Due to be induced tomorrow - extremely scared

[lelarose]

Does anyone have any advice or experience to help me get over my fear? I will be 13 days overdue with my first baby tomorrow and have been told I have no choice but to get induced in the afternoon and stay overnight in hospital alone.

Was hoping for a home water birth as quite hospital phobic so pretty upset.

Of course you have a choice, you do not have to be induced you can instead choose to have monitoring and await for baby to come natually! see here on the homebirth website
www.homebirth.org.uk/overdue.htm

Try to focus on that you are going to see your baby soon. Try not to worry. It can take quite a while, so try to have some things to distract you, can you take music? Book? I had an epidural and the induction was not painful, it just took a long time. Key thing is a good outcome, a healthy baby and a healthy you. I was just in time, if I had waited longer dd would have died. So although I had planned home water birth, I am very happy that I ended up being induced (although the postnatal care both of us received was awful). Try to be positive! All the best wishes, you are almost there!

I was induced and it was fine - due to waters breaking but I was 40 + 12 anyway. I didn't have gel just pitocin drip but I have heard that the gel sometimes sets you off anyway.
Good luck - you don't say where you are giving birth but do they have a pool there?

I had hoped to have a waterbirth but had to be induced due to low amniotic fluid, and being 13 days over. Labour took long time to get going after I was induced, but once it started, it was all over relatively quickly (7 hours- was my first baby). The being induced bit really wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. So take books etc and if you can, be excited that your baby is nearly here. Good luck!

It will be fine don't worry. Don't be surprised if nothing happens and they have to do it twice.

I was due a home birth water birth- waters broke but no labour. Was induced two days later. Went in at 10- no action by 4-they did it again 6ish. Baby born about 11. Home by 7 am (would have been about 4 am but doctor was tied up with emergency and needed to see us before we left).

Hi, all 4 of mine have been induced as I don't seem to go into labour - was booked in for a homebirth for the last 3 as I too hate hospitals.

Sounds silly but the by far the best induction experience was when I relaxed and accepted that I would be induced at 14 days over and that I would have another huge baby instead of a teeny newborn. The birth was that easy I actually said "was that it???"

I refused continuous monitoring with the exception of the 45 minutes after the pessaries were inserted which again made a huge difference and I was much more able to be mobile. They also let me sit in the bath for pain relief despite having been induced.

I never needed an assisted birth despite producing heffalumps (I'm tiny) and having had epidurals for the first 3!

Ohh yes. I had no monitoring and was in the bath almost the whole time. I also drank litres of water which I think helped.

I had continuous monitoring, because problems with dd and my heartbeat. Still, focus on the outcome and take things to occupy yourself. These type of things you cannot plan in advance, nobody knows in advance what happens, what matters is that both of you are okay. I had done all those active birth classes ... well my dd's birth was anything but active, but I do have an absolutely lovely dd. Good luck!

I was induced for DS number 3. I had the gel put in about 7am and nothing happened until 445pm but he was out by 715pm! All very quick and efficient once it got going and I was mobile all day. I am 37+5 with DC4 and would really not be worried about being induced again. Good luck.

I've had 2 early inductions. Both were absolutely fine. I had continuous monitoring, but I didn't lie on the bed. Had a wireless monitor for DD2 which was fab. If you do need to be on the bed, then I found kneeling on the bed and leaning over the back of it great.

I agree that being relaxed and accepting of it makes a huge difference.

I had great care on the ward afterwards too.

I wasn't induced but just wanted to say good luck and please try not to worry. I had a long and tiring labour and what I can say is it is never as bad as you think it will be. You may not be getting the birth you want but if you are being induced they will want to monitor you and the baby so it really is the safest place for the both of you,

Good luck.

Ooh you will have your baby soon!
I was induced and my biggest problem was expecting the contractions to become more painful, and actually they did not, I just became more tired.

Had an epidural as was so knackered, despite all my pre birth plans to breathe the baby out in a pool... But a lovely birth in the end, and having regained some energy almost enjoyed pushing the baby out as felt so delighted that it was about to be the best moment of my life. And it was! [misty eyes...]

The key thing is to keep your head together and dont panic, the worry that the pain would get worse was actually worse than the pain if you see what I mean?

Let us know how it goes! Best of luck.

Agree with pumpkin - I started in the birth pool and ended up with an epidural as wasn't progressing and had to have syntocinon (sp?) which can make it more intense. Best thing I did. Birth is amazing but it really is just a means to an end so don't have any expectations of what it should be and enjoy it for what it is - the best bit will be holding your baby for the first time and what you will remember.

Lelarose
I didn't want to be induced because of what I had read about induction and interventions and I had my heart set on the lovely MLU at my local hospital. I refused induction once and then was due to be induced at 11 days. Then went into labour spontaniously (I'm too tired to check how that should be spelt) and had a very interventional (is that a word?!) labour anyway. My point being - don't worry try and relax, the more relaxed you can be the better. And soon you will have a lovely baby!

LelaRose how are you? Hope you are snuggling with a new born by now!