If you had an induction at 38weeks..

[anonny55]

If you had an induction at 38 weeks..what was your experience?
Was it your first baby?
How many days did it take?
assisted delivery?
Did it end in emergency caesarean?

Fuck that. No thanks. I say that with an incredible amount of sympathy.

This is why I elected for c section twice (37 week delivery).

edit - I can’t have an epidural, just a spinal. I can’t have opiates either. Lots of respect to anyone why chooses to give birth vaginally but definitely not something I fancied trying. Very glad we get the choice in the uk (even if medical staff pretend we don’t)

Induction at 35 weeks with DC1. due to pre eclampsia

Gel pessary 1 at 12 noon, pessary 2 at 6pm. contractions started shortly after. DD was born at lunchtime the following day. No forceps but I did have an episiotomy. All quite straightforward although I didn't know any different anyway!

First baby, induced at 37 weeks.
Pessary at 3pm, no change by 9. Increasing pains following this and fully dilated just before midnight.
Baby born in birthing pool just over an hour later.
Highly recommend being as mobile as you can for as long as you can. Also found a TENS machine helpful.
Good luck!

I was induced with dd2 (3rd baby) at 36+6 due to a kidney problem I'd developed in pregnancy.

I had a pessary at 6am and actually fell asleep again until after 8. I really think that helped as I had no pessary falling out! I walked around for the next 6 hours!

I was 1cm at 12 noon (very disappointed), 6 cm and sent to delivery at 5pm for gas and air. Dd2 was born at 630 pm with waters only going at my 2nd last push (that made a mess!!). She was much smaller than my previous babies (dd1 was 9.12 and ds 9.3) but I was glad as she was already 7.15 at 3 weeks early!!).

I know I had an easy induction with no drip etc as it was my 3rd delivery and my body hadn't forgotten what to do.

First baby 37+3. Induced due to high blood pressure. Had membrane sweep initially but it didn't work.

Admitted 2 days late for induction

Had 4 Pessaries - they kept coming out!

Pain started 1.00 pm ish 2 days later

9.00 pm started drip/gas and air. 3.00 am epidural.

7.05 am started pushing

7.26 am born

So 5 days from induction to delivery. Normal vaginal birth. Similar story for 2nd baby.

You’re a wise woman!

They really tried to convince me to have an epidural before starting the drip but I was stubbornly convinced I wanted to “see how I got on”.

Spoiler: I got on extremely badly 😂. Quivering and vomiting in pain. Begged for an epidural. It was astounding. I asked the anaesthetist to marry me (in front of my husband) - she said she gets that a lot on labour ward.

I had the gel to induce number two and it worked so quickly I didn’t have time for my epidural - that time around, very much planned and wanted! Have to say that it was painful, obviously, but a totally different ballgame to the drip, and totally manageable with gas and air.

I was induced at 39 weeks due to low Papp-A and concerns about her being small/not growing. Had the pessary at 10 a.m. and it happened pretty fast. Ended in a forceps delivery at 7.30pm the same day as my daughter was in distress.

Was it your first baby? Yes

How many days did it take?
First pessary 6pm, second 2am , contractions 5am baby born before 10am
Very quick

assisted delivery? No

Did it end in emergency caesarean? No

Wow all 6 of you!! How did you find the section and recovery?

@AllThePotatoesAreSingingJingleBells how did you find the process and recovery? The thought of a c section really scares me but id rather have a planned one than a few days labouring and ending in an emcs or forceps as I've heard a lot of people saying forceps recovery is very hard, painful and left them with problems

I definitely definitely didn’t want forceps and actually forbade it in my written request for a c section. I got a call from a consultant about 29 mins after I sent the email and he agreed right away, and made it clear that it was my right to choose, which I appreciated.
I had a really good recovery. 5 days I felt pretty much normal. 14 days for driving. Could have managed at 10 second time round. Walked 20 mins to the pub by 2 weeks with minimal pain.

