Is spontaneous labour really different to an induction?

[getintheclowncarswifties]

First birth- 3 days of induction, stalled contractions, ended up on the drip, didn't realise that meant soul sucking pain and asked for a c-section. A little voice in my brain periodically comes out and calls it giving up.

Now considering VBAC for number 2. I just really want that vaginal birth experience but I don't know if I have the mindset for it. Is it really that different? I did get to 5cm without much discomfort last time.

Not much for me. Induced was better, except for 12 hours at the hospital beforehand to facilitate two pessaries.

No progress at 9pmish. They insisted on the drip; I insisted on the epidural first. Think it was getting going anyway. Painless and baby was born at 11.52pm.

You can insist on an an epidural first.

Yes a million times better for me. Had an identical first birth as you then spontaneous second birth. Second was completely different. It was long still but manageable and I felt in control and present the whole time

Yeah, I felt totally out of control once on the drip. I wouldn't contemplate it again without the epidural in place.

TBH I don't know why they didn't bargain me down to an epidural once I had asked for a section.

I’ve never had an induction, only 2 spontaneous labours. Both early -ish (37 & 39 weeks), both went from nothing to water breaking and 10 cm dilation in 6 hrs, although both ended in c sections for different reasons. So much, much quick than the reports I hear of induced labours over several days.

I had two inductions. Both fine with gas and air. Are you generally of low pain tolerance op?

It depends how your spontaneous labour goes I suppose.

I’ve had two spontaneous labours which were both absolutely fine for a few hours and then incredibly intense (as in, it took me hours to get to 4cm and then 25 minutes to go from 4cm to holding my baby).

My first was induced but I was 40+14 anyway and showing all the signs of imminent labour; it only took pessaries and then when labour started it was straightforward and I had him 2.5 hours after my water breaking and contractions starting. Everyone I know who had inductions that were long drawn out and very painful and needed lots of intervention was induced much earlier, before they were actually ready to labour.

Wow! 🙄

Yes, like @Instructions above, @getintheclowncarswifties I was 41.5 weeks when induced.

In both the natural and induced labour, I went from a standing start to fully dilated v v quickly. It may have been because when the pain stopped due to the epidural, I relaxed.

Thankfully have never been in pain apart from labour so very hard to judge. I didn't need any pain relief at all for any of the induction procedures and got to 5cm no problem.

The pain on the drip was unreal and also felt very unnatural. I couldn't control it or melt into it which the very expensive hypnobirthing course promised.

Did you have the drip though? Because that is entirely different. I did manage the drip with gas and air but I think it is quite unusual and I guess I have a high pain threshold.

Well. My first spontaneous labour was absolutely hell and lasted for hours and hours, ended with an epidural.

Second Labour was induction via pessary which worked within a few hours, once I felt my first contraction baby was born 40 minutes later with gas and air as pain relief.

Third Labour was spontaneous and extremely quick again, had gas and air and pethidine and it was about 90 mins total.

So I don't think theres any rhyme or reason and you can just never tell. I do wonder though if subsequent labours generally tend to be easier/quicker than first ones - but someone will be along in a minute to say that absolutely wasn't the case for them 😆.

There's always one 🙄.

For me they were the same, but I was induced with just the internal gel.

From what I’d read, I’d decided that if they needed to use the drip, I’d insist on an epidural first, as I’d read it can be a lot more painful.

I was 41 weeks when they began but absolutely no sign of labour at all. So very much a standing start as you said.

On reflection I should have asked for the epidural to see if my body could relax. As I said, I really don't know why they accepted the c-section request so quickly. DH says there was maybe something else going on where they thought it was heading that way anyway.

I think it depends on the induction. I’ve had 2 inductions, my first I had gels, rods then the drip and once the drip started it was fucking horrendous, I couldn’t breathe through contractions and there was no “wave” it was just constant agony.

My second baby was technically still an induction but after just one gel my waters broke on their own and then my labour progressed naturally, didn’t need anything else (so no drip) and the difference was night & day to my first labour. The contractions were of course still painful but they were a wave as I had expected the first time, I could breathe through them, I got little breaks in between even right up to being 10cm and pushing.

The contractions from the drip are not at all natural and are a total different ball game!

Isn’t there just!

I had a three day induction, back-to-back contractions for hours, forceps, the works. Absolute nightmare experience. No c section. Took a couple of years to come to terms with it.

I was terrified of a second induction. I was going to have a scheduled c section rather than another induction.

My second baby came naturally, 2.5 hours from start to finish… no pain relief, suddenly understood how people said they could breathe through a birth with no pain relief.

Worlds apart.

I had an induction and a spontaneous delivery, both without any pain relief including gas and air? Are you generally of low pain tolerance?

I had two inductions. The first with the drip, which as you say is very painful and does often lead to a c-section.

However, I didn't need the drip for the my second induction and it was very manageable and a wonderful birth. Yes the contractions were painful but I had a gap to catch my breath and I just had gas and air and some painkillers.

I think it helped that it wasn't my first labour, that I was 38 weeks not 37 and that I was feeling really calm and relaxed.

Oh these are good stories. Glad to hear the drip had the same effects on us other mere mortals of low pain tolerance 😂

I thought the same - I'm sure it wasn't meant to be bitchy but it did come across that way.

I was induced and had no pain relief, including gas and air. Are you generally of low pain tolerance?

I've had four. Two induced, one was a fantastic experience the other was fine but a bit fast. Two spontaneous, one fine one ended up in an EMCS. I think all labours are different to some extent and you can't predict how it will go. Hope it goes well whatever you decide.

👏