4th baby, 1st early induction. Will it work?

[Bennetgirl]

I can have a c section or induction as baby is big.

Does induction get easier and quicker the more babies you've had? Looking at 39 weeks but don't want to be in hospital for days.

I had one last time and it was really quick but I was 16 days late!

DS induction at 40wks took longer than dd3 and 5 at 42wks and 41wks. But not as long as dd1 at 42wks. None have been long though.

Dd1 -13hrs ( pessary, drip, epidural, ventouse, episiotomy and 3rd degree tear) 8lb11
Dd2 - 6hrs active labour but only spontaneous one so was longest from first contraction. 8lb15
Dd3 - 2hrs from waters broken 9lb10
Dd4 (Dc5) 2hrs from waters broken 9lb

Dc4 was my induction for large size at 40wks. Waters were broken, nothing happened (with 3 and 5 it was waters broken, stand up, full blown 1.5min apart contractions from the outset) so they waited and said they wanted to put me on the drip. I said I wanted epidural in before. So we waited from 4pm-11pm for anaesthetist to become available. From 11pm-2am for my contractions to get to 4in10 and then they quickly became 6in10. Ds was born at 6am. He had positional talipes from being so big and squished.

So for me I reckon a similar would have applied if any of the subsequent inductions had been 39wks. Not awful as a path well travelled but just needing drip to get started as I generally go to 41-2wks+.

Thank you, that's really interesting.

I don't want to risk being stuck in hospital for days on end!

I might have said on one of your previous threads that before I consented to induction with DS I wanted them to see if my cervix was favourable. Which they did at about 39+ was. I was soft and 2ish CM so I consented to it. Had it been unfavourable, given my first shitty induction and his supposed size I would have considered a CS.

Similarly with DC5 they had changed the induction process since I had 3 and 4 (only 22m but still) and now the method of choice is balloon catheter.

In my area they assess you the day before induction and decide whether you're suitable for the catheter. At 40+6 I was already 2-3cm so a catheter would have just fallen out, so I was asked to come back the day of induction to have my waters just broken (same as DC3)

Both times because I'd been reassured that my cervix was favourable made me feel more confident that the induction would be successful (and quick)
With DC4, even with the epidural I was home by lunchtime (so 6hrs) and DC5 I was home 3hrs after giving birth which for me was brilliant.

I remember you commenting that and that's one of my questions for my midwife on Tuesday 😀

I've also got the consultant on Thursday to give my decision on induction or c section. I'll only be 38 weeks so don't think they'll check.

It's so frustrating, I almost want the baby to breech again so that I don't have to choose.

I had an early induction with my 2nd baby as he was measuring big. DC1 was 12 days late and 8lb 15oz, and DC2 was measuring bigger.
I was induced at 39+1 late at night, and at 39+4 early in the morning they were able to break my waters and he was born later that day.

I imagine that they should be able to do it by breaking your waters straight away. Should make it quicker.

Induction didn't work for me or several people I know. We all ended up with sections after a long wait in painful induced labour. Second time around I didn't even consider induction and went straight to a section.

Also I wouldn't bank on baby being massive. There was a thread on here not long ago about how these size predictions are never accurate!

I've been induced twice. 1st time they just broke my waters as I was already at 2cm. Baby was born 6 hours later. No interventions. 2nd I had a pessary. Started contractions about an 2 hours after. Then Baby was born in a hour. I've had a natural Labour too and that was 7 hours. Hope it all goes well.

I was in induced labour for 60 hours before they decided it had failed & I had an emcs, with hindsight I would have been better off taking the offered Cs instead of the induction & would probably have been home quicker.

I had an induction at 38+1 for a small baby, 2nd child. On arrival at ward MW said I could be there a couple of days and mentally I prepared myself to let them try the induction but if it didn't work by the next day I would ask for a Csection. I needed two rounds of the gel on my cervix (6 hours apart) then my waters broke naturally 2 hours later and contractions came thick and fast. Went from almost nothing to contractions every 2 minutes. Baby arrived 12 hours after induction started and I found the whole thing a positive experience... And a much easier recovery after birth than a CS. It was a lot more painful than my natural birth with DS! Not sure if it's because of the speed it all happened in the last stages or whether it was because it was an induction.

Thanks everyone.

I'm hoping the pains I'm getting daily mean I'll be dilated a bit and almost ready by the time I'm induced!

Midwife tomorrow so I'll see what she says. Dd turns 3 on Wednesday so could do with baby staying put until after that 😂 x