have progressed (?) from 'positive induction stories please' to 'cacking myself-please help!!!')

[dandycandyjellybean]

Self explanatory probably...check out time of post, don't think I'll be getting much sleep tonight either...due in first thing Wednesday morning for much unwanted induction. (B/p related so I can't get out of it). It's probably just insomnia induced anxiety but I'm worrying about everything from horrible midwives in hospital (so wanted a home birth with my lovely c/m m/wife!!), to what on earth made me think that I could cope with a newborn on top of looking after my disabled husband.

It will be really exciting to meet your little one though. Try to focus on this.

I was induced for my ds, 1st baby, in December last year. But unlike you, I was desparate to get him out!! I had trouble with high bp, protein in urine and then visual disturbances a bit later on, so they decided to induce two weeks early.

My experience was very positive, especially after hearing a lot of stories about incredibly long induced labours. Had a sweep in the afternoon, then pessaries at 8pm. Was strapped to monitor (possible one of the most annoying things about induction is lack of freedom to move!) for an hour, then went for a walk and contractions started at 10pm.

Was 2cm at 8pm, 3.5cm at 4am then ds born at 6.30am, so very quick labour. Quite painful though (another annoying thing with induction). Apparently because you don't get any build up with induction, it just gets straight in there with the good hard contractions! But don't worry, everything will be fine, and just concentrate on the outcome, it's worth it, surely!!!

cubby know how you're feeling. Wanted homebirth for ds2 had all the equipment, borrowed nct homebirth kit, everything ready.....except baby.

Ended up being induced ....but as bobbybob and evansmuumy both said......look at the end result.

As soon as that bub is safely in your arms.....who cares how he/she came out.

BYW - remind me of this next week, when I am 12 days overdue and blubbing 'cos I've going to be induced again

I was induced with ds at 15days over and i found it a positive experience. I remember feeling a little panicked before but it was nothing how i expected. I am actually trying to be induced on due date with this baby so it cant have been that horrendous.
Take care

I was induced on DS. It wasn't bad - got a healthy happy boy at the end!

Keep an open mind!

i was induced with my ds 4 mths ago now. i was two weeks over due and desperate to get him out, but still terrifed and didn't know what to expect.

i was induced at 8.30am by the prosstine(sp?)gel and contractions started at 1.30 ish. they were quite mild to begin with but were about 5 mins apart right from the start.

i carried on just breathing through them and having a bath until about 11.30pm but then they got to much. at this point i was put on the drip to speed things up and was then having contractions every 2 mins and asked for some gas and air, that work for about 10 mins and then the pain was too much for me as i was on the monitor and couldn't sit foward as the monitor would lose conection. the pain in my back was terrible so i had an epidural at midnight at 5cm dilated.
it was bliss, i counld't feel any pain and was even able to get some much needed sleep. and at 6.30am i was fully dilated and ready to push.
the midwives had got my ready to threatre as they thought as it was my first and i couldn't feel what i was pushing, but i proved them wrong and he was born by 7.30am with no tear of epsiotomy and no stiches (thank god)

so my experience of induction was very good, it probley made my labour quicker and i was so glad it was over and had a incredibley cute little boy wieghing 7lb 11oz and perfect in every way.

hope it goes well for you, good luck.

Thanks (again!) everyone. Have spoken to my midwife today and she was very reassuring too, and generally am feeling better about the whole thing. I guess I'm still anxious about the unknown, but then that's the name of the game with childbirth isn't it? I am very emotional today too, perfectly natural in the scheme of things I suppose, but keep swinging from being excited about finally having my baby in my arms to uncontrollable weeping at the drop of a hat! My husband's disability gets worse as the weather changes and gets colder, and after having a reasonable summer things have suddenly become pretty bad for him, and the last few days have been particularly difficult. I think that I am worried that he isn't going to be able to cope if my induction ends up being a really long haul, or that he will just about make it on the day and then miss the first few precious hours and days of our son's life coz he's flaked out in bed, poorly. And I guess it's difficult at a time when I just want to be worried about / focused on myself (selfish emoticon!!!) to feel like I need to worry about him. To cap it all my best mate who lives round the corner and who I can usually rely on for a bit of a moan / shoulder to cry on has bogged off on holiday (how could she? lol) so I'm all round just feeling a bit on my own with things which always makes everything seem a bit scarier. So thanks again for your encouragement, I'll let you know how it all goes.

