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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Induction stories - always bad?

57 replies

Shanners123 · 15/04/2018 09:05

Baby is 5 days overdue and induction is looming. From most of what I've read the pattern seems to be: pessary > drip > epidural > forceps / ventouse (> emcs) with waters broken somewhere along the way, and trauma / tearing + stitches for mum.

I have massively simplified here, but for reference i was hoping for water birth and gas & air. Obvs this is looking less and less likely, so I'd love to hear other induction experiences, both positive and negative. Of course no birth will be the same as mine, but I'd like to hear how others went and the path their induction took.

TIA ladies!

OP posts:

FlaviaAlbia · 15/04/2018 09:18

I had less complications with my induction than I did with my water birth. No pph afterwards and no tears, barely even grazed.
I did use G&A at first but needed something stronger so asked for remifentinal and when I got it, promptly fell asleep for a couple of hours. They broke my waters when I woke up and DS was out in 15 mins. It was great!

DollyTots · 15/04/2018 09:18

I was induced but still consider my birth experience a positive one. Labour started on Monday, waters went on Tuesday but baby was a no show by Wednesday even though contractions were few minutes apart. Had a sweep and was put on drip with gas and air, then needed pethidine as drip progressed. I gave birth on the Thursday morning, no forceps, ventouse, emsc, tearing or epidural.

I won't lie, it was long and the contractions were harsher with the drip than the natural ones I'd been having, so take whatever pain medication you feel you need. More than anything to give you the energy you need to push but just didn't want you to think induction only went one of those few ways x

QuickGetTheEggplants · 15/04/2018 09:19

My first baby was an induction at 10 days overdue. I had gel rather than the pessary, and I kind of overreacted to it with back to back strong contractions for 8 hours. I think this is unusual though. I didn't want an epidural, but after non stop contractions, waters broken and about to get the drip I gave in and asked for an epidural. It was the best decision I could have made. I fell asleep immediately after, and woke up an hour later fully dilated and ready to push. So that's 3cm to 10cm in a hour and I felt nothing.

I was told to hold off on pushing for an hour, so I had a snack, put on some makeup, and get ready. I was allowed to lie on my side to push, and had no problems pushing, it probably only took about 40 minutes.

No forceps needed, but I did need a small episiotomy because my perineum wouldn't stretch or tear enough. This seems like an unusual situation, and was put down to me being a high level trampolinist so I had very thick pelvic floor muscles. If not for that I probably could have had dd out with nothing more than a 1st or 2nd degree tear.

So mine was not the best induction story, but not the worst either. I didn't exactly enjoy giving birth, but I wasn't traumatised and had no long term effects.

Theworldisfullofidiots · 15/04/2018 09:21

I was induced with dd - 16 years ago.
Natural birth, a couple of pessaries if I remember correctly. It took a little while to get going, just kept upright and moving until Labour established. Took about 14 hours start to finish. It's boring because you Labour in entirety in hospital.

Isadora2007 · 15/04/2018 09:22

Have you had a sweep? I had a few (over a few days) and then by 10 days over I was dilated enough to have my waters broken instead of the pessary. That was done at 8am and dd arrived at 3.12pm. Gas and air only, though she ended up having/being? A shoulder dystocia and so I had a very last minute horrible actual delivery (three incisions and ventouse used).
However if she hadn’t been a poor presentation I’d have delivered no bother. And it was a fab labour.

GWeatherwax · 15/04/2018 09:23

I had pessary > drip cranked up to max then EMCS after 24 hours as I wasn't dilating. It was everything I would rather have avoided (epidural not available at our small hospital) but honestly, no regrets. I feel I had a satisfactory labour and birth and would do it all again. Recovery has been remarkably quick too.

QueenOfMyWorld · 15/04/2018 09:25

I won't lie mine was horrendous I had to have an epidural

QueenOfMyWorld · 15/04/2018 09:26

Sorry pressed send too soon.I was a 2 day process resulting in ventouse

StUmbrageinSkelt · 15/04/2018 09:30

2 induced births both with unfavourable Bishop scores and completely unripe cervix.

Had two insertions of gel with both and was in labour about 12 hours after the second insertion. Chose epidural both times, no tears, no ventouse or other interventions.

My other birth was a homebirth with no pain relief at all. I had grazing but no tears. I actually preferred the induced births with epidural.

delilabell · 15/04/2018 09:31

I was induced but very positive birth. Was induced 3 times between going in on the Friday and giving birth early hours of Monday.

As soon as third one was put in sat night (it was gel the other two pessary) contractions started. By Sunday morning coming strong. Sunday lunchome they broke my waters. Had to have the drip because she'd wedged herself. Had the drip at 6ish and by 2am Monday morning do had been born. I had pethidine at 10 pm but gave birth naturally with just a couple of tears (she shot out rather than head and then body hence tears!)
The drip does give painful contractions but contractions are painful anyway.

