Long difficult induction, pregnant again, scared

[Rollermum]

I had a hard induction with my DD (now 21 months) and am now pregnant again and worrying. I am wondering if anyone who had a hard induction could share their later birth stories.

With DD I went in to be induced at 41 plus weeks. Over 4.5 days given pessary, lots of gells and eventually my waters broke and was then in official labour for 24 hrs finally ending up in forceps delivery (straightforward). Overall 5 long exhausting painful days. She was born at 42+3.

I'm not sure why but I find cervical exams really painful and that is the bit I'm most scared of. Post birth I had nightmares and flashbacks about people coming into my room and doing things to me and have developed a phobia of the hospital and of being examined. There were just so many exams over that time and overall I got very little sleep and was exhausted. I also had a large pp haemorrhage and needed transfusion.

So my questions:

• is a c section an option. I don't ask this lightly am know it is likely to be as bad but pondering options. Would rather not.
• is it an option to go for monitoring rather than induction. I think DD wasn't ready. She was fine until the end of the induction process and placenta was fine. I am considered high risk because my BMI is 33, I have hypothyroidism and due to previous pp haemorrhage.
• either way is it realistic to say I don't want sweeps / exams etc

Thank you

Sorry I meant to day if you are being induced for first time don't let this scare you. I was unusual on my ward - people coming in and being induced, having babies much faster!

Hi, roller. I had a very similar experience and in fact was devastated when I found myself preggers again. I had a total meltdown at the first midwife appointment and they got me straight into perinatal counselling which has completelychanged my attitude towards parenting and finally gave me the ability to bond with my son. The medical also offered me c section immediately which was such a relief.

The second birth could not have been better. There is something really reassuring about being given as date and time for the birth of your child, it really gave me back a lot of control.....my son is laidback and gorgeous and I'm convinced that he is so because I am much more laidback and was ready to addrcess his needs immediately rather than the cold sweats flashbacks nightmares and physical pain (I was bedbound for a week). Good luck. I promise it can be utterly different this time, and if you have the chance, ask for perinatal counselling...it was utterly invaluable.

Hi Fluffycubs, thanks so much for your message. It brought a tear to my eye, maybe because I've never had someone else 'get' how horrible induction can be. I had trouble bonding too and paid for a few private sessions with a counsellor who said I had PTSD. I have told my midwife, but possibly because DD was with me I don't think I really put across how terrified I am. I will talk to her again.

You are right about control - it was the total lack of control that really shocked me at the time. I was asking for a section by day 3 and they just said no.

Sorry you had a tough time, but thanks for sharing and so glad you later experience was better.

I was induced with DS1, it was awful and ended up with vontuse (sp?) delivery.

However DS2&3 could not have been more different, I went into labour spontaneously and both were born within a very short time with no intervention.

Please try not to worry, I know it's hard.

Hi op I had the same with my first, over three day induction. Long labour and three hours of pushing ending in episiotomy etc.

I have sine been.induced with my next four,I insisted on waiting til at lest term plus 14 an having expectant management.

But all births wrre fine, ds2 took seven hours, ds3 four hours, Ds4 one hour and dd three hours. Didn't need the drip in subsequent deliveries, they just broke my waters,Ds4 was even born in pool. I had active mobile labour's,labouring in the bath etc. All fine so a horrible first delivery doesn't mean the next one will be, hope that gives you hope!

Just wanted to add my (positive) experience. Induced with all 3, all ultimately with drip:

DC1 4-day nightmare, last three hours with epidural were blissfull, though.

DC2 -pessary at 0600am, drip started at 0930, born 1300 with no pain relief and only 20 minutes of agony at 1230. Then they stopped the drip, three pushes and she was out. It was actually, in my eyes, a perfect birth, and nothing whatsoever like the first one. I think that's quite common with second inductions.

DC3 - pessary at 0630, drip at1300. They started with a very low dose and for five hours nothing happened. At my insistence, they upped to maximum dose at 1800, 1900-1930 was hell. I insisted they stopped the drip, two pushes later DC3 was out.

So, what have I learned? inductions can go quicker if you insist. An induced birth can also be a hugely positive experience. If the pain is too much, you can insist on reducing dose/stopping the dose.
please don't be too worried . Second births are usually much better thanfirst ones.

Thanks for sharing, everyone. Interesting to see such a range of experiences. Hopefully I won't make it to 42 weeks again, but I want an idea if options if I do.

I had a very similar first birth to you and for my second (10 years later) I fought to get a c section on the nhs, which they granted. I too found internal exams hideously painful and the thought of anything medical going on down there sent me into a panic.

My elective c section was amazing. A very positive experience and I found the recovery hundreds of times better than my first birth - not least of all because even though I was in pain at least I could sit down!

If you want a c section you can get one - you just need to really hammer it home how mentally damaging your first birth was and how you don't want to risk developing pnd with a second birth (I had terrible post traumatic stress and pnd after my first).

Roller I had induction on drip at 40+10 with DC1 as my waters were leaking and I did not go into labour naturally. Not nearly as horrific as your story but 12 hours, v painful drip and epidural that didn't work, natural vaginal delivery but did have a haemmorrage afterwards though just escaped needing transfusion though felt dizzy and awful for a few hours.

Now for the positive bit!

DC2 - 40+8 went into labour naturally after a sweep and had 4 hour labour and one push and she was out.

DC3 (born at home a few days ago) 3 hour labour at 40+12. I had two sweeps. I refused induction and would have gone on longer. Bigger baby so harder to push out but quick natural birth.

I would say try to avoid induction if you can as is horrible and the labour pains much worse especially as it is your 2nd baby so you should have a quicker labour.

I understand how you feel about sweeps as I found them painful but they are much better than induction drugs and personally I think the sweeps helped kickstart my labour.

Your previous pph may have been due to the induction drip - the midwife told me they are much more likely to happen if you are induced. I had low blood loss the other two labours.