Hey Amethyst
lurk away!
Lamb Yeah, I could be induced again if I chose to go that way but unjust don't see why I should be induced just for reaching 42 weeks iyswim. There wasn't a particular medical reason the last two times, it was based on dates alone.
My first induction wasn't too bad as they inserted the pessary at night then one in the morning and I went in to labour so it was almost like a natural labour really.
The second induction was started by a less sympathetic midwife and I just felt like a number, someone they had to get in to labour and out of the way
They skipped the pessary stage which I really wanted and did a 'really good' (ie uncomfortable) sweep. I then had my waters broken the next morning, it was very uncomfortable as the membranes were tight over ds's head but the midwife was determined to get it done so I had to grit my teeth whilst she rummaged about and it felt like her knuckles were bruising the outside of my fanjo
After that I walked around for a few hours and had irregular contractions. On returning to the ward I was told I had been gone too long (she asked me to come back 'in a couple of hours' so I returned 2hrs 20 mins later) She said she had been wondering where I had got to and made me feel like a naughty child
She asked how I was getting on and I said I had been contracting although they'd tailed off a little. She then announced 'well you're not contracting so we'll get you on the drip'.
I had been sitting/ leaning forward as much as poss as I had spent weeks doing foetal optimum positioning and had managed to turn ds in to the correct position from back to back. She made me lay on the bed on my back to check baby's position and announced he was now back to back (he wasn't, she was wrong but it made me anxious as my first labour was back to back and painful).
She hooked me up to the drip and attached it in such a way that I was all tangled up and couldn't lift one of my arms up properly. I sat on my birthing ball and a nicer midwife came in on the change of shift. She sorted the tubes out so I wasn't tangled anymore.
They kept turning the drip up but nothing happened for a while as it needed flushing through and the first midwife hadn't noticed but had kept turning it up regardless. When they flushed it through my labour progressed quickly and I found it hard to deal with the pain increasing so suddenly. It was about 2 hours from the flushing through of the drip till had delivered ds. I ended up over contracting and they had to turn the drip down. It was uncomfortable and very intense. At one point I had asked for an epidural but it was discovered I was already 7cm then about 5 mins later was 10cm and wanted to push.
I just feel like I was interfered with and not given enough time to go in to labour naturally once my waters were broken. I felt like everything was 'against the clock' and I could just relax and wait a bit.
Anyway, sorry for rambling on but it's this I want to avoid. I realise the risks might increase slightly if I go over 42 weeks but there are several risks associated with being induced too, more chance on instrumental delivery, c section, etc. The drip can flood your system with fluids making your nipples a bit flatter so harder for baby to latch on. Because I was over contracting at the end my ds's heart rate went down and I had to lie on my left and push him out as quickly as possible, thankfully I managed to.