to induce or not to induce?

[Gemjar]

I am 39+3 and due to see the midwife tomorrow, as I was induced with DS1 and everything went well - my contractions started slowly, built up overnight and I delivered naturally they next evening - I am thinking that being induced again with DS2 will be the ideal way to go. It will allow us a little forward planning in terms of arranging childcare for DS1 and also will mean that I get to avoid the waters breaking and contractions starting in the middle of the night, etc which I have not experienced before and am a bit scared about.

What I would like to know is what are peoples thoughts on being induced, I get the impression that many are against it and I was just wondering why this is? For me it seems to be almost the ideal scenario, but I would like to get some thoughts as to why it might or might not be so ideal. What are your experiences of being induced and would you recommend it or advise against?

I was against it - I read the AIMS 'Do I need induction?' leaflet - was determined I would not immediately say OK if I was told I needed induction.

In the end I was induced due to waters breaking but no onset of labour - but I waited three days and did everything I felt I could to bring on labour in that time. Consultant was totally unsupportive; I did have regulary daily monitoring at the hospital before I finally agreed to be induced.

For me, the cons were:

Feeling I had lost control of any decisions.

More pain/more intervention/higher chance of c-section/slower recovery/less chancec of bf-ing.

Wanting a homebirth.

As it turned out, I did have a forceps delivery, which I not how I envisaged it, but bf-ing was never a problem. I only had a spinal cos of the forceps, was managing ok with pain before that - I had gel and really didn't want syntocinon (sp?) - though there was talk of that, luckily (!) delivery suite was too busy.

Having said that the delivery was ok by me in the end, I will still be resisting induction next time for any reason.

Oh, and I was given the first pessary on Weds at 9am and still didn't have DD till Fri 7pm, so planning may be a little less predicatable than you might think!

Good luck.

I was induced with DC2 which was my last choice and I was dreading it. With a second baby they are less likely to induce you early unless there are medical reasons - this is the case in Derbyshire anyway. They wouldn't offer me a sweep until 40+7! I was induced at 40+14 and it was great. Because my body had had the extra time, and 2 sweeps, I was already 4cms dilated, they broke my waters and labour was 1hr 15mins, home 2 hrs later. I had a completely natural labour with DC1 which was far less scary and intense. Contractions started mildly and built gradually over a day. Waters did not break until about 2 hours before delivery. As for reasons not to be induced I think these lay in the statistics of induction failures. Before my induction I was terrified and read about the various scenarios and possibilities of pessaries, gels and drips. These don't always work and can result in a CS - something you are probably hoping to avoid with another DC to care for, I know I was dreading the possibility of that. Also, I think if you are induced early, you are likely to require more assistance eg more than one dose of gel or addition of drip - again this is based upon my own reading. I would tell anyone who has reached the end of their tether or 42 weeks that from my experience induction was very positive but if I were to have another baby (unlikely) I would still be hoping to start naturally. HTH.x

I haven't had a baby yet so have no experience to share but I have read a lot of negative things about induction and would prefer to avoid it.

I think that it means a more painful birth in a lot of cases, that it might not even work as it can be done before you are really ready and also that it can lead to other interventions and ultimately a C-Section.

I think that one of the problems anticipated (and actual) is that, once you agree to an induction, you have kind of 'hopped on' the intervention route - it becomes hard for you to then refuse further interventions, as you have accepted one and would then be on the 'conveyor belt' of their timings, and possibly having in their eyes given yourself up to their decisions, having done so with the induction, IYSWIM.

DOn't want to sound too conspiracy theorist (or use too many ''), but I felt that the initial loss of control in decision making might lead to this. So making the decision for induction when WE were ready helped maintain that sense of control.

Having an induction carries it's own risks, so doctors are usually unwilling to do them for purely social reasons (like planning childcare).

Just because an induction went great first time, it doesn't mean that you're immune to the raised risks second time round.

I have OC, so am facing the possibility of early induction if my blood results get worse, or induction on my EDD if I haven't gone into natural labour by then. But the docs are cautious about inducing because of the extra risks, even with OC (when unmanaged OC carries a risk of stillbirth!).

Please can I slightly hi-jack this. (Qs along the same lines & may be useful for others like me facing induction).

If you are induced, do you need to labour & give birth in the hospital, or can you be in a midwife led birth centre. If you do need to be in the hospital, why?

