Midwife said at sweep…

You never can tell I don't think. I was induced with dc3 (dc 1 born on due date after a very long labour, dc2 born at 41 weeks after a sweep about 6 hours before he was born) because of anhydramnios (apparently that means that the placenta has stopped working). Bishop's score unfavorable, so they decided to induce with Propess.

Latent contractions started about 4.5 hours after propess inserted. In early labour (1cm) after 12 hours. Baby born 18 hours after propess inserted. All much easier than expected.

Good luck, I hope it all goes well

Insist if you need the drip that you get an epidural first. It also helps lower your BP so will look after you as well.

First birth came on after sweep. Super long and hard.

Second birth waters broke and no contraction after 24hrs. I was induced at 7am and baby was born before 12. Did it with gas and air. Would take 2nd one hands down every time! Also baby was 10 days early. Wishing you all the best 😊

Not always. I did it on gas an air. I would like to be induced again should I have another baby as I was happy with how it went - and we had to have interventions and I had a PPH. But I was still happy with the induction process.

There's always at least one who have to demonise inductions.

I've had two 37 week inductions for pre-eclampsia. Zero signs of labour both before and after the gel and ARM. Had to wait 5 days to go to delivery suite with my second, as it was abnormally busy at the time. But it usually isn't that bad. I wasn't even technically ready (only 1cm dilated) with my first before I was sent down for comparison.

Once on the drip contractions ramped up slowly until active labour. Some time and pain relief later, my first was born vaginally, while my second was a C-section. I cannot stress enough that it was not the fault of the induction. Just sheer bad luck with his positioning so that he got stuck. Would 10/10 choose induction every time if needed.

Cervixes are around 3-4cm long when pregnant. It then thins right the way down to the thickness of a piece of paper. So it having shortened to 2cm and softening means things are already starting to move in the right direction.

Best of luck with your induction OP.

The cervix gradually shortens/thins so that’s what she was talking about.

Hi OP,

I was induced at 38+4 for gestational diabetes and decreased movements with my 1st baby

I’d had a very positive induction - DM for full details.

Words of advice : Try and stay as mobile as you can if you’re able to when having pessaries / gels - this will help cervix to dilate. Once you’re on the drip they will want to monitor you but can still bounce on the ball / walk in a small circle. Some places have wireless monitoring so you can ask for that.

once they break your waters you can ask them to give you an hour or so to see if you will naturally go into Labour especially as your body has done it successfully twice before

Some places will give you a gel / pessary and let you go home to see if you will go into Labour / allow dilation to happen - you may be more relaxed at home which might help things

contractions get intense pretty quickly so don’t be afraid to consider all pain relief offered - to oxytocin drip gets increased every 30 mins or so which results in quicker / more intense contractions than would happen if you were naturally going into Labour.

you can still do hypnobirthing whilst being induced - i did!

be aware that you can get to a place where you are ready to have your waters broken but you may have to wait for there to be space on the Labour ward - this was the only negative for me - I only had to wait 12 hours though and it meant I got some sleep so I wasn’t too mad about it.

you will be grand - sending positive vibes - message if you want further details - good luck

I had a super quick and uneventful induction at 38 weeks with my twins. I was nowhere near natural labour whatsoever. Pessary in at 6am, in labour by 12 and babies out by 4am.

Read the room 😬

My first 2 were Easy (late) water births with no pain relief. My 3rd was induced at 38 weeks for small baby and slow placenta
Induction was a little weird- you feel like you've been badly beaten up from the waist down but as soon as I was able I was walking up and down any stairs I could find in the hospital. After 6 hours I had a bleed ans baby was rushed out with ventouse- but it was still a pain relief free birth that I don't regret.. there was a true knot in the cord and baby was teeny tiny only 5lbs. Fwiw my 4th was fine - 39 weeks natural labour that was about 2 hours from first twinge to delivery.
Trust the medical profession - and your body - knows what it's doing and all will be fine
Xx

Hi OP,
Cervixes soften, shorten/thin out (effacement) and open (dilate), the 2cm likely meant it felt like it was effacing which is a good sign :) It isn't unusual to be unable to do a sweep at 37 weeks but things can change very quickly, especially when you've had babies before. The fact you have given birth twice before should also hopefully mean your body responds well to induction.

I had an induction with DC2 and only needed one hormone pessary, waters breaking at 4cm dilatation and DD was born within a few hours.

Over the next few days try to relax and get the oxytocin going as much as possible. Watch comedies, relax in a warm bath, snuggle with your partner/kids, eat chocolate, have sex if you feel like it.

And any change or concerns about baby's movements go and get checked out immediately (but I'm sure you've been told that a lot already!) Best of luck!

