What was your induction experience?

[Crystalxuk]

I'm having an elective induction at 38 weeks. How did induction go for you and how long did it take? I'm at the Portland Hospital if that helps.

My induction was delayed for 3 days, which seems really common although i was just in normal busy nhs hospital.
i just needed one gel, they left that in 6 hours and then broke my waters after that. Contractions started after about 45 minutes but were sporadic and fairly painful but manageable.
I was then left to get to 10cm myself which took bout 12 hrs.. then pushed for 2 and a half hrs before baby was born.

I had my epidural about 3 or 4 hrs after my water broke and ideally would have had it before waters if possible as contractions were very strong very quickly as soon as waters went.
Epidural was a little stingy but ok, and it was a huge relief from the big and frequent contractions I was having.

I was induced at 38 weeks. Taken in Monday at 2pm, first pessary at 6pm. Nothing. Three pessaries later I was taken down to labour ward 2am Wednesday and had my waters broken. DS was eventually born by emergency caesarean at 6pm. I'm convinced he just wasn't ready to come at that time, but he was apparently measuring big and I was on a red pathway.

Strongly strongly advise epidural at time of starting drip.

This!

Went in on the Wednesday, nothing started until Thursday - had the pessary for 24 hours, nothing happened then had 2 lots of the gel 6 hours apart and my waters went Saturday 5am, drip started at 11am, had the epidural just after (highly recommend!!). Baby was born 12 hours after waters went.

Almost word for word my experience, with a couple of extra days thrown in for the fun of it

First baby, I didn't have an epidural for about six hours after the induction drip. That was a big mistake, huge! Second baby, I asked for the epidural to be placed at the same as the induction drip. I then spent the next few hours watching Netflix until pushing time 😂

Be prepared for induction to take days before you even get to the drip stage. They can only start the drip when your waters have broken. For my second baby, they tried three different methods (pessary, rods, gel) over the course of five days before they finally managed to dilate me to 1cm and break my waters. I was exhausted before the drip - and therefore labour - even started. To be honest, the induction was the most traumatic part for me. If I ever had another baby and they started talking about induction, I'd skip straight to a C-section. How successful induction will be is based on the bishops scale. I was very low on the scale and knew it would take a long time for me. Yours may well be different!

Induced at 39 weeks, had the pessary, twelve hours of contractions, had some pain relief and then they tailed off. Was 2cm, then waited a further five days on the induction ward for a space on labour ward to have my waters broken. Waters broken, I refused the epidural, and had the drip, regretted that 3/12 hours in, asked for one, but then went from 3-10cm in five mins, 90 mins of pushing and she was born, five hours after my waters were broken.

I was on the drip for approx 10 hours. It didn’t work at all, cervix was slammed shut, so had to have an EMCS.

Induced at 40+1. Pessary in at 10am. Mild contractions 6pm bath at 11pm more contractions. Waters went spontaneously 1am 3 in 10 contractions 3cm dilated. 2 paracetamol. 4am intense contractions has and air 5am super intense contractions shot of diamorphine. 6am actively pushing 6.30am born. So all in all quite quick. Did have a third degree tear and PPH

I went to my hospital but they had booked me in for a wrong ward so I got sent home. Next evening I went in again and I got so ill (as In flu kind) from the pessary they had to take it out and take me to emergency C-section as the baby's heartbeat was going down. Good luck with yours, let's hope it's more straightforward.

I had this. Chatted and snoozed. Woke up at pushing time about 10 hours later. Easy peasy!

Two inductions at 37 weeks. Both amazing, ended up with hormone drip both times so I had an epidural. I slept a lot to save my energy for pushing, felt really relaxed and chilled. Pushed DC1 out in an hour and DC2 out in 10 minutes.

Oh and I had a very small tear with DC1, no tears with DC2.

Went in on the Wednesday at 38+2, had a sweep and dilation rods, had gas & air whilst they did this as my cervix wasn't open at all.

Thursday morning had the rods removed and no dilation. That afternoon I had a pessary. Some contractions, they gave me pethadine and contractions stopped.

Friday, no change to cervix, another pessary, contractions started again a few hours later, another pethidine injection and they stopped.

Saturday, finally was 2cm after a stretch that morning. Had to wait until Sunday to be taken to delivery suite as they were so busy.

Sunday at 10:15 they broke my waters and i walked around for 4 hours. At 2 they started the drip, at 3 they gave me an epidural which didn't work. Gas & air for pain relief, at 10pm they took epidural out and re-sited it, still failed.

Monday early hours at 12:45am I was 4cm, by 1:45am I was hanging off the bed screaming and crying when they got the consultant in who said I'd gone from 4cm to 10cm in an hour and I was ready to push.

Started pushing then and DD was born at 2:16am.

I only needed 1 stitch but had quite a lot of bruising and lacerations. She was small at 5lb 15oz.

I really would never have an induction ever again, if I need baby out for medical reasons like I did DD, I will be having a C-section due to my epidurals failing and how long it took from when I was admitted. By time she was born, I was emotionally and physically exhausted.

I know mine is a bad case and there are so many positive stories. I wish you all the luck for a safe delivery 🥰

First was abroad where we lived. Induction due to oligohydramnios but not urgent. I had gel at 7pm the Tuesday evening and went home to await contractions starting as was the way there. Went back in at 7am and baby was born in the pool at 11.50am. Could have gone home at 4pm but we'd paid for the room overnight so decided to stay and chill. Well, as much as newborns allow that.

