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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

How long do inductions take? Your experiences please!!

73 replies

LucyJones · 17/05/2006 12:23

My SIL went in for an indiction last night at 5pm so I am eagerly awaiting that special phone call to annouce her news!! How long do you think it will be? Will theyhave started her off slow in the hope that she slept some of the night? TIA

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Piccalilli · 17/05/2006 12:27

I went in at 9 p.m. on Friday evening, dd was born at 10:15 on Sunday morning. On the Friday night, they just gave me a sweep and a pessary - I think they usually do that then leave it overnight to see if that's enough to kick-start it, if not they'll either give another pessary or potentially sytocinon (sp??) depending how far along, or not, she is.

GDG · 17/05/2006 12:31

I went in at 8am, induced around 11am and gave birth at 8.37pm. That was with ds1. Second two were spontaneous labours.

Original poster
LucyJones · 17/05/2006 12:33

She is 2 weeks overdue. I did wonder why she had to go in on an evening so maybe they have done what happened to you PC!!

OP posts:
WigWamBam · 17/05/2006 12:35

I had my first pessary at 8am, when nothing happened I had a second pessary at 2pm, and my waters broke/contractions started within 5 minutes. Dd was delivered by emergency section 24 hours later.

Nemo1977 · 17/05/2006 12:36

Ds induction at 14 days over didnt go into labour until around 18 hrs later but then was only in labour 90mins.

DD induced 8am on the thurs born 8 am fri after 8 hr labour.

coppertop · 17/05/2006 12:44

Ds1 - went in on a Friday morning and had pessaries during the day. Waters broke spontaneously that night and ds1 arrived late on Sunday night.

Ds2 - went in on a Saturday morning. Started the pessaries on Saturday afternoon and ds2 arrived early Sunday morning.

Dd - went in on Sunday morning. Had pessaries Sunday afternoon and evening. Nothing was happening so was left to get some sleep overnight. Waters were broken on Monday morning and dd arrived Monday evening.

CarlyP · 17/05/2006 12:45

i had to be induced 4 weeks early both times.

1st timne took just under 12hrs
2nd time 6hrs from 1st pessary to baby!

cx

BettySpaghetti · 17/05/2006 12:48

When I was induced they went straight for the drip in the back of the hand as my waters had broken 2 days beforehand.

Within minutes of the drip going in at 10 am I went from nothing to very painful contractions and had DD by 2.30pm !

I think they tend to go down the pessary first route normally though so you could be waiting sometime!

blueshoes · 17/05/2006 13:04

I think it depends on how ripe your SIL is and whether this is her first or subsequent pregnancy. I was 40 weeks first time mum - took 24 hours from 2+ pessaries, syntocinon drip to baby by emergency cs.

pepperpots · 17/05/2006 13:07

ds1 i went in at 8pm saturday night. They give me a pessary and left me till the morning. Nothing happened so another pessary at about 12pm sunday still nothing so they broke my waters at five pm happy to say that ds1 was then born 3 hours later Smile
Good luck for your sis

Bugsy2 · 17/05/2006 13:15

pessary adminstered at 8pm. Went into Labour at 11pm, dd born at 12.50am. So from pessary to birth was less than 5 hours, but she was my second and I was two weeks overdue. Apparently my cervix was not ripe or ready & they were expecting to be reapplying pessaries & break my waters the next day!

pashmina · 17/05/2006 13:20

2nd birth, went in when 14 days late, pessary put in at 2pm, another at 8pm - nothing! put another in on 15th day overdue at 7.30 pm, still nothing - until 11.45 - felt sudden twinge, then it all happened at once - dd2 came 18mins later weighing in at an eye watering 10lb 14oz! needless to say I am not having any more!!

Original poster
LucyJones · 17/05/2006 13:28

Thanks for all the replies so far. It is her 2nd baby. I'm pregnant at the moment too so I gues all this is on my mind. The thing that worries me is that it's bad enough going into hospital to have the baby and staying one night say away from your first child, but if you're induced over several days then the length of yuor stay could end up 3/4 nights!! The same as a caesarean!!

