Positive experiences of induction at 39 weeks please (second time around but absolutely bricking it).

[mummabubs]

Hi all, calming or positive vibes this way please!

Had my son 3.5 years ago, ideally I wanted to give birth on the MLU (typical first time mum pool birth low intervention dream plan!) but went two weeks overdue so was told I could no longer give birth on the midwife unit and was cajoled into accepting induction. The actual induction itself went pretty straight forward (just needed pessary to start contractions, my waters broke spontaneously etc). However I hated being an inpatient beforehand (there was no option for outpatient induction back then). I was bored to death waiting for 12 hours before they could start induction, then bored whilst wandering around trying to get things going and then due to other women screaming in the bay I was in I literally got 2 hours sleep before my own labour kicked in and was subsequently terrified having listened to others screaming about how unbearable it all was. During my labour I felt like my birth plan wishes were completely ignored even when there was no risk element to justify it - eg being examined repeatedly against my express wish not to be as I was fully dilated, progressed well and was pushing, I was told I had to be hooked up to monitors as that was just the way it was done in obstetrics so couldn't be active etc. Felt like all control had been taken from me and it was deeply unpleasant. I only had G&A as they kept telling me I could go to the one pool room on the obstetrics unit as soon as it became available (this was never followed through on) so long story short after 19 hours in labour I ended up in theatre having forceps and an episiotomy. I have big periods of the birth that I can't remember, it affected my bond with my child and I then had a complicated physical recovery due to episiotomy healing issues so had to have weekly laser treatment and was unable to walk normally for 10 weeks afterwards. The whole thing was utterly traumatising for me and put me off trying for a second child for two years longer than we'd originally planned.

Fast forward and after a debrief with a senior midwife I was reassured that a second time around I could have one of three options - to still go to 42 weeks but to be supported to give birth on the MLU, to accept induction but have it as an outpatient, or to have a planned c sec.

With that in mind my journey this time has been...
Discovered at 12 weeks that I have very marginally low PAPP-A (which I likely did with my son too but they didn't test PAPP-A levels 4 years ago). This means going over 40 weeks is not an option my hospital is willing to support. So at 16 weeks they booked me in for a planned c sec scheduled for tomorrow when I'll be 39+5 as per the recognition that I very much wanted to avoid my experience of last time, this has enabled me to remain calm as I had some certainty and security about it all. Had my pre-op appointment 3 days ago and after doing my bloods and scan etc it was suddenly decided that based on my reasoning alone it was "insane" for me to have an elective c sec when induction worked so well on paper last time, so I've been booked in for induction tomorrow instead. And the absolute cherry on the cake is that due to my low PAPP-A I can't have an outpatient induction and due to covid my husband can't be with me until I'm in established labour.

My logical brain knows when it's all over and done with I won't care about how she came out, only that she did and is healthy. My emotional brain is absolutely panic central about seemingly being in the one situation I was so utterly desperate not to repeat, and I have the added concern that as I'm technically giving birth 3 weeks earlier than last time that the induction process itself won't be so straightforward either. (The midwife I saw on Saturday said it's fine as they'll just give me the drip and break my waters for me, at which point I broke down in tears as the drip is just a whole new level of things I want to avoid!) 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ Plus I've spent the last 14 weeks with a relative degree of certainty that I wouldn't be going through labour again, so I feel utterly unprepared for it! I think the crux is that after last time I needed to feel like I had some level of say or control over how this is planned (bear in mind I wanted to either just leave things and go for an MLU birth or to have a planned extraction, so I was basically open to anything other than induction!) and it feels like I was told I would have a say but the reality is all control is being taken away again.

Really sorry for that huge ramble, essentially please give me some hope of straight forward pre-due date inductions / good drip experiences when combined with epidurals maybe?? Thank you x

So you'll be 39+5 when you're induced? I've been induced at 40wks.

Ive been induced 3 out of 4 times. My 1&3 at 42wks and my 4th on my due date. All my babies have been over, my only spontaneous labour was 9/10 days over, so being induced at 40wks due to size was "early" for me if that makes sense.

I had seen a consultant a few days previously who said my cervix was favourable and ok to just have my waters broken on the day. Due to busy delivery suite we arrived around 3pm, they broke my waters around 4 and nothing happened. Walked around and still no contractions, so they wanted to start me on the drip. I had the drip with DD1 and so I opted to have the epidural put in first.

This was what took all the time! Finally got an epidural at 11.30pm and the drip was started shortly after.

The drip got me to established labour at around 2am. My husband slept on the floor through most of this and I dozed on and off. I could feel DS moving down but the MW kept saying she didn't need to check until 6hrs on the drip had passed.

Just before 6am she checked.. he was one push away from being born so she called another MW in to help and he popped out.

