To feel petrified and devastated by induction

[PinkSchmoo]

New poster to Mumsnet and really would appreciate positive experiences re induction.
At 41 wks + 2 I am scheduled for an induction tomorrow and feel hugely negative about it. I know that people have real problems and that this is, in the scheme of things, utterly minor and ridiculous but I am quite simply devastated by the loss of any semblance of control that I associate with induction.
This is my second child, first was assisted delivery after spontaneous labour. I found it tough enough but coped pretty well up until decision making ability was taken out of my hands. Feel that it's gone already and I am in a bit of a state.

I totally understand why you are frightened. I had to be induced with my dd3 (now 4 months old) and I was petrified but actually it ended up being the best of my 3 labours BY FAR.

Obviously, I can't promise you that will be true for you too but I wanted to tell you my positive story of induction so at least you know it can be like that.

Very best of luck and just think, you'll have your wee baba in your arms so soon now

If I were you, i wouldnt be dreading induction. it isnt always totally great but it is better than an outcome without a healthy baby in your arms. Have you considered waiting a few more days though? i would definitely wait til at least 42 weeks- i was induced at 42 weeks with dd1 and went into labour at 41 + 5 with dd2 so you might avoid it yet!
but it will be ok. really it will.

Try not to worry, just be prepared for a long wait for anything to happen.

I was induced with DS at 37 weeks. I had 2 lots of the gel (12 hours apart) which didn't do anything so the next morning the decision was taken to break my waters. Unfortunately the labour ward was so busy I was waiting around until 11pm to go over to the labour ward. Waters were broken at midnight and I was put on the drip at the same time.

5 hours later DS was born, nowhere near as painful as I expected (although no "natural" labours to compare it to) i only needed Gas and Air.

Good luck!

I was induced with my first due to high blood pressure - it was fine. I had gel, my waters broken and then a drip to increase my contractions. As this was my first labour I don't have anything to compare it with but I was happy with how it went and I think the medical staff will only intervene as much as is needed to keep things going. If this is your second maybe you won't need much help to get started which will give you some control back?
Good luck!!

i was induced with my 2nd baby, and out of my 3 labours, was definately the best too, i was scared as i felt i had no control, logically how much control do we have anyway? care yes, progress of labour, natural or induced? none really

You sound just like me when I was overdue with my dd (now 4). I was petrified and got myself into a state. The hospital where dd was to be born had a 10 day overdue and we induce policy, I got to day 9 and rang my midwife in tears, she agreed to let me go to 14 days as I wasn't experiencing any problems and baby seemed happy enough, I went into labour naturally at day 11. What I am trying to say is if all is well you don't have to be induced.

That said a very good friend has just had her 2nd baby and was induced and had nothing but positive things to say about it, all went smoothly and quickly for her with no need for further intervention after initial pessary.

I am 24 weeks pg with my 2nd and already worrying about the possibility of being induced so I certainly understand how you are feeling.

My friend has had 3 DCs and was induced with her second but not the other two. She wasn't overdue but had had difficulties with the placenta and they feared for DS2's development.

She tells me the labour and birth (vaginal) were as much in her control (as it can ever be ) as they were the other two times. She pushed eventually, he came eventually. It was a little more painful.

You're about to have your second, beautiful baby. That he/she arrives healthily is in your control. Get comfortable and try to enjoy as much as you can about how you feel right now.

And don't forget to come back and tell your story! Good luck.

I had to be induced at 38 weeks with my DS due to complications with gestational diabetes, and it wasn't a bad experience for me. I was able to plan and organise myself because I knew when I was going into hospital, and the induction worked first time and labour was only 12 hours from start to finish. I was relieved not to be waiting around, wondering whether I needed to go to hospital yet, and didn't spend ages in early labour as it all happened quite quickly.

I only have one child so don't have anything to compare it to, but I had a horrendous pregnancy and always remember the birth as the best part of the whole process. Good luck, hope everything goes well!

it probably wont work anyway straight away mine took 18 hours and they only gave me one lot of the gel (in cervix) so I think the "fiddling about" down there probably did more than the gel! Its a tiny part of the process and you will soon have a baby - chin up!

PinkSchmoo Is there any medical reason for you going in for induction, or could you put it off forever a bit longer?

Am hoping that one gel will get things going as everything is "favourable" (you can guess but the internet is no place to discuss your cervix).

Think what scares me is not being able to move round, have this hideous impression that I will end up chained to a bed and continuously monitored. Would just love them to give me the gel and let me out again.

Know that if you go past gels you are basically signing on to the end (and I really fear that could turn out to be section). Has anyone opted out after an unfavourable response to gels or is that just not the done thing?

All 3 of my boys have been inductions due to various reasons, including pre-eclampsia and concerns re my last Dss size. I can honestly say none of them ever bothered me, at the end of the day it was just a way of putting me in labour, and I was more concerned about coping with that than the inductions.

DS1 (18) - induced with a drip, waters broken artifically, I was sure I wanted an epidural early on, long labour but pretty standard delivery, could feel at the end to push.

DS2 (9) - again induced with drip and waters broken, epidural, much the same as DS1 except he was back to back and I was warned I might need thatre and interventions - but he turned at the last minute and delivered vaginally.

DS3 (3) - induced with pessary, then next day drip and waters broken. Again long but standard, ended up mind you with an emergency C section because he got stuck in my pelvis and had to be got out with forceps during the section. But that was due to his size, not the induction - he was 9 lbs 13 oz at 38 weeks! Birth didnt bother me, as long as he was healthy.