Ages 38/41. BMI over 35. Blood clotting condition. History of miscarriage. Embarrassingly low level of exercise. Mentioning as I weighed up risks based on this.

I was in hospital for just under a week with both, but this was because of rhesus factor and despite having anti D both babies had jaundice and which was believed to be a result of this. Awful at the time but 2 weeks later was a distant memory.

First time round I just had paracetamol and ibuprofen and on day 5 when I got home I cooked dinner (I wanted to, DH was horrified). I had SPD and GD in both pregnancies and I remember how nice it was to be able to get upstairs without being in pain. The worst thing was the trapped wind and not being able to poo until day 5. Don’t underestimate how awful this is. See below re movicol. It was difficult rolling over for about 10 days, but by day 10 it was just difficult and not especially painful.

Baby 2 I had the knack of it. Was up and walking after 5 hours. Shower after 8 hours which was fantastic. I maxed out on Movicol and it was about 20 hours after surgery - this was a big help! I and was able to get on my belly to sleep pretty quickly. I needed a tramadol on day 3 but this was because baby was taken to special care for a few hours for jaundice and instead of getting a wheelchair I walked there because I didn’t want to be a bother. My advice - be a bother. Wheelchairs everywhere.

I didn’t want forceps, or an emergency section (both of which would increase the risk of clots). Just didn’t fancy vaginal birth. Definitely didn’t want stitches there (and found where my stitches ended up to be manageable even though baby 1 arrived in covid and we only saw my DH for 1 hour in 6 days/5 nights after the birth. Midwives were great). baby 2 was in a different hospital because I moved house: they did initially try to convince me to go for a vaginal birth but were supportive of my choice not to. Turned out baby had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck several times so very glad I stuck to my guns. Recovered much better than friends who had inductions, and none of the friends who did would repeat the experience. Stats from my hospital said it was basically a coin toss whether I would need an emcs if inducted.

I’m a couple of years on now, and at the now or never if I wanted another but there is absolutely no doubt in my mind, I would opt for another c section if I had a 3rd. Wouldn’t even need to think about it.

Also I make big babies. I was measuring 42 weeks at 37 weeks with DD. Baby 1 was 7lb 2, baby 2 8lb 6. They are both still above the 90th centile for height, DD is on the 98th for height and weight. Skinny but long!

For the op itself I was in and out in 45 mins or so as I was spinal only. DS was delivered in 20 mins, DD took 8. You don’t much care after that. I lost 400mls both times.

Had a sweep at 10am, it did nothing but apparently I was 2 cm dilated before my waters were then manually ruptured (can't remember what time that was) and then I was put on a drip at 2220. The contractions started pretty much straight away. He was my first baby (and only so far), he was born at 4.20 am. No assistance, I begged for an epidural but he ended up being born naturally, midwife said she could see the head so she told me to start pushing, she faffed around trying to get the anaesthetist although I don't think she really tried to get him/her (40 mins of pushing). No tears.

Thanks for the info!
May I ask, how did you find a consultants email to contact them?
I don't see mine again until 36+2 but I keep seeing a different one each time. The one I see last week said she'd suggest a 38w induction or 39w section due to size but she'll let me think about it and I can tell the decision to the next consultant I see. I feel so unprepared and like nothings set in stone. It would be great if I could contact someone now and get the show on the road of this section being considered and booked!

I'm worried the next consultant may see things different and give me a hard time about an elcs and with it being so close to him coming I don't want the stress tbh.

I see my consultant in 3 weeks and don't see my midwife for another 1.5 weeks (currently 33 weeks). Feels like a lifetime away as I'm so eager to get my points across and make sure a section is booked.

@Mrs86 how comes you were induced?

