If you are induced for your first does that mean chances of normal labour are reduced for subsequent babies?

[broguemum]

My first baby was induced for no good medical reason (yes, I'm cross with myself too for caving in and agreeing to it, but aren't we supposed to trust our doctors?) and I am worried that this might have reduced my chances of a normal labour for my next baby. I'm at 37 weeks and getting worried - can anyone out there help me / reassure me?

I was induced for dd1 as she was not growing well in the womb, my twins came naturally and I also went into natural labour with dd4 (although it was at 33 weeks!) So I don't think there is any reason to think you will have to be induced this time just because you were before

at 37 weeks i am sure that you would have been told by now if you wre going to be induced. unless you go way overdue and there are no signs of labour i can imagine that you will have a normal labour. i was induced early due to gestational diabetes and unless i get it again i hope to have a normal delivery next time whenever that will be!

I don't think it makes any difference really, lots of people are induced with their 1st babies (me included - like you for no good reason ).
My subsequent babies were born at home, no inductions and superfast labours.

1st child: After my waters seeped, I was induced with my 3rd (3 attempts - sweep, tablets and drip) resulting in forceps, episiotomy etc etc.
2nd child, 6 hours of labour, no intervention, no problem

did you have a vaginal delivery?

i was induced for my first, in hindsight, it was absolutely the wrong thing, i ended up with a c.s

my second was a spontaneous labour, DD born on her due date after a 3 1/4 hour established labour ( will gloss over teh 15 hours of contractions before i got to 3 cm!! )

Thanks to everyone for your comments - it's all very reassuring.

Lulu, the first was a vaginal delivery. It was quick - about 7 hours from arriving in the hospital to my little girl being born - but it was v. unpleasant and downright painful as I was put on oxytocin straight away, the dose was increased quickly, the waters were artifically broken (slicing open my daughters head in the process!!), the epidural did not work after four attempts, I had an episiotomy and I tore etc... Not an experience I want to repeat!!!

Thanks again to everyone for your comments.

that sounds nasty

IMO, and i am not a medical person, a spontaneous labour usually is a more copeable with labour, and as you had a fairly quick, although augmented labour, i would thikn your second would be a far more positive experience

I was induced first time because I had pre-eclampsia. It was quite quick but ended in a ventouse delivery.

Second time started naturally and was very straightforward and only took 4.5 hours.

Broguemum

I was induced for my first and ended up with an epidural an episiotomy and forceps.
However my second was born in a birthing pool with only gas and air and only a very minor labial tear which i was the choice whether or not to have stitched.

Hoping for the same with my 3rd am now 38 weeks.

I dont think you need to worry that your difficult first birth will impact on your second as each one is very different. I think statistically second births are supposed to be easier.

Induced with first

No iduction with second

Thanks for all reassurance. Just to let you know I saw my doctor yesterday and he said that if a first delivery is induced it has no impact on the likelihood of subsequent deliveries having to be induced.

He then went on to say that if my baby hasn't put in an appearance by 39 and a half weeks he'd like to discuss an induction with me due to the back / pelvic pain I am suffering. This seems crazy to me - I've had this pain since June (top tip - don't mow a large sloping lawn with a very heavy lawwnmower when pregnant - it is a BAD THING). Why bother inducing to avoid a possible further few days / weeks of pain?

Message withdrawn

I had a CS (like you in hindsight I'm pretty sure it was totally unnecessary) with no labour at all with DS1 (waters had gone - but nothing else was happening).

With DS2 I was induced (again waters went and nothing happened - and they gave me 72hrs too!)

DS3 - had the start of show on the Wednesday lunchtime, proper contractions started Thursday morning and he was born that afternoon - so didn't seem to affect me.

I was induced for all four of mine but still don't believe that, once induced = always induced. All labours are different. Mine just happened to be difficult. Maybe if I had a fifth it would be a breeze! Not going to test it though.

Don't worry. You are more informed and more confident now so the chances of you being induced without good medical reason are already reduced.

I was induced for first at 38 weeks and went into labour naturally with 2nd.