Induction with no Epidural at 39+4

[BoomBoomBoom]

Hi

I'm due to be induced on Thursday (39+4).

I had a sweep last week and was told that my cervix was favorable and I should have went into labour off the sweep.

I have lost my plug and keep getting little pains that then die down and nothing is happening. So I'm looking more and more likely I will be induced in 4 days.

I was told that when I go to the hospital on Thursday (after phoning that morning to get a time) I will have my waters broke then the drip will be put up.

Has anyone had an induction with no Epidural?

I did. My waters had gone and I was 3cm but didn't progress in time. I went in with the mindset that if I was being induced and had to stay in bed, I was having an epidural. Thankfully I was allowed to walk around with the drip in and monitor on. My midwife was fantastic and very supportive. She showed me the best way to breathe through contractions (in through your nose for count of 5, out through your mouth for count of 10, and focus on one point in the room). It hurts like hell as the drip makes your contractions a lot closer together, but it is manageable with good support. Good luck with your labour and delivery. I hope it all goes well.

Hiya I had an induction at 39+1 with DS took a long time to get going but when they broke my waters and put me on the drip my god!
The contractions were strong and close together for me and came in quick while midwives were busy and I couldn't even get my hands on a paracetamol.
Once they realised I wasn't being a wimp they gave me diamorphine and gas and air this cheered me up no end!
I loved it and after very little sleep do was talking absolute rubbish.
I got to 10 cms quicker than they expected so no epidural for me but they took away my gas and air to concentrate.
40 mins later and my DS was born 9lb2oz.
No epidural and in the end a good birth.
If you need an epidural go for it but for me I didn't need it (although I asked for it thinking the pushing stage would be worse than contractions)
I found in my experience the contractions were more painful and the pushing hard work but not as painful although when the head crowns it is like really really bad constipation (tmi sorry)
Good luck x

I was induced at 39 weeks with dc2, no epidural - just gas and air. It was amazing compared to dc1's birth.
Everyone is different though.

I had been in slow labour for 2 weeks - got to 4cm and stopped! Didn't need a peasant so had my waters broken at 11am - nothing happened. Think the drip went in at 1pm, was fine until about 6 but wouldn't say awful, had her at 8pm

Pessary not peasant!

I did. I didn't the contractions were THAT bad - had pethidine and gas and air. Was mostly out of it.

I was induced at 39+4 due to gestational diabetes, after having a sweep at 39+2. Had two pessaries and stayed in overnight, to little avail; had waters broken the followi morning and told I had two hours to get things started before they put me on the drip (so no pressure then!) Ended up on drip anyway BUT all that intervention must have geared my body up for labour because DD shot out like a rocket after 55 minutes.

Those 55 minutes were pretty painful, I won't lie, but it was only really the last 5 mins that were unbearably intense. It was actually a much better birth than my DS's, which was 14hrs with 2nd degree tear and piles. I felt amazing after DD's birth, no tear, no trauma, fit and well :).

I was induced both times and they couldn't break my waters, had one pessary with ds1 at 11am, 3 hour labour started at 10 that night.

Ds2 I had 2 pessaries and a 20 min labour at 3am. No drop either time, I nearly passed out having ds2 as it was so quick but would rather it be quick than dragged out! No drip either time, didn't like gas and air so no pain relief.

Good luck!

I did, but it was just a pessary, no drip and didn't have my waters broken until baby was almost out! I kept walking about all the way through, but the midwives didn't believe I was in labour until my mum dragged one in. I imagine the drip would make it more difficult.

I'm not allowed an Epidural or a Spinal through health reasons which is the reason I'm getting induced as they need enough DR's on the ward to deal with me.

I had a 3 ay labour with DD and to be honest dreading getting induced as I've heard loads of horror stories about the drip. I coped OK with DD's birth as I knew I was able to have the Epidural is needed but this time I'm not allowed.

I'm pleased to hear some people have had the drip and no Epidural. :) with a bit of luck I will go into labour naturally but really doubt I will.

A couple of things come to mind -

You could ask for another sweep?
Is there any reason why they can't break your waters, then wait a few hours to see what happens before using the drip?

Or any reason they won't use a pessary first and see if that works without having to use the drip?

My own experience is that a slower build up is easier to cope with than sudden strong contractions, so just thinking of things you could ask about!

I would get another sweep. A sweep worked for me for 2nd baby (though was 40+9). I was induced on the drip for 1st baby and DID need an epidural. My 2nd labour (natural. no drip) was no where near as painful as the induced labour and didn't need epidural. Sorry if this is not what you wanted to hear but I found the contractions from the drip awful.

I was induced at 38+1 as I hard multiple bilateral pulmonary embolisms (emboli?) and as a result I couldn't have an epidural or a spinal and they were keen for a natural birth rather than a cd as the surgical option increased the clot risk further. This was my DC3 so they thought I'd be easy to start off.