Honestly I absolutely loved my labour. I had v high blood pressure (hence induced) so had a brilliant midwife in with me all the time, we had soft lighting and radio 2 on throughout the night.
I think my advice would be to go with the flow as much as possible. ...one way or another that baby is coming out :-)

Fridasfridgefreezer · 15/04/2018 09:33

Mine took four days.
3 pessaries.
Had waters broken.
Drip with epidural.
Four hours later I had an episiotomy.
Day later blood transfusion.

bellsbuss · 15/04/2018 09:42

Mine took 6 hours but the pain was very intense and I did have a 2nd degree tear. It did heal very quickly though

inappropriateraspberry · 15/04/2018 09:47

I had less art in the morning, waters broke that evening and baby was born about 9pm! Had a water birth with just gas and air. Some tearing, but a quick straightforward both in all respects. Induction isn't always a long hard process, but I think I have fast labours anyway!

Toomuchsplother · 15/04/2018 09:48

4 inductions here. All positive experiences and last one was even a water birth. Never need more than one pessary. First one was forceps but that was due to his size and position, nothing directly related to induction.
To be honest I know that statistically inductions have a higher risk of intervention but no birth, spontaneous or induced comes with guarantees. A positive attitude and an open mind with be the best things to take with you. No two births are the same.
Good luck.

NetVolume · 15/04/2018 09:51

My induction was quick (6 hrs) but did get overwhelmingy painful quickly with no time for an epidural. I had a few stitches which healed quickly.

No intervention was required though and both ds and I were fine immediately after the birth.

We were home only 24 hours after arriving at the hospital.

Haudyerwheesht · 15/04/2018 09:52

I’ve had 2 induced labours at 12 days overdue both times.

Both basically went :

Pessary - didn’t work
Drip - worked
Broken waters
Had baby

Drip to having baby 6 hours in total. Failed epidural first time but was fine without and no pain relief second time. Second time was more painful because dd was 9lb4 and back to back but that wasn’t related to the induction and I was still only in labour a relatively short time.

Did have to be hooked up to machines but could move around etc most of the time and both born without anything other than pushing. Don’t think they’d ever have arrived without the drip!

FinallyARainbow · 15/04/2018 09:52

Induced on drip 5 weeks early and have just discovered from my notes that drip went in at 1105am and baby born at 345pm. No intervention other than waters being broken and no tearing etc. I'd say it was a positive experience and happy to be induced again if needed.

haverhill · 15/04/2018 09:54

DS was induced, the full works, and it was fine. I had an epidural after 8 hours or so and he was born 2 hours later. Some minor tearing which healed quickly. I did do perineal massage and take arnica for several weeks before.

fitbitbore · 15/04/2018 09:56

I was induced last week they put the propess in around 2pm and by 9.30 I had a baby in my arms no other interventions, no tears or anything. Downside was it was so quick I didn't have time for any pain relief as I was only in active labour for ten mins. But then again pain for ten mins is better for pain for hours so I was happy with the outcome.

Liz38 · 15/04/2018 09:56

I was induced and ended up going down the full intervention route with an emcs after about 20 hours labour. BUT this isn't a horror story (I hope it isn't!) I was alive and well. My baby was alive and well. When I stripped it back to basics, that was what mattered. Not whether i got the north experience I wanted but whether I got the outcome i wanted, which I did. All pain/discomfort was very well managed, I never felt frightened or abandoned and I wasn't traumatised by the experience.

I really hope that it goes the way you want, but if it doesn't, it can still be ok. Good luck and my fingers are crossed for you!

Joinourclub · 15/04/2018 10:02

Both of mine were induced. It all happened very quickly and I did it with just gas and air.

whattookyousolong · 15/04/2018 10:02

First of all I'm also in the same boat (40+3) so I have all the sympathy for the both of us right now :(

I had an induction with my first, it wasn't too bad. Was in labour for about a day and only had gas and air. No forceps and just a small tear that required no stitches. The worst part of my labour was they gave me a catheter at the end for seemingly no reason. That was effing painful

I hope you go into labour naturally soon though! Best of luck

horsestar · 15/04/2018 10:03

I was induced both times, one pessary each time and ended up with the drip. Used gas and air both times and then had diamorphine as the drip was cranked up. Used a TENs machine with my second and that made a massive difference especially as second baby was 2lbs heavier than first (9lbs 15ozs). Had a slight tear with both. Really didn't want induction with my second but once baby was here didn't care and would happily be induced again if I had to

horsestar · 15/04/2018 10:03

Original poster

Shanners123 · 15/04/2018 14:37

Thanks all, these are great, really helpful to hear the variety of paths. Like many of you have said I will keep positive and remember that the outcome of every option will be a healthy mum and baby!

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