Booked for induction today and I am terrified

[SIlverfish31]

Hi ladies,

I am absolutely terrified, as in properly, properly terrified. I am booked to be induced today at 4pm ( I have to ring soon to confirm there's space) and I am beside myself with fear.

I am 38 weeks today and being induced due to having polyhydramnios. This is my 3rd baby and first induction.

I have read so much in the last week since being told I will be induced and I have so many people I know who have been induced, that I felt like I had a good picture of what to expect. But this morning, I've found myself with this crippling fear.

I'm scared of it not working and having days of pain ending in a C-section. I'm scared of my partner not getting to the hospital on time and being alone. I'm scared of polyhydramnios complications and still having a cord prolapse or haemorrhage even though the labour is controlled in hospital. Even though they can't find an explanation for the the polyhydramnios on the scan, I'm scared the baby will be born with something terribly wrong and I'm scared something will go wrong in labour and I'll die and leave my children without their mum.

I'm so sorry, but I need to sound these fears off to people who don't know me as they've been consuming me.

It's completely normal to be scared of the unknown. Plus being pregnant brings a whole host of other worries. I know it's easy for me to say but try not to worry about things that you have no control over.
You have done this before and you can do it again.
Staying calm and breathing is really the best thing in labour. If you are stressed or frightened then your body produces adrenaline which tries to make your muscles work in a different way than your contractions and can make more painful.
For what it's worth I have had two amazing inductions which were really positive.

Try and stay calm, breathe, and you have totally got this!!

You do have the right to an elective c section, OP. Don't feel you have to go along with this if you don't want to.

I was induced at bang on 40 weeks and honestly, it was absolutely fine.

Pessary at 3pm, massive bloody show/bleed at 2 am and off I went with some lovely diamorphine - DD born at 3.50am.

Second stage labour was 45 mins. Too late for any more pain relief apart from gas and air - but again, it was fine.

I'd heard lots of horror stories but that wasn't my experience at all.

Good luck and how exciting - you get to meet your new baby today!

I had my first induction with my 3rd baby in June OP and felt exactly the same as you, I was 37 weeks.
All births are different but mine went well and was actually my easiest birth of the 3.

The first pessary worked after 24 hours and was quite uneventful just some mild cramps. I was in for two days.
There were 6 other women being induced whilst I had mine and all with 2nd or 3rd pregnancies and they went similarly to mine, no one was in terrible pain through the induction process and we all chatted, slept, watched tv until it was time to be moved to delivery.

Thank you all. FourPlasticRings, I am hoping it possible to avoid a C-section because of the recovery time. I have just called the hospital and they've told me to call back in about 3/4 hours as the ward is really busy and they can't say if they will have room for me or not! This uncertainty was one of my worries. What happens if they don't have room? Do I just have to keep ringing back until they do?

I have been induced with both of mine.
First was fine, given gas and air at 4cm and managed with just that.
Second was more painful, added pethadine to the mix.
Both were fine.
I was also told there was no room on the induction suite at 9am. I received a call at 1am in the morning and told to come in then.
Best of luck, you'll be meeting your baby soon, how exciting!

Don't worry OP remember you're still in control and can ask for what you need when you need it.
I'd recommend having an epidural before going on the drip as it can be very painful.

My induction was fairly straightforward. Pessary in at 3pm, period type cramps started within 5 minutes. By the evening, contractions feeling pretty strong. Took some pethadine which knocked me out. Woke up and was 6cm. Honestly think baby would have come out pretty quickly, but I asked for an epidural which slowed things down. Baby was out by 11.15am the next day, but I think he’s have been out by 2/3am without the epidural.

Just to add, I don’t regret my epidural at all. I had a good nap while I dilated to 10cm! All very relaxing. I’m planning on having another one this time around.

Thank you, I had an epidural with my first and I've already planned on asking for one. They have cancelled the induction due to a backlog in the SCBU. I'm so upset because I had built myself up for it and I'm being induced for polyhydramnios so I'm really worried now about when it will be done and what the risks are if I end up going into labour naturally xx

Hi op . Am hoping you have now met your baby !! X

Hi OP
How have you got on?

I have polyhydramnios. They've said mine is mild (10.5cm) how many cm is yours?
I am trying to push for an induction because of the risks that comes with having polyhydramnios

@BonnieBleu hi! Just wondering if you've had an induction or been told you can have one? I have polyhydramnios again (4th pregnancy) my baby was transverse but at hospital last night they said she's head down now. Last time I was induced at 40+5 due to ph and baby was huge, but this time I've been having painful braxton hicks for weeks now and was wondering if things had changed since my last pg, when they said they wouldn't have induced for ph alone. Sorry for the ramble lol

Hi @Hatepickinganame

I have mild polyhydramnios and baby is measuring on the 95th centile.
My last baby was measuring on the 25th centile so quiet a difference.
I'm also anaemic. The consultant said it would be best if I deliver before week 40 as baby is big and could get stuck.
So I am booked for an induction at 39 weeks and their letting me have a sweep at 38 weeks to see if I can start labour without having to go through the induction

@BonnieBleu thanks for replying! My last baby was huge but this one is just under the 50th centile according to scans. I don't know how severe my ph is, I didn't think to ask but will at my next appointment. I have severe anaemia also, and low folate so am on 2xiron supplements and one folic acid a day at the moment. I carry a blood condition that cause unstable haemoglobin so thats why. I'm only 34 weeks at the moment and having another scan at 36 weeks. Just want to be prepared for any scenario now, I was mentally preparing for a csection as baby was transverse but she's moved now! Hope your induction goes well.

@Hatepickinganame
How big was your last baby?
I just had my 36 week scan and been told she's 7lbs and 14ozs and got another scan booked in for next week.
I'm hoping that my anaemia is resolved as I had an iron infusion nearly 2 weeks ago now. Got a blood test tomorrow to double check it.
I was told polyhydramnios can put you at risk of excessive bleeding following birth.
Which is not good with being anaemic.

I'm going to try and get hold of consultant tomorrow as well because with all the risks, I'd like induction brought forward

@BonnieBleu oh I haven't been told that about the PH, I'm already more at risk for a bleed after birth as its my 4th baby. I was referred to a consultant at booking in because of that risk! Will definitely be raising that one with them at my next appointment. My last baby was 10lb 6oz at 40+5 when I was induced. He'd have been ginormous if I'd been left to go 2 full weeks over! Good luck with getting it pulled forward. Let me know how it goes.