And:
I have been told that I'd be given the pessary gel in the evening. Would my husband stay with me through the night & would we be in a birthing room? Or would he have to go home with me in a ward until labour set in properly?

Contrary to Jemjar I have bad feelings about being induced. Mainly to do with loosing the control, but I can't really find why being induced should mean any control is taken off me. I know it is likely to be more painful, but otherwise, why shouldn't it proceed like any other labour? (Couldn't we even be able to go home after the pessary has been administered??)

I was induced with my first but then refused induction for my other 3 as I really hated it, they were all 2 weeks late (except DS2)

Thanks for all the info guys, it's really useful. Have been to the midwife this morning and she confirmed what many of you have said. They won't do an induction too early due the increased chances of a C-section (which I really don't want).

I was induced last time as I was 11 days late and DS was showing no signs of arriving following a sweep a couple of days before. As I said the whole process went well and felt as though things progressed naturally, although it was very painful and i did need an epidural, so maybe starting naturally would be better if it means that i can avoid this again.

estya - I was induced at the hospital on a ward in the morning, DH was allowed to stay until 8pm (end of visiting hrs) but was then sent home and I was kept in the hospital overnight as contractions continued. Not sure if that is how you would want it, but for me, being in the safety and quiet of the hospital gave me more rest than I would have got at home. Neither me or DH drive, so a concern about being in labour at home means that i will be anxious about the logistics and timing of getting to the hospital. Being there knowing that I was to stay until I could bring DS home was a big relief iyswim.

Also, not too concerned about the loss of control thing, I appreciate that while the decisions of hospitals are sometimes down to space, timings, etc rather than what may be best, they are all better qualified and experienced than me at delivering babies and I am more than happy to do as I am told and whatever it takes to ensure the safe delivery of DS2 - what i want in terms of a "perfect delivery" is not really important compared to what my baby needs.

If i am to be induced again it happens, but for now i am going to crack open the raspberry leaf tea and hope everything goes well :)

Thank you Gemjar and Loopy for your answers.
I'm not quite so good at doing what I'm told but I have no intention of walking out of the hospital in those circumstances.
So I guess its back to bouncing on the labour ball for a few days.

estya I was given gel mid-morning, hubby was able to stay all day and came in before visiting hours the next day. Given more gel, more waiting.

In the end, after two days, they said that I could go home if I wanted, but on examining me I was 3cm, which means it was starting to work, so they said I couldn't go home. I also couldn't use the birthing pool, which was free at the time (and me with my pool all set up in the living room at home, too )

It takes time for contractions to start (in my case 48 hours plus), so you won't get a birthing room till things really get going...

Oh, and I did do LOTS of walking round. I was nearly on the 10 o'clock news, having a contraction while leaning on the hospital sign (Ronnie Biggs died in our hosp the day DD was born) :)

Can I ask if a sweep is considered as part of induction?

I do not want to be induced, as I had an emcs last time due to failue to progress, my midwife and consultant are very pro induction for me though.

I am due to see consultant tomorrow and have a sweep, is this considered the first stage of induction?

I was induced and it ended in an emergency c - it was really unpleasant. The amniotomy made the contractions much worse and didn't actually speed the labour up. I felt like it was an invasion of my body. The only person I really want sticking anything up my fanjo is my DH.

This is the reason why I am anti and probably the reason why most women are (I think).

If it works then I guess it is no worse than a normal labour and for some people it does work.

The furthest I am going this time is a sweep and even that I am in two minds about.

I was induced. It was a long labour, I had an epidural so the induction was not painful. However, the most important thing: it saved my dd's life. So, I am neither pro nor against induction, it all comes down to why they want to induce. And surely if it is to prevent harm to either you or your baby it must be a good thing?

I was induced and didn't find it too unpleasant, but then there was a medical reason for it (IUGR). I wouldn't do it for no reason at all, as I believe it does carry a slightly raised risk for labour complications.

dikkertjedap - I agree, although I can understand not wanting to be induced, I could never refuse it for all sorts of medical reasons. If you go more than 2 weeks overdue, the placenta can start to break down and be very dangerous for baby. However uncomfortable it may be, surely if that baby needs to come out then it should be a case of any means necessary

I agree to do it if it is for a good medical reason.

I was induced with DS at 41+3 for no other reason than medical staff thought the pregnancy had gone on long enough. If I had had my way I would have waited until 42 weeks (which I am doing this time round).