Compared to my first it was a very peaceful and calm labour.

My 3rd was induced later (42wks) and she shot out in 2hrs with just gas and air but as I say 40wks was early for me..even though he was 9lb5!!

I totally understand the desire for an MLU birth, my first was a similar experience, in that I had hopes of a spontaneous labour and I ended up induced, ventoused etc. I am expecting DC5 in June and I already feel meh that I will go over and be induced...again as I'm 41, though rationally my last two inductions have been absolutely fine.

My ways of having an feeling of control are, insisting on a epidural first, there are lots of women who are fine on the drip, but I just don't want to try without.

Good luck xx

As far as I was concerned being induced was my worst scenario and I resisted until DS was 2 weeks late.
I actually found it much better than rushing to hospital in labour like the first time and then spending 26 hours giving birth.
My induction was much calmer and I got my epidural as requested. I pushed twice and there he was
Good luck x

I had a horrible induction at 40 weeks due to low papp a too. Very traumatising.
At my debrief I spoke to a very sensible midwife that reminded me i had a choice all the way through. In hindsight I would have refused to be induced as all observations were normal, growth normal, movements normal. They induced me because it's what the flow chart said.

If I were you and all was well I'd refuse induction and wait for things to happen naturally or until baby or yourself become in need of medical intervention.

You should be as calm as possible before birth and if you have all this anxiety you won't have an easy labour. Try to be calm, listen to the advice and follow your instincts. Don't follow the flow chart if you don't want to.

Thanks all.

@BlissfulIgnorance I'm sorry you had a negative induction experience too. I'd always said I'd refuse it a second time around, although she is on the smaller side we haven't seen anything that indicates it's unsafe to wait. The tricky thing is that we have no family closer than 3 hours away and due to Covid we don't have anyone here to look after DS so had been relying on the certainty that a c sec gives to know when to request help. I was considering waiting (even though with sickness and reflux I'm so ready for this to be over!) but then a midwife at the weekend said that was risky with a second birth as my mum might not make it here in time (completely not what I needed to hear!) I also think that because I went to 42+2 with DS before induction as did my mum with all three children and my sister too I have an internal belief that if I wait then all that will happen is in 2 weeks time I'll still be waiting and then it will be induction anyway 🤦🏻‍♀️

@mummabubs that's one of the reasons I consented to DC4 being induced at 40wks due to size. I wasn't actually worried about him being big particularly, but I was on blood thinners that I was allergic to, and all my others had been at least 10days over, so it felt like I would probably end up being induced anyway.

As I said above my personal experience is that subsequent inductions were easier than my first by far

Thank you @BurningBenches. Your experience definitely gives me hope. I'm still feeling very scared and emotional about it all but I'm also trying to hold on to the reality that childbirth isn't really neat, controllable or predictable, whichever way it goes!

@mummabubs this is very true. Good luck tomorrow xx

So sorry that was your experience first time round 😔 I’m pregnant with my first so really can’t offer you any help on the induction front! But what do you want to happen? That’s the main question. I have a massive phobia of birth.. won’t go into it all right before you’re going in 🙈 but because of that I looked up before even considering getting pregnant if I was able to have an elective section. I’m now having a consultant appointment in a few weeks time and have been assured it will all be approved so is more straightforward than I was gearing myself up for. If you want to go for the induction, absolutely go for it. I’m sure second time round it is meant to be a better experience anyway! But if your heart was set on a c-section and you feel like you’ve had that choice taken away from you, you’re within your rights to say to them that you want a c-section as planned. NICE guidelines state that maternal request c-sections (for no physical reason) should be carried out and if one consultant isn’t willing to do it then they need to put you in touch with someone who will. Birth rights website is good to look at (for both labour preferences and rights to a c-section). Don’t be forced into anything you’re not comfortable with, this is your baby, your body and you know the right way for your baby to arrive. I hope it all goes well x

Exact same boat almost and petrified. They don’t want to give me a section either and I’m so so anxious. 38 weeks this week, high risk pregnancy. Was promised a section no questions asked after last time with forceps ect and baby was in intensive care a few days so I had similar issues to you with healing being slow and painful and bonding. Terrified at being on my own as I really needed the support last time when things went wrong. They keep telling me the second time tends to be much easier in every way so I’m clinging to that! Can you request an early epidural? I have been promised that, I think with the drip it does make a big difference if it’s something you might consider.

