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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Induction - should my husband come?

33 replies

Redcargidan · 09/10/2023 08:11

Just after experiences. Booked in for induction soon at 37 weeks.

Waters have already broken and this isn't my first child so I really have no idea if I should expect this to be a faster induction than some? I've been having contractions on and off for a week (yes hospital are well aware!).

I've suggested to my husband that he brings his laptop and works remotely from the hospital however he has been a bit all over the place with his hours recently due to complications with the pregnancy that I'm wondering if I should tell him to go in to work and I'll call him with updates? I'm sure he wants to be there but I'll feel terrible if he's sat there for 24 hours and nothing happens!

I would like him there emotionally because the last few weeks have been very turbulent and stressful but I also would like him to be able to maximise his time with us when baby is here, and if induction takes ages...

Experiences and opinions please. Also experiences of induction for second children (how quick was it for you?) Especially if membranes had already ruptured. Not sure what the expect timing wise. Had a spontaneous labour with my first that took 24 hours.

OP posts:

UsernamePain · 09/10/2023 08:18

I would get him to stay. I went in for an induction after my waters broke but with no contractions, my baby arrived 2 hours later, didn’t even get to the induction stage. You never know what will happen

TheShellBeach · 09/10/2023 08:25

I'm a midwife and I also think you should get him to stay.
Good luck, OP!

Kilopascal · 09/10/2023 08:26

Under half an hour for me. How fast does he drive??

nobleisle · 09/10/2023 08:27

He should be there

Original poster

Redcargidan · 09/10/2023 08:34

Thanks folks. His plan has been to stay but I've been reading so many stories about it taking days that I've been unsure if there was much point and if he'd be there for hours whilst nothing happened. Given my circumstances I've been quietly optimistic that things won't take too long (I asked for early AM induction hoping baby will arrive on the same day) but don't know if that is wishful thinking.

Realistically he could be at the hospital from home, or from work, in 30 minutes if traffic is alright. But maybe I'll just tell him to stay instead.

OP posts:

Original poster

Redcargidan · 09/10/2023 08:36

Under half an hour for me. How fast does he drive??

Gosh that's the dream 😂

OP posts:

2chocolateoranges · 09/10/2023 08:36

How long is a piece of string.

when I was induced neither baby was born until the next day however sil was induced and baby was there 5hrs later.

PercytheParkKeepershedgehog · 09/10/2023 08:39

Inductions that take days usually start with gel or a pessary to soften the cervix. But if your waters have already ruptured I they might skip that (because presumably your cervix already is starting to open) and go straight to the pitocin/syntocin drip?
Not a midwife, just something who had a days long induction. From waters rupturing to baby was about 7 hours for me, 4 on the drip.

raven0007 · 09/10/2023 08:50

I was given a pessary, it was taken out less than an hour later due to baby's heartbeat rising.
My DS2 was born 11 minutes later...

FourStringsNoWaiting · 09/10/2023 08:51

I'd get him to stay

From start to finish my induction took almost four days. I didn't progress so had a c section 92 hours after I arrived at the hospital to be induced. Baby and I were both absolutely fine 😊

My husband did go home overnight for the first 3 nights, but there was a lot going on and I was very tired and grumpy and impatient to get the baby out so having him there during the day (and overnight once it all got going) was incredibly helpful and I wouldn't like to do that again without him

I'm not a medic at all but I'm pretty sure I'm right in saying most inductions don't take that long and most inductions don't end in a c section, it's just worth planning for all eventualities

I went in for my induction at 11am and was naive enough to think baby and I would be home in time for eastenders 😂

Original poster

Redcargidan · 09/10/2023 08:52

PercytheParkKeepershedgehog

When they booked the induction a week ago they said they'd do the pessary and then if that didn't get labour going on its own, they'd do the drip. I've been examined since then and they said my cervix is a little bit open so I'm not sure if the plan will change. One of the midwives that looked said the cervix doesn't even close properly for a second child though....but I've never heard that before and every other time I've been examined (a lot) they've said my cervix has been completely closed.

I know that they'll scan me before starting the induction and I assume they'll have to do another VE whilst inserting the pessary.

OP posts:

ConflictofInterest · 09/10/2023 08:53

Lots of lucky people, my induction for my 2nd baby took 2 days, and that was at 42 weeks.

Original poster

Redcargidan · 09/10/2023 08:55

FourStringsNoWaiting thank you for sharing your experience, I wouldn't like to do all of that alone. I am prepared for a possible section in case. My waters broke a few weeks ago (they've said we've all done well to keep baby in there) so it has been suggested that they wouldn't give induction the usual length of time to work because of heightened infection risk. She said something like they'd normally give the pessary 30 hours but would only give me 20, give the drip a certain amount of time to work but I'd have a much shorter cut off. So I've got a big bag packed in case of a section.