Second was here, induction at term due to suspected large baby. I wasn't pushed into it, I agreed to go in. Went in on the Monday at 40 weeks exactly, first gel at 7pm, nothing happened, second at 1am and things got crazy. Non-stop contractions and eventually had to have a hypotonic (?) injection as they were just coming and coming with no break. Waters broken at 7am on the Tuesday and baby born at 11am, I had gas and air but if I'd needed the syntocinon drip I would have had an epidural. Fairly straightforward although they did suspect shoulder dystocia for a second which was resolved with one leg up (half McRoberts). We did end up staying in for five days as I had a temperature in labour so both had antibiotics just in case.

I trained to be a midwife although never got to practice as my first son has special needs and it just didn't work with our lives. You're in the best hands with the midwives and the doctors if need be, and inductions can and mostly do go well... if things change then you'll be in the best place for them to decide to change the plan.

Best of luck and enjoy those early days when he or she is here 💗

I was induced with DC2 at due to cholestasis. Pessary inserted 1am at 39+0. I went to sleep. Woke up 6am with cramps. Bit of a frustrating day full of on/off cramps and then they gave me another pessary at some point - I think about 4pm - and a sweep. Went for a walk just before 6pm and distinctly remember eating a chocolate brownie in Costa. Things really kicked off after that and my waters broke at 6.30. Midwives were very sceptical but I was almost screaming and still in the antenatal ward so after confirming the waters had broken they rushed me through to delivery.

Apparently I went from 4-10cm in the space of 30 minutes. Very intense pain and didn't have time for any pain relief other than G&A. All very dramatic as DC2's heart rate was dropping so all the doctors rushed in. Midwife was fabulous. DC2 born 7.17pm.

First degree tear, home the next day, felt back to normal within 2 weeks. Very different from "natural" birth with DC1 where I pushed for 5 hours, lost loads of blood and had a broken down episiotomy.

I'm not having more children but if I was then I wouldn't mind getting induced again. I realise that second births are often quicker anyway though.

Induced at 38+5, was terrified but it was booked due to measuring small. First pessary went in at 2pm, twinges started about 8pm, proper contractions about 11pm, baby born at 7am, very fast (especially pushing stage) just with gas and air (not out of choice, but it was manageable) and hypnobirthing. The experience was a lot better than I was expecting. Not sure how much was luck, but when then started off the induction process everything was very unfavourable and my body wasn’t even a little bit ready for labour, so I really wasn’t expecting it to be so fast. It was a positive experience and I could do it again (which I never thought I’d say!)
Good luck with yours :)

Two inductions due to being overdue. 40+10. Dd1 it took days for anything to happen. Think it was 3 days before she arrived with assistance, ventouse. No epidural, not fun. Dd2 the pessary got things going within 6 hours. No epidural- big mistake as ended up with emergency forceps delivery. Highly unlikely I'll have a 3rd but I can say I'd definitely refuse an induction.

Had first gel about 8pm. By 9pm, I had backache that intensified but was manageable with paracetamol. 9.30pm, the midwife eventually agreed to examine me (she kept telling me it was too soon for anything to have happened) and I was over 5cm dilated. By 10.30pm they had found me a place in the labour suite, and given me gas and air. Baby arrived by 11.30pm.

I had the dilation rods put in for 16 hours. No effect. Then taken out and waters broken. Contractions started immediately and the baby was born after 4 hours. I was 37 weeks. Fast and easy.

Induced at 39+1. Had a pessary about 4pm them my waters broke about 9pm. Nothing then for 24 hours, so put on the drip. Found that fairly awful - gas and air, then meds that made me quite disoriented and sick. Prolonged contractions lasting 4 mins plus, so eventually had an epidural. First didn't work, second went in too far (so ended up with post epidural migraine post birth), but luckily the consultant got the third one in. Ds's heart rate kept dropping and I got stuck at 9cm dilated, so after maybe 10 hours I went in for emcs. Exhausted before that even started!. But that went smoothly and ds born bit bruised but fine.

Quite a small gap between pregnancies so advised to have a planned cs with ds2, which was much smoother.

Induced with the drip, contractions started quite strong after a couple of hours. Was having 3-4 contractions every 10 mins so no break in-between really which I did struggle with and found them very painful. Checked and was only 3-4cm after 6 hours of this! C section was discussed then but asked for epidural instead, worked well enough I could still feel my legs and move but was able to doze. After 4 hours felt huge amount of pressure and urge to push, midwife checked and said give it one hour, 10 mins later I was pushing and couldn't help making moo/grunting sounds!!, partner pressed buzzer and midwife came back saying oh I can see the head, born shortly after with a 20 min pushing stage. Recovery very smooth, stitches for internal grazes and minor tears internally.

Planned induction at 39 weeks, had the pessary at about 9am, waters broke by themselves at about 10.45pm. Started to get a bit uncomfortable, was given paracetamol and dihydrocodeine and went and had a bath. By about midnight I was really quite uncomfortable and rung the bell; they examined me and were like "well, yeah, that's 'cos you're 9cm dilated". Went up to delivery, started pushing at 2.20am with a bit of gas and air, baby born just after 4am.