Induction with dialapan

[Strawberry06]

41+4 today and booked in for induction with the rods at 4pm. Had no signs of labour and two failed sweeps with a closed cervix.

I'm comfortable having the rods as it's non hormonal but it's what happens after that frightens me.

So the rods will hopefully dilate me enough so they can break my waters. Unless is it possible my waters could break themselves?

Whatever way I've then been told the next stage is oxytocin drip which I really don't want so at this point is it possible to wait and see if contractions (hopefully) start on there own? If nothing I think I'll be asking for ELCS as I really don't want the drip. My sister had it and reacted badly to it to a point she was fitting so was rushed for EMCS anyway and her whole experience has put me right off. Also, I want to be able to move around and not be strapped to a bed.

So I guess what I'm asking is has anyone been induced using non hormonal methods and then went on to labour naturally? Is it possible?

This could be just my hospital but they told me with the rods you will need to have the hormone drip but with the pessary & gels it is unlikely you will need the hormone drip. I didn't get the rods for this reason

Oh really? In that case I won't be having them either. I'll have to ask when I'm there.

If they break your waters for you it might kick things off. I think there’s a better chance of this as you’re over 40 weeks but when I went in for induction ( 39 weeks) they gave me 2 hours to go into active labour before they insisted on the horrendous drip. They said there was a risk of infection if I didn’t agree so once they’d broke my waters there was no going back. You’re right to want to avoid the drip. I found it a very different ( horrendous) experience to natural labour and was hyperstimulated

@toomanyleggings if I don't start having contractions naturally after my waters break then I think I'll be opting for ELCS. I won't be forced onto the drip

Hi OP, slightly different experience in that I had sweeps to start with which dilated me enough to have my waters broken but I wasn’t contracting at all (they took me to 1.5cm). However they did then break my waters and contractions started within half an hour. Dilation was quite slow initially, it took 4 hours to get from 1.5-4cm, but then everything happened quite quickly and within another 3 hours I had gone from 4-10cm and the pushing stage.

My midwife was quite keen to see if my body could dilate without the drip, which it did, so it’s definitely possible for labour to start naturally without a hormonal induction. That was my first baby and I was 40+1 on the day of induction so not far overdue. Like you I was very keen to not be forced into having the drip.

Feom waters being broken to baby being born was 8 hours in total, so relatively quick, especially for a first baby. It’s definitely possible.

@Cdoc that's really positive to hear thanks for sharing

No problem, really hope it’s the same for you. I had a suspected large baby (he was 8lb 3oz so big but not as big as predicted). All it took was the waters breaking for the contractions to start. They did come thick and fast after that and I opted for an epidural, but I would still stay a very positive labour experience

How did it go? I had this Monday too and gave birth Tuesday.

Oxytocin drip was so fast had her in 3 hours x

@Hawk901 I didn't go through with it in the end and had an ELCS. It was the right choice for me as even with that they still needed forceps to get him out and he was quite high up still! I don't think induction would have worked for me.

Mummas intuition x congratulations on the baby xx