Is having an induction horrible?

[Sammyjayne489]

Morning, I'm 39wks first baby and no sign of buba. Have been thinking about induction and have read that slot of people don't want to be induced. Why is this, is it more painful, is the process harder?

It is completely different from person to person.

I had a sweep with DS1 and it didn't hurt at all, however I have spoken to other women who say it was agony :( Sorry, that is not very helpful :(

I had the full shebang - pessary, waters broken, many hours on the syntocinon drip. The full induction menu. It was painful and I made good use of the pethidine. The main difficulty is that if you end up on a drip (as opposed to just needing the pessary) then you can't have an active labour as you will be stuck on the bed for long stretches of time. I wish I had asked for the epidural in time to be honest. Before I was attached to the drip I was doing fine without it though.
It wasn't the birth experience I would have chosen but you don't always get what you want and anyway I was there to have a baby not a birth experience. The baby was delivered safe and sound and I was absolutely fine and recovered very quickly from the birth.

i was induced with all 5 of mine and no it doesnt have to be terrible.

ds1 was a bit of a drawn out nightmare, 3 days and needed syntocin drip but normal delivery in the end :)

ds2 they just broke my waters and was in labour for 7hrs.

ds3 broke my waters, 3hr labour.

ds4 broke my waters and 1hr labour, delivered in the birthing pool.

dd broke my waters but needed syntocin drip,, 3hr labour, still stayed mobile and used gas and air, 3hr labour.

i cant have the gel they put on your cervix as they tried it with ds1 and discovered i am allergic to it! so it was straight to breaking my waters, it worked fine for 3 of the boys and then when i had dd i ended up with the drip but it was still fine, the pain was manageable, even tho she was back to back it was still a good labour.

even with the drip you do NOT have to stay on the bed! they like you to but you dont have to. i stayed mobile, sat on a birth ball and laboured kneeling up and on all fours a lot. it was harder for them to moniter the heartbeat, they had to keep adjusting the moniter and hold it by hand etc but my midwife was lovely and happy to fiddle around.

You are only 39 weeks so highly unlikely to be induced - chances are you will go into labour sometime in the next couple of weeks

I was induced for my second baby and it was in fact the easiest of my three labours.

yes i meant to say, you have another 3 wks to go into labour, most hospitals have a policy of inducing at term plus 14 days, so 42 wks.

also you dont have to be induced if you dont want to be, you can ask for expectant management where they will moniter the baby on a regular basis and can do a scan to check on the levels of fluid around the baby and the blood flow from the placenta.

but as armed said chances are you will go into labour on your own before you get to induction, good luck :)

It is best avoided if possible. It makes for a more painful labour, increases the risk of the baby becoming distressed, so you need more attentive monitoring which leads to restricted movement for the mother. There is also an increased risk of baby aquiring infections due to your waters being broken for a prolonged period and of needing a cs delivery.

If you can avoid it, do.

If you can't avoid it you won't be the first, or the last. Don't be ashamed of accepting whatever pain relief or help you need.
Also, just because you agree to one part of induction, e.g. the gel to soften the cervix, does not mean you can't decline others, eg. having your waters broken, or the drip.

My first induction was horrible but my second was brilliant and very quick.

Ill probably be induced with this one too which i don't mind, it twas the sweep and one particular midwifes examinations that i didn't like.

I'd like to go without induction this time to see what its like, either way it hurts so take the pain relief when you feel you cant bear it anymore.

Good luck!!

I've had two inductions, one at 39 weeks and one at 38 weeks. I didn't find either an unpleasant experience. I have no comparison to going into labour by myself, however I didn't find the pain unmanageable, I did the first on just gas and air and the second with no pain relief at all. My first was 3 hours and my second was just over 1.5 hours.
I'm expecting an induction again early this time and hoping its just as simple as the last ones.
Yes there are risks associated with being induced, but the likely hood is you will go into labour before an induction is needed. Good luck

Hi Sammyjayne489.
I was induced at 40 + 10 with DS1 & 2, just the pessaries. Had normal,straightforward deliveries, stayed mobile and no further interventions. Used Pethadine, DS1 was back to back also.
Just had DS3. Was induced with pessaries at 40 + 12, but despite lots of painful contractions nothing was happening.
They were all for breaking my waters and getting the drip up, but I refused. Told them I wan't a few more days at home, got home, had bath and lovely rest in my own bed...waters went and two hours later had new baby!
So agree that you don't have to have all induction processes, and do not be bullied into doing things you don't want.
Inform yourself, and listen to your body! Good luck.

