Tell me about your induced labour

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I'm 39 weeks today and if my baby doesn't come over the weekend then I'm being induced on Monday due to baby's growth slipping. All I've heard is that induced labours are worse and more painful than natural labours!

Has anyone in here had both so they can tell me the difference?

I’ve had both natural and induced; I’d say both were equally painful but the induction was quicker so overall didn’t feel like it was as painful! I was apprehensive about it beforehand as I think you are more committed to a ‘medicalised’ route with induction, but really it was fine. Best of luck!

@macaronip1e thank you, that's made me feel better. Were you waiting long for things to get started after?

It will be ok OP there is pain relief available if you need it. I have had two both very different. Ask if there is mobile monitoring available if you need it - made a big difference to me but I had both and despite one going rather badly the midwife's and doctors were really working to make me and my babies as safe as they could. Make sure you understand the process and have a birth partner who is happy to ask things for you. Be prepared for ante natal ward to be boring and lonely take things to do - pay for WiFi if necessary!. You may not need to worry about it in the end.

It took 24hrs to start, but I was up and about in that time (going for walks and coffee near the hospital); from contractions starting to birth was about 3hrs - though was a second labour so prob always going to be faster than my first (30hrs!).

Mine was a bad experience I’m afraid - induced when my body wasn’t ready, on Saturday morning. Nothing worked, had another on Sunday morning. Didn’t work (I was contracting slightly from it, but so irregularly), waters broken for me Monday teatime, put on the drip on Monday night, contractions came too quickly, started pushing around 5pm Tuesday, eventually born 7pm Tuesday night by EMCS at 40+9.

I had an induction both times (syntocinon drip). Both quick, epidural offered and accepted both times, 1:1 midwife with me throughout both times. Both positive experiences, second probably more so as I was less anxious about it.

I personally would be more worried about NOT being induced I think!

I've only ever had natural labours so not sure what to expect. Some of your experiences have made me feel a little better.
Fingers crossed that baby will come before it comes to that though

Not sure how common my experience with induction is, but my sister wound up in the exact same situation as I did so I guess it's not exactly rare -

My waters went naturally at 39+2, contracted at home for almost two days and still no baby. Went in and had the pessary and was placed on the drip, it sped up contractions but didn't help me to dilate, ended up with emergency c section. My sister had her induction due to being overdue and it didn't work for her either.

That being said, I know of people who went in to be induced and had their babies in no time.
Birth is unpredictable! I don't think it's any more painful than a usual birth though.

I’ve had both. Induced second time and it was painful but you just deal with it and it will be fine. Try not to worry as you can’t predict what will happen. You’re in the right place. Good luck.

I was induced the second time and was able to go out and about between pessaries. I went into labour in the evening after two lots of pessaries and spent most of the time hanging off the sink in the delivery room. It was a longer labour than my first but I remained mobile and had no pain relief. (My mum had an anaphylactic shock to pethadine so I daren’t try it). Neither birth was really bad, but my labour with induction was quite a few hours longer.

Two induced so nothing to compare them to- both times I got the gel in at 4 pm and started getting period-pain type twinges at about 4am.

DC1 was back to back, thy broke my waters at 8.30am, I was given a syntocin drip at noon, things progressed slowly but surely. I started pushing at 5.30ish and baby arrived at 6.15 pm.

With DC2 things went much quicker, strong contractions by 5am,DH was called and told to get here ASAP, I started pushing at 7am, three pushes later and baby was here.

Both were totally manageable. The second time was quite shocking when it was happening as I was expecting it to take just as long as the first but I was absolutely thrilled to be done so quickly!

Best of luck!

My DD was induced with all 3 of hers and her longest labour was about 4 hours. She had her waters broken, a drip put up an hour later and bingo. She did it all with a few puffs on the gas and air. Her 3rd was born at 7am, and she was home by 10am eating toast on the sofa!
In a way, you have zero control over it all and it's best to go in with no assumptions or plans - and be very open minded. I found it all very frustrating with the delays etc when DD went in each time, and found it bewildering that they kept a tired mum up all night to start inductions at 3am but that is a whole other thread.
Best of luck and hope all goes well .

I only have 1 dd, she was induced.

I had an allergic reaction to the pessary but I am told that is exceptionally rare.

The induction itself was great and if I could ever have another I would be doing the same again.

I was given a patient controlled epidural due to extreme anxiety, it was great. I felt everything albeit very weakly and was walking around within 30 minutes and was in the shower.

My active labour was very short, 40 mins from being told to push to delivering her.

I am not sure I would have felt the same had I gone through it without pain relief as my understanding from the hospital was that it is far more painful due to the speed of the labour

I've had both. In terms of pain similar, though my last was unattended homebirth (v quick) and I didn't get anything at all, not even a paracetamol.

My real problem with induction was that it all happened very quickly after just one pessary so a) nobody believed me until I was pushing and b) baby was distressed so had to have a ventouse. I'm led to believe that such reactions are relatively rare.

I've had one. I didn't dilate enough after around 20 hrs on the drip so ended up with a C section. But the process was fine, I was on gas an air for most of it and the pain was manageable. I did have an epidural in at some point towards the end just so I could get some sleep as it was going on so long. Good luck, you'll be fine!

Mixed experiences really, what I expected I suppose as no two labours are the same lol. I'm sure I'll be fine and just brave it if it comes down to that.
Just had a hot curry to try and bring on labour naturally lol

Mine was mostly boring. It took 4 days of pessaries with NOTHING happening.

I got an epidural before the drip went in. It didn't work but had it worked it would have been a bloody brilliant idea. I still didn't dilate, ended in c section

In hindsight my body just wasn't ready (had gestational diabetes)

Still, I wouldn't change any of it. It all worked out ok in the end.

I was induced at 42 weeks, with a good Bishop score and plenty of signs labour wasn't too far off anyway. Had a pessary late morning, didn't go into labour until 2.45 am the next day when suddenly my waters went with a bang and I had a really big contraction. Ds1 was born 2.5 hours later with no intervention needed and we were both fine.

I was induced (with drip) and it was painful but quick. I think about 3-4 hours from drip being put in to DS in my arms. No pain relief though, I did scream ask nicely for an epidural but by then I was almost 10cm and an anaesthetist wasn’t available to do it quickly. The good thing was it was quick!

I was induced, it was fast (4 hours) and therefore painful as I went from waters being broken straight into full-blown contractions every minute or two so no natural build-up of endorphins. Having said that, avoided all the labouring at home, deliberating about when to go in, and got immediate access to the drugs & 1:1 midwife throughout. Good luck with yours!

Thought I'd refer back here. Was induced via pessary on Monday. Contractions started 4 hours later then another two hours later I had my waters broken. DD came really quick from then and was in active labour less than an hour before she came.

100% my most painful labour but certainly worth it

Congratulations!

Mine was fine, short labour once it got going which probably helped. Gas and air no time for anything much else. Not what I expected at all! Keep an open mind and good luck.

Ok I see you did it! Well done and congrats!