13 days overdue to be induced tomorrow - really down about it :(

[mrsnich84]

I went to have a sweep yesterday and it couldnt be performed as my cervix was too posterior and not open enough for her to get a finger in. Im 13 days overdue now and will be given pessaries tomorrow to try and get things started as a day patient. Ill be taken in on saturday for a drip if things dont get going tomorrow. Im really disappointed about it all as I'd planned a low intervention, waterbirth in the hospitals midwife led care unit. Im also worried that this will lead to more intervention like a c section because if my cervix was so unfavourable (3 bishops score) then the pessaries dont seem likely to work? I was wondering if maybe I should refuse the induction but im so fed up now I just want to meet my baby and dont want to spend the next however long worrying about my placenta packing up etc. Whenever I mention induction to anyone the only advice I seem to get is "ooh just have an epidural!" but i really dont want an epidural! it was the one thing ive said all the way through that I DO NOT want! People dont seem to think I'll be able to do it without though. Im flexible about the idea of not having the pool but I do want as active a labour as possible. If the pessaries dont work and I have to have the drip Ill be confined to the bed with constant monitoring :(

Sorry to have ranted so long but have any of you ladies had a similar situation?
I just feel like bursting into tears all the time :(

Firstly, sorry to hear you're feeling down - Hope I can cheer you up a bit!

I went in on Monday for induction (38 wks). My cervix was also posterior and the m/w couldn't do a sweep (also 3 score). I thought I would be in for days and end up with a cs, instead I am now sitting at home looking at my beautiful DS2 after being in official labour for about 1 hour!

Here's the whole story:
Was given a pessary at 12.30pm Monday and spent Monday afternoon wandering around the hospital with occasional cramps in my back. Started to use a tens machine at about 8pm and the cramps moved to my front. M/W thought (from monitor) that I wasn't in labour, it was just pain from the hormones in the pessary.

I was really struggling to cope so, because everyone thought I wouldn't have the baby for at least another 24 hours, I was given pethidine (initially I didn't want this but knew I wouldnn't last anoth 24 hrs on no sleep!). This calmed me down quite a lot although pain still very strong. After a couple of hours I was still in pain so the M/W in charge broke my waters (still had cervix hardly open although pethidine had helped to bring it forward a bit) and was given an epidural, again because midwives all thought it would be a long time before baby was born.

I was examined immediately after the epi and had gone from 2 - 8 cms in 10 mins! About 20 minutes later I got the urge to push and DS was born after about 5 good pushes at 3.30am tuesday morning!

With hindsight, I wish I'd asked for the tens machine earlier. I also think I could have done it without the epi (althought I'm a wuss when it comes to pain!) as it has hardly had time to take effect anyway!

I can't see any reason why you couldn't use the pool - I wasn't keen but I can see now that it prob would have helped.

I felt exactly like you last weekend - that it was all out of my control, but in the end I felt much more in control with this birth than with DS1.

Sorry to go on, but I hope what I've put has helped a little bit!

Hi, with number 2 I had an unsuccessful sweep, then induced at 10 days over. Nothing happened, so was induced on days 11, 12, 13,14, given day 15 off and finally had waters broken on day 16 and put on a drip. Then took about 2 hours labour and 10 mins pushing for 10lb baby - no epidural/gas & air or anything (wasn't a lot of fun though). With number 3, had sweep on due date, then induced on day 5 and 6, then had waters broken and drip. Took about an hour for 9lb9 baby. To be honest, both times were very painful because labour went so fast with the drip. I did have an epidural with number 1, on due date, when did not progress after waters breaking and that was a whole lot nicer. My advice would be to just go with it, you can't predict what will happen anyway, or how you will feel. I'd have loved an epidural with 2 and 3 but there just wasn't time. Not sure if this was any help, but good luck and try not to worry.

mrsnich - I'm in the same position like you, have already had 2 sweeps this week, but cervix is still closed. Am booked in for induction on Saturday.

I'm having the same concerns about the cascade of interventions and have actually started another thread asking about this - have a look here

JBrd and OP - have posted on JBrd's thread.

You've still got a bit of time, so stay calm.

Make your mantra; MY body, MY rules, while you're in hospital. Having had 2 inductions, that's my honest advice.

With DC1 (induced for sudden bleeding, straight on drip) I was stuck on the bed with cfm straps around me, believed the crappy midwife who said "its too painful, you need an epidural" and ended up with a nasty forceps delivery and looooong recovery.

With DC3 I had to be induced due to premature rupture of membranes, so they couldn't use pessaries again. I said I would only agree to cfm as long as I could stand up and stay mobile. The first time the mw said "the babies heartbeat isn't picking up so you'll have to sit on the bed" I took the straps off and asked her to use a handheld doppler instead. Bless her, she geld it to my stomach for most of the next 4 hours until he was born. I had no pain relief other than g&a, and my baby was born much more healthily and happily, for both of us, than the previous forceps delivery.

I've had 2 non-induced births too, no epidurals apart from 1st time, and finding a way to stay mobile is the key, rather than having an epidural (not saying having an epidural is "wrong", just that it was for me.)

Hope baby soon....

i was in exactly the same situation as you 7 weeks ago. midwives tyried 3 times to do a stretch n sweep, but couldnt because of the same reasons as you. was booked in to be induced at 12 days overdue. at 11am i was given a pessary, the contractions started almost immediatley, but didnt get really baduntil around 2. They let me off the monitor long enough for me to have a bath, which really helped for a while. Waters broke at around 330, and by this point the contractions were back to back. They tookme upto delivery at 615 ish and my little boy was born at 7:24 on mothers day! :) Was a very positive experience fo me.....and even though it was very fast and furious ( 3cm to 10cm in 45 mins) managed with no pain relief.Im not gunna pretend that all the monitoring and intervention made things plesant or easy, but had severe spd and hip problems, and all the staff were very accomodating.....letting me off the monitors for a few mns to walk around etc. obviously i didnt have the full induction, so wasnt attached to the drip etc. So hopefully the pessary will work for you too. there were 3 other women on the ward with me that day, and the pessary worked for all of them too. i thought exactly the same as you...ttht id have to be induced, but try to keep positie as it may not have to hhappen! Good luck. hope it all goes well for you :)

I was the same, and I wanted a home birth - I had tried everything, the day before I had to be induced I tried reflexology and labour started that night and I got my home birth. It may well have happened anyway, but if you are anything like me, you will try anything to start naturally!!

Any news OP?
I think you must have your lovely newborn now....