I don't know if it's any help but it was news to me when in labour that the process of inducing is quite gradual. They don't just plug in the drip and ramp the drugs up to max until you are screaming in agony.
Ideally, it's just to get you started and into a rhythm and let your body take over. My drug levels were adjusted every 2/3 hours if memory serves - made sod all difference as DD was determined to stay in there but I remember being enormously relieved when they said that they would start at a low dose.

I was induced with my first two babies and it was fine (waters broken with ds2) I didn't need pain relief other than gas and air and had quick straightforward labours. I was scared of not being induced with ds3! But his labour was spontaneous and also quick and easy.

Sanmy, any sign yet?

I had the gel and the drip but I was able to move around within reason - I didn't spend much of labour on the bed. I did have to wear the CTG belt though which was a right pain in the bottom but they found a machine with really long wires so I could walk around.

Like oscarwilde, they did start me off on the very lowest setting and ramped up gradually.

Thanx for all the replies, feeling more clued up now!
Still hanging in on there, due tomorrow so will wait and see what happens

I was induced 10 days ago at 39weeks. Waters broke (2pm)and i was only 1cm, was admitted to hospital and put on antibiotic drip (midnight), woken at 6am and was put on the inducing drug (can't remember name although begins with S) at 8am....everything was fine for first couple of hours until contractions kicked in. I was on the ball and found sitting on the toilet helped. Managed 2 hours of them until i needed, begged for epidural which was when i got into bed. My gorgeous baby was born at 1608. None of it was quite as bad as i thought it would be, however, it does hurt! Don't worry about it, there is nothing you can do, your baby is coming out one way or another and its worth it! Good luck X

I was induced at 12 days over - given pessary at hospital and then sent home with them saying they would call me in 12 hours to see how I was doing and would probably have to get another dose the next day. Got home ate lunch, watched about 1/2 a film and then my waters broke about 3pm. Called hospital who said come in but not rush, luckily DH came home right away and drove me there. Sat in general maternity ward having pretty intense contractions, finally got taken up to labour ward was examined and told to start pushing and had DS with a little help from a kiwi cap ventouse about 6.45pm. No pain relief (mainly as I wasn't in a delivery room for most of it and they had just cleared the room from previous delivery when I got taken in so no gas or anything set up).

I think the induction may have sped things up but was fairly straight forward. Would have been better at a less busy hospital... and having mentioned it here now I'm back in NZ everyone has been appalled I got sent home, apparently they normally keep you in from when the induction starts. Personally, I prefer that I got to go home and eat proper food.

Hello

I have 2 very different experiences;

1 - 1st baby, 2 weeks overdue, pessaries, drip, was uncomfortable and I was very scared, so ended up having epidural and pethadine. After that I was very relaxed and easy birth, few stitches which of course I could not feel. 6 hhrs start to finish (once contractions had started - took one pessary, waters broken and then drip)

2 - At scan they had noticed a possible prob, so induced me at 38 weeks, DS/body did not want to play ball as early, so it took 2 days to get me going. I didn't want any drugs as I wanted a normal as possible birth and I was so glad I didn't feel any fear and ask for any:) Yes, the sintosin makes contractions hard and fast, but I cracked on and actually didn't find the birth that bad, I was shocked at how great it was (sorry, not trying to be smug). I had done the hypnobirthing method (read the book) and that helped loads, 1.5 hrs. If I had to be induced again, it wouldn't bother me. 2nd time was def easier for me.

Good luck, hope it all goes well