Induction - how long is it likely to take???

[looneytune]

No, it's not me, it's my best mate! She's not due for another week or so but her waters broke yesterday morning and after a check up, they told her she had to come in at 11.30pm and is going to have an induction this morning (or may have had it).

She was told she's having the drip type.

I'm just an impatient excited friend who can't stop thinking about it!! lol

I go away on Friday and am hoping it will have worked by then so I can see her!

So, who's had this type of induction before and what was your experience?

Thanks

I really believe that induction does not work unless the baby is ready to come or thereabouts. Twice I had inductions and twice it ended up in an emergency section.

With my third I was ready to refuse any sort of induction, luckily I did not have a fight on my hands because he came at 39 + 4 weeks.

ive been induced 4 times,but cos of high bp rather than being overdue.the first took 6 pessaries and a few hours of the drip,alot of pain and drugs and 3 days in total.number 2 was only 38 wks but wanted to come out as it only took one pessary and 16 hours.my last 2 were both the same,had first pessary on the monday morning but wasnt in any pain till i got the drip put on on the wednesday lunchtime,then it was a few pleasant hours of gas and air till teatime when i started to push,exactly 40 mins each one.its defo something that gets easier with practise.....i hope im not regreting that statement come march

I went in for induction on teusday night. They didnt give me a pessery because i was 1 centimeter dilated but they couldnt break my waters because there wasnt enough roome between babys head and my cervix. I cant really remember but i think they managed to break it in the end then gave me the drip the following morning contractions started at 1pm very intense and close together I had an epidural. There were problems with finding a good trace on my ds heart so i had to have a clip put on his head. Very unpleasant. They then dicided they still coundt get a good trace so they took the clip off took a blood sample from his head then wanted to put the clip back on his head, by this stage i was fed up and refused any more internals. I felt a big pressure in my bum and the midwife said "lorna let me just examine you one last time" she did and i was already 10 centimeters. This was about 6 oclock. I was left to rest for an hour before i needed to start pushing on the gas and air waiting for the babys head to come down. At 7 oclock i started pushing, tried all sorts of possitions but just couldnt get him out. Finally at 8.43 he was born with forceps weighing in at 9lb 10oz. I personally think big babys tend to go over due, Everyone i know that has gone over due has had really big babys. Next time i think its going to have to be elective c section.

Sorry I haven't read all the replies as just got back from the hospital and am about to crash out (should be packing, off on holiday in the morning!)

Anyway, baby came out of Special Care unit around 4pm so when I went this evening, I got lots of cuddles. He's the most gorgeous little thing you've ever seen (well, apart from ds of course ). Now I'm all broody again!!!

I still can't believe she had NO drugs of any kind, no gas and air, NOTHING!!! She had him about 12 hours after having the drip!

I went to be induced at 42 weeks. Midwife said if she opened pessarie I would probably not need it, but if she left it closed she would and would have to put new gloves on etc. So she opened it and guess what - I did'nt need it as I was already 4cm dilated. I had a stretch and sweep instead and was sent down to the labour ward. DD came along 6 hours later o'naturel!
Am hoping this time to last out as long as possible at home, go in to hosp, push once or twice and be home again with new bundle, all within a couple of hours....

Was induced at 39 weeks with both my pregnancies (DS in 2002 and DD in July this year) due to mild "essential hypertension" throughout both pregnancies (was on low dose medication throughout but am not hypertensive when not pregnant) and the consultant wanted to play it safe and avoid any potential for pre-eclampsia if I went to term or beyond. I was quite happy with this on both occasions as, aside from taking the medication, I did not have any high bp symptoms or side effects and both pregnancies were otherwise generally joyful and problem free (not even any morning sickness!).
Induction in 2002 involved prostaglandin pessary on the Tues night and another on the Wed morning then son born at 840pm on Wed night (with aid of gas and air and forceps!).
For daughter's birth recently, was told that my cervix was not "favourable" so they used "Propess" which is like a teabag that is inserted for 24 hours. Additional standard pessaries mey be required but in my case they inserted the propess at 10am on the Wed morning, I started mild labour pains at 6am the following morning, was fully dilated by 1030 and DD was born 3 hrs later at 130. Did not need any additional pessaries, drips or pain relief (although needed stitches as DD was 8lb 12 and face to pubis but that's another topic!)
Therefore, experience of both inductions quite positive (particularly in July this year as if had waited a week for full term would have had to give birth in the heatwave plus DD would've been bigger so would probably have needed more stitches!!) However, I agree with someone's comment that, whatever situation you are in during a hospital delivery, you have to make your desires clear and don't necessarily go along with what the doctors suggest. With DD, the doctor suggested I also have the drip to speed up the contractions (so that I would have the baby in the morning as the labour suite was booked up for elective c-sections in the afternoon!) but I was adamant and said I did not want any further intervention once the induction had started the labour, unless I felt that the labour wasn't going smoothly, and the mw's (who are all, in my experience, much more brilliant than the doctors) supported me on this. Trust your instincts as you know your body better than anyone!

My waters started to leak at about 39 weeks, so they gave me 72 hours and said if I had not gone into labour by then that I would have to be induced. I was booked in anyway, and in the end had to be induced as no natural labour. After an internal exam nurse said i was already 3cm dilated (had not felt anything!) so went straight to drip. Drip turned on at 2.30pm, at 4.30pm felt something for the first time, by 5pm they were really strong and I was asking to push which they said i could, then ds arrived by just before 7pm! 2.5 hours of contrations in total, so pretty quick - very relieved ds has only very small head so no tearing!! I think i got away lightly!