Induction looming - quite anxious

[leo1978]

Hi there

Am 40+10 today and went for my 41 week antenatal appointment this morning. Quite depressed as had wanted a homebirth. Started to weep when the Dr suggested I be induced tomorrow. He then asked me why was I crying!??? In a mean way I hasten to add. Then he gave me my third sweep and nearly poked my eyeballs out!!!
Am being induced on Friday but have to stay in over night on Thursday. How long do these things take? Am really anxious about dh having to go home and come back in again and me being left alone etc. Anyone experienced similar?

Forgot to say - he told me I was 1cm dialated but said the baby's head was too high and not pressing on the cervix enough. Midwife totally disagrees with him and says baby's head couldn't get any lower.

think positive birthy thoughts..have lots of sex and nipple stim between now and thursday

they will most likely give you a pessary, and then check how you are going, then it might be that you are dilated enough to have your waters broken...and you might have a drip to get contractions going.....it might take more than one pessary too...so hard to say how long it will take

sit on your birth ball, walk upstairs sideways, have a bath and visualise the birth you want

let go of any anxieties and fears you might have

and try caulophyllum ! (sp)

I had two inductions and it took 12-20 hours before delivery.

My daughter was born at 40weeks +10days at home . No one even mentioned an induction (which I would have refused anyway) so there is hope yet. You may drop just in time. Surely though if you are a little dilated then aren't things underway? Won't time just take its course.

try a bit of a DIY sweep, see if that helps

a ripe cervix should feel like a pursed mouth

and the sex does help too !!

Both my boys were induced. I had prostin gel (sp??) both times and managed both times on gas and air. Ds1's labour was 4hrs 15 and ds2 was 1hr 15. Just try and keep as active as possible. You'll be fine.

The sex does help.

I have has 3 inductions. As you are over your days by quite a bit, they should be pretty straight forward.

My first induction was when i was 10 days late. I had gel at 9am, had waters broken at 10 am and delivered at 11.20. so quite fast.

My 2nd and 3rd were at 38 weeks and 40 weeks due to medical conditions and they took ages and ages but because babies were not ready.

You can never tell how its going to go.

Good luck.x

Oh love, I'm sorry you had a rubbish mean doctor.

Can you ask why it is essential that you go in the night before and have an anxious night away from DH? When I was booked for induction I was asked to go in at 8am sharp (didn't need to in the end thankfully - don't forget your LO could still come before then).

Also, could you re-book your induction for Monday and give yourself the weekend to do it naturally?

Leo, I've just had my second hb. Ist was at 17 days over and 2nd at 18 days. You don't have to be induced if you and baby are ok abd you are still entitled to a hb

You are 'allowed' to cancel the induction! They need your permission to do it, so they can't drag you in for it! Ask for Expectant Management instead, where they check you daily, scan fuid levels, check baby's obs and then YOU make decisions depending on what they find.

If you do go in for induction perhaps consider re-scheduling if Bishop's Score is unfavourable.

Ask for pros and cons for everything that is suggested to you and don't agree to anything until you and dh have had time to consider your options. It is, after all, your birth, your body, your baby!

Thanks Guys. Some questions if anyone can help further:

1. Who tells me my Bishops Score? Am seeing midwife tomorrow - her?
2. Surely under no circumstances can my dh be sent home. I need to know he is there at all times. What are the rights of the patient around this?
3. Has anyone considered getting/or got (?) a private room in the hospital for this kind of thing?

Thanks

The problem is that hospitals don't have somewhere for your partner to sleep. I was induced at the start of May, and was particularly anxious about this aspect of things, but it wasn't as bad as I feared. I was to report at 7 pm on Wednesday night, which I did. My dp was allowed to stay well past the end of visiting hours although there were signs up saying that partners were allowed to stay until 9 pm. The midwife was happy so long as he was quiet and looking after me.

I had a first application of gel in the evening about 7.30 pm, they do actually start when you're admitted the night before the planned induction date. My contractions started at 2 am although I felt I needed to make sure it was that and not other physical/digestive problems. Once I told Stella though, she was very sympathetic and would have phoned dp herself to get him to come back in, though in the event I did that myself. She also left me to read until I felt ready to try and get some sleep - that turned out to be when the contractions started. The "no mobiles" policy was clearly not enforced although I kept the sound of mine ringing turned off

Ultimately, there was something to be said for going in early evening rather than morning. dp came home from work at lunchtime and we curled up on the sofa together, and arranged to be given a lift into hospital by a friend, easier after work than in the morning. The night shift on the maternity wards is actually much more relaxed and able to spend time with you than in the day time (this was true in post natal too).

