Inductions - what to ask/take?

[LadyPuffin]

Hello all,

I'm booked in for an induction next Tuesday, which I'm not thrilled about but it seems better than the alternative. I already feel like I've been pregnant forever!

I have all the usual stuff packed and ready to take to the hospital, but is there anything else you'd advise taking along for an induced labour? I guess the big thing on my mind is that it can take a really long time.

I'd also appreciate any advice about the induction itself - is there anything I should be asking the midwives about when I'm there? Anything I should be asking for/wary of?

Thanks! x

My induction lasted three days and for two of them i was really bored!! I would pack a kindle with a few books and maybe a tablet with a boxset ready to go. Don't rely on getting wifi/4g though, i couldn't get any at the hospital.

Take your other half - mine popped out within an hour of induction and I'd told him to go home so he missed the birth.

When I say 'mine popped out', I mean the baby popped out. The other half went home as I told him I'd ring when it was more interesting.

I am being induced on Sunday. With my first it took 24 hours for anything to happen, so I am going armed with a book and a couple on movies on my ipad.

The food was a bit hit and miss too, my husband brought me in dominos pizza instead!

Thanks ladies! I'll definitely get a few more films on my iPad.

Your story scared me a bit, Sausagepoo - I was thinking of telling my husband to stay at home for the early stages 'cause I don't want to eat into his paternity leave if it takes a few days to get things started. Still, I'd be pretty happy if things only took an hour!

Pack eye mask and ear plugs. My friend was induced but her hospital was very busy so her induction was delayed and she ended up in hospital for a few days on a very noisy ward so was shattered by the time she actually gave birth.

I wasn't induced as such but needed syntocinon (which you may have when induced). I have birth just using gas & air. It was a mistake. If you have syntocinon have an epidural.

The worst things was the waiting around. For days. So plenty of things to do, normal clothes so you don't feel like a patient. And can walk, walk, walk around the hospital and its grounds.

I had a delivery bag completely separate, with clothes for the baby, muslins, nappies etc and my stuff, like emergency nightie, big pants, pads, nipple pads yada yada. So I wasn't constantly rifling though it looking for stuff while I was cooped up on the induction ward. A big spare, empty bag for laundry too. Drinks and snacks. A bath towel.

I had the drip and just had gas and air. I won't lie, it was painful, but for me, no more painful than my first, non induced delivery. (I know I'm lucky!)

Definitely ask if you will be nil by mouth at any point... the mws kept going on about taking food to the hospital to keep your energy up but when I was moved to delivery room they wouldn't let me have anything but water. This was the early hours of the morning so it was almost 48 hours later by the time I was allowed to eat again. Next time I'll eat more in the lead up!

I would add that if you are nil by mouth, follow that! Do not sneak a twix just before they ramp up the syntocin....it didn't end well for my poor dh!
I also only had gas and air, and as previously stated it was a bit of a mistake. The contractions were unrelenting and not like a natural birth. I don't know if i would have a epidural if i was in the same situation again but i wouldn't be set against it!

My induction lasted 12 hrs and she was born. I had g&a. If you can cope i wouldnt ask for an epidural. I decided not to take pethodine as heard bad things.

I agree with sausage except I didn't want DH to go, the midwives sent him home and refused to call him as they didn't think I was in "active labour" when actually I was and the induction really can happen that quick (angry at them not you)

Take lots to read but mostly just try and sleep so ear plugs! Good luck

I was induced on Monday. Nothing happened for 14 hrs so DH and I just read and walked around. Labour kicked in and I had DS 2.5 hrs later. Home in 24 hrs with a baby. Take snacks, money for the coffee shop and lots to read/watch.

Do ask them to examine you if you are ok with that. The midwifes kept going on about how long it would take for DC to be born after induction - 'you'll be here tomorrow!'. I said I wanted to push and was told by the doctor, although I was in a lot of pain and contractions every 5 mins, I was not in established labour as inductions take ALONG time...have some pethadine, sleep and you'll be ready tomorrow. 30 mins later new shift midwife examines me, 9cm dialated.....let's go then! Everyone is different.

My induction took five days so like others have said take lots of magazines or a book or two! I ended up taking out a Netflix subscription and watching it on my ipad. It was the longest 5 days of my life! So reading materials and plenty of snacks/bottles of water from my experience!

Plenty of reading material! I took about 10hrs to get going then went 4cm to delivered in exactly 60minutes but those initial ten hours were DULL!

After the pessary is placed you'll need to lie down for about half an hour but after that you're free to wander around,i just put on some trackies and paced and paced the corridors. Also snacks,for you but especially for your partner. My hospital has an open dining area in the maternity ward for all meals and snacks but it's strictly patients only though when I got to the stage where I couldnt walk a midwife brought him a sandwhich along with my meal.

I was lucky and managed it on gas and air and one dose of liquid morphene but definatly get ahead on the pain relief. I wanted to see how I would cope but got to the stage where I was playing catch up with pain relief,i should have had some paracetemol at the first twinge and taken it from there. Have heard that if you need a drip you should get an epidural as the contractions can be constant but no experience there.

You hear horror stories about inductions but mine was fab. Currently pregnant with my second and will have one again at 38 weeks for medical reasons and have absolutly no qualms about it.

How are you getting on?

My induction did not last long at all. They induced me and 24 hour later I was ready to have my waters broken, however I would say the hospitals are so unpredictable as they could tell u there are not beds for delivery, which was in my case. I kept my husband with me the first night and the second day I was just keeping busy with my phone and using the net.

I sent my hubby home and than 6am they told me they will break my waters.

7.30 my waters broke and my daughter came at 10.40. The midwives were shocked as I was fully dialated. They did not even believe me.

So I would seriously say take a book with and be ready to keep ur partner on stand by as u could have ur baby real quick.

I hope everything goes well for you and that you and the baby are healthy.

Make sure u get proper training on how to take gas and air as I had no pain releif and I was told that if I knew how to take it properly I would of been more relaxed.