Awful induction or was it just me??

[Mum2Be93]

I've recently had a baby, I was 42 weeks so I had an induction which wasn't what I had hoped for...
I know "birth plans" aren't really plans and more guidelines but I was set on going to a birth centre as hospitals scare me and literally everything I'd wanted/not wanted in my birth plan went wrong.
So having excepted by 42 weeks the birth centre was out I rang the hospital to arrange the induction which my midwife said would be in the morning, a propess pessary or Dilapan (which is more natural) to get me to 2cm so they could break my waters and let things happen naturally. So not what I'd planned but still sounded okay...
What actually happened.. Rang the hospital, was told I couldn't come in the morning as they were too busy so to come in at 6pm to get started then I could go home while we waited for things to start.
Got to the hospital and was taken to my room?! I'm like why do I need a room I'm going home?? Oh sweetheart the midwife goes your in here now until you deliver.
Thank God I'd brought my hospital bag although didn't have everything as thought I was going home.. But nevermind I smiled and excepted it, then having read up and decided I wanted to try dilapan as there's no hormones so it's more natural I was then told they didn't have it so it was propess sigh that was 7pm, by 1am contractions had started, by 3am they were lasting a minute every 3-5minutes. When I told the midwife she said it couldn't be as I wasn't huffing and puffing enough!! By 5/6 I was in agony and begging for painkillers all I got was paracetamol and told I couldn't have anything stronger. I was in such pain I was vomiting, couldn't eat, forgot to drink, and pleading for help, eventually the annoyed midwife said I could have some dihydracodiene as it was too early for paracetamol.
I kept telling them I was having strong contractions and was told the pessary was staying in for 24hrs and I'd not be checked before that!! By 3pm I was scared and panicking as I'd started bleeding, called for someone, the midwife came and was annoyed but said she'd check me, yanked out the pessary said there was nothing shoved it back in and left...
I'm in agony, scared, I feel totally helpless and ready to give up because I don't know how much longer I can last as I can't even make it to the toilet without doubling over on the floor. Around 5, I feel this huge push like something is coming out, terrified I struggle to the toilet the pessary had been forced out with a load of blood.. I yell to my partner who calls for help, the angry midwife eventually turns up, then annoyed more because I can't move quickly from the toilet to the bed because my contractions are almost constant at this point, when she eventually takes a look, barks at me when this happened?!! As I'm 6cm dilated and she stormed out saying she'll have to tell delivery.... 15/20mins later there is no sign of anyone I'm panicking as I feel like I need to push my partner runs into the hall to get help and luckily finds someone from delivery who comes in looks at me and says we'll rush you up straight away. Later found out the midwife had been handing over and going home instead of getting delivery for me so lucky my partner found someone.
Finally get some pain relief in delivery suite! By the time I got there I was dehydrated and needed a drip and catheter, was still bleeding, delivered naturally but started heavily bleeding and had around 10 people rushing around and over an hour of stitching..
Was this normal, was I just really nieve???
Has this happened to anyone else, I feel like maybe I was just totally unprepared and maybe that's how it was meant to go???

I've only had one induction but never felt like you felt about it! Sounds like you were treated dreadfully 😔

I had the pessary in and was monitored for a few hours...ended up causing too many contractions (they weren't sore, more like pressure) so they took the pessary out and gave me 2 injections to stop the contractions. Was then moved to a room on labour ward and my waters broken as I was 2-3cm. The pain and contractions really ramped up then and I went from nothing to baby being born in 90mins...the midwife never left my side the whole time but unfortunately things progressed too quickly for anything other than gas and air.

I felt constant contractions too, it was awful but thankfully over very quickly. I did have a bad tear and was taken to theatre to be stitched, and the next day the midwife who was with me came and found me on the postnatal ward when she wasn't working to check I was ok and give me a hug

It wasn't the most pleasant experience but I felt very safe and cared for the whole time. I'm sorry you didn't get that experience, maybe a debrief would help?

@RaspberryChouxBuns thank you and yes it was my first and possibly only.. Although it's reassuring to hear all the horror stories but you were all able to do it again in time.

