Come and talk to me about your Induction

[McPhee]

I'm booked in for an induction this friday, first baby, and no idea really what to expect. In an ideal world, going in with an open mind is preferable. But in practice I'm probably going to be prone to losing it

I'm currently 37 weeks, but measuring 41 weeks with Polyhydramnios, large baby with enlarged abdomen, plus being back to back

So, what should I expect? What was your experience?

Be honest, I can take it

I had the exact issues as you do apart from being 39 weeks at my induction. I didn't end up having a drip as two pessaries spaced six hours apart kicked me from 0cm to fully dilated within 12 hours of my first cramp. I managed with just gas and air but because my baby was back to back it was constant pain by around 6cm instead of the waves I heard about and later experienced with DC2. While DC1's labour was definitely more painful than DC2's I attribute that to being back to back rather than the pessary iyswim.

Good luck! I know how exhausting it is when you're so big and uncomfortable but it will be over soon and your beautiful DC will be in your arms. It's worth the pain a hundred times over.

Thanks for your input. God, I hope mine goes as well as yours sounds.

Do you think a tens will help/make any difference in these circumstances? I've hired one, but now I'm wondering if it's worth bothering with.

I didn't use one but was thinking of getting one. If it's already hired you can't go wrong with trying. The back pain is excrutiating at times so even if it just gets you through the early stages of labour it's worth it!

I was induced at 40+12 and DD was back to back too.

I was booked in at 9am and they inserted prostin gel at 10am. I had to sit on the monitor for a while before that and for a while after that to keep an eye on baby's heartrate but after that I was free to move around but not leave the hospital (my MW said she'd gone on her lunch break a couple of weeks before and found her induction patient across the road in Sainsburys!). At 4pm I had another examination and another dose of the prostin. By 5.30 I could really feel contractions like period pains and backache and asked for some paracetamol. They examined me and in the time it took from asking for the painkillers for them to finish the examination they started coming closer and getting much more painful so they took me up to the birth centre so I could get in the pool and have gas and air.

I got up there about 6pm and bounced on the ball while they ran the pool. The gas and air was fab! I got in the pool and the following few hours all merged together so I can't give accurate timings! My MW kept me moving around all the time to try and turn the baby. After being in the pool with the gas and air for a while I really felt like I needed to push (I was worried I wouldn't know when I needed to, but trust me, you'll know) but when the MW examined me I was only 9cm. She kept me breathing and using gas and air and according to DH another hour at least passed before she asked me if I would mind getting on the bed so she could just check that I was fully dilated. I was so desperate to start pushing that I would have agreed to anything so got up on the bed. I was fully dilated and finally could push.

I would agree with PP that because it was back to back it was more constant pain. There were waves when I was definitely having contractions but inbetween them I still had really bad backache.

Somewhere between the pool and the bed my gas and air disappeared! I pushed well for an hour and the MW could see the head but it wasn't moving down. She was happy that I was pushing well and really thought I could move the baby down so kept me pushing for another hour. After two hours of trying she calmly said that she thought I needed some help and would I mind being transferred down to the delivery suite. I was so exhausted by then I really agreed with her so there I was, knees around my ears, pushing with each contraction while they wheeled me through the corridors and downstairs in the lift!

Once I got to delivery the doctor talked me through what a ventouse delivery would entail, including an episiotomy. DD was delivered about fifteen minutes later by ventouse. They necessity for ventouse was nothing to do with the induction, DD had her shoulders stuck so they had to turn her before they could deliver.

As soon as she was born the back pain and contraction pain both stopped. Amazing.

I know everyone worries about being induced and you hear some horror stories about the pain being stronger etc but for me it was absolutely fine. I would do it again.

And again, agreeing with PP, it is so so worth it. Worth the worry, the pain, the hours of waiting for things to get moving, the pushing through the corridors with knees up somewhere by your head (hopefully this won't be you as well though!). I know it sounds stupid but enjoy it. It's like a rite of passage and you'll have your own story to share soon, along with the most beautiful, precious little baby at the end of it. Congratulations and good luck :)

Somersaults, that actually sounds amazing! I'm so ready for labour, probably because I'm so uncomfortable and ready to meet my baby now.