DD2 was back to back and all the delivery suite midwives wanted to tell me was that it would be long and painful and if I had the drip it would be atrocious as I couldn't have an epidural.

Not very encouraging.

But, I had a sweep; nothing happened
They broke my waters; nothing happened
They put the drip up; nothing happened
They kept turning the drip up saying no one gets past x level, this will work in a bit; nothing happened
The mw then did one final crank of the drip and wandered off to see how full the theatres were for a cs. I then had 4 contractions each 10 mins apart and DD2 arrived. DH pressed the red button to call for help on contraction no3 the mw arrived at the same time as D2s head.

40 mins start to finish, 4 contractions in total, 3 segments of chocolate orange as pain relief.

It could be horrific but then it could be alright

Best if luck boomboomboom

I've just had an induction with no epidural at 38+4! Went into hospital to start induction on 19th Jan, DD was born last Mon (21st).

They started off giving me the propess pessary thingy, after 24 hours I was having regular contractions and 3cm dilated. However, the hospital then had no room on labour suite, so propess came out Sun night then nothing. Contractions died away Sun night.

Mon lunchtime they finally had space on labour suite, took me down & broke my waters. An hour later, still no contractions, so started on drip.

They start you off on a v low dose of the drip, then double it every half hour. I didn't even have a contraction for the first 1.5 hours. Then finally started getting them, and coped fine with just gas & air. At one point I started screaming for diamorphine (I can't have an epidural either for medical reasons), but turned out that was actually transition, and DD was born 1hour 7 minutes after my first contraction!

I know it seems daunting, everyone I know who was induced had an epidural, so I was terrified. Yes, it hurt like hell, but that's labour for you - my first was a spontaneous natural labour, and I don't think the induction was particularly worse.

I've had 3sweeps already so the drs don't want to do another. I don't see midwifes as I'm too high risk so a midwife won't do one either.

The drs originally wanted a c section done but they have agreed to allow me a chance to give birth vaginally. They are preferring to do the drip straight away so we don't waste my energy or time waiting for the contractions to start after my waters have been broken.

Sneakybiscuiteater that sounds like a good delivery if a little scary.

Bionicemu thanks for your reply, I hope I can manage on gas and air. I delivered DD with gas and air so I can hopefully do it again.

I've still not gone into labour so I'm going to enjoy tomorrow with DD then hopefully have a baby on Thursday/Friday.

Thank you for all of the replies.

Hi BoomBoom good luck with the birth. I do know people who have had induction and no epidural even though I had the epidural myself with DD1. Having had a natural birth and no epidural with DD2 I do find I recovered quicker after the birth the 2nd time around and (for me at least) the natural contractions were nowhere near as painful.

With no epidural you can be up and about again v fast after having your baby. So there is a good side. Personally I would want to avoid the drip again (should I have a 3rd child) because my induction was not for serious medical reasons, I was overdue and waters were leaking but think I should have opted to wait a bit longer. However you don't mention why you are being induced - I would put the safety of you and the baby 1st and have the drip as it seems as if the Dr's think the baby should be born as soon as poss. x

I have been induced with all 4 of mine and they were all back to back. The first 3 I had a pessary to start cervix opening and then the drip, but it didn't need to stay turned up for the whole labour. I had no pain relief at all with my 2nd and 3rd as I didn't feel I needed it. My 4th baby my waters broke by themselves and so I was given the drip straight away. This was horrible as they also had to leave it turned up for the whole labour. V painful 38.5 hours labour and I had an epidural after about 18 hours. I do think I was very unlucky with the 4th one though and it didn't put me off having more.

Just so you know I hated gas and air and the pethidine with my first because it made me feel sick and I have a phobea about being sick. Because of this I didn't try them first with my 4th.

I had a drip with ds1, I managed well enough with g&a until near the end when they advised an epidural as they thought I might need a cs (11lb 2 baby)

Good luck

I was induced at 40+11.

Went in at 6am given a pessary, nothing happened, sweep was given nothing happened and then that night another pessary,

Next day I was taken into delivery suite at 11, waters broken and they left me for an hour to see if things started naturally but didn't drop was set up and turned on at 12. Had no pain relief until 3, which I then started on the gas and air. At 5 o'clock I had an injection of diamorphine. (This stuff is amazing).

My ds was born at 10.03pm weighing 7lb 7ozs.

It can be done but just keep an open mind to all options.

I was 7cm on just paracetamol but induced after failure to progress and then took gas and air. It was only when I had a spinal for forceps that I realised how much pain I'd been in for 13 hours!

Given the time again I'd probably ask for more hardcore drugs as I am sure dealing with the pain stoically wore me out.