Induction tomorrow and a little scared - any tips?

[toomuchribbon]

I am 41+6 with DC1 and due to be induced tomorrow morning. I am excited but also, suddenly, rather terrified. Does anyone have any advice?

I don't know my Bishop's score but do know I am 3cm dilated, cervix is soft and mid though only about 60% effaced. So hopefully this is positive. The last two midwives I've seen have said a low dose of the gel and/or ARM should be sufficient to get labour going. Would like at least to avoid the drip if poss.

Any tips on what to take, what to do or anything else that will help it go smoothly would be wonderful.

I was induced (5 times) and the key, really, is to stay as relaxed as possible. If the procedure is uncomfortable then say. You don't have to agree to constant internals either. I wish I'd known this.

Hopefully, this time tomorrow you'll be snuggling your newborn.

Good luck and relax

Take plenty of magazines/ trashy book/ iPad with downloaded games. It could be pretty boring for quite a few hours!

Also, as the restaurant is likely to be your sole destination for when you're off on long waddles to get labour going, make sure you've got cash on you to buy something when you get there!

And be glad that the end I'd definitely in sight!

Best of luck!

How exciting! Remember the night before I was induced with my DD and hardly sleeping a wink! Induction is false labour so in my opinion it's a lot more painful for longer than going into labour naturally (I did with my DS). Be prepared to wait around and forget any thoughts you may have of no pain relief. I had hoped I'd get through labour with a sniff of lavender the first time but needed much more pain relief to cope with the agony. Also remember that it is really painful and that it's 'normal' for labour-I wish someone had told me this as I thought mine was so bad that something must have hone wrong. Remember to breathe and try not to panic. Hope it all goes well and will look forward to hearing your birth story soon x