Hi a cervical sweep is when the the midwife can insert two fingers in to sweep around the cervix to separate the amniotic sac from the cervix releasing prostaglandin to hopefully kick start labour.
It sounds like your cervix might not be fully effaced/ thinned out and is 2cm long in length. This is perfectly normal for the gestation your are right now.
The propess pessary given for induction will hopefully shorten your cervix and help dilate it. It is already soft which is good and usually ladies with raised B/P labour quickly plus you have had two previous quick labours.
Goodluck with everything and I hope you have another quick labour and baby is here soon.

2 inductions, both at 37 weeks. Both straight forward and (epidural) painless. Both babies were fine, no nicu stays needed. Good luck.

Induction with dc1. Had my waters broken, contractions started, baby born 7 hours later.
My induced labour was completely straightforward.
Good luck!

Been reading the great stories from OPs here, and I'm sorry mine was a bit negative (if realistic for me) xx.

2 inductions here. Both relatively straightforward and unassisted births. For the second one I got the balloon rather than the pessary and it was an absolute breeze so go for this if you have the option!

2 inductions here.
First- 42 weeks. A day of pessaries, nothing happening. New pessary inserted at about 11pm, my cervix was high and closed, no signs of labour, told to get some sleep and I'd have the drip the next day. An hour later I was 3cm, five hours later LO was here.

Second induction - a couple of days before due date as my placenta was calcifying and LO's movements slowed down. Pessaries, nothing happening. 1cm dilated on arrival but when I was checked in the night it had closed 😅. The next morning things for going and labour was less than an hour.

My longest/most painful delivery was my middle child, the only one I wasn't induced with.

To help things keep going in the right direction, try and do plenty of low squats (every hour if possible) to get baby right down into the pelvis as often as possible.

Also walk as much as you can (even round the house!)

Also take plenty of dark relaxation time, warm baths if you like them, and stroke your belly and tell baby you’re ready now. I know it sounds mumbo jumbo but it helps to give your body encouragement/permission to start the birthing processes.

Be kind to yourself in whatever ways you need - I’m so excited for you, it’s going to be a beautiful birth, you’ve got this x

Sorry that you are going through this, I have had similar, my first 3 were natural born late but relatively quick labours (i.e. 40w, 41w, 40w) and my next two were induced. DC4 at 41w, high blood pressure, no signs of coming, 11lb baby. DC5 at 37w, already at 10lbs and was lying across womb with no sign of getting ready for being born and a concern due to "fast labour" and hypertension. Yep, ultimately, and unfortunately, I think you have to go in and just do it - get in a place where they can monitor everything and take good care of you. My two main problems were a) it hurts, and unfortunately, it sort of hurts continually (and differently) rather than the waves of pain from labour so I was not ready for it b) nobody believed I was in labour with DC4 - because I was in agony with the induction and had already called out for help many times with the pain ("crying wolf"), was not examined and then taken very late to the birthing suite (born 10 minutes later with zero chance of any pain intervention, not that I particularly needed it at that point). With DC5, they took me in when he was (finally) head down 37+4. I did at least know that it was going to hurt like that, struggled through it, and was taken in earlier to the birthing suite, and had an epidural and all sorts of interventions before he was born 3 weeks early, covered in vernix, and 9lb 2oz, but it was a better labour experience. My advice is, accept they have to do it, your safety and for your baby. Prepare that it is going to hurt a bit more, do whatever you can with pain relief, have an birthing partner there who will be patient, understands the situation, and will speak for you. (my OH was not that patient 🙄given I had already done it 3 times, and did not understand the difference) but most of all, don't be worried. I am sorry this isn't a more positive overall story, but DC5 was a lot better than DC4, and some sail through it, I am sure there will be other posters who will put your mind at rest. It will be fine in the end, wishing you the best xxxx

She does have to so that's not helpful, is it? Engage your brain.

No sorry the induced labour is terrible labour don’t do it unless you have to.

Another one here, waters broke at 38+2 but no contractions came so I went in for induction. The pessary was enough and I gave birth within 6 hours with no epidural or drip.

DD1 was 12 days late.

DD2 was induced a week before my due date because of low amniotic fluid. The induction took a long time to get going. But... I went from doing puzzles with the odd sharp contraction (conversation stopping but not hugely painful) to baby in less than 2 hours. With DD1 I had been left in a room on my own with regular contractions - with DD2 there was always a midwife there and I was really supported. It was a much more positive experience.

Just remember to take a book (or books) to entertain you if it is a slow start.

All the best OP, hope everything goes well.

She maybe means your cervix is high up / closed still but coming down so it won't be long till it's "ripe" for labour.

If you see her again, ask her what that meant to be sure

I don't think so. Your cervix literally gets shorter as labour approaches, and once short also then dilates to leave a space in the middle (4cm diameter is active labour).