scared of possible induction. how much more painful is it?

[cleoowen]

41 Weeks today and had my sweep today. mw said cervix is closed so couldn't do it. Feel really disappointed although she did say this doesn't necessary mean you are,far away from going into labour, you could go from nothing into full blown labour.

Now they are talking about induction which I am scared of. Heard leads to more difficult and painful labour with no build up on pain. Feeling very scared if I will.cope.

Also feel cross mw did not offer me a sweep at 40 Weeks and feel she has put me in this position. Why? I didn't know this was common practice or would have asked for one. Others,were booked in at 40 Weeks and naively thought this was unusual and too soon. Got another booked Friday but with cervix closed feel this won t work either. This is what I most wanted to avoid.

I had a lovely home birth with DS 1 and was keen to repeat the lovely, low light, Low tech birth with DS 2.

Sadly it was not to be as a late growth scan showed stalled growth, so I needed to be induced at 38 weeks....not just a dreaded hospital birth, but a full on attached to monitors, delivery suite, hormone drip birth...and guess what, it was fine!

Honestly! My labour did not start with the more gentle efforts at induction, such as numerous sweeps, pessaries and artificial rupture of membranes, but needed the drip turned up to the maximum dose. I won't lie, it was quite sudden the way the contractions built up, but I managed with gas and air, had no interventions despite baby being back to back and the cord being kind of wrapped around his shoulder making him a touch stuck and no injuries either.

Labour is tough no matter how it starts, but you get the very best present at the end of it, so keep that in mind and try and trust in your body....good luck!

Sorry but I'd walk across hot coals to not do induction again. It was awful. It's fine if the pessaries work but if u have the drip ffs have an epidural. I cannot describe the pain in words, only colours. At first I saw red as the contractions started but later as more drip went in it was white. Pure white blinding light. I ripped my mouth to shreds on gas, and pethadine doesn't come close to touching it.

I'm sweating in fear of writing this 2yrs later. I have no comparison for the pain level, my husband thought me similar to the exorcist writhing around in agony. Neither one of us will ever do that again and I will never ever recommend induction to anyone. I'd say no, c-sec thanks. You don't want to fuck about doing a drip and still end up at c-sec. It sets ur healing back ages. I did 2 drips,and begged for the sec. I don't mean asked or agreed to, I mean I BEGGED. Please ensure your plan states what you will and won't cover in induction process.

I was induced with my 2nd child and it was so much easier then my first "normal delivery".

Dc1: went into labour naturally, 12 1/2 hours, epidural at 7cm cos I couldn't handle the pain, 2 hours of pushing, ventouse, lots of stitches etc.

DS2: induced, had sweep and 1st pessary at 9am, chilled out with magazines all morning, waters broke and 1st contraction came at 2pm, G&A and a paracetamol and DS2 born at 3pm with just a few stitches needed! It was bloody painful, fast and furious but a far better experience then DS1. Only needed 1 pessary and never got anywhere near the drip.

I was induced and it was fine. Had the pessary in the evening, had mild contractions during the night but managed to sleep. That continued in the morning, until 2 pm when they broke my waters. It got bloody painful then but I went from 2 cm to 10cm in about 2 hours. DS was born at 7pm by Ventouse, I didn't need anything but gas and air, and I'd happily do it all again tomorrow!

I was induced at +10 days with DC3 and was huge but no signs of imminent labour. I had a gel inserted at about 8 am - went for very long walks around the hospital but nothing happening. Went for lunch - still nothing happening. Sent DH home so I could have an afternoon snooze on the ante natal ward (no visitors allowed between 1 and 3). Went to settle for a snooze but could not get comfy - around 2 ish thought maybe that was a contraction, but not sure. By 3 pm contractions were coming thick and fast but not painful - tightenings rather than take your breath away ones. Asked to be moved to delivery suite - no sign of DH! He turned up about 3:30 just before they moved me. Got to delivery suite and asked midwife to fill the birth pool so I could get in as I was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable but still not painful. Thought I would see how things went before starting any gas or other forms of pain relief and thought I probably had a few hours to go yet. The pool was fab and I was having a bit of a wallow (v hippo like!) when my waters broke and then about 10 mins after that I said I think I need to push and dc3 just about flew out!

