went overdue with their third and had to be induced. Sorry!

[Eulalia]

Hi Miaou - not been over to the ante-natal threads for ages but this has caught my eye. I am wondering this too. This as you may remember is also my 3rd. First was spontaneous and 8 days late but 2nd I had to be induced. Therefore got no idea what to expect this time round. I am expecting to be late again as it appears to be the norm with me. 2nd time I held off for as long as possible and actually put forward the date of induction so I was 14 days late. It was actually very straightforward probably because I was so far on and my cervix was ripe. Only needed one dose of prostin to set me off and nature did the rest. However did have to go to the labour ward rather than midwives unit. However dd was quite fast once I got going so I didn't mind. However I can see that going to a different hospital isn't such a good idea. Can you just leave the induction date as late as possible? Theoretically you don't have to be induced at all assuming there are no problems. I just was getting very fed up. dd was due on 1st April and wasn't actually born till the 16th so I think that's about as late as you can get!

You didn't say what happened with your first two?

[Eulalia]

frogs - lovely story about the bathroom

[Miaou]

Hi Eulalia, nice to see you! dd1 was 4 days early, dd2 was 10 days late - I was booked for an induction but went into labour spontaneously - so no established pattern as such.

pabla, thanks for posting your experiences - tbh I am of the "forewarned is forearmed" brigade - I would rather know all the possibilities than not!

Re the date of induction - I am seeing my midwife on Tuesday and she wants to do my birth plan then, so I will quiz her on the best course of action and see if they will leave me as long as possible

[frogs]

I wasn't that overdue at all, Miaou maybe 5 days? But had an episode that was consistent with waters going, although the swabs they took subsequently didn't show positive for amniotic fluid. They did say something about it being a hindwater leak, though I've never really understood whether that means waters have gone or not. But 48 hours later with no sign of labour they did start muttering about induction. Frankly by that point I was so huge and so fed up that I was past caring remember that stage?

[bunny2]

I was induced with ds (horrible experience). With dd, I had a sweep 4 days overdue and went into labour the following morning.

[Miaou]

frogs - certainly remember it with dd2 - having had dd1 early it never occurred to me that dd2 might be late!!! Doh. Told you I was all calm and dreamy first two times!!

I also had fantastic birth experiences first two times, so I kind of feel that this birth has a lot to live up to IYKWIM.

Bunny, I think I might go down the "daily sweep" route if I go over - anything to avoid trekking up to the city!!

[serenity]

DS1 - 8 days overdue, mw starting to talk to me about induction but luckily he showed up on his own.

DS2 - Induced at 10 days over mainly because i had an 'ageing placenta' - I'd had problems with bleeding throughout the pregnancy. I do wish I'd been a bit tougher about saying no, but at least it was quick (4 hrs!) and it was easy to arrange for someone to have DS1.

DD - Spontaneous labour at 11 days overdue after my 2nd sweep. I was trying really hard to get her out before the induction they wanted me to have at 14 days o/d, and it worked!

[bunny2]

Miaou, a sweep worked wonders and I flinched only for a moment - go for it!!!

[QueenEagle]

Miaow - Are you asking about induction because of any expected/foreseeable problems or just curious in case you go overdue? Sorry if you've said this but I have only skimmed this thread.

My first 4 were all spontaneous, two a few days early and two 11 days over. As I had a tendency to produce big babies, I was worried about no.5 being big and the likelihood of tearing (which I did badly with all of them especially no.2 who was 9lb 14oz). Hence, when everything pointed to no.5 being on course to be approx 11lb at full term, I insisted on not being allowed to go over my dates. My consultant agreed to induce me 10 days early and ds4 was 9lb 1oz. I was very relieved and felt justified in asking for induction.

Babies no.3 onwards were fast and furious (just my natural way it seems), both the spontaneous ones were 45mins and 1hr from 3cm to being born. When I was induced (waters broken due to favourable cervix, drip a few hours later) it was about 1.5hrs from 3cm to birth. All only 3-4 pushes, easy peasy.

I was told by a couple of midwives that inductions of subsequent pregnancies were likely to follow how your body coped previously, ie for me nos 3 and 4 were v quick so the induction of no.5 went the same way.

[Miaou]

Hi QE - I'm not expecting any problems per se, but if I have to be induced I will have to go up to the hospital in the city which is 3 hours away and not as nice as the little cottage hospital only half an hour away, so I'm wondering how likely it is that I will need an induction, when I haven't needed one with the previous two. My other two were 6lb 13 oz and 7lb, so early induction due to size is unlikely to be an issue.

Although I'm not particularly keen on the idea of an induction, it's more the fact that I would miss out on a local birth that's causing me anxiety atm.

[wordsmith]

I was induced with 1 and 2. Was dreading induction with no 2 but it was fine - much better and faster than no 1.

[Eulalia]

Miaou -if you've not had inductions previously then there is no reason to think you will need this time round. Obviously no-one knows for sure. Try the sweep as that works for many. Didn't for me but it means you can do things in stages. Allow 48 hours for the sweep to work and then maybe have another so you'd have to start planning this around 10 days late. Also check out the booking in dates for your induction. I was booked in at 10 days just for administrative convenience (it was a Friday) and I asked them to make it the Monday instead and there was no problem with this doing it advance.

[jayhazromie]

i was induced with all 3 of mine (over due with them all), the gel and the drip , but while i was in hospital being induced with my youngest i met 2 women who had both had 4 children and they both had to be incuded every time , but my last was delivered after 3 hours of my labour being induced , so its not all bad , good luck

[BadgerBadger]

No induction with either DD1 or DD2, each were a couple of days over their EDD's.

[Eulalia]

This may be of interest - Detailed Paper about PostDates