Coping with Induction Labour

[Fantail]

I have recently been admitted to hospital for the remainder of my pregnancy with pre-eclampsia. The liklihood is that I will be induced around 37 to 38 weeks if not before.

I had been planning for a birth in the Midwife Led Unit, so this is very different from what I had been gearing myself up for.

If you had an induction, can you let me know how you coped with the pain and the entire Labour. Obviously, the latent stage is in hospital, rather than at home, so not as much room to move around, have a bath and generally keep yourself calm.

Also, did you have your own room or were you on a ward for the first bit?

Fantail,
I had an induction due to pre-eclampsia having been hospitalised with it and then returning home and then back again - in and out like a yo yo!

Anyhow, I found a tens all but useless, I had G&A, Pethidine, Epidural followed by spinal for emcs. Be fully aware that you will be tied to monitors and that induced labour is a little more brutal than natural labour (well it was for me and have gone into spontaneous labour as well as induced labour).

I was lucky enought to be in a room on maternity due to the monitoring, but prior to the induction I was on the ward with everyone else. They may keep putting you off too.

Just as an aside, don't be disappointed - you aren't going to have the birth that you wanted due to being in hospital from this stage, and I hate to say it but this may well end in a emcs so be prepared mentally for that just in case.

Good luck and hope it all goes well.

Thanks. I am not disappointed at all - although everyone assumes that I must be, one friend even said to my husband that she was sorry that I might have to have a c-section (which if they need to get the baby out quick it is a possibility)! I just want the baby to arrive healthy, I can't wait to meet him/her.

I just want to be prepared mentally for what might come as I know that I deal better with stressful situations if I understand what might go on.

My induction for pre-eclampsia was pretty brutal - I was being monitored when shtf and an emcs was called. From labour starting to baby born was less than 3 hours and when they said emcs it was pure relief. I wanted a healthy baby not a birth experience so I'm very glad to see you feel the same.

Btw I was supposed to have a nice chilled homebirth.

Fantail I was induced with DD. I was in a high dependancy room for the induction (although hdu for for other reasons). I chugged on G&A until they did an epidural. Because you are tethered to a monitor it is hard going on your back so do ask for pain relief, even paracetamol, don't suffer because there is nothing you can do to help yourself unfortunately.

I am 36 weeks with twins and due to be induced at 38 week and I will be requesting an epidural as soon as I can possibly have one.

Try not to worry too much, it's not the birth you were hoping for but it doesn't matter how they get here as long as the get here safely
Good luck.

I was induced at 40+14 not for any medical reason except baby's refusal to emerge.
I had one pessary at 9am, was hooked up to monitor and nothing at all happened for about 2 hours, then cx started and I went from 1-10cm dilated in 2 hours, baby was born 2 hours later, no pain relief at all, it was very very intense with no break between the cx but I had no stitches, no episiotomy, not even a tear. The worst part was having to lie on my back to be monitored but they took it off once it was obvious I was off and in the active stage.

I had planned a water birth but in the end gave birth on the bed on my back, by choice, still had dimmed lights and whale music. I tried G&A but it made me sick. In the end it was a fast but fine experience.

Good luck x

I would consider an automatic epidural if you have synto. Personally I would ask that the epi is in place before the drip - if you are going to have one anyway, why suffer?

I'm generally an advocate of natural birth, but with synto you will have EFM, so you won't be moving about, and the contractions don't much resemble natural contractions.

Oh, and my situation was a bit different (I transferred from hb contracting but with no progress and meconium) but I was on a ward until they decided to go with the drip, and was transferred to a delivery room then.

Is it your first?

I was induced with my 3rd at 38 weeks, only used G&A. Had the drip for 4 hours after waters being broken and nothing happening, didn't really do anything until they had a second furkle and released more waters - dd3 born 1.5 hours later.

I had had 2 hard and fast labours so was expecting it to be the same, it was, only shorter. I felt it was manageable and didn't feel the need for more meds but I think I knew it wouldn't take much longer.

p.s I was absolutely crapping myself about the induction.

Fantail, am so glad you have your priorities with the health of the baby and not with the birth experience , I can honestly say that I had no idea what to expect and wish someone had told me that it might end in an emcs - infact I wish they had bypassed the bloody induction and gone straight onto an elective tbh! It was so completely different to my naturally starting labour (vbac last summer) with nothing happening for ages and then whoosh. I would so second the epidural thing, there really is no point in being brave with the induction.

