Induction - how to make it effective

[Liff]

I am being induced on Friday and am keen that the process doesn't take an age due to a) limited child care for DS1 b) my husband is incredibly impatient c) I want to minimise my time in hospital!

Does anyone have any top tips they can share or have any recommendations as to how best to manage the process?

Any thoughts gratefully received x

I'm not an expert by from my experience and that of my friends, I don't think there is a great deal you can do to affect it apart from use the usual tips to keep labour moving along - ie stay upright, move about as much as possible. I think it's more to do with how ready you are and how fast your body responds to the drugs.

You can request a sweep beforehand which might help get your body ready (or maybe even start you off naturally).

With regard to moving around, I think most hospitals will want you to be continuously monitored for part of the process - probably just after they insert the gel, maybe during established labour, and definitely if you have to have a syntocinon drip. But you can walk around and leave the hospital in the early stages while the gel is getting to work, and stay upright and use a birthing ball while you are on the monitor. Plus you can request to come off it if you feel comfortable with that - sometimes they hook you up and then forget about you!

Have you asked what your bishops score is? This can give you a good idea of whether the induction is likely to work first go or not. Also I was told when I was induced (for my first) that the process usually takes less time for a second baby.

Good luck!

Try acupuncture.

I was induced with my 3rd and had a session the day before in an attempt to avoid having to be induced. I didn't go into spontaneous labour, but the induction was v quick. I only needed the pessary, no drip, labour began properly at about 2.30pm and DS was born at 4.

Good luck

What is the Bishop's score?

was wondering the same thing?!

see
here

oh sorry Woose - I thought you were asking what Liff's Bishop score was!!

W&C's link explains it all - but it's basically just a way of adding up all the factors that indicate how close you are to labour, and assigning it a number. Broadly speaking, the higher the number the more likely the induction is to succeed.

There is a bit about interpretation on this Wiki link: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop_score

It's quite interesting to know what your score is anyway - especially if they are offering you a choice of when/whether to be induced or not. Not sure if that's a factor in your case Liff?

No - I had pre-eclampsia in my first pregnancy so they're not letting me go past my due date this time. Asked midwife today if she had any tips but sadly not...

You can't realy hurry an induction along! It all depends on how close your body is anyway.

Do keep as mobile as you can, though (you'll probably be hooked up to CFM machine, so might just be as simple as sitting upright or standing leaning over bed or whatever)