Induction

[cuckoo2004]

I recently gave birth to my first baby and was induced with 2mg prostin because I had pre eclampsia. I've heard that an induction is more painful than a spontaneous labour and was wondering if anyone has had experience of both types of labour and is able to comment on this from their own experience.

I was induced too and heard the same - the contractions don't build up gradually, they come thick and fast! Therefore your enorphines don't have time to kick in and provide natural pain relief. I used tens for a short while, then gas and air and then the big E! But i will admit i am a complete woose!

I was in labour for 12 hours with baby back to back and coping with the pain myself. I was then induced to try and 'speed things up' and the difference was amazing, the contraction were alot more brutal and I really struggled. Definitely a very different experience. I wish I hadn't agreed to it as I ended up having a section.

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Have had a drip (1st time round) and labour was awful, intense contractions from the word go and no respite.

2nd time around I had a pessary (just 1mg prostin) and it was much gentler - I walked around to get the contractions to intensify - (crab walking up and down the stairs really helped) used the birthing ball and let my body tell me what it needed from me. I felt in control and reasonably calm most of the way through too which was the complete opposite to my first labour.

I can only imagine that if the labour was completely natural it would have been less painful but may have taken longer (not sure which is the less of the two evils tbh )

Congrats on your baby btw...

Thank you all for replying.

I'm now ttc no2 and am hoping that I won't have the same experience. In the end I had an em lscs for fetal distress and I've always felt that it might have been because the contractions just came so fast and strongly. Hopefuly I won't need to be induced next time.

I was induced first time round too. Had 3 lots of the prostin gel, drip , waters broken... the works really. Only got me to 2cm but the pains that came after the 3rd prostin were immense. I can't really call them contractions because the pain didn't really come and go - it was just there, so intense I was being physically sick constantly. Horrid induction experience.

Also just starting ttc for number 2 and this is something that has actually put me off for so long. NOT going through it again, that is something I am admamant about.

not sure if this is the same as induction with a drip - i had a drip partway thru labour as diamorphine had ground my labour to a halt and I had stopped dilating. The drip wasn't anywhere near as bad as I thought it would be - did need more diamorphine tho.

I was induced 2nd time (baby 2 weeks overdue) and labour was quicker and more painful. I was induced at 6.30 pm. Went to the midwives at 9.15 pm and told them I couldn't stand the pain any more and they told me to have a warm bath. I was told I wouldn't have the baby until morning. I had her at 10.10 pm. Fast birth and she was blue when she came out. At breakfast the topic of conversation was 'all that screaming last night'.

My first and third labours were home births - much more relaxed affairs. Obviously still painful, but I found I coped better with the pain spread out over a longer time. Being at home with a midwife I knew also helped.

Like you, Hulababy, I feel nervous about going through labour again that's why I wanted to know if a spontaneous onset would be less painful. I was disappointed when I had a caesarean and am hoping for a normal delivery next time. Unfortunately, because I only got to 4cm before I went for the caesarean it will be like having a first baby.

Had an inductiion with dd (10 days overdue).. awful experience...ended in emergency c... (had the lot ...(gel, waters broken and contractions promted by synotocin drugs etc)

I vowed never again... had lots of reflexology pre no 2 (ds) and delivered eau naturelle ( at home on hall landing)... must say contractions felt a total dream in comparison (ie it was MY body doing what it was prepared to do... as opposed to a drug forcing it to do something it apparently wasn't ready for)
Mears.. I would be v. interested in your comments...

My 2nd child was induced using pessaries. Contractions started very soon after and DS arrived 1hr 30mins after labour started properly. There was no build-up of contractions (like I had with DD1) and the pain was far more intense.

So when I was pregnant with DD2, I assumed my labour would be more like DD1s (unless I had to be induced).

Although I went 16 days over, and finally went into spontaneous labour - I had NO build-up of contractions again - my very first contraction started at 6.25am (remember looking at the clock by my bed) and DD2 made her appearance at 7.40am. Was just as painful as my induction (even more so as my induction resulted in a waterbirth).

I can honestly say out of the 3 births, No 2 and No 3 were identical (other than No2 being an induction) - contractions the same in their build-up and came very thick and fast.

My induction was v fast. Waters broke and I gave birth in 22 mins. I was insistent that the gel hadn't worked because I only had a nagging backacne, but when they examined me I was ready to go! Dh had gone home as well, so he only made it to the hospital by the skin of his teeth.

Backache not backacne, lol.

I was induced with dd1 and did not cope at all, had everydrug offered and was pretty high and sick throughout. I refused to be induced with dd2 and birthed her on gas and air. if it had'nt been for her being back to back i think i'd have sailed through it. By the way I still have back pain now from my labour and it's 17 months later. Does anyone else have this problem who had a back to back delivery?

Unicorn, did you plan to have your baby at home? I had booked for a home birth for no 1 but had to go into hospital because of pre eclampsia and need for induction. I was thinking that a home birth would be pretty much out of the question for number 2 now I've had a section.

I think the syntocinon drip is the worst - my contractions were on top of each other - no break between them - I hated it.

Second time I was induced with prostin only - contractions a bit easier, but I did get a break between - certainly better than with the drip.

Never got the chance to have a spontaneous labour

cuckoo - you can have a home birth after a c-section - but you probably need to talk to people who have done it - have a look at www.homebirth.org.uk/ and follow the links to VBAC

i was induced with syntocin and kept getting bumped up till eventually lied about being able to cope and stuck at 4mg..oh my go and i was the one who didnt want drugs and wanted to walk around during contractions!!! would do it again but wont be!!9motherhood..rewarding but wouldnt start again!)but advize all those to be induced to take whatever drugs offered!!!

I had a natural labour with DD but was induced with synto with DS. Contractions were far quicker second time round but enjoyed both births due to two fantastic epidurals. Take the drugs - they don't make you a worse mother imo!!