Also, have a look at this thread on positive induction experiences - I'm finding it very comforting as I prepare for mine!

Not meaning to sound doom and gloom but my friends who had earlier inductions rather than over due inductions iyswim had slightly longer labours. Probably because those lo's weren't quite ready to meet us, whereas the overdues just needed a swift kick out of th womb as they were alittle too cozy!

Thanks for your experiences. I was wondering about the monitoring and the fact that it keeps you on your back. So will definitely go through pain relief with the doctor and midwife before hand.

One of the things that the doctor has mentioned is that often with pre-eclampsia labours can be shorter for some reason.

I was induced early and it failed! 3 days in hospital and nothing. Went back at 40+2 and DD2 arrived after 2 gels at breakneck speed- 1 hr from waters breaking to birth. 10lb5oz and no tears. It was intense, but fine. Induction doesn't have to be awful.

Good luck :)

I had one excellent induction experience and one awful one so it can go both ways.

My first induction was a great experience, I was given a pessary at about 8pm, started getting fake contractions by midnight, was given pethidine and slept til 4am. Then woke up at 6cms dilated, transferred to delivery suite and had a normal delivery with gas and air 6 hours later. If all my births had been this good I would have 10 babies

I think its the monitoring and being on your back and unable to move around that is the real problem, but you won't be on the monitor iirc until the drip is in so get moving around that hospital when you have the gel put in.

TBF, induction wasn't awful at all, but the contractions were more intense ( which I only know now from having had a 2nd) If I remember I was given the first pessary at 9am on the Friday, nothing happened, then given a second one later in the day - that one was a little bit more painful because it does make you more sensitive . Still nothing much though..... it did really kick off when the drip was put in on saturday in the midday. The problem for me was that I failed to progress (so who knows if I would have spontaneously laboured according to the dr) and then the contractions were causing a few issues with dd. All in all I remember that in the late afternoon I had pethidine, then later in the evening closer to sort of midnight although I couldn't be clear as to either side I had the blissful epi, this was then topped up just before I had the emc (purely coincidental tbh), dd born at 9am on the Sunday. Now I wasn't in full labour for all this time but I was in hospital being monitored for this period. It actually wasn't too unpleasant as things go, but the huge problem for me was the failure to progress and in all that time I got to 3cm dilated (still pretty knarcked about that!)

I guess that is why I wish I had had an elective cs if I had been given the chance.

But do remember that not all inductions are doom and gloom and I have had friends who have had good ones and ones that haven't been as successful and have ended in emcs. I only found out after the induction that a higher percentage of inductions end in emcs which would have been useful to prepare myself before hand, I think I might have been more relaxed about it knowing that if my body didn't respond well to the induction that that is what would happen. Tbf the docs kept me informed all the time and were great and I really don't think back on it as a terrible experience - infact I was hoping they would give me pethidine again ! Also in a future pregnancy you are less likely to have pre-eclampsia again!

Good luck and do let us know how it all goes!

You don't have to be on your back, I was on all fours and hanging over the back of the bed at one point.
Also not always necessary to have the syntocinon drip, I didn't on either induction.
However I was told to have an epidural before having the drip if you need one, from an anaesthetist colleague

I was pretty scared before my induction, but actually it turned out to be a great experience really.

Obviously everyone's experience is different, but apart from the lying down for an hour and a bit after the pessary was inserted, I was able to be totally active through the labour. I've got romantic memories of walking fast laps around the outside of the hospital to try to trigger contractions, and then rushing in when they suddenly got rather close and intense.

Only took 3 1/2 hours from first contraction with about 20mins of G&A. I was on a ward for the insertion of pessary and lie down, then had a good walk outside and then came back to the ward, was there for ten mins or so with a tens machine and bouncing ball, and then went through to delivery because it was coming fast and I was making a racket and scaring the rest of the ward. If the contractions had been milder and it was going slower I would have laboured on the ward a bit longer.

I would definitely have another induction based on that experience, and I speak as someone who was terrified of labour after a very long 1st back-to-back labour. This was nowhere near as bad. I hope yours goes well.

as all others have said its the immobility that is a real problem because you can't do all the "natural" things that are meant to help. As you have the chance, do discuss this with the MW and see what options there might be. One thing I found really useful was drinking straws as you are semi-reclined it is hard to drink from a cup. I agree with what someone else said that the birth experience is not something to get too hung up on. The baby has to get from inside to outside and then you'll have it for decades! Its a tiny part and really whatever happens, so long as you end up with a healthy mum and baby it is a success. Best of luck with everything.