OP posts:
tinymiaow · 17/05/2006 13:33

I had 4 quite vigorous 'sweeps', lots of walking and quite confusingly strong 'false labour', then they broke my waters - still no action! After 2 days of hospital shenanigans, and begging them to just give me the induction, they eventually stuck the drip in at about 3pm Friday, inside of 10 or 20 minutes contractions were thick and fast! I pushed out my tiny girl just after 5pm.

Why could they not have done that when I went in on the Wednesday?

My friend had the best delivery ever at The Portland - booked in for induction plus epidural. She arrived in the morning and was pouring juice for me (visitor) at 6pm, showing me her tiny tot! Absolute bliss!

I would absolutely, 100% go private if I was to have any more - plus I am already planning for paying for my 2 daughters to go private!

I was in NHS hell - given a bed pan to use in front of an open window, snarled at by nurse when I buzzed ...because they were in a meeting! Never again!

TambaTheDragonSlayer · 17/05/2006 13:35

DS1 - went in at 9am, had pessary at about 10.30, sat around doing nothing til about 4pm then had another pessary. Went to bed about 11, woke up at 12.30 with tummy ache, he was born at 2.50am - so once labour started was very quick!

DS@ - went in at 10am, sat around doing nothing until 2pm when they decided to break my waters, labour came on very fast, ds2 born about 5pm. So also quick!

Uwila · 17/05/2006 14:06

Induced Thurs evening at 9:00. Born Saturday morning 3:00 by emergency caesarean, when I was only about 4 cm dialated. God only knows how long it would have been if foetal distress hadn't put an end to it all.

blueshoes · 17/05/2006 15:12

IMO the longer the induction takes, the higher the likelihood of fetal (and maternal!) distress and consequent cs.

Rubymummy · 17/05/2006 17:01

26 frickin hours...... oh the hell of it...and i want to do it again now please!

beckybrastraps · 17/05/2006 17:10

No pessaries. Straight to syntocinon drip. 21 hours, and had to be yanked out (forceps).

Witchycat · 17/05/2006 17:16

OK. This is NOT typical but I had pessary on the Friday night - didn't work. Repeat Saturday morning - didn't work. Repeat sat eve - didn't work. Repeat Sunday eve - dilated just enough for them to manually break waters on Monday morning then straight onto syntocin drip which was just getting going but baby reacted (heart rate dipped)& so had emergency cs (which was absolutely fine & baby well).

Must stress though - really not typical. Friends who were induced with 1st baby gave birth within hours.

Good luck

tortoiseshell · 17/05/2006 17:25

Went in Sat am, having contractions anyway, but not in 'established' labour as such. Had pessary 11.30 ish, 14.00 was 5-6 cm, baby born 19.10.

Jackstini · 17/05/2006 17:26

Another non typical one:
Had show tues am, waters broke tues 8pm, pessary wed 2pm, drip wed 9pm - still only 1.5cm dilated by 9am thurs so emergency CS. Went fine though and dd was out and healthy!

jessicaandrebeccasmummy · 17/05/2006 17:34

Induced at 6pm thursday night, gave birth 2.45am saturday morning!

buffythenappyslayer · 17/05/2006 17:37

i went in at 9am wednesday,was examined,prostin gel put in at 11,contractions started at 11.20,was taken to labour ward as contractions were every 5 mins,waters were broken at 3am thursday and dd arrived at 9.37am!

Alipiggie · 18/05/2006 03:52

Wow think I was lucky. Both ds's were born on the actual day I went in for induction. Only one attempt necessary and one sweep for ds2. Ds1 took 4 hrs 15 and ds2 took 1 hr 12 from sweep. Fabulous hospital -Princess Royal in Glasgow although ds2 was so fast he was nearly born in the corridor on the way to the delivery suite