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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

induction if you're already contracting??

15 replies

slowangels1 · 18/02/2011 09:57

Just a general wondering.

Booked in for induction on monday eve (due date - big baby).

Last night I think I lost my plug (not sure if this is the same thing as a show) and then got period cramps and bhs on and off most of the night. It seems my body is slowly limbering up for the main event.

Mw told me when I go in for induction they first monitor me to check if I'm contracting or not - if I am in any way (and this is an if - but I have read this can happen before labour and you might not be aware) I'm just wondering if they leave you alone and send you home to start things off as things are close or if they carry on as normal but things might be a bit quicker in starting as body is more ready [hopeful emoticon] ?

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KenDoddsDadsDog · 18/02/2011 10:00

I was induced after waters had broken and was contracting. Wasn't progressing so they gave me a kick start. Good luck!

RememberToPlaywiththeKids · 18/02/2011 10:15

When they induced me they said they would kick start me but would 'augment' if I was contracting but not progressing. they wanted to get me in to avtive labour which is 3 contractions in 10 min time period and that my body would take over at some point.

bigcar · 18/02/2011 11:11

depends on what you want, they may tell you what they want you to do but you don't have to do it. They may just suggest breaking your waters to help things along a bit quicker, that's what they did with me and contractions soon ramped up.

Original poster

slowangels1 · 18/02/2011 11:15

interesting. bigcar I'm a bit dubious of them breaking my waters too early as I've tested positive for GBS earlier in pg and think that the longer between waters being broken and birth the more chance of GBS passing on to LO/they will need to give me antibiotics to try to prevent this.

OP posts:

RMCW · 18/02/2011 11:20

I was in early labour for 2 days, was overdue and was booked in for induction. Went in on the day and was 4-5 cms and contracting - they broke my waters and ds2 was delivered 3 hours later

RMCW · 18/02/2011 11:21

...got much more painful straight away and I was obviously contracting more strongly after they broke my waters....

Original poster

slowangels1 · 18/02/2011 11:48

did you know you were in early labour RMCW? Odd question but until things really hot up I'm not sure I'll know whether it's a false alarm or the proper thing. So far nothing painful or regular enough to suggest this is it, so probably just warming up.

OP posts:

RMCW · 18/02/2011 13:00

Yep.

Was 4 days overdue and had an appt on the monday at the hospital. They did a sweep that day as I was 1cm dilated and "favourable" (?)

I then started losing my waters - just a dribble - on tuesday night.

Was contracting all the time. Went in on weds afternoon and they said I was only 3cms so came home again.

Went back in on the thurs morning as contractions were every 3/4 mins but I was still only 4-5 cms.

I was booked in for induction on the thurs anyway so they went ahead and broke my waters and went from 4-5cms to delivered in 3 hours!

Good luck x

Lulumaam · 18/02/2011 14:22

if you are booked for induction and asked to come in for induction you won't be sent home if you are not contracting

you will be given an internal and assessed and monitored and then the decision can be made how best to start labour, if you need a gel to ripen the cervix, if your waters can be broken straight away etc

you don't have to be induced... if your body is not reayd, then there is greater chan ce of the induction taking a long time ( i/e 24 + hours to get going) or ending in a section

if you would prefer not to be induced, then oyu don't have to agree.

Original poster

slowangels1 · 18/02/2011 14:41

lulu I'm happy to go along with what they say is best and they've said if I don't get induced and go overdue much there is the risk of baby just getting way too big. Just want it all out the way really!

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GruffalosGirl · 18/02/2011 16:33

Also, if you are contracting properly by then they will let you decide what to do. I phoned the morning of my induction and told them labour had started in the night and the midwife told me I wasn't in proper labour so to come in anyway as I might be days yet.

When the consultant checked me I was 7cm dilated so they sent me home for my homebirth with two midwives.

Lulumaam · 18/02/2011 18:16

do you have gestational diabetes?

it's quite unusual you would grow a baby to big to birth

growth scans and palpation do have a margin for error and a series of growth scans is more reliable than one

GizzyBoo · 18/02/2011 21:02

Hi lovely.

Don't feel pressured to be induced.
I was told at 37 weeks I was having a mahoosive baby....he measured almost 11lb at that point and was told I should be induced the following day (37+1). I went ahead with it. He was still big (9lb 7.5oz) but the measurements were way out.
When I went in I had been having strong BH for a week before hand and when they went to induce me I was already 4cm so just had waters broken and it all went straight forward from there.

When the next comes along I will be waiting until baby is ready....I believe my body knew he was cooked and was preparing itself anyway. Women and their bodies are wondrous things. Its vary rare for a baby to be too big to be born vaginally.

Is this your first??
Do you have any underlying medical conditions??

If you do decide to go with the induction ask for everything to be explained fully before you consent. make sure you feel happy and secure as tension can inhibit labour anyway.

And whatever you decide....good luck x

Original poster

slowangels1 · 19/02/2011 07:54

lulu i've had a couple of scans to check growth in the past month and, yes, I do have GD (although it's only v mild and has been diet controlled). Also DH and I both have long family histories of big babies apparently [nervous emoticon] .

gizzy yup it's my first, and, like I say, I have GD but it's been controlled and was always quite borderline anyway. ALso have pgp and back probs and had high bp for a time (but that was related to stress with moving house) but nothing that would make them jump to induce me. Hopefully my body will be getting ready like yours and it won't be too traumatic.

OP posts:

Lulumaam · 20/02/2011 14:09

so how do you feel about induction?

do you think you'll go ahead?

if GD is controlled, do you want to hang fire? how big is baby predicted to be?

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