Hope it happens naturally for you before you have to be induced, but although I cried my eyes out about the prospect after my hospital appt at 40+1, it wasn't the end of the world.

Is this your first baby? Some hospitals have been trialling sending women home after the gel has been administered in the evening. You can of course discharge yourself at any time regardless. Are you actually due to have the gel administered in the evening or the next morning? If not until the next day there's no real reason why you should be in there the night before anyway. You could ask about the private room and also discuss the possibility of staying on delivery suite rather than on the antenatal ward overnight so that your dh can stay with you.

Your midwife should be able to tell you your Bishops's score if she does an internal and presumably she's going to offer a sweep anyway, so should be able to give you an idea of how things are going. As others have said, you don't have to be induced. The risks of perinatal mortality increase from 1 in 1000 at 42 weeks to 1 in 500 at 43 weeks, so still a fairly low risk in absolute terms. You might also find it interesting to look at this article

Here's hoping you go into labour before Thursday anyway!

When i went in to be induced i had to be there at 8am the day they wanted to do it. At our hospital they had some special (nice for a hospital) rooms that had a sofa bed in so DH stayed with me the whole time (3 days!!!!!!!!).

My waters had broke so i only had 1 gel pessary due to risk of infection then had to wait til the sun am for the drip. They said that they normally would give 2-3 goes witht eh pessary if waters havent gone and therefore no risk of infection form an internal.

Can you rink the antenatal ward direct and ask them about the procedures/ facilities...i imagine they would be significantly nicer than your horrible sounding doctor!

Like alipiggie, was induced both times. Gel only, no further interventions (drips, epidurals etc) other than a few whiffs of gas and air.
Pushed DS out in 8 hours (with a bit of forcep help at the end) and DD in 4 hours.
So had +ve experiences of induction.
Try not to worry, do as lulu says and good luck

You will be fine I was induced with swcond. Went in in the morning, placed on monitor, didnt have pessary or gel as obstrn thought it would be ok to just brake my waters..which felt uncomfortable, my other half just laughed at me coz my face looked like I wanted to punch her!! They then gave me 2 hours to get moving, as my contractions were mild they decided to put me on a drip,after 3 hours son nbr 2 was born. I had no pain relief and managed to make jokes with my fab midwife (if your lucky like me your midwife will let you listen to your body). I would definatley be up for being induced again should the mood take me to have any more babies.....! If this is your first they will get you in overnite as first labours are 99% slower in getting going. Good luck, you can do it

i took rasberry leaf capsules and tea with 2nd ds as didn't want to be induced worked very well, bit too quickly TBH!

Could you not ask to go in first thing on the friday morning rather than going in the night before if you are worried about your dh not being there?
In the meantime - keep tweaking those nipples

I had first prostin gel at 9pm as they said most people don't do anything with the first especially as my bishops score was 1 and I'd have the next one at 6am. Pains started straight away and midwife said I was in labour at 4am. Had steady contractions til 3pm when waters broke.

Went to delivery suite at 4pm and was told I could push at 7.30pm. Unfortunately 2 hours later there was no sign of baby and at change of shift the new midwife said i was only 5cms.

Had to wait til 3am to see consultant as he had 2 emergency caesarians. This was actually better for me as it gave me time to get my head around having a syntocinon drip and epidural. Started drip at 4am had to have epidural resited which delayed it a bit.

Started pushing at 10.30am and baby was born at 11.20 with out any instrument intervention.

I was very upset at the prospect of being induced but felt I had to listen to the midwives who were recommending it. I was 12 days overdue and had tried everything. Although you sign the consent form it's up to you all the way along they can't do anything without your say so, only advise. I felt that it all went at the pace I wanted it to and my baby was well all the way through.

I was told me bishops score by the midwife who did my stetch and sweep the day before the induction and by the midwife who did my initial examination when I was admitted to the ward, was still 1!

leo1978, what happened? I've since seen another post from you and you were with the same hospital as me, the Whittington. Hope all's well and you have your baby in your arms, though I suppose if induction was due Friday it's more than likely that you're still there in postnatal.

question for lulumama, how do you do a DIY sweep?