Induction experiences

[Ahorsecalledseptember]

Hi, am due to be induced early next week.

I am wondering if anyone can tell me what to expect - it seems a bit vague so far. How long does it normally take? I had a sweep last week which hasn’t worked. Have experienced some loose stools and bowel movements but not much else.

[Moandy]

I had an induction with a Pessary at 40 weeks due to pre eclampsia. I had the Pessary inserted at 8 and started contracting almost immediately. Unfortunately I had a bad reaction which caused almost constant contractions and caused ds fetal distress. I was given an injection to stop the contractions and then my waters broke on their own early the next morning. Continued to contract but wasnt making enough progress and ended up in an emergency c section. I think all experiences are different. Some women take longer to react to the induction, others have a quick easy birth. For me I was petrified and it was no where near as bad as I thought. I would give you one bit of advice and that is to move around all the time. Walk around the hospital and bounce on your ball. Really helps things get going.

[Dyra]

Truthfully, an induction takes as long as it takes. You'll find stories where baby arrives within hours, and others arriving after days.

The basic process is, you're admitted, monitored to get a baseline, examined to see what your Bishop score is, and then they go from there. Usually they'll start you off on a pessary (or catheter, or rods), and see if that gets you dilated enough for ARM/start you contracting. If you're already dilated enough, they might send you straight down to labour ward to have your waters broken. But it's all very dependant on how your body responds.

As for me, pessaries did sod all, and my waters only went when they were popped for me. Still didn't go into labour, so had the drip, but progressed well after that. Delivered with no interventions.

As with PP, the best thing you can do to try to help it along is keep moving. The only contractions I had with the pessaries happened while I was power waddling walking around a nearby playground.

[Penville]

Happy induction story here. I had two sweeps which did nothing so I was induced and the bit I found hardest about the process was being connected to the monitoring machine the whole time. Think I had a different experience to Moandy and Dyra as I was all ready to walk around and use my yoga ball and instead I was asked to lie as still as possible so they could get good readings - not easy when you’re contracting!

A few hours after the pessary I was having trouble with the pain so they examined me to see if I could have pain relief and it turned out I was ready to go. The check made my waters break and fifteen minutes later my baby was born 🙂

The whole thing took less than 7 hours and I know I was very lucky but I just wanted to share as I heard a lot of scary induction stories before I went in. There’s definitely no normal amount of time as I was warned it could be very slow and I might have to go home and come back the next day.

[Mummyme87]

All completely different, but so know the pessaries/balloon/rods have the aim to favour your cervix to enable midwife to break your waters and not put you into labour. The pessary may put you into labour but it’s not the aim. Rods and balloon very unlikely to cause you to have uterine activity (they are mechanical).
May take a couple of rounds of pessaries/or balloon then pessary
Once waters broken, allow time for contractions, if things don’t change use hormone drip to give contractions

[littleharissa]

Pessary 8pm Saturday
Contractions started 1am Sunday
Waters broken 8pm Sunday
Started pushing 1pm Monday
DS delivered EMCS 3pm Monday

[unmarkedbythat]

I had an induction with ds1. I went in at 42 weeks, had a pessary about lunchtime, very favourable Bishop score. Told I was having contractions when they monitored me, I didn't feel anything different to BHs. Nothing really happened until I was having a wander around the ward trying to bore myself to sleep at 2.45am, waters broke, contractions started, he was born at 5.14 with no further intervention required. Most women I've spoken to have had different experiences with induction, and I suspect pessary or no pessary I was on the cusp of labour anyway.

[Ahorsecalledseptember]

Thank you - looks like I could potentially be in hospital for a few days then! Must stock up on snacks.

[Sls668]

@Moandy my pessary experience was almost identical to yours! I won’t be having one again.
Everybody is different though, my body doesn’t usually react well to medication/hormones etc so it didn’t come to me as a huge surprise.

[Hattifatteneners]

I was induced at 37 weeks. Had 1-2 nights (can't really remember) in hospital before they had space on delivery to get me going.
I was examined and was already 2cm, so they just broke my waters and everything happened quickly after that. There was monitoring but I was able to go for a walk, before the contractions got too intense.
It is different for each person though.

I hope it goes ok for you