Any positive induction experiences please?

[smallsmith]

Hello, looking for some positive thinking here! Am 10 days overdue and have had no signs of impending labour at all. Baby is well engaged and happily ticking along, but have had three failed sweep attempts (cervix too far back). Not even a twinge to report so far...

I know there is still time for labour to begin naturally (please!), but as I have an induction booked for Thursday when I will be 14 days over, I wondered if anyone had any positive birth experiences after being induced, or tips on how to let the induction be as calm and natural as possible?

Thanks so much :)

I found induction fine.. got to 8cm without any pain relief with dd back to back and found my body coped well iyswim. I did end up with a section but I had an existing condition that basically meant dd never engaged fully and was always likely to not get into the right position...if she had then i'm confident that induction would have been fine experience. I kept to a lot of my plan...dimmed lighting, music etc and felt relaxed mostly.

Thankyou pinkr - good to hear positive thoughts! 8cm with no pain relief is super impressive, fingers crossed I can stick to my natural as possible plan too. Thanks again.

I've been induced 3 times at 39, 38 and 37 weeks all were fine. Longest labour was 3 hours, shortest 20 mins, all born within 12 hours of process starting, ds3 was only a couple of hours after drip went in. Can't imagine going into labour at home but I have fast labours. I didn't find the drip any worse than pessary and I only had gas and air with ds3 nothing with 1&2. Good luck!

Wow twinklestars what a superstar! That gives me great hope! Thank you and fingers crossed for a 20 minute labour here too!

hi I was induced with dc2 as he was 14 days late. I went in hospital in the morning got the gel nothing happened was told to keep active and walk and bounce on the ball a lot then 6 hrs later I got another one gel (sorry can't remember what it's called) I started getting some contraction pains around 7-8 pm then they checked me around 8 30pm and she didn't say how far I was but told dp to go home as not much is going to happen until around 3am so dp went hope around 10pm then around 10 30pm my contractions got a bit stronger and asked for some painkillers. the midwife suggested that she would run a bath for me and so I got in and she left me there wasn't sure for how long but when she next came in I did say I wanted an epidural as the pain was getting bad so she told me to come out of the bath and get on the bed so she can check me but before that she went out to call my dp to let him know I was in labour. then about 15 min later as dp came in, my waters broke and only then the midwife checked me and said the baby was coming and I had him at 12 20 am. overall I was very happy that I managed it without any painkillers although it was a bit of a shock but I also feel that not knowing how far I was definitely helped me thinking I must be quite early on so I can't really make a bit deal out the pain Im 32 wks with dc3 and I wouldn't mind one bit if I had to be induced this time around. never thought before that water can help ease the pain but it did and this time if I can I will ask for the pool
Good luck! x

I did the whole thing on just gas and air :) it was painful but the only time I really lost it was when I hit 9 and half centimetres, also my labour was only 2hours and 35mins! :) no tears just a graze, good luck

I also had a good induction. Pessary put in at 6am. Lots of walking and ball bouncing got things going. I had paracetamol at 11:30pm and by half three I was 7 cm. That's when they moved me to labour ward and I had a little gas and air. DD was born at 6:40am. It hurt but I could cope with it. No Problems after and I was discharged the same day. I actually enjoyed it in a strange way

Good luck!

I had a good induction experience. I did have an epidural for the pain but could still feel to push, didn't need a catheter and was up walking soon after the birth (as soon as I was back on ward). I had the sensation of pressure but no pain.

Labour was 8hrs long of which 4 was active labour. Pushing stage was 20mins officially but as far as I was concerned she came out first attempt at pushing. No forceps/ventouse etc.

I had a good induction as well, had the drip, I really preferred it to my first non induced labour as the drip really got things going much quicker and it was all over in half the time. I wouldn't say it was any more painful and managed on gas and air (and a lot of shouting).

Hi Smallsmith, how did you get on? I'm due to be induced this Thursday and am hoping you had a positive experience too?

I was induced at 39 weeks. It was with DC3 so I was 3cm and having mild contractions when they broke my waters (no pessary). Nothing happened, so started the drip. Epidural was lovely and light so I could still feel the contractions without as much of the pain! Labour was about 4 hours, 5 minutes of pushing, a tiny graze only after pushing out my 9lbs 2oz baby! The midwives and the doctors (both anaesthetists and obstetrics) were all lovely.

DC1 was born at home without pain relief so very different and I can honestly say that both times were lovely and calm experiences. If anything, I recovered far, far better and more quickly after DC3 so it is certainly not the case that a more medicalised birth is worse.

(DC2 was stillborn so a bit of a different experience again but in its own way it was again lovely.)