Positive induction of labour stories please...?

[ZEWatson]

Looking for people's positive induction of labour stories for being overdue. How did people manage to avoid epidural, how did you cope with the pain? Epidurals very often result in forceps or section due to ineffective pushing so I really really want to avoid one. I have a tens machine and am extremely stubborn...other than that I'm not sure quite how I'll handle the pain.

Current situation- First baby, 40+11 days, had 3 sweeps and most recent one I was 1-2cm dilated and effacing. She said my cervix was soft but still about 1cm long. No 'show' other than slight spotting/ mucous after sweep number 1. Scheduled for an IOL in the next few days, although I'm trying to hold off until at least 42wks.

Thanks all

Hi, I ended up being induced three times . Last was the pessary that worked very quickly. I had the drip in the end and was offered gas and air amd used pethidine. My labour was long but i was never offered epidural as the pethidine was marvellous 🤣.
My labour was actually fabulous.
Just try and go with the flow. There is lots of steps before an epidural.
Good luck and soon you will be holding your beautiful baby.

Bring induced close to 42 weeks means that your body is probably almost ready, so it's not the same as someone induced at 37/38 weeks for medical reasons. I was induced at 41+5, pessary inserted in the afternoon. Contractions started that evening. Baby born just after midnight. No drip, no epidural.

Although this was my second baby.

That's really reassuring. Thank you.
Zoe

I've got one booked for Thursday if I don't go in to labour before then. Never went in to labour at all with my first and had an ELCS 2 weeks overdue so pretty nervous. It'll be the balloon not the pessary so not sure how it's going to go either.

I was induced both times.
DS1 waters broke 37 weeks, but no contractions, sent home with antibiotics and went back to be induced at 38 weeks. Pessary and more antibiotics. Took a while, had to change positions lots to move baby into correct position. Pethadine and gas and air, which I couldn't get the hang of, kept blowing it out 😂. All went well.
DS2 induced 14 days after due date. Don't remember that one much, but didn't have an epidural.
Not sure if that helps. Good luck 🤞🏻

I was induced at 39 weeks. No issues at all, had pessary at 10am, walked around all day and nothing happened. I then went to sleep and woke up with contractions, she was born an hour later! 🙂

first baby. Pessary at 40 wks, active labour 1.5 hours. Very painful as baby was back to back for a bit but no time for pain relief.

i walked around a lot after the pessary

I was induced with dc6 when I was 13 days late. Had pessary in around 3pm, went home an hour later. Contractions started just after 6am, became regular and painful around 2ish and he was born at quarter to 7 that evening. No epidural, just gas and air.

I had 2 pessaries as first one didn't work at all. When the 2nd one worked it was full on strong contractions straight away , had been in labour 30 mins when the dr came round and decided another pessary would be a good idea , he had his fingers up me whilst I was contracting, so that was nice . 3 and a half hour labour , just gas& air though .

I had an induction at 39 weeks, so a bit different.

I had the pessary put in at 12.30pm

Contractions began at about 3.30pm. The pains really ramped up about 6pm,but the midwife was reluctant to give me anything other than paracetamol because at this stage she said they were proper contractions but "pessary pains" . She eventually agreed to also give my some oramorph, but that didn't touch the pain so after much badgering she agreed to put me in a delivery room at 7.30pm. Thankfully this was also shift handover time and the new midwife could see that things were progressing and gave me gas and air. I was in agony and not sure I'd be able to cope if these were just "pessary pains" and begged for an epidural. There was no time for that though - DS was born at 8.30.

The length of labour was exactly the same as it had been when i had gone into spontaneous labour with my only other child fifteen years prior