I had had a very painful back to back birth with DC1 - over 24 hours of labour, epidural, drip, ventouse - just about the works. So I would say the induction birth was faster and more intense but definitely not more painful than back to back delivery. Have also had completely spontaneous natural water birth with dc2. Induction was no more painful, just faster and more intense.

I had a drip to make labour speed up with dc1 but I was already on the epidural by then so I don't know what that felt like.

I got through three inductions on gas and air;only begged for needed diamorphine for my one 'natural' labour. Which made me paranoid and accuse the mws of only pretending to give it to me. Hth :-)

Hi, I was induced last time and here in France they VERY STRONGLY recommend an epidural for an induction.

I had a pessary at 8am. Painless contractions all day but by 1am was 3-4cms dilated and taken to delivery suite. Given epidural (not feeling any pain then, so found being given the epi quite uncomfortable), then then hooked up to the induction drip etc.. and left to it. The drip made things really ramp up!!

Unfortunately, due to various issues, I ended up having an emcs (so it was great that I'd already had the epidural & could be whisked straight into theatre!)

Am due for DC2 in a couple of weeks. If go as overdue as last time, they may give me a pessary induction, if my cervix is already favourable, but not the drip as it's too hardcore and there's a risk of cs scar rupture.

So, it seems to me, that your induction experience all depends on what they use to induce you and how well your body copes with it.

It's perhaps not what you envisaged, but as long as you and baby come out of the whole experience safe and well, then it's a result!

All the best!

LaCicc I can totally relate to how you described the pain! I honestly thought I was going to die and was also begging and begging for an epidural. I also couldn't understand why they weren't doing anything to help me!!

My actual memories of the entire event are somewhat skewif I'm sure down to how much pain I was in - think I've blocked it out!

Haven't read all the posts but if you have the drip my advice is:
HAVE AN EPIDURAL!!!!

I had 5 sweeps from 41 to 42 weeks, did nothing at all.
Had two pessaries over two days,started regular, manageable contractions but wasn't progressing.

Had my waters broken and eventually went on the drip as despite having strong contractions after my waters were broken after 4 hours I hadn't dilated any more.

For some unknown reason which I will always regret I didn't have an epidural when they were starting the drip. I reacted very strongly to it, 2 minute long back to back contractions. By the time I was begging for an epidural (when I could manage the odd word between occasional gaps in contractions) the anaesthetists were tied up with c-sections etc and I didn't get one for about 12 hours.

You do not know how you'll react to the drip,if like me it's very strongly on the lowest dose you will definitely need an epidural.

Good luck!

I was induced at 41+10 and, like a few people have mentioned, really struggled to get my head round it. I had been planning for a home birth and it took me a while to come to terms with being induced.

However, it was actually a really positive experience. I had the pessary at 11am and they talked about breaking my waters the next day and then going on the drip. We went out for walks, went to a pub for dinner, where I had a massive chilli burger and my OH had a couple of pints, not expecting me to go into labour that night.

I had mild regular cramps, but the midwife insisted they couldn't be labour. They got more intense, and at that point I thought if this wasn't labour, I couldn't do it! Shortly after, I was examined and was 9cm and ready to push. My waters went and I just made it down to the delivery suite in time to give birth. I used the TENS machine briefly and it did help (until I electrocuted myself with it) and didn't like gas and air, so had no pain relief in the end. My labour was recorded as 1 hour, 9 minutes although I think it was a bit longer than that, but not much.

Just wanted to share that it can be a positive experience too, even if it's a complete departure from what you had planned. As people have said, every labour and birth is different.

Hope everything goes well for you.