@Yummymummy2020 I'm so sorry you're going through the same situation. This time is emotional anyway isn't it without the added stress of feeling like choices you were reassured you'd have are taken away. Funnily enough at 4am (my standard wake up time these days thanks to pregnancy insomnia!) I decided that I may well request an epidural anyway. Didn't have one last time as I was so desperate to be transferred to the one pool room, I think this time I'm going to focus on making it all as manageable as possible. The only thing I'd want to check with an epidural is whether it automatically means you have to stay in hospital for longer afterwards as I'm desperate to go in, have baby and then return home again asap. Best of luck for your birth xx

@Yummymummy2020 please see my comment above. If you want one, say it’s the only way you’re willing to give birth and it’s what you’ll be having. It’s entirely your choice, they just seem to push people into labour at any opportunity

@mummabubs I'm so sorry I've realised after reading other comments that this isn't your choice. I don't know quite how I missed that!! (Can i blame 35wk pregnant brain?) Sorry.

As @sarah13xx says it's your choice and I'm sorry they've dropped this last minute.

Re epidurals. I guess all hospitals might have their own rules but aside from my first where I was kept in for ages (unrelated to epidural) with dc2 and Dc4 I had epidurals, they were born at 8.30isham and 6am. Both times I was allowed and if fact encouraged to go home that day straight from delivery suite. Both births were otherwise straightforward though.

@BurningBenches don't apologise!! My brain never really went back to full capacity after my first child and now it's officially mush- I think you have more than a reasonable excuse! 😂

@Sarah13xx Thank you for your replies. I did an antenatal course during my first pregnancy that was very hard line on empowering women to make their own choices in labour and to stand by any informed decisions they made. I love the ethos of this and fully support the value that women should have a say in how care during birth looks for them. In equal measure I also feel on reflection that it led to me creating an idealised view of how much control I could have over some things and subsequently left me feeling very uncontained when plans changed and I was told I needed to sacrifice my preferences for my baby. (In my experience I ended up doing a lot of things that weren't my preference as my ability to reason through decisions in labour just became "I'll do whatever you say I should"). 🤦🏻‍♀️ I was told yesterday that if I really wanted to I could request going back on the elective c sec list, but by now it would have to be for a different day so we'd have no childcare for our son. My consultant did also make the point that my poor recovery from the first induction was atypical and that a second time around chances are I'd recover much quicker - which is important for being able to take care of my 3 year old by myself as my husband only has 2 weeks paternity leave. We've also just moved to a village in the last few days, so not being allowed to drive for 6-8 weeks wouldn't be ideal either given I have no family support. Essentially - my heart 100% wants the c sec for me for my own psychological wellbeing, but my head knows that perhaps justifiably the safer and most practical option for me, my child and my family is to consent to induction today. 🤦🏻‍♀️

@mummabubs let us know how you get on. Will be thinking of you today x

I was induced at 39+3. Best decision ever, daughter was born happy and healthy 6 hours later after an epidural. Pain was intense with gas & air and bath. Once I had the epidural I dilated quickly and she was out in 45 mins of pushing. Would 100% do the same again:

Oh and there was no complications or forced stay in hospital. We left within 24 hours of being admitted.

Late last year I had an induction at exactly 39 weeks due to GD.
I'd had a difficult first birth 2 years ago and worried about an induction.
I had my waters broken but nothing happened so they put me on the drip. I thought it'd be rough going again but after 3 hours of contractions I had my baby. Had gas and air and one pethidine near the end.

Hurt like hell but compared to first labour it was so much easier and a positive experience. Only 3 hours of pain whereas my natural labour took 26 hours and ended up with an epidural and forceps.

Being able to shower myself after was amazing.

The midwife said with the drip they can speed things up and get it done which I saw as a positive in my situation.

I should add they released us exactly 24 hours after birth even though that was 10.24pm

DC3 induction at 39+2, broke waters, contractions started 10 minutes later. Born within 3 hours. Home same day.

DC1- induction at 39 weeks exactly. Propess for 24 hours. Niggly pains, no progress. Took propess out. Contractions started within 1 hour, born 45 minutes after first contraction

Thanks ladies. @NewMum29 that definitely sounds like a positive experience!
Currently on the ward now and pessary in. Nothing yet, annoyingly my Bishop score has actually decreased since my sweep at the weekend (was 5, but on admission today I've scored a 3). Just hoping it won't take too long but equally get that I can only go with what's happening in the moment! 🤦🏻‍♀️

@mummabubs good luck, you are so strong to just take a change of plan like that and go for it. I hope it all goes well and baby is with you soon 🤞🏼❤️

Thank you. Had the pessary at 11am, waters broke at 3pm but no contractions despite another sweep, so the plan is to start me on the drip in the next hour. I've said I'll only accept this if my husband is here and if I get an epidural first. Short of an emergency c sec this is literally the opposite to the mlu pool birth I always dreamt of, but all I can do at this stage is go with it!

@cupofdecaf I'm anxious about the drip but definitely see it speeding it up as a pro right now!