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Childbirth

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

Original poster

How long was your induction?

77 replies

BiscuitLover3678 · 05/12/2023 20:27

Once you arrived at hospital how long were you there for and I guess what was each stage, then how long were you in recovery afterwards?
bonus points if it was a vbac!

trying to work out how long it might all take and if a C-section would actually be quicker if overdue. Don’t want to leave my firstborn for days.

OP posts:
SushiAndSkittles · 05/12/2023 20:44

Following as I am also curious to know

Leo227 · 05/12/2023 20:54

from getting the call to come in to going home.with a baby was about 5 days.
I was told to come in for an induction and then kept there 3 days until they actually had time to do it as they kept having emergency labour's coming In ahead of me (seems v common to have to wait around)
Once I was started off with the pessary i was contracting after about 45 mins. Stayed like that for 6 hrs I think, and then they broke my waters and moved me to labour room.
I was in there for another 12 ish hours getting to the point I was ready to push and having the epidural.
then 2 and half hours of pushing.
Baby was born at 8am and I stayed in 2 nights as I spiked a temperature during labour so was on antibiotics.

DaughterNo2 · 05/12/2023 20:55

If a c-section might be quicker 🤷‍♀️

Raindancer411 · 05/12/2023 20:56

I went in the morning on the Sunday but wasn't called until the Monday afternoon as the Sunday ended up a busy night for for spontaneous births!

I had waters broke at 4, drip at 8, and baby was born 9:55pm that night!! Very fast but she was my second and I was already 3cm when I went in with strong contractions the machine was picking up but I wasn't feeling lol (midwives found it amusing and confusing at the same time)

chloe5194 · 05/12/2023 21:00

VBAC here! Pretty sure I was having contractions from the Thursday, but My waters broke on the Sunday morning, never went into labour naturally. Due to a busy ward I got put on the drip at 1930 (was 4-5cm dilated by this point) the Monday night and she was born 2342.
Recovery was so much better than my c-section, I was out and about two days later. Able to drive etc. which was handy for the eldests school run. So pleased I opted for a VBAC in the long run

chloe5194 · 05/12/2023 21:01

Oh and I was home for the school run pick up the Tuesday!

Groovee · 05/12/2023 21:01

I was in hospital as I had pre eclampsia. Got the gel at 2.30pm. Moved to labour ward at 9.30pm. Waters broke at 4am. Baby born at 7.10am. So quite fast x

Mystro202 · 05/12/2023 21:02

I had two inductions and two spontaneous labours. The two inductions took 4 hrs & 5 hours having been started on the drip. The pessaries didn't do much for me, but allowed me to get to 1cm so waters could be broken.

Dyra · 05/12/2023 21:02

I was already an inpatient prior to induction both times, so I'll ignore that amount of time. XD

Gels were put in after a VE and a hour long CTG. So while I "arrived" at 8am, the induction wasn't started until about 10am. With my first, I had a second gel 6(?) hours later, then was taken down to delivery suite at 1am the following day. With my second I didn't need anymore ripening after the first gel, but due to various factors (staffing/bed availability/triage), I didn't get to delivery suite until 4 days later.

Once on delivery suite, had another CTG, then ARM. In total this was about 2 hours. With my first I was then given 2 hours to see if contractions would start in their own. With my second, 1 hour. As nothing happened it was drip time, which did start contractions. It was ramped up every half hour until I was having the requisite 3 contractions in 10 minutes, each lasting 1 minute. It took a high dose, so it was a couple of hours. Then it was a case of labouring until 10cm. With my first, that was about 11 hours. Had a bit of time for passive descent, then it was pushing time, which took 20 minutes. With my second I never got there as he was malpositioned and progress stalled at 5cm. The towel was thrown in after 14 hours of drip, and he was born about 2 hours after that. In total, from "arrival" to baby was 1day and 8 hours with my first, and 4 days and 18 hours with my second.

As for recovery, that was determined more by the fact I was being induced for pre-eclampsia than anything. I had 2 nights stay, then was released mid afternoon both times. With my first, I would definitely have had 1 night, as I wasn't stitched up until 8pm. Then feeding didn't establish, so had to hand express. By the time that was sorted it was 11pm, and it would have been plain cruel to kick us out. With my second, I could have gotten away with 1 night, but I would have regretted it.

Onemoretimeok · 05/12/2023 21:05

Child 1 went in to the hospital at 11 in the morning and the child was born in the very early hours of the next morning.

Child 2 took more like 3 days, as the pessary didn’t work. But once the drip was in it was very quick.

if I was having a third induction I’d want to go straight to the drip.

Ally1992 · 05/12/2023 21:07

Induction took 4 days, was in recovery for about 28 hours.

Went in on Thursday early afternoon, had to wait for a bed and had the pessary inserted around 6pm, kept in until around 3pm Friday and was dilated 1-2cm after.

Then had to wait for waters to be broken which was a 36 hour wait, finally called at 2am on the Sunday, waters broken at 4am, hormone drip started at 10am, ended up a forceps delivery and episiotomy at 3pm Sunday.

Mrsjayy · 05/12/2023 21:09

I was put directly on the IV drip and my waters broken start to finish 4.5 hours and yes a vaginal delivery. I was an inpatient as I had health complications .

CrispsandCheeseSandwich · 05/12/2023 21:12

Went in at 4pm, internal gel at 6pm, moved to labour ward at 1am, DD2 born at 5am.

