Yet again it looks like I am going to miss out on a spontaneous labour and need an induction. Please cheer me with your "no signs of action, to established labour within hours" stories.

[artichokes]

I really, really do not want another induction after my horrendous induction and labour with DD1. However, I am booked in on Saturday and due to health and practical constraints I cannot put it off anymore.

Today I had my third sweep. The doctor said I have a Bishop's Score of 6 but that she expects I will not have had the baby by Saturday. I am a little confused by that as I thought a score of 6 was pretty promising. However, I am not having any tightenings and I do not feel like anything is happening.

Please tell me that some people manage to go from nothing to everything really quickly. I can't stand the idea of another long, monitored labour and I really wanted a "going into labour" story. For some reason that is really important to me.

Maybw I am being pathetic about the christmas thng. I have really been looking forward to this christmas with DD and the assembled family bit it might be true that I am trying to manage the impossible.

If I was OK about endangering christmas I could refuse induction despite BP concerns. But they always scare me about my BP because my father died young due to a BP related brain bleed and however brave I am before they point out the dangers they always scare me into agreeing with them. Maybe I will just ask for a delay until Monday. That would make me 40+12 in their eyes and 40+10 in mine.

I am in Oxford so no good for you but have emailed her just now to see if she could recommend anyone.

Agree with Franny I'm afraid. Induction increases the chances of assisted delivery and emergency c/section which could leave you in hospital for days.

If you let things happen naturally you could go in late and be home just hours after the birth.

I had a very good acupuncturist here in London (Hackney) who was also a midwife and really knew her stuff. I went to see her for backache and heartburn but she also asked me whether I wanted DS3 to be early or late. I said on time and lo and behold he was born on his due date (the only one of my three who was).

I don't have her number but I will ring my old yoga teacher and she if she still has it.

Get back to you as soon as I can.

found her

www.acupuncturealison.co.uk/

Thanks SixSpot. She looks great. She is a bit of a way from me but maybe worth it.

Another story: I was 40+5, and no sign. Even went round major art exhib. the day before. Then that morning got up, and suddenly my pants were all wet. Called midwife who confirmed that it was amniotic fluid, and thus my waters would be officially counted as 'broken', so booked me for an induction.

Nothing all day after that, then at 3am I woke up and wooooosssshhh. Waters everywhere.

Back to bed, with mild contractions.

Stronger at 8.30; 3cm at 10am; 8cm at 2pm; delivered at 3.20pm.

Good luck anyway artichokes, whatever you decide to do - I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for your waters to go this afternoon! Shame they got rid of the routemaster buses, eh?

Friend of mine had a horrible induction with her first baby.

She went overdue with her second and doctor started planning an induction. She had actupunture and had a very quick and 'easy' natural birth within 48 hours.

Go for it. Good luck.

I also wanted to avoid second induction and did something that is strictly NOT RECOMMENDED in the UK (although I think it might be far more routine in the USA), but in case you want to know... I took castor oil, massive squits, went into labour, lovely and quick, had dd at home as planned, 2 hours start to finish. Squits finished, labour began, no ugly crossover

I wish you so much luck xxx

Induction, awful 12 hour labour with DS1 - put off getting pg for MANY years!

Second - 5 days overdue, on sofa one Sunday afternoon watching Bruce Forsyth dance history thingy and eating a huge roast. Went to bed at 10pm - was awake and in the kitchen by 1.20am eating buttered bread rolls (yum). Had first twinge at 2am, bigger twinge and in the car by 2.20am - at hospital and into the birthing pool by 3am and DS2 made his appearance at 5am.

Still haven't worked out what factor caused me to go 'au natrel'- whether it was the fear of induction, Brucey or my Mums roast!

Ds - horrible induction. Made me determined to have a home waterbirth if at all poss with next child.

dd - went to hospital for a sweep at 41 weeks. Mw said she couldn't reach it to give me a proper sweep and only managed to 'tickle' it. Cue me being very down in the dumps. Had no twinges, niggles or show; nothing to indicate that labour may be imminent. Woke up early on the morning of 41+2 with backache and tightenings. 7 hours later my dd swam out in the birthpool at home.

My labour really did come out of nowhere. It's possible!

We never managed the sex thing either. I did lots of walking, took epo and rlt, but I don't know if anything really works.

Copy and pasted the reply I got from her:

Best person is Zita West who is a midwife who specialises in using acupuncture for childbirth, she's written books and trained most of us on the subject and I'm a member of her National Fertility Network which is launching in January '09. If she has no luck here let me know, or ask Zita's clinic for contacts in her area.
contact details are: Zita West Clinic, 37 Manchester Street, London, W1U 7LJ
TEL: 0207-224 0017

Hope this helps

Thanks so much Vino. I have heard of Zita and will def give her clinic a call.