Congratulations and good luck, I hope it all goes smoothly🤞💐

I'm currently feeding my second after my horror of an induction and genuinely feeling I could never have another (2 years apart)

@snowflake29 aww that sounds tough as it all happened so fast, but how sweet of your midwife to check in on you afterwards.
I will say when I got to the birthing suite the midwives I had before and after change over were fantastic!

It's not normal - the way you were treated was awful and dismissive.

When I had an induction I was having lots of contractions really close together but maybe less than you -was not huffing or puffing either - I don't think I huffed or puffed much at all in labour - I buzzed and explained to the student midwife that I was having contractions even though they slowed down in front of her - she didn't dismiss me - she got her colleague - they examined me and I was 4cm so removed the pessary early and I was ready for labour ward.
Labour ward was only place they had more pain options than paracetamol though.

The normal thing is (or should be) to be treated with respect and not dismissed.

I'm so sorry this was awful for you. I had a very similar experience and was completely neglected throughout my first labour. Still thoroughly traumatised. I opted for an elective section at another hospital for my second baby. I can't even drive past the first hospital now.

I'd recommend therapy if you feel the same way. I think unfortunately there are a lot of shitty healthcare workers (although I'm not dismissing the good ones) and it sounds like you were landed with the shitty ones indeed. Hope you are doing well. x

@EvergreenForest did you have an induction with your first or just your second?
The thought of doing it again is too scary I know it's early days but nearly 3 months on I'm still remember it all

@Mum2Be93 Sorry you had such a bad experience OP - but congratulations on your baby 😊❤️

In my induction I had 3 6hour pessaries - had contractions start about 2 hours into the first one. By the end of the 3 they'd only got me to 1.5cm 😬 They managed to break my waters then put me on the drip. I wasn’t allowed pain relief until after I was put on the drip. In total it took 39 hours from the first pessary going on to me delivering my baby. It was very very slow then in the last 30 mins I went from 3.5cm to 10cm and gave birth! That 30 mins was really painful!
I know a few people who have had inductions who had a similar experience of the really rapid dilation!

I had an induction with my first (horrific)

I also needed to have an induction with my second (health reasons). I was TERRIFIED! But I did the birth reflections, had consultations with the pain relief team, head midwife etc. we all agreed on the point I would have pain relief and also agreed a non negotiable point at which I could ask for a c section.

But second was amazing. Had the pessary (insisted on gas and air at insertion). 12 hours later they broke my waters, I didn't need the drip, had an epidural and was very calm and also reassured. Had my little boy to Whams Wake me up before you go go (random song on my playlist 😂)

I even said an hour afterwards that THIS was how it should be and I'd do it again the next day

Also worth noting is I was offered a c section from the off due to how traumatised I was by baby 1

And I lost count of how many times I was told that the second baby is far easier as your body knows what to do. I didn't believe them. But o do feel by body sort of took over and I found it much easier than the first (5 day labour, I kid you not)

@hawtsawce I feel the same I can't go back to the hospital without breaking out in a sweat it's helpful to know I'm not the only one. Worst part is my stitches haven't healed very well and my doctor sent off a referral as may need redoing but it's at the same hospital... I was meant to chase it up but I'm so scared of going back incase they do something worse...

I had a horrendous induction with my second. My pain was completely dismissed and I was left to it. I was 8cm before they finally examined me and I’d been in so much pain without pain relief I had an epidural. I still feel quite traumatised from it all.
Sorry it happened to you too 💐

@EvergreenForest Wow 5 days!? You are amazing! I have no idea how you did that, a day was more than I could bare

Maternity “care” in the UK is absolutely barbaric. If men had the babies we would not be in this state.

Sorry you had such an awful induction. I had one too, which lasted almost 5 days but took place on a 6 bed bay with extremely loud other patients and their families. It was hell on earth. And at a hospital with supposedly one of the best reputations in the UK 🧐

Yep, I was induced and it was horrendous. I was in absolutely agony and my waters broke pretty much straight away and they left me with a paracetamol refusing to check how dilated I was and told me I was pretty much been a drama queen. About half a hour later I was having the worst contractions, finally checked me and I was fully dilated. Still on the induction ward, had to get rushed to a delivery suite to find the cord was round my daughters neck, cut open and a ventouse delivery. All on 2 paracetamol x

@northernlady15 I'm sorry that sounds awful, I hope both you and your daughter were okay x

I wonder if you were at the same hospital I was. I was induced for post dates then pretty much ignored apart from the odd telling off when the monitor slipped off with powerful contractions. Not believed until I was 10cm. Appalling.
I am expecting my second and have changed hospitals. I will not accept vaginal examinations or an induction for post dates this time.

you have my sympathy x

It's crazy can't believe how awful everyone is being treated, having a baby is hard enough without fighting the people are meant to be helping you

@Mum2Be93 I had a similar situation to you with regards to the attitude of the staff.
I too was induced but due to pre-eclampsia. It was an emergency situation so i had nothing with me and wasnt expecting to be kept in. My water birth went out the window too.