I've been warned about the shoulders getting stuck, mainly because of babys position and size. So hopefully I'm well prepared for if that happens. Me and DP spoke last night, and if I'm totally unable to agree to procedures, will they allow him to speak for me?

Ive been induced twice, both times at 12 days overdue but wasnt at all favourable or dilated with dc1 and was 1cm with dc2.

DC1
Had gel put in at 8pm, nothing happened.
Had more gel put in at 8am - few back pains.
Got to 1-2cm and managed to get waters broken.
2 hours later - was put on syntocin drip as no regular contractions
4 hours later - ds born. Slight tear, otherwise fine.
Pain was not bad - have had toothache, earache and back ache that was worse.

DC2
Had pessary put in at 6pm, some contractions overnight. Pessary fell out during night and contractions stopped.
8am - another pessary, not much happened.
Examined and 2cm so managed ot get waters broken.
2 hours later or maybe even less - no regular contractions so put on drip.
Took what felt like ages to get to 4cm then 6cm then no progress for a while and kept feeling need to push but wasnt dilated.
#Kept moving and dd was born 5 hours_ish after being put on drip and I went from 6-10cm in minutes once shed moved position from being back to back.
I did have a tear and a pph but was ok.
Pain was much worse but I managed on g+a and it was worse because of being b2b rather than being induced as such.

Oh and dc1 was 8lb11oz and dc2 was 9lb4oz, both had heads above 99.6th precentile.

And is DP allowed to stay with me or will he be sent home

I also had big babies (DC1 was almost 10lb) and a bad tear as she came out with her arm up by her head facing upward. Would still do it all over again. It's her birthday in two days and the memories are flooding back with this post. She's a little girl now and a proper madam, starting Reception in September and still it's like yesterday I was sat in the hospital!

He may be sent home after visiting until you're 4cm and taken to the delivery suite. Once there he'll be able to stay.

I'm sure they will. But anything you're concerned about discuss with the MW who books you in. Mine was absolutely lovely.

And we had taken a TENS machine with us but totally forgot about it during active labour! I didn't even remember we had it until it was all over! I couldn't have used it in the pool though but it might have helped on the ball I suppose. Worth a try if you've already hired it.

Stay as calm as you can throughout. The staff know what they're doing and they want things to go as swimmingly for you as they possibly can. From your post it sounds like you will have DP there with you. Just focus on the prize! Do you know what you're having? I didn't find out because I thought the surprise at the end would keep me going when it got hard, but when they delivered her I was just so overwhelmed that 'it' was finally here that I didn't even think to ask what it was! It was only after a couple of minutes when the midwife asked if she could look. I think she was more excited to find out than I was at that point!

It really is incredible. The whole experience.

DH was allowed to come back if Id started to actively labour - otherwise he was there during visiting hours, then away overnight obv then back from 8am for me to have my waters broken and all the rest of it.

Sorry, the 'I'm sure they will' was in reference to DP being allowed to speak for you.

If I'd hadn't started active labour by 9pm then they'd have sent DH home until I was in active labour.

Won't go into loads of detail but was induced with DC3 and it was a very smooth straight forward birth. Definitely my easiest! Re TENS I used one with all my labours and liked it - it kind of distracted from the pain iykwim. Got to a point each time where I had had enough of it and it just irritated me so took it off but got a good few hours of good use each time.
Good luck OP. What a very exciting time for you

I was induced at 40+3. Baby was back to back.

I got a dose of prostin at 2pm and at 9pm I had my first contraction. Nothing at all between 2 and 9.

At 11pm I was pretty sure I was in labour and was told by the midwife 'No, no, these are just prostin pains'.

At 1.20am my body started pushing and I begged a midwife to check me - I was a good 8cm and called my husband.

At 2.44am I had my DS. Gas and Air between about half 1 to arrival.

It was an amazing birth and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

We've got no idea what we're having. This pregnancy has been so rough from the beginning, that neither of us wanted that final bit taken away.

