To ask for positive induction stories

[Scaredycatsonetwoandthree]

Afternoon everyone,

I'm getting induced tomorrow (was meant to be two days ago but no beds 🤦🏻‍♀️ I have been assured I am first on the list for tomorrow).

Anyway I am terrified. I was 2cm dilated on Monday and had a sweep which did something (lost plug and have had cramping on and off since). Sorry for tmi!

Can anyone tell me some positive stories?

I'm so nervous! I've heard it might go on and on for days, I've heard it's more painful etc so now I'm starting to panic. I was lay in bed last night and started to really worry I'm going to have a panic attack when I get to the hospital. I've never had one but then I've never been this scared.

I’ve been induced twice. DS1 my waters leaked at 35 weeks but no contraction so I was induced due to infection risk. DS2 was a planned induction at 38 weeks due to his size. Both labours were 12 hours start to finish. I’ve never had a “normal” labour so can’t compare but i wouldn’t say it was a negative experience.

I’ve had one induced labour and one spontaneous. The good thing about being induced is that you get pain relief from very early on, so my induced labour was on the whole less painful than spontaneous, because of all the gas and air! It did end in an c section but I think that would have happened with spontaneous labour too and it was good that I was in a hospital setting for it.
The worst part of being induced for me was the boredom/frustration when it didn’t work for 2 days but your early signs sound v promising - good luck!

As above, I have also been induced twice. And I have another induction booked in 10 days or so with my third. All of mine have been induced early because they were small babies / slow growth. I would agree that it wasn’t at all a negative experience for me - but I obviously don’t know any different! I was actually relieved when they said I would be induced at 39 weeks this time as it’s familiar, at least. My first induction took ages to get going but I wasn’t in any pain until it did. So a lot of sitting around - take a good book etc! I did have an epidural both times as it was intense once things kicked off - but I’m sure I’d have done that anyway; am a huge fan of pain relief! My first labour was about 12 hours - the second was more intense and took longer but that was because he was back to back and it took a while to realise that. Otherwise I think it would have been fairly straightforward and quick. Good luck, take the drugs if you feel you need them, and remember the good thing is that once the bed becomes available and you know it’s going ahead, you’ll get to meet your baby soon!

I was induced with my first. I was terrified, thought I'd be tied to the bed on a drip, have to have an epidural (being unable to move is a big fear for me) and ultimately long failed labour, assisted birth or section.
As it happened it was nothing like that. I had the pessary in and got walking around the hospital especially up and down stairs. That got things going but not enough. We went back in my room, turned the lights out, got out the clary sage, put away the contractions timer and my husband read me hypnobirthing scripts while I relaxed as much as I could. That did it, my waters went and within half an hour I was ready to go to delivery.
Down there again I had the lights out. I was on the bed on the monitoring but kneeling and sitting up, I was definitely not made be on my back. I was offered a ball and mat but actually the baby's position made it more uncomfortable.
I had meptid which is basically a shorter acting version of pethidine, it worked well for me.
I wasn't allowed in the pool but depending on the circumstances you might still be able to, if that's important to you tell your midwife when you arrive.
The whole thing was 7 hours including an hour of pushing (from when my waters went and I was in established labour).
Good luck, it'll be fine.
My tips are eat as much as you can early on so you don't run out of energy (and do your best to sleep tonight), take headphones/sleep mask to relax on the ward before and get moving as much as you can.

Also with my second, I was 1 or 2cm dilated when I started off and they just broke my waters straight away. Didn’t have to have the pessary and wait around - your early signs sound very promising. So fingers crossed!

I had no idea it was meant to be bad! Mine was lovely. I genuinely had an enjoyable birth experience. Induced, relaxed in bed, baby born like 6 hours later. If I could get induced again I definitely would - relaxing in a hospital bed with trained professionals around beats the surprise in my books!

Good luck! I was induced at 10pm, felt nothing much, went to sleep and woke up at 8am with some tummy ache, contractions started hurting at 3pm by 3.30 he was born. It was perfect x

I was induced with DD2. They broke my water at 7pm. I didn't get the gel as I was already 2cm dilated. Started me on the drip at 7.30pm and by 9pm she was here. It was a fantastic labour. I didn't feel it was more intense or painful than my previous labour despite being a lot faster, although DD1 was back to back which definitely didn't help there. I'd read lots of awful induction stories when I was pregnant with DD1 so was really apprehensive when my blood pressure crept up and I needed induced with DD2 but I needn't have been.