I found being induced very very very painful - but as it was my first baby I just thought that was what labour pain was like. I lasted 5 hours before having epidural. Gas & air didn't do anything for me. After 12 hour labour (and one hour of pushing) DD was born naturally. I am due with 2nd baby in a few weeks so will be interesting to compare pain if I go into labour naturally. If I am induced again I will definitely be having an epidural.

My story is on here.

I had a really lovely induced birth at 40+16!

Clicked on your link Aloha and it took me to an article about weaning!!!

Syntocin drip is hideous. If you have that demand an epidural.

If you don't want to be induced, you have the right to refuse. They can't force you to have an induction. Normal gestation is anywhere from 38-42 weeks anyway.

I had a consultant with DD3 who was very fond of shroud-waving & wanted to railroad me into an induction; I was dead set on a home birth so I told him to fuck off and wrote an advance directive in my notes stating I witheld consent for any artificial induction of labour whatsoever, and he had to concede that there was sweet fuck all he could do about it. DD3 came perfectly naturally (and quickly!) at home just a couple of days later at 40 +12.

If you don't want an induction, just refuse. Consultants are far too induction-happy and once you agree to an induction, you're on the slippery slope of interventions and it can all go down hill very fast to a c-section if you don't progress at their chosen speed.

So sorry about that!!! Was too early in the morning!!! Here it is!!!

Also, you have some handy weaning tips for when baby arrives!!!

Artificial contractions are much more painful than natural ones, I can vouch for that. Is this your first baby? If so I would try to hold off and hope you don't need induction if you can. However, if you've had babies before it may be better. I had an induction for dc3, all I needed was the gel and I went into labour very quickly and she was born within 2 hours. It was my least painful delivery.

My DS1 is two weeks old. I was induced.

Arrived at hospital on the Sunday, baby born on the Thursday, discharged on the Friday to be readmitted (due to complications) on the Sunday, eventually discharged the following Tuesday. I was in hospital a total of 9 days. I wouldn't recommend induction to anyone. Once your admitted you need to stay, no matter how many days until you actually deliver.

My experience is my own, however. Yours could be completely different.

Good luck, whatever you choose.

Oh, second DC for me though.

I agree about the epidural. Induction does hurt IME (I had Syntocin drip), but an epidural should take the pain away.

I went in open minded about whether I'd need an epidural. Once the pain started kicking in it was a no brainer!

I was induced with DD- full blown syntocin drip and all. I was too scared of an epidural to have one and managed on gas and air and screaming. The screaming helped more than the gas and air. My DD was born within 6 hours of them getting the drip up to full strength and I couldn't have managed much longer. I probably would have an epidural if I have to have another induction, but I will go out of my way to not have one.

I had 3 sweeps, NOTHING happened.
I was brought into hospital at 40+10 had a pessary, only think I got was pessary symptoms, then had a sweep and then that night another pessary again. By this stage I was 3cm but wasn't progressing and wasn't in any pain.

Next day I had my waters broken by hook thing, and had the drip. I've only had one dc, but I seen my sister in natural labour and it scared the fuck out of me, I much preferred my induced labour.

ARM happened at 11.40, drip started at 12.40 and my ds was born at 10.03 pm. I started gas and air from 3pm ish and took diamorphine at 5ish (it is amazing) but I am so glad I didn't have the epidural.

I went in with an open mind as I wasn't sure what to expect, and didn't want to rule anything out incase I couldn't cope. But once the diamorphine kicked in, I knew I could do it without an epidural.

So my advice for you is to just see how you cope at the time.

My next birth (whenever that will be) I will want another induction. I hated the idea of being at home and possibly going back and forth to hospital to see if I was far enough long to be admitted.

I wish you an easy birth, and know that you can do this.

Weissdorn what a lovely short labour!! Agree with you about epidurals - I will almost definitely be having one again - why put up with the agony when there is pain relief? I also threw up a couple of times when being induced (before I had epidural). After epidural felt great relief and was chatting away happily!!