Induction

[fancytiles]

I've got a scheduled induction for the birth of my son in December and was wondering if anyone had any stories/advice/tips on how to prepare, what might happen, what might or might not go wrong etc. And how they found it! Positive and negative please... want to know what I'm in for!

A lot of people will offer their stories I'm sure, and many of them will be quite negative - I'd recommend taking a look at the Positive Birth Company as they have a section about inductions, and it might help you think about it more positively.

I have had an induction and it was ok; quick, painful but no intervention and my daughter was fine - but I wish I'd seen this beforehand.

Mine was overall good

5am 1st prostin pessary 1cm dilated head very low.
1pm 2nd pessary, different midwife unable to break my waters as cervix posterior. (This was really painful and wish I'd accepted gas and air!)
5.30pm started getting some mild contractions.
9pm had my waters broken (had gas and air As super painful) 3cm dilated.
10pm up to labour ward having intense contractions with barely any break inbetween.
11.50pm baby was born!

I was induced due to small baby at 37+4.
I had a retained placenta which resulted in a trip to theatre and a spinal block but I don't think being induced contributed towards that.

All fine here, waters burst after second pessary, labour stalled at 7cms so had c/s - milk took 5 days though so ended up formula feeding but once in I managed to EBF - embrace it and be positive is best advice I can give - good luck

Take a comfy pillow. Download some movies on an iPad and get as much sleep before things start happening! You could be there a while. I went In at 7am, got pessary, took a reaction to it and contractions were 2 minutes apart, had injections to slow it down (didn't work) they then took pessary out and popped my waters the following morning. by 10pm, I still wasn't fully dilated so was put on the drip for a while and then given an hour to push before they were going to intervene. Luckily LO made his appearance. I have nothing to compare it to (pain wise) and you will hear time and time again that no two births are the same - I was 32 hours with contractions 2 mins apart, but he got here safe and that's all that matters.

Thank you so much for your replies!
Yes I will check out the induction part of positive birth company
I've not heard any negative stories so far but know there is a chance induction can fail and you may need a c section
Sounds like giving the pessary a go first is the way forwards rather than the drip

I had a positive experience - delivered vaginally with no assistance or damage - but bloody hell it took a long time!
I was in for 3 days so was glad of snacks, drinks, radio on phone, my own pillow and going for lots of walks around hospital grounds.
Wish I'd had eye mask and earplugs to aid sleep on busy ward.

Didn't work for me but still had a positive birth.

Induced as 11 days overdue and waters were leaking with meconium First pessary at 1pm, second at 5ish, started drip at 9pm, hind waters broken with the hook around 10pm. Drip dose doubled every hour.

I never got past 2cm dilated and only felt 3 contractions (although they showed on monitor)

10am next morning dd born by EMCS All fine, just glad she was there. A kind of calm comes over you where you just think - what will be will be, however they get baby out is fine!

All the best with your birth