Good luck Cubby. I'm sure it will all go fine. Just remember to be positive and take it all in your stride. If you want to do something a certain way, let the midwife know. You don't have to be constantly monitored, I wasn't with either of my induced labours. Once you are in labour there is no reason you can't be allowed to labour as usual. If your PG has been healthy and uneventful, you can just get on with it. The midwives might just want to check on baby a bit more often, but not constantly.

I'm sure you will still have a beautiful birth and it will be very positive.

Just one other thing - if things don't progress as you had imagined (God forbid) it probably would have happened anyway, induction or not.

Good luck Cubby,let us know how things go.
XXX

i had two inductions one at thirty eight weeks and my 2ds was at thirty seven weeks due to choleastasis, my first labour lasted three hours ad thirty mins healthy 8lb no stiches or tears. was in hosp getting ready for second induction when babe had other ideas and was born 56 mins later 7lb 9oz again no stiches or tears good luck and enjoy xx

Good luck Cubby! I was induced in July at 38 weeks and it was fine. I know it's nobody's first choice, but there are lots of OK things about induction: you get to settle in the delivery room and sort the lighting and bed height out the way you want them. You'll hopefully have more midwife attention so a chance to build up a working relationship with her.

Sometimes hospitals can be a bit inflexible about their protocols: I was chugging along fine at 5cm dilated but because I'd hit a "deadline" of 12 hours since they'd started the pessaries they wanted to break my waters. In retrospect I think the midwife was hinting at me just to tell her that I didn't consent, but I didn't pick up on it. Just remember - you don't have to have anything done that you don't want, and think about asking if they are suggesting something because it is on their protocol rather than because it is best for you as an individual.

Good luck! You'll meet your lovely boy awfully soon!

all the best cubby xxx

Hi - had an induction and also posted on mumsnet just before! It was painful to begin with...epidural helped enormously and had a textbook labour in terms of contractions and delivery.. Like you, really didn't want one but there were 3 positives..

1. Don't know about elsewhere but at my hospital inductions are only carried out when they can dedicate a midwife to you solely...didn't think about this until I read a thread recently about shortage of midwives during labour and delivery and was horrified! For this reason alone if I had had to have another induction I'd definately see this as the brightside.

2. Several of my friends had very long drawn out labours but mine was 12 hours start to finish.

3. Knowing exactly when things were going to kick off created a really special time for me and dp, we didn't do anything special but felt incredibly close the day and night before (and a bit weird with all the anticipation). Infact I'm quite nostalgic about being able to pinpoint the feelings I had the day before I became a mum.

Good Luck and remember to try and enjoy whatever you can of the whole labour and delivery experience..

My first was induced at 38 weeks. I don't think it was any different from the others, pain wise. it hurt, I made a fuss, baby came, it was over.

Thanks so much to everyone who has posted this evening, it was lovely to look on line and find all this positive feedback. Am feeling pretty good tonight, but that is perhaps due to the two large glasses of wine (!!) However, am just looking forward to holding my lovely son in my arms tomorrow (or at the latest on Thursday!) and so am hoping that I will be able to take all of your advice and take in my stride whatever comes up. And I agree with smallvoice about it creating a special time, somehow it is nice to know that it will be sometime in the next few hours that we will meet out little boy. Hubby seems to be holding out well; has had a visit from a close friend this afternoon and a long chat with another on the phone this evening, which I think is holding his equilibrium together - the wine is working for me!!! Will post again when I am a mummy!!!!!!!!!!!