Was it your first baby?
Yes

How many days did it take?
5
assisted delivery?
Pushed for way too long

Did it end in emergency caesarean?
Yes and weeks in intensive care for us both. But that's another story

Was that due to the c section going wrong you were both in icu? X

I was induced with the drip and I agree with another poster who said get the epidural first. With it being my 3rd I thought I could handle the pain, I could not, it's not like a natural labour with a slow progression, it's from 0 to 100 in minutes. I ended up getting an epidural as the contractions were so bad

No, was my 3rd baby
So I went in on the 23rd but their wasnt any beds until the 24th. They popped my waters at 4am and he was born at 12pm
No assistance needed ( aside from the inducement obv )
No was a natural labour all went well

I'm afraid this happened to me. First baby, induced at 38 weeks for baby measuring big. I think because I was on the drip etc and lying on my back on a bed for hours the baby didn't turn fully to come out so was stuck. I ended up in theatre and forceps. Episiotomy and PPH. Baby was 8lb 14oz. I found recovery tough and painful.

With my second I opted for a csection as I couldn't go through all that again. As soon as I mentioned forceps to the midwife she was like yes you can definitely have a section, we are not here to leave you traumatised. Found planned csection experience and recovery a breeze and so much less painful.

I'm afraid it was the forceps that did it for me! Some European countries don't even allow them!

@Proudmummy67 the consultant said id be high risk for forcep birth due to his 98th centile head and 96th centile tummy, being my first birth and an induction. No thanks!!

Was that due to the c section going wrong you were both in icu? X

I was extremely unlucky at it was just a perfect storm

My waters went and it was 24 hours later when I was induced and then 5 days of hell and they left me too it in the hospital. When I said I didn't feel well I was just ignored and brushed off as first time mum.

10cms and pushing. Baby heart rate was almost non existent.

Then emergency c section. Baby wasn't breathing and cord wrapped around him several times and rushed to intensive care.

I had a uterine rupture and I went into cardiac arrest. Very rare

Both me and baby had sepsis and meningitis.

But we are both well and thriving now

@littlespoonlifer how traumatic for you both. Glad your both doing well now☺️

I know you asked for
38 weeks

but I was Induced at 37 weeks first of all by pessary. It didn’t work so they took me to labour ward. Examined me and broke my waters there and then at like 4pm. I then had the hormone drip it became too Intese at times and they turned it off a little bit. I was gowned up at one point before 8pm and I shouted at my midwife (who was awful and quiet and didn’t fill me with confidence) that I was not having a section( not that I had the decision but still I was adamant😂) anyway I knew from working on the ward previously that shift swap was 8pm so I just kept calm and prayed I’d hold out until after this dreadful midwife went home. I got the best student and midwife ever! The first thing I asked for was pethidine and that’s all I can remember up until I felt like I needed a poo. so I kept shouting I need a poo they said oh no you need to push. They checked and that was it I began pushing. At 21:46 she was born.

thats my induction story and honestly if I could have the same birth again id choose it over and over. If you remain calm stay open minded and just LISTEN to your midwife and that’s the one best bit of advice I can give you. My 1st was awful but those second two wow. I didn’t tear I didn’t need any stitches nothing I think the fact my baby was only 5.13 and the fact I listened to instructions helped!!

you can do this! Xxx.

❤️

That being said.
Induction I would never do again but c section especially a planned one then 100 percent

This was my complaint. I was high risk due to the clotting and seeing a different consultant every time and having to go through my request every time.

I called the antenatal unit and asked them who my lead consultant was (they couldn’t tell as it wasn’t clear from my notes) so I asked them to find out and give me their email address and they called me back with it. I emailed him stating I wanted a c section and wanted it agreeing and confirming right away as I was 32 weeks and fed up of asking every month and not getting anywhere. I included that it was causing me unnecessary stress. He was great, called me up 20 mins after i sent the email, said I could give birth however I wanted, it’s my right to choose, went through the risks with me and agreed it over the phone. There was no push back at all from him.

He also thought that it might be a ‘complicated’ surgery, as I’d had several surgeries in that area before so he decided to personally do the surgery - it was fine though, no scarring etc from previous surgeries.