Went into labour spontaneously with DD but am booked for an induction this time how different will the labour be ???

[sweetbean]

I had my DD at 40+10 she was completely spontaneous labour and i had a really good time for a first labour. I only had G&A in the last 20mins of Labour.
I have just had an appointment with my MW and have been booked in for an induction next Thursday when i will be 40+12 all tho im really hoping i go into labour before then as i am on my second sweep!!

I just wanted to know if the labour will be very different as i have herd that its a lot more painful to be induced than to go naturally!

Thanks for any advice xx

Please there must be some lovely Mnetters out there with some advice for me.

My third baby was induced with just the pessary. Nothing happened for many hours and then wham! Labour was 1.5 hours total and went from 'oooh I am in labour' to extremely painful very quickly. Not helped by being kept on labour ward until 9cms and no pain relief until then either...but that is another story!

My second was completly natural, took 4.5 hours but also no pain relief (also not intended!) and the induced labour was a totally different expeirence and not in a good way! There is much to be said for a slightly longer labour with a good build-up of endorphins etc in dealing with the pain.

I am sure someone will come along in a mo with a really positive experience for you but I thought it was best to be truthfull!

I was induced at 41 weeks with my DD now 4 months old. It was fine (my first baby so I have nothing to compare it to!) - first gel at 01.50, next at 08.50 and baby born at 22.16. Discharged the next morning, shopping in John Lewis by lunchtime! Good luck!

Personally my experience of induction was pretty horrible but I see no point in dwelling in it here. It does vary. I think it all depends on how close you were to it happening spontaneously. I would never encourage someone to be induced unless there was a very good medical reason why. Going over 14 days overdue doesn't necessarily constitute a good reason and you can opt just to be closely monitored instead.

Ultimately, it is, of course up to you. Best of luck with whatever you choose!

Thank you for your honest answers!! TBH you have all confirmed what i thought which is that it is a lot more painful than going naturally and i am glad that you have all been honest!!!

I would love to here from anyone else who has had experience of this good or bad !!

Many Thanks xx

My first birth was induction and tbh it was a long and drawn out. I had an epidural as the contraction were unbearanble right from the start even though labour wasn't really progressing. DS was eventually born with forceps/ventouse/episiotomy

Looking back I feel that one medical intervention led to another.

DS2 I was about to be induced but a few minutes before they started the drip I went into labour naturally! It was all very very different. Very quick really (4 hours) I managed on gas and air for first 3, then had meptid (sp?) I didn't spend much time pushing either. No forceps, no ventouse.

His shoulders did get stuck and I did have a bad tear but hey he was 11 pounds!

It hurt like a bitch but all in all I felt I recovered much quicker.

You're strapped to the bed with an induction too which I hated.

Not literally strapped down obviously

Really i didn't realise that i would be not be able to have an active labour is this the case even if you have had just the gel ??? Please say it isn't so or i will be cancelling the induction !!!!

Once you've had the gel then you will be put on the monitor for 20 minutes or so to check that your body hasn't reacted badly to it and to check the baby. You can ask if this bit can be done using a wireless telemetry monitor so you can move around, and even if not, you should be able to stand up and move around a bit.

If the gel alone is enough to send you into active labour then your labour should be 'normal' from then on - you should be able to us ethe pool and everything. If you need your waters breaking then again, you can stay active. The bit where it becomes more restrictive is if you need a syntocinon drip which means you will need to be monitored continuously and will have a drip in the back of your hand.

You have so much time between now and the induction that the chances are that you will go into labour spontaneously. There's no limit on how many sweeps you have so do ask for another one in a few days if you want one.

i had my first naturally and then was induced for my second as my waters had broken and they were worried that she would get an infection, plus she was late anyway.

i was induced with just a pesssary and breaking of my secind waters, appaerntly you have a fron and back waters and only the front had leaked.

i had an active labour but was on a moniotr at the begining measuring the contractions. i never used the birth pool as our hospital didnt have one available, i was certainly able to move about if i wanted to.

i dont think that it was much more painfull than with dd1 but shorter and more intense. it certainly wasnt absolutely unbearable compared to dd1, although i was screaming for an epidural when it came to her crowning, but then i was the same with dd1.

Different midwives have different views about how long you should be monitored for. Monitoring usually involves lying on a bed, incredibly painful if lo is OP and makes him less likely to turn around. You should get it written in your birth plan that you need to be as active as possible.

Even with my second labour, when they never got round to turning the drip on they made me stay on the bed and hooked up to monitor. no idea why

Thanks again for the response i have to say its always nice to read that its not to bad!!!!

Micci25 I know what you mean about the crowning that was the only bit i felt like i was unable to cope with !!!!! But least it means it will all be over soon.

I was induced with dd2. Had 2 lots of pessaries (12 hours apart).. the waiting was quite nice actually, a bit of lunch, a few magasines... when labour started it was thick and fast. With dd1 was induced part way through (as had started to go backwards) so I knew what to expect. The contractions are more intense and with dd2 there was little or no break between them. The only thing I'd say was trust your instinct. With dd2, 2 hours into labour I was still on the maternity ward and could feel the urge to push but didn't believe it (IYFSWIM) as up to this point my waters hadn't gone and I had had no show so everyone (including me thought I was just being a tad dramatic). It was only when I was lying on the floor of the corridor screaming that it wasn't fair having artificial contractions (the shame of it now) that MW checked me and found i was fully dilated and crowning! Cue blue light dash to delivery suite and dd2 delivered in time to catch the end of spooks.