I think with inductions contractions can come on very quickly, which is why I demanded requested an epidural all 3 times.

Obviously everyone will have a different experience but I've been induced and had no problems at all. The worst bit was the waiting for 6 hours at the start with nothing happening but once things got going it was all over in about 2 hours. It was abit scarey as it all happened very quickly at the end but it wasn't my first so I knew what to expect.

On a purely practical note it was really helpful to know when I was going in to hospital to be able to make arrangements

I hope it all goes well

Flisspaps - No medical reason. I am relatively slight and baby is looking relatively large. Our local maternity hospital is excellent but overstretched and it seems if I don't go in on my slot it could be quite some time before they can get me in again.

I refused to be induced as I was so scared of them, you don't have to go along with it. They wanted to induce me at 41+5, I said no and they offered me daily monitoring instead. I went for one monitoring session at 41+6 and went into spontanious labour at 42 weeks.

It was definitely the right decision for me. I'd had a sweep at 41+4 and was told then that cervix wasn't favourable at all, so I don't think it would have worked.

However, you say you are afraid of being stuck on a bed - I ended up with monitoring for a lot of the labour as there was meconium in the waters, but it was fine. Not what I'd have preferred, but not as bad as I was expecting.

Good luck anyway!

I was induced with dd2 - the easiest and most active of all 3 of my labours. I was given the gel at about 6am, pottered about, listened to ipod, read some trashy magazines. Had another gel at 11am, took a million baths , no drips, kept walking up and down the corridor etc. Had a bath at 4pm, had dd2 at 6.40pm, as I said earlier - no further interventions after gel, delivered baby kneeling at the side of the bed. Funny enough it was the labour I felt in most control of, just had dd3 (11 weeks ago), she took us all by surprise and arrived a day early!!

I always think that with induction its like most things, you only hear the horror stories, I was really dreading mine, had heard lots of negative experiences (incl my Mum ) but honestly it was fine. Good luck.

Thanks Cosmosis - feel it's too late to change it now but your comments re monitoring are, along with everyone else's, helping to talk me down a bit.

You can decline induction, you know. It's not up to 'them' to 'allow' you to wait until your baby is ready. A useful set of phrases is 'Thank you for your advice. I will consider it as I make my decision.' Your decision, your body, your baby. You might well decide that your doctor/midwife have good reasons for what they suggest, but you might also decide that some blanket 'policy' isn't a good enough reason to interfere with a natural process. The WHO definition of normal pregnancy is 37-42 weeks, so until you pass 42 week you're not even 'late.' In France your due date is 40+10. These things are cultural as well as scientific. My hospital had a policy of 'watchful waiting' until 43 weeks.

PinkSchmoo Just because you are small and the baby appears relatively large a few more days now would make very little difference with regard to the size of the baby. Small women can give birth to large babies without assistance anyway (there's a current thread on this somewhere)

Even if they're overstretched now they'd have to find room for you if you went into labour naturally, and they would find you a later induction slot if you needed/wanted it. Them being busy is NOT a reason for you to undergo a medical procedure that you are not 100% happy with yet. You being worried about induction could actually hinder the process anyway, the more relaxed you are, the 'easier' it will be to labour/birth (apparently)

Pink, i didn't have the gel as they had a free delivery room so they offered me the chance to just "go for it" - was my first child, and I also wanted to move around and felt quite sad and disappointed at being induced. however, i was on my feet for a lot of it, in fact - was only later stages i was on the bed (my choice) and was kneeling etc., as i wished to be - was all fine!

baby ended up with difficulties (nothing to do with induction btw!) which meant i was v pleased to be where i was in such a "controlled" (ie. monitored) environment - the staff were fantastic, too - please don't feel scared, just stay positive and remember - you will have your baby in your arms v soon! (so much better than the dreaded over-due stage/endless "is it not here yet?" inane questions etc!).

best of luck though.

Wigglesrock - also have an induced Mother. She is excellent at not telling horror stories but from the little she has said it WAS horrific - think that may also be a generation thing (1970's).

And it's certainly not too late to change your decision :)

Get running up and down the stairs, lots of star jumps and lunges - with a bit of luck, you'll be on the way to having that baby by tomorrow anyway!

I was induced with DS as my waters broke, contractions stopped and after 8 hours or so they decided to induce because of the risk of infection (a bit of an overeaction imo, but that's American hospitals for you).

It was a very straightforward birth. The only thing was that as it was my first child I wasn't prepared for the contractions and with induction they are often more intense than with natural labour. I had an epidural pretty quickly, though, and it was very easy and painless afterwards. As they cut down/off epi for the pushing stage (which I believe is a standard thing to do) I pushed DS out in 20 minutes, had a little tear, but that's it.

It wasn't traumatic whatsoever.

I was induced with my first dc, all went pearshaped and ended up with emergency c/s. I felt I had failed and it wasn't until I saw a midwife as part of a birth afterthoughts service that I felt better as she said the odds were stacked against me being induced. But I did end up with a healthy baby boy and that's the main thing in the end. I do hope it goes well for you.

Flisspaps is right. I'm a very slight build but both babies were over 9lb and born very easily. We haven't, by and large, evolved to grow babies that won't fit through our pelvises. And you can change your mind any time you please - please believe that you will live with this birth for the rest of your life, while for the hospital staff it's just another day at work. You need to be happy with your decision.