Elective Induction (UK)

[chrislt]

Has anyone requested to be induced?

I am due May 17th, however due to mental health reasons, and logistical reasons (difficulty getting to hospital), I have asked to discuss being induced before my due date.

I have a consultation this week for pros and cons - has anyone done this and if so, what was your experience?

Did they allow an induction based on these grounds? Did you get given a date or were you called the day before for example?

Also, what was your experience of actually being induced compared to a natural birth?

This is my first, so I have nothing to compare to. I have done lots of research on all birthing options however am interested to know other women's real life stories!

x

Hopefully you get some more relevant replies, I had an induction after it was recommended by my consultant, I actually declined although it was booked in for around 40+2 (hospital policy of not 'allowing' any 'overdue')

Anyways I ended up with waters breaking but no labour starting, gbs positive so I went on the drip. I was trying to avoiding induction as I was hoping for a midwife led unit, pool birth. I don't have anything to compare it to but everyone I spoke to was quite negative about inductions, saying how painful they are, there may be increased chances of intervention. I was shocked by the drip, it brought on very strong contractions with little build up and no break in-between. Even the midwives were quite negative about induction, saying I'll be needing an epidural and they kept asking when I'll want one when I'd said I was hoping to try without. You can't eat and only drink water due to the increased chance of intervention (c section), so I'd not eaten for 29 hours by the time I'd given birth and was limited in how much I could move with the drips and monitor
I did have an epidural in the end and that went very well, was able to move my legs and feel to push, had a short pushing phase with minor tears/grazes which required internal stitches only
So overall I've been quite negative at the start about induction, I'd still say my birth was positive as ultimately everything went smoothly and the pushing and recovery went very well
Sorry not very helpful with most of your questions but best of luck with the process

Induction is one of those things where everyone and everyone’s body will react different. I had the balloon, pessary & drip over 4 days, ended with sepsis and emergency section. I wouldn’t have another induction.

But someone else’s body could react brilliantly and could have baby a few hours in! It’s really hard when you just can’t predict.

I think if you truly knew the reality of induction you'd choose an elective section.

I did not ask for an induction, although was offered it late pregnancy, and declined/pushed the date back. It was my second birth and I went into labour naturally, everything was fine, but rushed getting into hospital. However first births are slow. The inductions I was booked for were done a week in advance at my trust. That's because following a scan and consultant appointment, they were slightly but not overly concerned. Others go immediately for induction.

I had a few reasons not to easily accept induction. One of them was that my first birth, the hospital was extremely busy and there were not enough labour ward rooms for the number of women in labour. This meant those on the induction pathway were hanging around antenatal for days as they were bumped down the list. I remember a stressful first night in hospital when I'd been triaged when my waters broke at home without constractions. I was told they want to induce me with a drip soon as possible, due to infection risk but there's no space so I was on iv antibiotics and occasional featal monitoring in antenatal. I had high priority and got a space after morning handover. In my bay with 6 beds separated by a curtain, I didn't get any sleep, lady next to me was in a lot of pain and taken in the night. I overheard everything, her baby was breach so she went for an emergency c section. It's not good for mental health. After I had by baby, the postnatal is the other side of the same ward and i met some women who arrived same day as me for induction and were still waiting 2-4 days later.