BEING INDUCED AND TERRIFIED

[Lphil93]

Hello! I'm a first time mum who is 41weeks and very fed up today. I'm being induced on Monday and I'm absolutely terrified of the whole experience.

Anyone have any positive stories or words of wisdom for me - I'm not sleeping I'm so anxious and I should be making the most of sleep before my little lady arrives!!

I was induced with dc 3. He was 12 days late.

I went into the ward in the morning - was given gel about 8 am. Nothing happened for hours and spent the time with DH walking around the hospital grounds. Had lunch then sent him home for a couple of hours so I could have a nap. While he was gone my contractions started twinging. By the time he got back at 3 pm they were coming regularly and I was moved from antenatal to delivery suite. At that stage I was just using tens machine.

I asked to try the birthing pool which was free. It was filled and I got in just before 4 pm. It was just what I needed and I settled in for what I thought would be a few hours. But about 30 mins later I had the urge to push - midwife checked and I was fully dilated. That stage was very short and he popped out after just a few pushes!

Hope all goes well for you. I have had 3 dc and the induction was not the worst labour!

Some advice I would give between now and Monday is

• rest as much as possible this weekend. Labour is like a marathon - you want to be rested before you start.

• play things by ear. Don't be fixated on a particular game plan. Things evolve and the objective is healthy baby and healthy you - not a particular kind of birth.

• back to back labour can be very tiring and very painful - if i has been told this was situation with my other 2 then I would have been asking for epidural. I had back to back with DC1 and struggled on for far too long with the pain before having the epidural. By which time I was exhausted and had nothing left for final stages.

• try and stay mobile - gravity helps!

• drink little and often.

• take snacks for your birthing partner!

I was given a pessary at 6pm. By 9pm it felt like period pain and was given a hot water bottle and paracetamol. Gradually the pains formed into waves whichI could breathe through. Around 2pm I kept needing the loo and my water broke whilst on the loo. At 245 the pain went from manageable to unbearable and eventually a mw wandered over to check me. I was fully dilated and whizzed down to the delivery room. 5.34 DS was delivered. So less than 12 hours from start to finish.

I'm trying to keep an open mind about pain relief and having a natural birth as I agree mine and the baby's safety is the primary focus.

I think I may send my partner home earlier on too as it can't be nice for them just sitting and waiting helplessly!!

Are you terrified of the actual inducton or that you know you'll be going into labour on Monday? When I was induced, I had to be put on the drip as my waters had broken days before but had no contractions so they wanted to be able to control the induction. But apart from the initial set up of the induction , once the contractions started it was no different labour-wise. Contractions were a bit stronger but I felt this may have meant my labour progressed faster so was shorter , 6-7 hours.
You sound like you have the right idea , going in open-minded to pain relief etc so please don't worry. As others have said just chill this weekend,plenty of r and r and pack plenty of snacks,drinks,books,magazines,puzzles to get you through the boring early stages.
Oh and your phone charger!

I was induced when I was 12 days overdue. It was fairly quick. If you're worried about stories of really long, drawn out labours after being induced, most of those stories are of women being induced before their due date for various reasons and so the body tends to have more to do to get ready for labour

I was induced a few days before my due date. Pessary about 7pm, fully dilated by 7am with just tens for pain relief despite it being a back to back labour.
I did then need forceps but that’s because my baby was quite small and not tolerating the labour fantastically well.
Hope things go smoothly and the pessary is all you need for a little kick start.

I was induced and had a truly great straightforward birth with no other drugs or interventions.

It wasn't what I had wanted but it really was fine and much easier than the subsequent non induced births.

Good luck.

OP, don’t worry! Think if it this way, one way or another, it’s time to meet your baby!!

Relax, think positively and trust your body. If Labour doesn’t happen spontaneously by Monday then let medicine help it along. Either way that baby is coming out!

I was overdue with both mine. Booked for induction with both was both times, Labour started the day before naturally...