I was admitted to the ward at 7pm and was told nothing would happen until the next day because they wanted to stabilise my blood pressure as it was sky high.
At 1.30am a midwife bursts in and announces that theyre starting my induction and gave me the option of the rods or pessary.
I opted for the pessary. When the midwife insterted it she caused alot of trauma and I was losing chunks of tissue and blood afterwards. I asked if it was normal and I was told yes (still dont know if this is the case).
By 6am i had cramping but by 7am i had full on, back to back contractions.
The midwife wouldnt come but kept sending a student when DH went to find someone to check me.
The poor student kept trying to hook me up to monitors but couldnt understand why my contraction reading was so high and insisted it was babies heart beat instead. It was reading 170 on the contraction front!
I asked for pain relief and the student went off to find someone. At 7.30am my waters broke.
I was told by the student midwife it wasnt possible for my waters to have broken as it was only 5.5hours after the pessary was inserted. Until i stripped off and hovered over the loo then she believed me.
I was throwing up because of the pain by the time the midwife arrived. She gave me 2 paracetamol (which i threw up), told me i couldnt have anything stronger because i wasnt in labour and said she would come back later to examine me. I asked for gas and air and an epidutal and she all but laughed at me.
I demanded to be examined and asked for the induction to be stopped and after much huffing she got her gloves and i was already 5cms dilated.
I was rushed to delivery where baby was born just over 30mins later.
Baby had a ridiculously low heart rate and the cord wrapped round her neck. I had to have an episiotomy to deliver her quickly.
I was only offered gas and air because nobody had even put an IV line in me to administer drugs or fluids.
Which was a huge issue when I crashed and haemorrhaged after delivery. Twice i had the crash team out. They struggled to get me treatment in my collapsed state because nobody had performed basic tasks before the induction started (IV line, checked drug history, bloods etc)

Everything went down hill for me after this point and there were a number of cock ups from the hospital, but thats a different story.

I felt absolutely ignored and fobbed off during my induction.
It felt rushed and like nobody was bothered.
The midwife and student who delivered DD were fantastic i must admit and I actually owe them everything for their quick actions.
There are lots of things that i dont remember from the birth and i feel i missed out on my birthing experience.

Months down the line im much better and enjoying motherhood.
Congratulatuins on your newborn, youve been through alot, look after yourself.

THAT is not normal you should complain that midwife was beyond incompetent I'm
So
Sorry you had to go through it I had an induction for mental
Health reasons and I can honestly say it made my mental health 100x worse
Never again

I feel like I'm stuck in limbo I can't move on or put it to rest.. I tried asking for a debrief to get some answers and they said they aren't doing them right now so try in a month see if they are booking them again and yesterday was told my referal maybe 6/8 weeks if considered urgent or months if not, so I can't even get fixed from what they did. I know they are busy but I feel like every point I need help I'm ignored, just like the whole induction

Your induction midwife sound similar to mine. Told me I was lying about contractions and was a stroppy cow. On top of that she had me terrified by saying 'I don't know what your baby is doing' every time she checked my monitor. I was absolutely terrified!

After I told her my contractions were 2 mins apart she told me that was impossible and grumpily monitored me for 3 mins, of course I didn't bloody have one in those 3 mins and she stropped off, muttering to herself. 30 seconds later my waters broke and it became apparent that there was meconium and that's why my babies monitor was strange. I had to get rushed to delivery, with my baby in distress and me without a clue what the hell was happening. I gave birth 40 mins later but my son's heart rate was really struggling before he was born. The whole experience was horrifically traumatic, I would never want to go through that again.

@Shakeitshakeitbaby thats awful, I hope you and your son were both okay after that xx