Induction questions

[Tolo210]

Hi, I haven’t been told I need an induction yet just have a feeling I will. First baby so have a few questions.
1 - I’ve read a few threads of people saying to request the epidural before the induction, is this actually allowed I’ve never heard of it before?
2 - if they do offer me an induction could I turn it down in favour of a c section or would it be too late by that point?
3 - with epidural and induction does that mean you have a needle in each arm? Midwife keeps saying I need a drip with epidural.
Also a general question not related to inductions - what’s everyone’s experience with how long you get to stay in the birthing room after delivery? So how long do you get to spend with partner and baby just you 3 until you get taken to the ward, and then does partner have to leave?

Congratulations on your pregnancy!
Ill try and answer based on my labour.

1. if you feel you will need an epidural for pain, put it in your birth plan, for what theyre worth, and make sure you discuss it with the hospital midwife when you are admitted. They cant give an epidural at a certain point so request it early.

2. you can turn an induction down but it depends why you are being induced? I was induced because of pre-eclampsia and had no choice. Have they given you specific reasons for induction? Have you discussed a c-section with your midwife?

3. I didnt have a drip for my induction. I just had a pessary inserted. I think they only put you on a hormone drip should you not progress much. Youll have an IV catheter in regardless should you need fluids or medications during labour.
   If you have an epidural you will have a spinal catheter placed and the epidural can be topped up where needed.

In my situation i stayed in the delivery suite for several hours following birth as I had a number of complications.
My husband was allowed to stay throughout the entire process. So i was induced on a ward, then taken to delivery and then up to post-natal ward where I stayed overnight. He was allowed to stay with me at all times, even overnight.
At no point in delivery, immediately after the birth were we alone but that was due to me being unwell.
He stayed on the ward with me all night though. But there were 4 different families in the ward so no alone time so to speak.
This was in Nobember so during covid.

I had a balloon induction and then hormones with an epidural in between. I don’t ever recall having a needle in each arm, I had a cannula though.

We were in the birthing room for around 45 minutes after DC was born. I remember I had a shower before we left the room, I didn’t feel rushed out. We were then transferred to a private room and DP was allowed to stay until we were discharged later that day (this was during the height of the pandemic and I didn’t want to hang around longer than strictly necessary).

1. People usually mean to request the epidural when the hormone drip is the next step. Up to you if you want one though. It's allowed, but you'll be very low down in the priority order to getting one, so you'll probably have to wait a while.
2. You can. No experience with it though, as a section was the last thing I wanted.
3. They'll use a y connector and put everything through the same cannula.

Extras: I gave birth just before 5pm, and was taken up to the ward at 11pm. Placenta took the longest possible time to come out without having to go to theatre. Then I needed stitches, which took a while to be put in. This was pre-pandemic though. As for your partner needing to go home once you're on the ward, you'll need to check your trust's rules on visiting. Mine has visiting hours between 8am - 8pm, and requires a pre-booked slot. If you go up inside those hours, I think the rules are relaxed so you don't need to pre-book. Outside, he'll have to go home straight away.

I had an induction in December. My husband came in once I was in established labour. He would have been allowed to stay on the induction ward between 8am and 10pm anyway unless I was in established labour then could stay on after 10pm. We chose not to do this though as I was having DC3 so we thought it better be stay with the others as long as possible before leaving them with grandparents. He came at 9pm and I gave birth around 2 1/2 hours later, he then stayed with me overnight on the postnatal ward until we were discharged the following day.

1. They usually start an induction with a pessary for 12-24 hours. You wouldn't need a epidural at this stage. You could request it whenever you go into labour, before, during or after the drip if you need it. You might find you do fine on gas and air and not want it when the time comes. You may not even need to have the drip as you may go into labour from the pessary.
2. yes you can request c section as maternal choice at any stage and they should explain the pros and cons.
3. No you wouldn't have a cannula in each hand. You would have one for the drip incase it's needed and the epidural is a needle to insert a tube in your lower back