Due for induction at 40+10 on no6. Told to book in at 8:30am for induction that day. Went to bed the night before quite upset and resigned. Needed the loo at around 2am. On the way back had an enormous pain which doubled me over. Got back into bed but couldn't settle. About half an hour later contractions picked up and 1hour after that we were on our way to hospital to deliver.
Baby was born in just under 2hours from the first pain.
Sat smugly with baby in arms at 8:30am.

On another note - I had horrendous first induction with first baby. Was induced with last baby and labour and delivery followed same pattern as my spontaneous labours and was nothing like my first induction.

I have an appointment at the Zita West clinic this morning. Thanks again Vino. I am rushing off now but hopefully my waters will break as soon as I emerge from the clinic onto Baker Street... Wish me luck!

Hope its already happened Artichokes but just in cas it hasnt here is my story.

DD1 ended up being induced due to waters brzaking and then labour not starting.

DD2 was 12 days overdue and I was slowly going crazy - felt fat uncomfortable and impatient. They were booking me in for an induction as bp was rising. I had tried pineapple, curries - you name it I tried it.

I finally gave up and resigned myself to being induced. The night of the 12 day I relaxed for the first time in ages, had a bath ate choccies and went to bed. 2am contractions started out of the blue and very painful and full on. Taxi to hospital and dd2 born 12 hours later. It was a fab natural birth - I was standing up when she was born and the midwife had to catch her. It is good job she didnt fumble the catch. Hope this gives you hope - let us know what happens.

Hopefully you got on ok? Bet you have to go back tomorrow again? usually the first visit is for a general check and then they will focus on what needs to be done.

good luck with the birth, i was booked in for induction with my third baby, got to the hosoital was booked in and waiting for doc to come with "the gel" and guess what , i popped all by myself.....you never know whats going to happen, it took an hour and a half start to finish!

I was induced 2 1/2 weeks late with ds1. Had tried curry, sex, pineapple and rlt

There were no signs of anything happening whatsoever with ds2 until his due date when my waters went at 3am, tightenings started at lunchtime and he was born by 5.05pm. I'd done nothing to try to help him on his way!

Good luck

Hi artichokes, I feel the same as you. I was due on Monday with my 2nd dc (dd induced at 40+2).
They did a scan on Monday and head is not engaged, they couldn't do a sweep as my cervix is closed, high but soft. I seen my MW this morning to try again but she has said the same thing - cervix is still closed. I really don't know what it means but think labour is nowhere near
I have tried a clary sage bath, pineapple, sex, curries, bouncing on birthing ball, walking and am going for reflexology this afternoon.
Can anyone advise anything else I can try? Really do not want to be induced again
Thanks

Back from Zita. They stuck lots of painful needles in me and I have another appointment tomorrow. They say they have great results and I hope its true, but then they are hardly going to say otherwise. I trogged round Selfridges afterwards in the hope of kick starting things through stress! No such luck. I will not try a nap.

I almost got excited about half an hour ago when I got two slightly painful tummy cramps 10 mins apart. Alas nothing since.

Sorry that you are going through the same thing Shirley. Good luck with the reflexology. Let me know if it works. Have you tried evening primrose oil? I gave it ago this morning.

Good luck artichokes - my induction with ds wasn't a dreadful experience but I would love to go into labour naturally with my 2nd due next month.

Child 3, 13 days overdue. Husband supposed to leave for conference in Vancouver at 11 am (booked before we knew child 3 was coming). Was booked in for induction the next morning.

Sunday morning. Husband gets up, goes to phone, cancels flight and speech at conference.

Sunday 3 pm. I go for nap.

Sunday 4pm. Feel pop. No water comes though as there is no water left. Call midwife. She says she will come by later to check up on me. (I was having a home birth)

Labour starts early evening- about 6:30. I put children to bed (still not really in established labour). Midwife comes about 7:30 after he shift finishes. Examines me, tells me to call her if anything happens as she is just about to go and check on a lady in the hospital.

8:30 Midwife returns. Asks me if I am in labour yet. I say, oh yes- have been getting pains every 4-5 minutes and am wandering around house doing stuff.

She sticks her monitor on my stomach roughly where she'd expect baby's heart to be. Nothing. Tense moment for both of us. She puts it further down- aha! Baby much further down than expected.

Very shortly after this I go into full-blown labour and DD2 is born at 11:30 pm. Very quick, very painful (compared to my drawn-out OP labours with the other two).

So, to recap; from big fat nothing in terms of symptoms of readiness (forgot to say she was not even engaged) at 3pm, to born baby 8 hours later.

Artichokes - you might remember me as your 'ward buddy' at QC's the day of your induction. Just to say I've had lots of acupuncture (not for inductions, alas) and I was always told by my fab lady, who had lots of success in starting labour, that the optimum treatment was three sessions over the course of three days. So don't despair if things don't kick off after today's session as the efficacy lies in closely-spaced repeat sessions.

Hope this all does the trick and you swerve the induction. HOpe it all goes really well.
Kitstwins x