Hi Fantail. I've had 2 inductions at 38 weeks. Both times I had the pessary, then had my waters broken. Never needed the drip as breaking the waters meant that labour was pretty damn quick! Couldn't fault it, actually.

dd's labour was a very positive experience. I had TENS and gas and air. ds's was a bit too fast so had no time for TENS and found I couldn't get the G&A 'right'. Labour was so quick though that it didn't really matter. Minor tear was all the injury I sustained (no stitches). Only downside was that I can't really remember much about it. Had to read my notes later, just to check that the baby next to was mine.

Good luck with yours! Sorry to hear about pre-eclampsia.

I've been induced with all 3 DCs and been mobile with all of them. DD1 was a pessary and waterbirth, DD2 and DS were with a syntocin drip.

I insisted on being mobile and they put a monitoring clip on DD2's head so i could be on my feet. The kept loosing her heartbeat with the 'on the bump' monitors.

Ds was much easier to trace and i didn't get on the bed till i started to push.

Only G&A for all of them.

You can still have a birth plan for an induction! Hope it goes well!

I was induced with a syntocin drip - waters were broken and that was it. Standing start to DS1's birth was 4 hours, no pain relief at all. Not even G&A as they don't have it here. had to stay on my back as room was pokey, bed was high etc etc.

It hurt, but I recovered very quickly. I have a high pain threshold though

I wasn't on my back at all and monitored throughout. Stood up alot, paced as far as the leads would let me delivered upright on my knees

I am rather jealous of your inductions ladies who got to move around - I could just about walk around the bed with the drip and the belly monitor, the faff of getting to the loo ............. darn short hospital leads . I actually found it more irritating with dc 2 as the belly monitor wouldn't catch a hb and the head clip kept slipping. And with that birth I really wanted to be mobile as only g&a worked!

I wanted to add my support. I was in induced with DD1 (first baby, now with second on the way) as I was 7 days overdue and my consultant had a policy about timing.

I had been lurking on MN threads for months beforehand trying to glean as much information as possible, and so was a little concerned about how it was going to play out. Especially given all the negative stories that tend to surround it. And DD had also turned OP in the final weeks of pregnancy, irritatingly.

I was given a pessary at 8pm, monitored for an hour and then sent back to the ward. I essentially felt nothing, slept like a baby, woke up and ate a pretty substantial cooked breakfast. I was taken downstairs where I was examined and was already 3cm. The consultant broke my waters (which was uncomfortable, but not painful) and I was hooked up to the syntocin drip. It took about twenty minutes to kick off. Even though I was monitored, I was able to stand, walk (to a degree) and spent much of the time sitting on the fitball or leaning over the bed during contractions (and watching the winter olympcics...)

The pain was, I thought, pretty manageable, and I wouldn't consider myself to have a high pain threshold. If anything, I am a giant wuss. After four hours I was 7cm and then decided I might try some G&A (for some reason I had convinced myself not to 'peak early' with pain relief). It wasn't my cup of tea, made me feel hideous and it was at this point I got onto the bed. The contractions were pretty much non stop and things sort of fell apart. In hindsight, I was obviously in transition. After two hours of incredible pain, my husband sorted out shouted at midwives who wanted to give me pethidine instead an epidural.

Yes it did slow things down, but it was amazing. I spent the next few hours eating lunch and then sleeping. I woke up and was ready to push. I was relaxed, in control and could obey all the consultant's instructions. I pushed for an hour and it was done - and I didn't tear. Which I fully attribute to the slow, steady and calm nature of the pushing.

So long story short, it was a very positive experience. I would do it again tomorrow.

I would however second other posters in saying don't try and be brave with the pain. I probably could have bypassed the worst of it had I realised that I wouldn't "get the hang" of the pain and get it under my control. The anaesthetist (who mortifyingly knows my husband as they work together) told me that most women get the epi sited at the same time the synto drip goes in.

That was the only truly bad bit, someone I will inevitably run into at a cocktail party saw me bellowing and half nude

essay over.

Thanks for this ladies, I learnt alot! I'm looking at An induction due to gestational diabetes. It is my first and I had visions of an active birth so the news of the induction didn't make me happy. With your stories I can go in with a more positive head on.