Induction. I've been admitted but now I have to wait until TUESDAY

[Bananapancakes6]

I was admitted to hospital today to be induced via balloon induction at 41 weeks. Was told to get here at 10, they put the balloon in at 3pm and it fell out on its own at 4pm after some contractions.

The next stage is to pop my waters but they are saying they may not have time to do this until Tuesday because they are so busy! It is Saturday night and I'm supposed to stay here waiting until then. I've just had a big cry, I have a 3yo at home missing his mummy and I am just sitting around waiting here, it feels like such a waste of time.

I could discharge myself, but worry about getting back to hospital if I do go into labour (my first was fast) but the thought of sitting around waiting all that time is so awful.

I would go home. No way would I be mentally or physically prepared for labour after that many days in hospital.

Maybe saying your leaving will bump you up the queue?

I'm sorry you're in this position, it's very unfair. But I promise it's nothing to do with the midwives and we definitely don't keep women in as "inanimate objects" which is a ridiculous thing that someone said. Workload is currently extremely high in every hospital in my region, and staffing is sometimes half what it should be. The ratio of women to midwives is not acceptable but it's not the midwives' faults. We are working 12.5 shifts not getting breaks or even going to the loo sometimes, going home stressed and anxious, but also extremely upset that we can't provide the care that women deserve and we want to give. There are currently no winners in this situation and it's the government that need to be blamed.

My fingers are firmly crossed that your waters decide to magically break before you potentially go home and baby arrives safely.

Go home OP. You’ll be at the end of your tether and exhausted by Tuesday. It’s not how you need to start labour.

I would say I’m going home in your position. If there’s any risk I think they will magically find you some space and break your waters

And queues are all very well and good but they can change in an instant. You could start the shift with everything being okay, and before you know it there's several emergency admissions that take up all the midwives and rooms. Sadly pregnancy and childbirth in itself is extremely unpredictable!

I'm not saying it's okay though, it's really not. I promise we are all trying our absolute hardest to ensure the physical and emotional well-being of everyone. We just feel like we're failing.

@littlemissalwaystired I absolutely do not blame the midwives, they have all been lovely and very helpful. It's the situation I am so frustrated with. I waited 3 days for the call to come in for induction, then I waited 2.5h for monitoring yesterday, then I waited 5h to be started off today. Now I'm supposed to wait 3 days. It's just a lot.

we definitely don't keep women in as "inanimate objects" which is a ridiculous thing that someone said.

My personal experience is not "ridiculous". How dare you.

If you listened to patients instead of focusing on your own feelings maybe you would realise that.

Get off your sanctimonious high horse and learn some humility.

Who's to blame then? Because people are responsible for everything you're listing.

Oh goodness, go home if you possibly can OP, you'll be exhausted by Tuesday

Hospital did this to me, they would start my indiction then stop it as they were "full" then start again, then stop. I endured this for 5 days, stop start, stop start.

After they stopped it for the 4th time, I just walked out with my notes. I never even discharged myself. Didn't speak to anyone didn't say anything just left. Drove in tears for 3 hours on my own to the next hospital arrived there in a teary mess, they took me straight in.

They phoned hospital A back to find out what was going on, and they hadn't even noticed I'd left. 🙄

Anyway had baby in hospital B ten hours later.

Oh no I'm due first week of January I also have a nearly 3yr old no way I would stay there 3 days waiting she would be way upset and I would be too

Agree that if they were worried they'd not leave you waiting. Go be comfy @ home & see your toddler.
Relax and if anything changes say you're happy to be called in

Incredibly frustrating situation but things can change on an hourly basis. If a slot does become available before Tuesday and you’re home though you will probably miss out.

Wasn't the same circumstances but I was in for ages for an induction before we ended up becoming am EMCS. I don't think the hospital were doing anything that I couldn't have been doing at home(it was me who flagged the issue and they actually ignored it for a while untik the sister made an appearance) and at least at home I would have felt more comfortable, probably got a better sleep and been better prepared to deal with our new born, rather than the shattered mess I was.

I'd go home for now and keep an eye on how things were going if it were me.

So I am now having a few contractions. Only lasting 30 seconds and not hugely painful but definitely more than Braxton Hicks. I'm going to stay in tonight, speak to some other midwives and just try and figure out if theres any chance before Tuesday.

@Gwrach at what point in the induction process did you leave?

I waited five days in a ‘queue’ to be induced, ended up in hospital with high foetal heart rate and still had to wait another few days being monitored in hospital for a space- in the end baby came within forty minutes of my waters being broke at 42+1 weeks. Like you the worst part was being away from my 3 year old and if I had the option to go home safely I would have definitely taken it.

I would be off straight home - Taxi!!!

@Bananapancakes6

So I am now having a few contractions. Only lasting 30 seconds and not hugely painful but definitely more than Braxton Hicks. I'm going to stay in tonight, speak to some other midwives and just try and figure out if theres any chance before Tuesday.

@Gwrach at what point in the induction process did you leave?

They kept putting the persery thing in then contractions would start soft but there, then they would come take it out and say we can't not right now. This went on for days.

After the 4th time of them removing the persery thing, I left. Wasn't even having much above a flutter, waters still intact.

But then I arrived at the new hospital and went in to spontaneous labour. The midwife said it was probably the stress relief of being somewhere I felt safe. Because I was sat in the bath on the ward they had prepared for me to help calm me down and then it started.

@Gwrach that's awful! I'm sorry you had to experience that.

I've asked to be allowed home in the morning if nothing progresses. If they say no Ill discharge myself I think.

If they're making you wait until Tuesday is that the same for everyone else that is on the induction unit? So potentially someone who is booked in for an induction won't get in until then at the earliest as surely those waiting for Tuesday will be in the induction beds if not sent home? It's no wonder services are failing if this is what's happening, what a huge waste of time for everyone. The only thing I'd worry about if you went home is if they then pushed the waters breaking further back than Tuesday.

@mummyh2016 yes it's my worry too, out of sight out of mind kind of thing. Thing is my consultant doesn't want me to go too far overdue because of baby's heart and because he's big 97th Centile and by Tuesday I'll be 41+3! So he'll have to come out soon anyway. Apparently there are 3 other women waiting to have their waters popped ahead of me, unclear if they're all admitted like me or if some are at home.

This is exactly why I’ll be refusing induction for as long as possible. This all sounds very distressing and counter productive to labour. I won’t consider induction until we’ll after 42

I’m sorry this is happening to you OP. It’s horrible to be stuck in hospital, missing your LO and not being able to relax or get good sleep.

I had a similar experience. I cried at the consultant on the evening of day 3 and they let me go home for the night, even though they’d previously said I needed to stay to be monitored. I went back the next morning and had my waters broken but by the evening, they still didn’t have enough staff to start the drip. I had a c-section that night and got home the next day.

I hope things start to get better for you soon. 💐

How are you getting on @Bananapancakes6

So made a bit of a fuss, was genuinely quite upset and explained that my first birth was super quick. They examined me and realised I was 4cm and ready to go. Magically they had a bed. 6h labour and baby arrived yesterday at 9pm!