what happens if gel doesn't work?????

[Nosnik]

I am going to hospital Sunday night for gel, if it doesn't work will I have to have a c section?

God no. You get several goes at the gel and then they suggest a syntocin drip. Personally I'd rather hide under the table until I went into labour naturally, but that's just me

Thats what I want to do, alot, but I have caved under pressure from Midwife, DP MIL etc etc.

Why don't you just ask for active monitoring for another five days - agree that you will go in for induction once you have given your baby another five days for cooking and agree to go in every day for scans and traces if it makes them feel more comfortable. But it's your baby, your body. If you don't think it's time yet, you are probably right.

My due date was 21st of April, because DS was overdue with lots of meconium in waters they don't want to leave it too late with this one due to the risks of inhaling POO POO!!

if the gel dilates you enough (2-3cm and you will be 1cm already) they do an ARM (break your waters) then if that doesn't work you get the drip and then the c-section as last resort. I was told when I got my ARM that at that point a c-section was 50% likely!!!!!

Were those odds specific to you or all inductions?

I have no finger nails left! C section terrifies me,

The percentage depends on your Bishops Score and whether or not it is your first pregnancy. In a first baby with a Bishops Score of less than 3 a 50% chance of C-section and the odds get better from there.

Inductions for second babies tend to be more effective and quicker in my experience (friends and relatives!). Good luck!

2nd pregnancy, bishop was 2 yesterday due for gel on Sunday night. I'm apparently high risk for PPH and shoulder dystocia as well. Does that affect it?

I'm not hysterical, I'm not I'm not I'm not

This was my 3rd dc being inducted at term (although I am def a 42+ weeker) at this point I had 3 lots of gel and it was around 27 hours after the first lot, I was in a lot of pain but was struggling to dilate (hadn't had sleep and the tens machine had run out of batteries). The ARM did the job she was delivered about 5 hours later (I had an epidural so perhaps would have been quicker without although it didn't get the chance to be fully effective, once I start properly dilating it seems to happen very quickly for me)

Bishops score of 2 already - that is , dc 4 at 42 weeks 6 hours after the first lot of gel I still had a BS of 1 - I was so pee'd off!!!!! It's looking positive for you, I know 2 isn't a very high score but at least something is happening on its own accord.

Thanks for answering ppl, got to go and get very wrinkly DS out of the bath!!!

at good news from CarGirl, thank you

Hi nosik,
I was induced with first baby. Had two lots of gel over a 24 hour period and then a syntocin drip to get things moving and had the midwife break my waters. Although non of it particually pleasant- the inserting the gel was probably the most painful (perhaps I was building up my pain threshold by then).
The worst thing was my dp having to go home at 9pm and not being allowed back in until 9am. I did feel completely lost without him. (though not sure I'd admit that to him now).
It wasn't an experience I have fond memories of- but then I couldn't/wouldn't have been able to drink castor oil as all my weel meaning relatives were telling me to do(not advised BTW
Good Luck

With a prior V delivery under your belt an induction is far more likely to be successful even if you're not favourable. Try not to worry.

They'll usually do up to 3-4 sets of gel, 3-6 hours apart before giving up on it, and even if it hasn't put you into active labour it should have started to help your cervix thin and soften. The next option is the syntocinon drip which will contract your uterus, and hopefully efficiently, or AROM (break the water).

Personally if I was given the option I'd keep waters intact for as long as I could, preferably have them break naturally. Some reasons being; with them watching out for the meconium, if your waters are broken and it is present that could really put you under time pressure to deliver. Labouring with waters intact is said to relieve some of the pain and pressure, and also early rupture of membranes is linked to poor positioning of the baby. Not always, of course, sometimes AROM is a very good method of induction.

With regards to the meconium, it is relatively common, my DD had it when she was born also - very thick. I think about 1/3 of babies have passed it before birth? It doesn't always indicate distress, and there is some evidence to suggest that suctioning may be harmful, and even some to suggest that it can be aspirated before delivery. It can be very serious when a baby develops MAS and shouldn't be taken lightly, but it can be just one of those things without a specific cause.

DD had tons of mec and she was a home birth.

Thank you Rohan, thank you Becky,

The gel didn't dilate me at all (I think 1cm after 4 doses!) so in that case they wouldn't give me the drip as they said it would be too brutal a start to labour and could be dangerous (something about rupturing my uterus or summat...). Unfortunately, I did have a c-section after that as I was exhausted, way over dates and the consultant kind of pushed me into it (I should have gone home and had expectant management, but that's another story...).

unlike some other ladies on here, I didn't find the inserting of the gel painful at all. maybe because my cervix was just so unripe? I dunno..

My dc2 had the thickest grade meconium and they were all very panicked as she was delivered (she was unexpectedly big too) but they were still happy for me to go to 42 weeks with dc4 (had dc3 induced at 40 for different reasons).

When I discussed with the senior consultant waiting beyond 42 weeks they never mentioned the mec being a factor only the fact that babies can go from being fine and well on monitoring to be not okay within hours. I wanted a homebirth and beyond 42 weeks couldn't have one on the NHS so decided to not wait longer IYSWIM.

I wonder if they are overplaying the mec too much and you should just sit out to 42 weeks anyway.