OP posts:

anonimoxyz · 09/10/2023 08:59

I had to be induced alone during Covid and honestly would have given anything for DP to be there- I felt really vulnerable and hormonal being there alone. Luckily I went into labour very quickly and he was allowed to come in but honestly if he can work from hospital I'd want him there personally. Not sure if you were induced with your first but it's a really out of control feeling or it was for me at least

Original poster

Redcargidan · 09/10/2023 09:00

ConflictofInterest I'm hoping that isn't the case here, waters broke 3 weeks ago. Baby seems eager to come out! I've had to take medication and things to stop early labour (as well as antibiotics and steroids) as there's no contraindications to suggest delivery before 37 weeks would have been better. Think yours must have been comfier in there than mine

OP posts:

FourStringsNoWaiting · 09/10/2023 09:01

It's great that you're so prepared!

One little thing I would say - I was very much in denial about the possibility that I might need a section because I was so terrified of it, I just didn't allow myself to think about it at all

Then when I was being wheeled into theatre someone asked me if I had any music I wanted to play while the baby was coming into the world and I didn't have anything prepared

I wish I'd given it some thought now, my c section was absolutely fine but it could've been even better if I'd had my playlist ready

For my second I was totally prepared, DH and I are big F1 fans and I managed to time my playlist perfectly so DD2 was born to The Chain

Just something to think about just in case

Good luck with everything!

DivingForLove · 09/10/2023 09:01

I’ve had two inductions - second one was done and dusted in 4 hrs from epidural to birth 😄.

Get him to stay and good luck x

Original poster

Redcargidan · 09/10/2023 09:11

anonimoxyz so sorry you had to go through that and that's a really valid point, I've been a bit emotional this last week so it would probably be better for me to have him there for support throughout the process. I wasn't induced for my first but did end up needing the drip anyway because I wasn't dilating despite contracting every 2 minutes.

FourStringsNoWaiting Good idea, I did keep meaning to put a birth playlist together but haven't done it yet.

OP posts:

Original poster

Redcargidan · 09/10/2023 09:14

Thank you all for sharing your stories, I keep reading things online about people's inductions taking days and days so reading stories of shorter ones is giving me hope! I also can't find any induction stories where membranes have already ruptured, most of the ones I can find are about overdue babies, so I'm not sure how much of a difference it makes (I'll try to come back and update after the event!)

OP posts:

TheShellBeach · 09/10/2023 10:01

Since you've already had one normal delivery and your membranes have been ruptured for weeks,
I'm betting that your labour this time will be rapid once some prostin is inserted.

Original poster

Redcargidan · 09/10/2023 10:38

Since you've already had one normal delivery and your membranes have been ruptured for weeks,
I'm betting that your labour this time will be rapid once some prostin is inserted.

I hope so!

OP posts:

Dyra · 09/10/2023 12:34

@FourStringsNoWaiting That is amazing timing! DH and I are big F1 fans too. I wish I'd thought about that with DC2's delivery, but we were both a little bit out of it at the time.

I'm afraid my experience is similar to yours as well. I've had two 37 week inductions. Waters were intact right up until they were broken for me prior to the drip.

My first was ok. Pessaries, ARM, drip, baby. About 30 hours altogether from first pessary. The pessary stage should been at least another day, but I got fast tracked at 1cm due to them wanting to take advantage of a nearly empty delivery suite.

My second... well. Unfortunately delivery suite was significantly busier. So despite dilating to 2cm pretty much immediately on just the one pessary, I didn't get to go to delivery suite until 4 days later. Fortunately, other than a few initial contractions while the gel was active, there were zero signs of labour so the wait was merely boring. Baby was born via C-section after failure to progress (he was stuck) the day after that.

I had my husband with me for my first induction. Both of us agreed afterwards it was a complete waste of his time. But then I had no signs of labour until after the drip was put up. My second I kept him updated, and, other than short visits (COVID + he still had to work + look after our toddler) he joined me once I was moved down to delivery suite.

Since your husband is willing and able to work from the hospital, I would have him there. I hope things happen quickly for you while he's there. You're on a stricter timeline than most and will be very high up the triage list. So hopefully not much waiting around to go to delivery suite for the drip.

TheShellBeach · 10/10/2023 11:51

How are you getting on, OP?

Original poster

Redcargidan · 10/10/2023 14:40

TheShellBeach good, induction is at the weekend so I will report back then. Husband is going to come to the whole thing though and baby is currently staying comfy in my belly.

OP posts:

TheShellBeach · 10/10/2023 17:14

Lovely. Good luck with it!

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