1 - the process of induction starts by using something (either a pessary, gel or balloon catheter) to “ripen” your cervix so it dilates enough to be able to break your waters. Once your waters are broken if you aren’t already contracting they’ll start a hormone drip. This hormone drip is delivered via a cannula - the cannula is inserted into your vein using a needle. It’s at the point they want to start the hormone drip that people are advising to request the epidural. If you know you want one it kind of makes sense. Once that drip starts you’re commited to delivery - no turning back. Usually you can’t have an epidural until you’re so many centimetres dilated because until that point you’re not in “active labour”. It’s important not to give an epidural too early if you’re going into labour naturally because you don’t know if you’re definitely in labour early on (see how many threads there are about Am I in Labour?!). However, it’s not really relevant when you’re being induced and you have a drip because you are being forced into labour and so, like I said, you’re committed to delivering at that point!
2 - you can ask. They can discuss the pros and cons.
3 - if you have an epidural you’ll need a cannula to be able to deliver IV fluids. If you are induced you need a cannula to deliver the hormone drip. If you have both they can both be delivered through the same cannula so you won’t need one in each arm.

@mobear

I had a balloon induction and then hormones with an epidural in between. I don’t ever recall having a needle in each arm, I had a cannula though.

We were in the birthing room for around 45 minutes after DC was born. I remember I had a shower before we left the room, I didn’t feel rushed out. We were then transferred to a private room and DP was allowed to stay until we were discharged later that day (this was during the height of the pandemic and I didn’t want to hang around longer than strictly necessary).

@mobear How did u find the balloon?

@shas19 A bit uncomfortable going in but then fine. Also a bit of an odd sensation when my waters broke and it fell out, but not painful.

I was given a sweep to start labor, then the anesthesiologist came after that to set up my epidural and then the drip was started with the hormone that is supposed to induce labor (I hope I remembered the correct order, it somehow is a bit blurred in my memory). The contractions started, as soon as I got too much pain, I called in the anesthesiologist and she ‘started’ the epidural drip so the pain was gone. My waters broke I think about 2 hours after that, I remember the midwife cleaning it up with a pad.

I’ve had 2 inductions. Both involved some gel being applied to my cervix. No other meds, no needles, no IVs/cannulas, no drips. I had 2 water births. Luckily for me the gel (similar to pessary) worked straight away, but if I had needed the drip I would have considered an epidural at that point.

I had the inductions because I was very overdue, really dreaded them, but both great experiences so don’t stress.

I had 2 x pessaries inserted which didn't work. Had artificial rupture of membranes (ARM) - was on gas & air but requested epidural afterwards. Don't remember being on a drip but I had a cannula in as well as a catheter.

Baby also had a thing put on her head to monitor her while in labour so was hooked up to a lot of things.

Epidural goes in your spine OP. So one needle in your arm for the pictocin (the drip) to give you contractions and one in your spine (the epidural) for the anesthetic. Once the epidural needle is in you don’t feel it at all, you can lie on top of it safely etc. It’s very fine and quite flexible. I think it’s more like a plastic tube that they put it in through a hollow metal needle and then remove the metal leaving just the flexible plastic inside.

Remember everything is your choice - even if it doesn't feel that way! I found hypnobirthing very helpful for making you feel empowered about your birth choices - and mine was a million miles away from breathing the baby out while doing yoga.

So 1. If you want a epidural at the same time the hormone drip goes in that it your choice, you might have to wait though.

1. Not too late, you can always refuse induction. Induction means you're more like to have a section anyway so do your research and state your case.

My waters had gone so proposal was to go straight onto the induction drip which I did not want so asked for a section, I'd eaten though so would have had to wait a few hours so chose to give it a go. When things didn't progress I requested a section rather than continue and look at more intervention. No issues.

1. I didn't have an epidural so not sure, I was very tethered with drip and monitoring as it was.

I think we got about 5 hours together post birth.

Good luck!

I had the drip for my induction - straight to drip, no pessary first as it was at 35 weeks due to pre-eclampsia so just had to get things going quickly.

I had 3 cannulas in and this was 100% the worst part (1 in each hand and one on the wrist 🤢). But this was 1 for drip, 1 incase they needed to do an emergency section under GA and possibly a back up, can't remember the reasoning for the 3rd. Even after labour I had to keep at least one in but this was due to monitoring related to PE.

No one mentioned an epidural but I didn't need one. I felt fine with gas and air and towards the end a half shot of pethidine was offered. It was a quick labour - less than 4 hours from the drip starting and after they broke my waters it was really fast.

I didn't ask about a section but I had wanted to avoid it.