Go with the flow, don't fret too much about it. Being induced doesn't always mean being strapped to monitor.

Good luck!

I had 2 spontaeous labours at 39+4 and 38+4, but dd2 was induced at 36+6 as I was ill with the pregnancy. It was a better labour than with dd1 (OP, 37 hours, ventouse) but longer and more painful than with ds (10 hours, SVD). She was a SVD in the end, but it was more painful, the contractions are totally different.

Hi sweetbean, like you I had a completely spontaneous labour with my first, also no pain relief apart from G&A, it was a reasonably quick labour - 9 hours from waking up and feeling a couple of twinges to him being born and was a lovely experience.

OTOH - DS2 was induced at 39 + 6 due to my escalating BP, I had 1 lot of Prostin (sp?) at 5pm, by 6.30pm I was having contractions thick and fast and he was born at 9.18pm, the pain was very intense, he was OP, the labour was too progressing too quickly for me to have any pain relief apart from G&A and he was eventually born by forceps as he was in distrss (the MW said from the speed of the labour), resulting in a 3rd degree tear. All in all a pretty horrible experience from start to finish BUT I think my high BP and the baby being OP and my ignorance of what being induced would mean i.e very quick and painful labour - stupidly I didn't do any research beforehand. Sorry it's not a positive story but I would never want to be induced again - such a completely different experience to my first lo's birth.

Please remember that you do not need to go for Induction at 40+12. You can wait longer.
The hospital should offer you a scan to show placental blood flow and amniotic fluid levels to check on the baby's well being.

Had a client a few weeks ago who waited until 42+5 and had an easy and straightforward second birth.
She knew that she carries beyond 42 weeks as she was induced last time.

If your first arrived at 40+10, there is a good chance that this baby will also come around 42 weeks.

Induction does increase the risk of other interventions and should only be used if there is a clear medical reason.

Remember in France term is at 41 weeks.

You can still have an active labour if you want, I agreed to be monitored for the first 40 mins after the pessary and then after that I was up & around. I should think it will all happen very quickly for you with only one pessary/gel

ive had 6 babies and new one is due next month
i have had 5 spont labours and 1 induced
it was traumatic the induced labour
i will never have another one
one lady was right here you do not have to be induced
please have a birth plan to hand make you sure your birth partner knows what you want
if you want to be active say so loudly
you do not have to keep having internals your body knows what its doing if you are happy and baby is tay active better for you
my last induction took 31 hours from start to when he arrived
all other labours ranged from 1 hour to 8
i have been offered an induction at 36 weeks due to a medical problem with baby i have refused blankly
i am know having an elective section unless my LO decides to arrive of his own accord
good luck in your choice
you will holding your baby soon lucky thing

Thank you all once again for your responses i have to say that im feeling very worried and unsure about it all.

My dad goes away for 3 weeks to Canada on business on 9th June and they live on the isle of wight so part of my decision to have an induction is so my dad can see his second grandchild before he goes away!(do you think that's a stupid reason??)

I realy do want to have this baby naturally but have worried through my pregnancy that something terrible will happen and now that i have gone passed my EDD im worrying even more! so i just want to have my baby safe in my arms!! But im terrified of being induced so its catch 22 really.

Sorry for rambling on and thanks again for all the advice and support! xx

i can understand what you mean but on the plus side of an induction ok
write out your birth plan still
be very strong willed in labour eg, if they want you monitored on the bed or on the bed for whatver reasons ask why
is is nessary to have so many internals
be prepared that the pains are more intense
maybe as long as you are aware of what it could be like it wont be so bad
like you say you want to have your baby safe in your arms i know that feeling
is an epidural an option because if so put it down say what you want
at least that way the pain wont be so intense for you
all labour is different hun isnt it
we can all go naturally and have a bad time and there are people who have a good experience of induction
they induced me nearly 4 weeks early and he clearly wasnt ready
but your baba is overdue fully grown and prob might just need a kick start
only you can decide whats best for you
tbh he/she will probably be here any day soon try some natural remedies
easy for me to say i have never been overdue i have the opposite prob usually at 35 weeks
remember the EDD is only a rough guide
ive been on the maternity ward with them trying to stop my labour and mums to be have gone down for there induction at 8 am theyve been back by lunchtime
keep us posted let us know how you go on x

disneystar Thank you for such a kind and reassuring post!! xx

I will rewrite my birth plan as im very keen not to have a epidural but i will have pethidine if it helps!

Also very keen to stay as active as possible as i was unable to sit down when i was in labour with DD and found that i was most relaxed and comfortable when passing/walking around. I know that this time i might be more comfortable in another position but the thought of being strapped to a bed is terrifying to me !!

Anyway the babas got to come out one way or another and once its all over then i can start getting on with being a new mummy instead of all this horrible worry and apprehension!

Thank you again for your kind words and hears hoping i go in labour before Thursday!!! xxx

sweetbean fingers crossed for you, thursday is still a good way off.

i hope you won't need this but do find out what their policy is re epidural if you have the drip induction (ie if pessaries don't work). i wasn't allowed one and this is not usual i think but well worth checking.

Thnaks Fishie I will find out xx

exactly sweetbean its got to come out one way or another
when its over its over when we all hold our babies in our arms the pain is all worth it isnt it
il keep saying c,mon baba sweetbean you can do it on your own or your mummys gonna do it for you
look at it this way you are going to getting your cuddle very very soon we are all scared at the end
me im terrified i have till next month but the apprehension and worry gets me down i just want it over with whatver the pain
i can barely walk now things are not funny anymore
let us know how you get on xx