We are meant to do this. Giving birth is totally liberating, you feel like a
warrior with what your body can achieve
And do. You will
Surprise yourself with your own strength
and then you will spend the whole of Motherhood using that strength for the sake of your child.

That is what you need to focus on right now
and not worrying about what is to come.

You got this!

Induction can be a bit of a game changer, but you seem switched on to accepting that you might need strong pain relief, that it might be drawn out in the early stages and to keep your head in the right place in those hours/days is really tough. I would write another birth plan with induction in mind, decide what your cut off is ie what non-essential intervention you'll accept.

In these last few days, fuel yourself on sleep and energy giving food. This is an advantage of induction, you can prepare!

Lastly, know that it is down to luck how your birth plays out. So many variables makes it so. Some people have easier births than others, and it has no bearing on your ability or legitimacy as a mother.

Had pessary put in at 7am, started contracting almost immediately and he was born at 7:30pm the same day. All very smooth. Good luck xx

Very big baby and induced. Was absolutely fine! Quick birth, no intervention, gas and air.

Ah you guys all seem to have had such positive experiences with induction - I'm really hoping I have the same! I'm desperate to meet my little one.

Did you stay in long after birth ladies??

I was induced due to gestational diabetes, I too was worried as I'd heard plenty of horror stories and my previous delivery was an emergency c-section so no idea what labour actually felt like

Admitted Wednesday mid morning, pessary in at 2pm, I did have to have gas and air for this BUT it was my first experience of gas and air which obviously was hilarious the more I had, 24hours with the pessary in-situ, no pains at all, just boredom, after removing pessary I was examined and they said they didn't think they would be able to break my waters and I had to wait to speak to the consultant for next plan (possible c section due to previous) at nurse change over, new nurse came on, examined me and said she thought my waters could be broke and made plans for doctor, he came and agreed. I think by this time I was having 'pains' - which really weren't but I thought they were lol little did I know 🤣.

I was transferred to labour suite at 10.30pm, hooked up to monitoring belts due to previous section, he came and broke my waters, then they started the drip THEN it all happened so fast, contractions straight away, the midwife advised epidural, they came and did that. I went from 3cm to 10cm in about half hour, still tooting on the gas and air. TBH I thought I needed a poo cos all the pressure was in my bum and I kept thinking if I can get this poo out I can concentrate on labour - obviously I was smack bang in the middle of labour unaware. The midwife examined me and said the epidural was a waste as I was fully dilated and I could start pushing. My little girl was born 4 pushes later!!

Afterwards I found out she was back to back, the reason why I thought I needed a poo

It was a strange experience as at first it was long and drawn out and boring but as soon as the labour proper started it went so fast, labour suite at 10.30pm, baby born at 3.20

My advice is to think every single delivery / labour is different, go with the flow, it does hurt - it hurts like a shitter but you'll forget, 7 months later I'd do it again (if I weren't too old). Good luck you will be fine!!

Hopefully you have been in today and are now past induction and with your baby!

Hope it all went ok.

I was only in overnight with DC3 after induction. But first time I was in for 2 days. So it really depends on you and baby.

@FanSpamTastic ah wishful thinking! I was giving the pessary at 1pm and I have just started having irregular contractions now. Fingers crossed we're on the move 😃😃😃

Fingers crossed 🤞!

Best wishes. Keep gravity on that cervix! Bounce on the birthing ball or dance around the room. Or hands and knees!

They will get stronger and more regular. Rest when you can. First time round can take a long time.

My only advice is if you get put on the drip, don’t rule out an epidural. It was an absolute god send for me. Best of luck OP! How exciting

Also try and nap now. I was exhausted by the time I was on the delivery suite because I had been walking up and down flights of stairs all day!

Update for you, pessary removed with contractions every three minutes however not dilated any further. Just been given Prostin Gel so we will see how that goes.

I agree - they've been waking me every two hours for obs so I'm very tired and trying to make the most of it xxx

Hoping that you’re well on your way now!