Induction - what happens?

[TheWiseOldElf]

It's looking increasingly likely that I will have to be induced tomorrow. I have had 2 sweeps and been told that my cervix is effaced and 1cm dilated so I will be suitable for ARM and should not need a pessary. I'm nervous though so I wondered whether anyone who has been through it could talk me through the procedure. Is there likely to be lots of waiting around before they start etc? Once waters are broken did contractions start swiftly or did you need syntocin etc? This is dd2 and I had emcs with dd1 after failing to progress beyond 8cm.

I was induced, I went in at 8 and had a monitor thing strapped to my tummy, the midwife put a pessary in(which did not hurt at all like the sweep did) at about 12 and at 4pm contractions started(so no need for the 2nd pessary) luckily did not need synoctin (sp), got wheeled into the delivery suite at 8 and the mw put a crochet hook thing up my vagelina to break my wasters and gave birth at 10..'twas okay...you'll be fine

I was induced with my 3rd, I went in as planned, onto a 4 bed bay. The midwife did her checks and I was told I didn't need a pessary; they would break my waters. Unfortunately, the hospital where I have birth was massively busy, so I had to wait in the bay, having contractions, until 2 that morning, when a delivery room became available, and I could have my waters broken.

Once they had broken my waters, I was "on the clock" - after a certain amount of time, they started me on the drip, which certainly moved things along. Ds3 was born at 7am.

*gave birth

Like you I didn't need pessary. I was phoned to come in a day early for the induction due to an infection, arrived at 12pm and was seen to quite quickly first of all given a second dose of steroids as at 37 weeks. I was at 3cm and they broke the 'hind waters' I think - there seemed to be some kind of confusion there tbh! They had first gone three days earlier. I was hooked up to monitors (they put one inside me later to attach to babys head to get a better reading) and a drip at 2.30pm. The contractions started in that hour but were manageable, after 3.30pm they were very painful (or 'tight' as I was instructed to say!). DS was born at 5.20pm so not much waiting about for us! Good luck! :)

You don't have to be induced you know? It's not compulsory, it's something that should be offered to you, not presented as the next step.

Unless there's a medical reason why your baby needs to be out tomorrow, you can wait. If you're already effaced and 1cm dilated, then you're on the way to labour already - why rush it for a few hours?

I was induced after going two weeks overdue.

I had a pessary so not sure of the exact process you will go through. It will start with them strapping a monitor to you to check the babies heartbeat. I had mine on for about half an hour, then they did the pessary and was monitered for a further 30 mins, after that I was allowed to have a wander. About 3 hours later mild backpain started and after 30 mins of that my contractions started. With induction there is apparently not usually much of a build up like with natural labour. I went pretty much straight to labour ward even though I was only 2 cm, that was at about 9pm and he was delivered by forceps at 6am. I didn't have the drip and my waters went naturally during labour before they manually broke them!

I was dreading my induction but it was honestly quite speedy and was no where near as terrible as I was imagining. Good luck with everything, how exciting knowing that your baby will most likely be with you in a days time!

I know I can refuse the induction. Based on the dates from my LMP I'm only 40+1 but from dating scan I'm 40+7. Induction is being recommended as DD was delivered by EMCS (failure to progress) 15 months ago. I went into labour naturally with DD at 40+8 based on dating scan and 40+3 based on LMP. I really want to have a successful VBAC because I don't want to deal with the recovery from surgery with a newborn and such a young toddler who still wants to be picked up and carried frequently. I know it would be beneficial to avoid the induction BUT I'm just so uncomfortable and frustrated and I just want this baby OUT!!!

Good luck wiseoldelf - I'm really pleased to see you asked this question as I was just admitted tonight with the beginning of preeclampsia!!

I am getting the pessary tomorrow and then was told on Saturday that I would be taken to delivery, put in the drop and my waters would be broken. I had no idea that there was a chance I could start tomorrow from the pessary alone!

Does anyone know how frequently the pessary works at starting labour? I was at midwife today for a sweep and although she was able to have a fiddle, she wasn't able to do a full sweep as the back was still a little closed.

I was induced with DS2 and as my cervix was favourable just had AROM. There was a lot of waiting around that day, as they wouldn't do it until a mw was available. I was told that if things weren't progressing after two hours I would need to go on the drip. My contractions still didn't seem that strong at that point, but no-one was around to check, and by 30-45 minutes later my DH and I agreed we thought I was in labour. DS2 was born just over five hours after they broke my waters. So it did all happen pretty quickly in the end.

Also, you may want to read Viva's comments on the second page of this thread . It sounds like going straight to ARM is not now best practice in general, although I don't know whether having a VBAC might make a difference?

I seem to remember that being induced increases the risk of your scar rupturing - that may affect your chance of a vbac.

Might want to ask them about that before agreeing to it.

I was induced with my first (as I didn't know any better) and once I was on the labour ward, I was told that I was no longer allowed a water birth. No one had mentioned that to me and I was quite cross about it afterwards.

My other 3 babies were born spontaneously at 40+8 (twice) and 40+14; dc1 was 40+13.
Pregnant again now, and I would only agree to an induction if clearly medically necessary, not just for post dates.

My little girl was born this morning at 10:15 after a 9hour labour. I got my vbac but also a 3rd degree tear so pluses and minuses!

Congratulations wise! I hope your labour wasn't too bad and now you have your beautiful baby. Wishing you a good recovery.

Congrats!
Rest up and enjoy her, don't try to do too much too soon :)

Congratulations!