My waters went last night, advice please.

[LAF77]

My waters went at 10PM last night, but nothing seems to have kicked off. I had to go in for monitoring this afternoon. Baby is fine, but I have been booked for an induction tomorrow at 12 if labour isn't established. My cervix is thinning, but not dilating yet. Baby's head is still 3/5 engaged.

I'm hoping that I can avoid this, but if I can't, I'm not sure what to do. I was thinking that I should ask to be examined to see how I am going. If nothing seems to be happening, would it be better to ask for ELCS than go through induction? Could something be wrong like the cord wrapped around him that is preventing him from descending?

I'd just hate to go down the induction route and end up with an EMCS. I think that it could be more possible if my body and baby aren't working together. It seems that the people I know who have done induction when their bodies aren't ready end up with EMCS. Surely ELCS is safer for baby than EMCS.

Hopefully, it will be a moot point, but if not, I want to know what is realistic.

Thanks!

Thanks digi I am fed up with being monitored. When baby has been active for long periods, they have been too busy to monitor me. When they put me on the monitor, he goes to sleep because I am lying down. He's not active enough they say, so I have to stay on. He has a little period of activity and then quiets down. They come in and say he needs to be more active and will come back in 5 minutes, so I gulp ice cold water and put the cold cup in my bump to make him do something. 20 minutes ends up becoming an hour!

I am 1cm dilated with a Bishops score of 4. I am waiting to be seen by a doctor and have to be monitored again at 6. Not the birth plan that I envisaged.

At this stage, I would agree to the drip and an epidural just to get to the end, if they don't agree for me to go home tonight and labour doesn't start. I am puzzled because I read threads about PPROM babies and how the mothers are sent home. I am 40 weeks tomorrow. If labour doesn't start and they don't let me go home, I will press them as to why I can't. If they need me to ring with my temperature update or report back at 6AM for more monitoring.

LAF If you are happy that he's moving lots when they're not monitoring him, then tell them no if they want you to stay on, and get mobilised. If they don't do anything tonight (induction in the evening isn't recommended in NICE guidelines) then perhaps going home would actually be the better option - it may be that just being in hospital is hindering any progress that you can make, and if nothing is happening induction-wise then you may as well be at home and get a decent night's rest rather than waiting on a noisy, busy ante-natal ward for no apparent reason.

How's it going LAF?

Hoping your 6pm monitoring was your last because things are speeding along for you , either that or you are safely home resting.

Hi pesto the 6PM monitoring turned into 8:30 monitoring. I was given another dose of prostin about an hour ago, so I'm not going home for the night now. Cervix has moved forward, but baby's head is not descending enough to really thin it out. I have to see what tonight brings, hopefully, some quality sleep, because it seems like one way or another, I will have my baby tomorrow.

Well, I've been having contractions pretty much 10 mins apart for the last 6.5 hours. They are pretty painful as my waters are gone so there isn't cushioning between baby's head and my cervix. I have been on my birthing ball most of the time and can cope without anything else. I feel though I will probably have to have an epidural if the contractions are sped up through induction, like your NCT teacher said digi as I think I would struggle to cope with such a quick change. I'm tired as I haven't been able to sleep. If I try to lie down through the contractions, I'm forced onto the ball as the pain is too much lying on my side or back.

Ccan you get loads of pillows, so you can kneel and lean forwards and rest on the pillows? Or sit on your ball and lean forward onto the bed (head rest on arms)?

Good morning LAF77! It sounds like you're holding it together incredibly well in unpleasant circumstances I'm full of admiration for you. When is your DH coming in?

laf you must be exhausted! I hope that things are well under way now and that ds is with you very soon.

I was just about to suggest what Iggly says :)

hoping no news is good news from you Laf

Sorry I didn't come back in time to reply LAF. I'm hoping your baby is safely here now

Our son was born at 7:37AM after quite a long labour. Three failed attempts to kick start the process with prostin, led to induction with syntocin yesterday. I was slowly labouring for 24 hours and absolutely knackered with 2 sleepless night preceeding the big day and unable to eat anything on the drip. Thank goodness for the epidural as I just c

Our son Max was born at 7:37AM weighing 9lbs 8oz after quite a long labour. Three failed attempts to kick start the process with prostin, led to induction with syntocin yesterday. I was slowly labouring for 24 hours and absolutely knackered with 2 sleepless night preceeding the big day and unable to eat anything on the drip. Thank goodness for the epidural as I just couldn't cope with the contractions after a certain point, the tens and gas and air were insufficient. I was practically begging for a C section last night, but I pushed him out myself this morning in an hour and a half.

Thanks for all your advice!

massive congratulations to you all. Love the name Max.

Hope your getting some rest now

Congratulations LAF!!!! So pleased for you! Welcome little Max

Congratulations!

Ah that's wonderful news well done LAF!! Sounds like it was hard work on an empty tank so brilliant job and now you get to enjoy your lovely Max - huge congratulations!!

Congratulations!! Well done for getting through it and welcome to the world Max

Laf congratulations!

(my labour was very similar - 74 hours after my waters brokevi has my dd by forceps narrowly missing a c section).

Well done LAF. You've done amazingly - and welcome Max

It is for labours like this that epidurals were invented.Well done you, and for pushing his significantly large self out! An hour and a half is good going.

Congratulations! That sounds like a mammoth labour - well done for getting through it and welcome baby Max

Congratulations LAF!!!!!!!! Can't believe I'm so late to the party and in even more disbelief about your stressful labour given everything you've endured up to this point! But, so, so pleased little (ish!) Max is here safe and sound. We've all been waiting for you for such a long time, little fella.

Well done on coping so admirably with such a lengthy labour and big baby. I'm not surprised gas and air was insufficient! You must be utterly exhausted. Aw, how lovely. I wish I could come and give him a squeeze and you a massive, relieved, well done hug! xxxxxx