Talk to me about inductions? What's the drill?

[Witsender]

For various reasons my consultant wants to induce me at bang on 40wks, following a scan at 38 wks to make sure he isn't huge. If he is, then CS.

I've heard all sorts of stories about inductions, not many of them good. 😂

I'm happy to follow her advice as it is logical for a number of reasons (strep b, mega speedy labours, 3c tear and big blood loss with #2) but want to know what I am letting myself in for.

What's the drill? How does it work? I'm only 29 wks now so have a while to go.

I'm booked for my second induction next week (though hoping I don't need it!) at a different hospital from where I had dc1. From the information I've been given they use slightly different drugs and techniques between different hospitals so best to find out specific to your area. First time I was admitted, given a pessary which took 24 hours to work, then shifted to the labour ward. If it hadn't worked I'd have been given another pessary, another 24hours then the drip and if that still didn't work then c-section.
This time they use a gel rather than pessary, and if that works there's the possibility of the mlu rather than labour ward, mobile heart rate monitors, aromatherapy on the labour ward and use of the pool. They also have a 'balloon catheter' as an option but I'm not sure about the pros and cons of that one! Anyway all questions worth discussing when writing your birth plan

I think I need to speak more with the actual midwives and find out how it is done here. I can't be doing with being sat there for days and days in a queue etc.

I don't think it will happen here as it is a quiet unit, not a busy area etc.

When I was 12 days overdue I went in for an induction. I had the pessary for 24 hours which hadn't worked, so had it another 12, which still didn't work. I hadn't dilated so they couldn't break my waters and start me on a drip til my waters had broken. They offered to go through it all again (pessary) but I refused due to my bishops score being so low, meaning induction probably wasn't going to work for me (and also because I was getting so overdue I didn't want to leave him for much longer as risks of still birth etc go up). Iirc my bishops score was 3. 7 and up means you've got a good chance of it working. So in the end I had a section at 15 days over. Section was lovely, so lovely I am having another in January for dc2! Good luck.

I had an induction which started on my due date. Pessary in for 24 hours, nothing happened at all. Second pessary (also intended to be in for 24 hrs), baby born 4hrs later. If second pessary hadn't worked they'd have put me on the drip. It was fine OP but I'm sure a lot of that was because it was quick. Very boring hanging around beforehand so have a good book handy.

My friend went in with some bleeding at 39+3 and was induced. Had her baby naturally later that day.

I went in at 40+10, had two pessaries and the gel and then an EMCS at 40+15. Nothing happened for me at all.

It's just so hard to predict.

I've had two inductions at 38 weeks due to high blood pressure.

Although I was at different hospitals, the drill was essentially the same. After taking general observations and having a quick chat with the midwife, I was examined and they established whether my waters could be broken or if I'd need a pessary. Both times I had the pessary - one was a 24hr one, the other a 6hr one. I was then popped on the monitor for a bit to check the baby was happy, then was sent off to go for a walk to encourage things along.

After that, I was pretty much left to it, with the midwife just popping along every now and then to check I was okay. Both times things got started within a couple of hours.

I was induced at D+10. For me it was a fairly quick process. I went in to the hospital at 8am. I was taken to my own room on the induction ward. They go through everything with you and monitor you quite regularly. I had gel on my cervix and a sweep probably around 9.30am after being read the riot act so to speak and after my obs. I had to sit for an hour to allow the gel to fully work. I was then allowed to walk around the hospital but wasn't allowed to leave the hospital grounds.

They monitored me again around 6/7pm and by the monitor I was having regular contractions that were coming in pairs that I couldn't feel! She gave me another sweep and at 8pm I was what I felt was labour. Taken down to delivery at 12/1am as I was 7cm dilated and DS was born 7.16am.

Although it hurting which is obvious I actually liked being induced (although he's my first so I have no comparison) as I felt I had all the midwifes around to ask questions and knew I wouldn't be sent home and worried about getting back in time when it was actually happening. I had some lovely midwifes while in hospital! I went in on the Friday morning, he was born Saturday morning and we went home Sunday evening. I had to stay in as I was quite poorly and had a lot of blood loss and baby wouldn't feed to begin with but don't know how quickly they are prepared to send you home

With DC1 I was induced at 40+10. It involved a pessary at 6am which didn't work, so another at 6pm which again didn't work. Another pessary the following day at 6am, still not much action so the obstetrician broke my waters at 1pm which finally got labour started properly.

The pessary's did bring on contractions but what was annoying about it was that because they had been brought on artificially so to speak, there was no rhyme nor reason to them. I think it would have been a bit easier if they built up naturally and could be predicted or timed a wee bit.

Once my waters were broken I was moved to the delivery suite and delivered just before 7pm having just used gas and air.

My whole labour experience was fine, just took a while to get started! Only thing that was frustrating was that I had to stay on the trace machine to keep an eye on baby so although I had a really big urge to be on my knees, I had to stay on my back.

Good luck x

Thanks everyone. I'll talk it through with the midwife at the next appt, and see what the procedure is here. Where we are we have a large maternity unit but it is very quiet as we have an aging population (Isle of Wight, lots of retirees!) so it may be that I get great care. 😂

I had a pessary at 10 days overdue and from induction to baby was only 9 hours. So although common for it not to work, for some like me it was v effective.

Likely to be induced again, booked for wed and actually if it is similar, some upsides, including not having to labour overnight, not worrying about the right time to head to hospital etc.

Induced 38+2- large baby (had gone up centiles at each growth scan, which were being done for other reasons)

Pessary- 24 hours. Softened cervix enough for midwife to stick a fingertip in, decide she couldn't break waters and get a male Dr to do it. That was probably actually the worst part of the whole thing.

Contractions started (2pm) but by 8pm, hadn't progressed as much as they would have liked (4cm I think, but it's hazy) so drip up. COntinuous monitoring and with drip plus belts, didn't really move as much as I wanted to.
They did turn drip up, according to contractions, managed with Gas and air mostly until about 11. G&A made me drowsy and sick, so anti-emetic given.
Then, really tired and still not quite there so half a dose of diamorphine, which just made it a bit easier.

Pushing was ok, but DS got a bit distressed according to monitoring so episiotomy and out he popped (literally!) with cord round neck at 1:20 something. I saw he was a he (we hadn't found out).

Then i was stitched up etc. Lost about 1.4l blood so fluid drip and blood counts next day. Didn't quite warrant a tranfusion so WEEKS of bleddy iron tablets with associated side effects.

Episiotomy suprisingly ok. Stopped painkillers after about 10 days, all healed up as far as I know at 7 weeks but my '6 week check' slipped thru net so is still 3 weeks off...
The PPH is probably the thing that affected me most as I was so incredibly tired and dehydrated

Yes, it was the blood loss that hit me with #2. I narrowly avoided a transfusion because I was told it would affect breastfeeding, but it hindsight I should have grabbed it.