Recovery wise, I could have gone home that day. DD was a bit jaundiced so we stayed in two nights.

TwoBlueFish · 05/12/2023 21:22

12 hours for each of mine from getting to the hospital to birth. No gel, just straight onto a pitocin drip. Had epidurals with both as well.

YerAWizardHarry · 05/12/2023 21:23

Went in to hospital at lunchtime on the Sunday, baby was born by EMCS 6pm on Tuesday. No gel/pessary as water had broken already.

Was discharged on the Thursday

TheBestSpoon · 05/12/2023 21:24

Pessary in Friday morning, went home for 12 hours. No effect so had to wait for a bed on labour ward for waters to be broken - this took until Monday afternoon so nearly three days. I did understand other people were more urgent than me and was glad I wasn't an emergency, plus it was over a weekend at school holidays. But it was still very frustrating as it was the first time I'd been apart from DS1 for more than a day. Also tiring with lots of people coming and going from the antenatal ward and having to have monitoring and obs done every few hours (all was well, but I was nearly 42 weeks by this point so they wanted to keep an eye on baby).

Once I made it to the labour ward, it was all quite quick and we were home within 24 hours - DS2 was born in ten hours (waters broken, no effect after five hours then five hours on drip) and we went home about twelve hours later.

TheBestSpoon · 05/12/2023 21:25

PS know you didn't ask this, but if you do have the drip, get an epidural! I don't have a low pain threshold (DS1 was a totally natural birth with no painkillers) but the pain from the drip is totally different. If I were to do it again, I'd get the epidural as soon as possible...

Original poster
BiscuitLover3678 · 05/12/2023 21:37

Leo227 · 05/12/2023 20:54

from getting the call to come in to going home.with a baby was about 5 days.
I was told to come in for an induction and then kept there 3 days until they actually had time to do it as they kept having emergency labour's coming In ahead of me (seems v common to have to wait around)
Once I was started off with the pessary i was contracting after about 45 mins. Stayed like that for 6 hrs I think, and then they broke my waters and moved me to labour room.
I was in there for another 12 ish hours getting to the point I was ready to push and having the epidural.
then 2 and half hours of pushing.
Baby was born at 8am and I stayed in 2 nights as I spiked a temperature during labour so was on antibiotics.

Wait so you were just waiting around for three days? Omg! Could you not go home?

OP posts:
Original poster
BiscuitLover3678 · 05/12/2023 21:40

TheBestSpoon · 05/12/2023 21:24

Pessary in Friday morning, went home for 12 hours. No effect so had to wait for a bed on labour ward for waters to be broken - this took until Monday afternoon so nearly three days. I did understand other people were more urgent than me and was glad I wasn't an emergency, plus it was over a weekend at school holidays. But it was still very frustrating as it was the first time I'd been apart from DS1 for more than a day. Also tiring with lots of people coming and going from the antenatal ward and having to have monitoring and obs done every few hours (all was well, but I was nearly 42 weeks by this point so they wanted to keep an eye on baby).

Once I made it to the labour ward, it was all quite quick and we were home within 24 hours - DS2 was born in ten hours (waters broken, no effect after five hours then five hours on drip) and we went home about twelve hours later.

I’m glad you were able to go home in the meantime

OP posts:
Original poster
BiscuitLover3678 · 05/12/2023 21:43

I’m so glad I asked as had no idea it would take this long. I really don’t want to be away for that long! All that waiting around.

Ive been told that first it would be balloon, then break waters. (Sounds yuck!) then if they didn’t work I could go to c section or keep trying, so then get the gel. Again if that doesn’t work after like 12 hours then probably give up. They will only give drip in very small doses but probably don’t recommend it.

Im also worried I’ll be too exhausted then to labour because no way will I sleep well in hospital even if I’m not contracting.

OP posts:
TheBestSpoon · 05/12/2023 21:46

Sorry, wasn't clear - after the first twelve hours I was stuck in hospital waiting for the three days. Really wasn't ideal...

Original poster
BiscuitLover3678 · 05/12/2023 21:47

TheBestSpoon · 05/12/2023 21:46

Sorry, wasn't clear - after the first twelve hours I was stuck in hospital waiting for the three days. Really wasn't ideal...

Why couldn’t you go home? That sucks!

OP posts:
Original poster
BiscuitLover3678 · 05/12/2023 21:48

TheBestSpoon · 05/12/2023 21:25

PS know you didn't ask this, but if you do have the drip, get an epidural! I don't have a low pain threshold (DS1 was a totally natural birth with no painkillers) but the pain from the drip is totally different. If I were to do it again, I'd get the epidural as soon as possible...

Think I’ll give up before the drip but tbh I’m thinking if I need inducing at all I’ll go for epidural tbh!

OP posts:
Indecisive2023 · 05/12/2023 21:49

Had pessary in at 2pm, they told me to expect that induction to take 4-7 days. Contractions started at 11pm that evening, baby born 6.30am. Only had gas and air (was too fast for epidural) but was manageable

elm26 · 05/12/2023 21:52

I was there for almost a week.

Dilation rods, various pessaries and gels and sweeps did nothing but give me false contractions and made me really sore. I finally made it to 2cm and then had to wait 24 hours for a delivery room.

Started the drip and DD was born 16 hours later on gas and air as 2 epidurals failed.

Never again.