Mine was lovely! Super easy.... waters broken at 12.30, was offered an epidural right away but had a walk around first had 1st contraction at 1.30 and by 2 he was here! Quite an intense 1/2 hour but not too bad all in all!

I was induced with my 2nd. Only needed the gel (x2) to get things going and it was pretty similar to my first labour only I wasn't sitting in the car for most of my established labour. All done from 1st gel to baby in 22h - although nothing really happened for first 10 hours of that.

Basically admitted at c7pm (extra added in at request of consultant), gel in 9.30, spent most of the night pacing/killing time. DH allowed back in following morning brought a technic Lego car for me to build which was great distraction- spent most of the time on the Swiss ball and kneeling on the bed- monitoring was easier lay down but not impossible.

Only negative was lots of exams for progress which hurt thanks to scar tissue from my first.

Went into proper labour about 5pm, eventually dilated enough for them to believe me (same as previous) about an hour later (2cm to 7cm in 2 hours...) transferred upstairs to delivery, waters shortly after then stalled at 9cm for ages.

Eventually had ventouse/epesiotomy as got stuck/scar tissue - exactly same as my 1st who was spontaneous and smaller.

Writing because when I was due to be induced all I found were horror stories. It made me so nervous. IT WAS FINE!

I was induced with my 2nd baby earlier this year. I was 13 days overdue! Induced at the hospital in the morning, a little monitoring and then home and due back the next day at 9am.
Contractions started that night and I managed to sleep til 4am and then they were stronger but stayed at home until the 9am appointment. They monitored me for the morning and I went to labour room at 2ish and baby born by 4.30pm.

I really couldn’t say that it was more painful than my first spontaneous labour. In fact it was so quick in the end that I didn’t have time to get my preferred pain relief so caned the gas and air!

Good luck, you’ll be fine.

I consider my induction (2nd birth) a positive experience on the whole. The 24 hour pessary didn't dilate me although it did give me contractions so I went on the drip. The drip does come on strong so it's your first birth I would probably get an epidural sited at the same time or be ready to ask for one. Baby was born uneventfully 9 hours or so after I went on the drip and by an hour after the birth I was on my feet and doing fine. The epi was deliberately allowed to wear off a little so I could feel the contractions at the end and I pushed into them on my side. Healthy baby, no tearing. There are definitely advantages to going to hospital not in labour and getting calmly checked in!

Be prepared for a few days of boredom though. Take a Kindle, a tablet well stocked with downloaded films and TV, go for plenty of walks, bounce on the ball.

Try not to panic, take things to entertain yourself-I found a puzzle book helped. I found induction was easier than my first birth which had been a spontaneous delivery. Strangely I felt more in control. Trust the staff and your body, it might be really quick it might be a few days but at the end you will have your beautiful baby!
In the end my induction didn't go to plan and my contractions stopped after 20 hours even with the drip cranked up and they thought my baby's head was in the wrong position (slightly too far back). Knowing this meant rotational forceps if it was (from previous friends experiences) and if I carried on like they wanted me to for another 4 hours I then requested a C-section. Staff were ALL amazing, and I had the baby by C section less that an hour later. The first few days were painful but actually the C section recovery for me (I know it isn't the same for everyone) was smooth and easier than my natural birth and 2nd degree tear. The hardest part was the noise in the ward afterwards and I went home after 24 hours as I knew it would be more peaceful there!
Good luck, you will be fine

Thank you all so so much for your stories I'm feeling a bit more positive :-)

I think my main fear is that it will either be days of pain or that it will happen so quickly that I won't have time for an epidural.

It's nice to know not everyone has horrible induction stories though because I've heard some god awful ones 😳

I had the propess? (The shoe lace thing) in at 1:28am, waters naturally broke less than 24 hours later, baby was out less than 6 hours later. 1st baby and no pain relief.

I'm going to be 100% real with you, the contractions after my waters went, and before they took the propess out (didn't believe my waters had gone until i rolled over and they all gushed out) were AGONY, but as soon as it was out they calmed down.