Am a bit tearful now at the thought of DP not being constantly with me I don't think I'll cope if he's not there. And my mum, I really need her there too. Oh crap crap crap, why does no one tell you these little details.

I was induced at 37 plus 5. Have a weak cervix and they took stitch out at 37 weeks. I was immediately 3cm dilated and they expected me to go into labour but-nada!

So was induced as I have a history of infections.

Went into hospital at 4.30pm
Was put on a drip at 5.30pm
ds was born at 7 minutes past 7

Midwife even remembered me when I went in with next pregnancy as was such a fast labour!!

Good luck!

Don't panic McPhee, induction is very positive- it means you will meet your baby very soon!

I have had 2 (or 3, depending on how you look at it!) induction.

DD1- induced at 40+14, 2 prostins, an overnight stay, waters broke by themselves next morning, she was born with no interventions at 5.20pm.

DD2- induced at 39+0 (due to late diagnosed GD), 4 prostins over 2 days- I persuaded the consultant to discharge me since nothing at all was happening.

Went back in at 40+0, 2 prostins, she was born the same day after an hour labour, no interventions, weighing 10lb6

No experience of back to back, sorry, but I wanted to share my happy induction experiences with you.

Good luck on Friday, I'll be thinking of you (have followed your other threads) xxx

If things are happening, your DH WILL be able to stay with you. Mine was with me the whole time except at night, and I was asleep then anyway.

Please don't worry.

I was induced with dd1-i used a tens and loved it for the first 15 hours alongside G&A. I had an epidural afterwards.

My dh was with me the whole time unless he popped out to get food, make phone calls etc. He was able to sleep on a crash mat for 5 hours though the night-i was asleep too epiduraled up the max by then.

What I'm stressing about now, is that I'm prone too getting in a panic. And I just know, that DP having to leave is bound to cause me to have one. And he stupidly promised me he won't leave my side, and it seems he may have to.

Apologies for mini freak out.

I bloody wish we could afford a private room now.

I was 13 days over with DS1 when I was induced. It started very suddenly, which I wasn't prepared for, first dose of gel and I was contracting strongly within the hour with hardly a break between contractions.

I had a tens machine but it was like throwing doughnuts at an elephant to be honest. Hardly helped at all. I struggled on with that and gas and air, then 3 shots of morphine until DS1 finally arrived.

So it was very fast, 14 hours in total from beginning of induction to him arriving. It was full on and painful from the start.

Nobody thought to warn me that inductions can be like that as you are not gradually progressing through labour. Please, do consider an epidural. I had one with DS2 and it was AMAZING. My induction and birth with DS1 was very scary and traumatic. DS2 was so different.

Good luck! I hope this doesn't freak you out - I just remember wishing someone had told me!

I was induced at 38 weeks. I am given to understand early induction (when your body isn't totally ready) is a different affair than late induction.

In brief:

pessaries afternoon and evening.
overnight wondering the halls with heavy cramping pains
next morning 2cm dilated, scheduled for labour suite.
late morning waters broken in labour suite.

labour became very painful

drip started. Due to monitors and various drips I was unable to be mobile in labour.

Gas and air. Vomiting.

Labour became very, very painful. I mean very. I think it would have helped to know to expect this!

Epidural . I hadn't planned on this, but it was great!

Evening 10cm dilated.

Pushed for 2 hours. Exhausting. Was able to feel a bit as epidural worn off somewhat. No progress.

DD born by a somewhat botched forceps delivery.

Postpartum Haemorrhage.

the end. And the beginning.......

The main thing I would mention is how immobile I was due to monitoring. I had been given to believe I could walk around but I was stuck on a bed.

It hasn't put me off at all and watching one born every minute makes me feel sentimental. So don't worry too much, you'll get there, which is the most important thing.

As an aside, I brought everything listed by the midwives (apppies, outfits, maternity pads etc) and I had tto much luggage for going between various wards. Bring the basics and get the rest ready to be brought in after.

p.s. they won't send your DP away when you need him.

p.p.s.... don't worry about not having a private room. it is quite nice to be in with someone. On the night before I had DD I shared a room with a nice woman with hyperemeisis and we watched the apprentice, chatted and shared snacks. It was nice.