Third baby induction stories please!

[ChocolateBiscuitCake]

After lots of battles with my hospital, they have agreed to induce me at 39 weeks (this baby is measuring large for dates and previous pregnancies have gone to 41+ weeks and been BIG. I have SPD which immobilised me for 6 months post-birth!). Early induction is being carried out to avoid an extra 2+ weeks of a baby in my pelvis and to avoid birthing a larger baby.

Just wondering, given that I have laboured vaginally before, how long would an induction take - I am assuming [hoping] it won't be days .

Anyone able to share some tales (good or bad) before I meet the consultant again this week to agree the plan of action (am currently 36 weeks)!!!

Thanks

I was induced at 38 weeks with my third. other two normal births at 39 weeks.(one 24 hour labour followed by one 6 hour labour) Reasons for induction my age and large for dates. I thought it would be a piece of cake - ie body knows what its doing - been there done that it'll all be over by Thursday tea time!! Not the way it happened! I was given vaginal suppository at 10 pm on wed and started with weak contractions a couple of hours later, at7 am only 2cm so another suppository. Go for a walk they said at 10 30 so we did. They nearly sent me home at 1pm cos of no progress, then i thought waters had popped and they agreed. drip and monitor on at 2pm -then 12 hours later out she popped 8lb 8oz. So from 1st suppository to birth was 28 hours. Someone I know was only in labour 1.5 hours from being started off so every body reacts differently! good luck!

Hi cakes, I'm hoping to convince consultant to induce me at 39 weeks (next week) for SDP too. It's my third too, so I'm in similar position as you.
I was also induced for my 2nd. I had a pessary in the morning in hospital and I went from 1 to 3 cm without too much trouble (still able to talk and walk around fine). Then waters broke and DS2 arrived very quickly, too quickly for me to realise what was going on and for my mind to catch up. I didn't even have any time to get G&A or any other pain relief. So all in all induction was a mixed blessing.
By the way, how did you manage to convince the consultant?

Just to make it clear that my waters were artificially broken

induced with all 5, but no 3, i had my waters broken, niggly contractions for a few hours, was about 4-5cm consultant wanting to put up syntocin drip, by this point it was midnight and i was knackered, midwife told him to sod off, said i was just tired and if i got a few hours kip then labour would get going. so i did doze for two hours, woke up with contractions at 2am ds3 was born by 5am, so established labour took 3 hrs, and 3 pushes to get him out, 9lb 5oz, i laboured in bath and had lots of gas and air, delivered kneeling up, it was fine :)

Thanks for your replies - I hope I get a speedy(ish!) birth then - fingers crossed.

vanilla I had a real battle (4madboys kindly on my other thread!). You need to expect them to brush you off and make you feel like you are a moany pregnant woman. I have been really shocked by how unsupportive HCP's are about it and how disinterested the consultant was in the aftermath (took me 6 months to recover after vontuse/stirrups with DC2). I ended up writing a loooong email (to express what I really wanted and why I wanted it - rather than me sobbing in person) to the [mean] consultant I saw + lead midwife + lead consultant + the complaints lady (!).

They replied the same day and the lead consultant phoned me last Saturday to discuss. She agreed over the phone and I am going in on Thursday for her clinic to have it confirmed in person/writing.

If I am honest it has been exhausting but best advice is to take a non-pregnant advocate with you (not that DP was much use on the day!). Fight for what you want. Incidentally, it took a friend 3 consultants to agree a ELCS for twins so it can be hard! This is in large London hospitals btw - may be easier elsewhere. Good Luck.

That's very helpful, thank you. The consultant I saw last week was equally unsympathetic to SPD and to the possibility of an ELCS (which I mentioned as an alternative to induction given my fragile mental state due to months of pain). In the end he agreed to seeing me again next week at 39+3 and induce if I still want to.
I was as surprised as you to be brushed off for SPD and for him to rule out ELCS completely? I thought the new guidelines allowed women a greater say and psychological reasons would count more?
Anyway, it feels good to know someone on MN understands me